Advent and Las Posadas

The season of Advent is here and just a breath away, Christmas, otherwise known as “insanity at its finest.”  (If you don’t know what I am referring you, you don’t get out much during this time.)

 As part of the Christmas celebrations, many parishes include the re-enactment of the Holy Family’s journey to Bethlehem—Las Posadas. Have you ever wondered about its origin? If you have ever taken part or just watched, you are in for a beautiful history lesson.

The custom dates to the middle of 1600’s and the credit goes to Pedro de San Jose Betancur who was canonized in 2002.  He is the first saint of Guatemala and is offered referred to as the “Saint Francis of the Americas.”  At thirty-one, he traveled to Guatemala from the Canary Islands in the hopes of becoming a priest.  However, his Jesuit studies did not suit him.  Later, he would become a Franciscan Tertiary. 

He was well aquatinted with poverty as he was destitute when he arrived in Guatemala and had to rely on the breadline for the poor the Franciscans had set up.  Because of this, he understood well the many needs of those in living in poverty. Consequently, he established numerous institutions that included a hospital, a school, a hostel, and chapels. The hospital would echo St. Francis’ devotion of the crèche with its name—Our Lady of Bethlehem.  Like St. Francis before him, Pedro soon had many young men joining to help him in his ministries.  As a result, he was able to found a new religious order, that of the Hospitaler Bethlemites.

It was Pedro’s great devotion to the Holy Family which played a great part in his spirituality that he is credited with originating Las Posadas.  The celebration spread throughout Central America and Mexico as well being the prelude to Midnight Mass held in many parishes throughout the United States today.   As part of your devotions during this Advent, perhaps you could include Las Posadas in your prayer time to intercede for those who want to come home to the Church but don’t know how.

Robert Frost, the great American poet, once wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”   Holy Family and St. Pedro, pray for us on our own journey home. Help us learn how to journey with others and welcome the stranger. Amen.

Resources:
Las Posadas by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Las Posadas: A Christmas Musical for Children from the Mexican Tradition by Albert Zabel
Night of Las Posadas  by Tomie de Paola
Nine Days to Christmas: A story of Mexico  by Marie Hall Ets and Aurora Labastida
The Posadas: Christmas Traditions of Mexico by Marilyn Hughes
Uno, Dos, Tres Posada by Virginia Knoll