Patron Saint Festival
This week Comerio celebrates the fiesta of "El Santo Cristo de la Salud" (The Holy Christ of Health). We all walked into town to see it.
Each town in Puerto Rico celebrates patron saint festivals (fiestas patronales) in honor of their saint. The day represents when the first Catholic church was founded in each town. They believe that when the birthday of a Saint is celebrated, that Saint is honored and grants special grace to those celebrating. Our town had a beauty contest, a parade and a display of all the new police vehicles, followed by a prayer. But the biggest activity I saw going on was the carrying of beer cans.
I have a hard time understanding how a saint is honored when he is prayed to Sunday, followed by a week of beer drinking and partying in his name. I know of another fiesta, a better party. I know that our Father in heaven is holy and desires His children to be like Him and rejoices when a sinner repents. Then even the angels party! That is the one I want to go to!
No comments:
Post a Comment