Tonight is Christmas Eve. It’s always a bit sad to be so far away from my family and friends but fortunately, my partner and his unfailing love are there.
We decided to attend Christmas mass to meditate, celebrate the birth of Christ and… feel a bit like home.
We are lucky. Our home is very close to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Chiang Mai and Bishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana is presiding tonight.
So it is well surrounded that we accompany the Christmas carols that we recognize such as "Angels We Have Heard On High".
Although the ceremony takes place in Thai, we recognize several words. It must be said that Latin has its place in all the churches of the world. So, Alleluia, Amen, Adeste fideles,…
I even recognize the litany of Christ's ancestors.
Mt 1,1-17
1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[c] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
It’s all there. The crib, the hearts of teenagers with golden voices and the children who attend this beautiful mass in groups.
An hour later, it is with a heart full of joy that I leave the cathedral.
I thank life for having offered me this moment but especially for having been able to live it with my companion.
For the know-it-all…
Thailand is a very religious country. Buddhism is practiced by more than 90% of the population... and I assure you that it is very visible. There are also Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and a few Christians (less than 2%)
The temples of Chiang Mai, or Wat in Thai, are important places of worship. There are more than 300 temples in Chiang Mai alone, each with its own history and unique architecture.
If we add to this that every house, every business, every hotel has one or more altars on which offerings are placed every day, we can say that religion is omnipresent.
Merry Christmas to all
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