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Oklahoma City parishioners find joy in Las Posadas

 
BY LILLIE-BETH BRINKMAN | Published: December 23, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment
photo - Joseph and Mary, portrayed by Florencio and Lency Murillo, are welcomed into the stable during Las Posadas at Little Flower Catholic Church, 1125 S Walker. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
Joseph and Mary, portrayed by Florencio and Lency Murillo, are welcomed into the stable during Las Posadas at Little Flower Catholic Church, 1125 S Walker. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

In the midst of so many holiday celebrations — the Feast Day and novenas of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christmas and the Epiphany (also known as Three Kings Day) — lies another Catholic tradition that honors Mary, celebrates Jesus and brings families together.

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AT A GLANCE
How Las Posadas is celebrated
During the Posadas, Mary and Joseph go door to door — either inside the church or to homes — knocking and asking innkeepers if they have room for Mary, who is about to give birth to Jesus.

Singing takes place outside and inside, as they ask and the innkeepers refuse.

"In terms of me, it means tradition. It means unity. It means culture,” said Cyndi Jodlowski, account executive for KTUZ-TV, whose family roots are in Mexico. "It’s almost like a cultural ritual. It’s fun.”

Each day during the Posadas, parishioners will pray for the beloved Mary’s protection, said Sister Guadalupe Ortíz with Little Flower Catholic Church.

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Las Posadas started Dec. 16 and continues for nine days leading up to Christmas Day. Families, parishioners and friends gather to celebrate the Posadas — the Spanish word for lodging or shelter — and enjoy fellowship and food as they re-enact Joseph’s quest to find room for Mary.

One such event was held recently at Little Flower Catholic Church, 1125 S Walker Ave. Parishioners sang a traditional Posadas song and watched as Joseph and Mary, portrayed by Florienco and Lency Murillo, searched for shelter as chronicled in Luke 2:4-7.

Origin of holiday
Las Posadas dates to the 1500s, when Christian evangelists seeking to convert indigenous people of Mexico realized they could teach them their faith through the re-enactment of biblical stories.

"One of the deep meanings of the Posadas is the struggle of the immigrant,” said Timothy Matovina, a theologian and professor at the University of Notre Dame.

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