A strange Easter.

It was an unusual Holy Week for me this year. For the first time I can remember I was unable to fully participate in the ceremonies of Holy week due to my work schedule. I worked 12 hour days on Thursday, Friday and Saturday thus precluding my attendance at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the way of the cross procession through the streets, the Commemoration of the Passion, or the Easter Vigil. On Sunday I went to Mass with my family and a family friend visiting from overseas. We went to the Mass promoted as the "Samoan Mass" which normally means a Mass in English, but with the hymns in Samoan. Instead we were faced with the whole Mass in Samoan, a language none of us understood. However I think we all enjoyed the experience.

As well as the language, some ritual elements of Samoan culture were brought into the mass. E.g. the Lectionary was processed into the Church just before the first reading on a platform carried on the shoulders of four men dressed as Samoan warriors and accompanied by two men also in traditional atire carrying spears who stood guard throughout the readings and the homily.

At the time of the offertory procession as well as the gifts of bread and wine, as is very common in Pacific cultures, leis of flowers were brought forward to be hung round the necks of the priests. More surprising was that on a platform once more carried on the shoulders of four men was ... a pig. Yes a whole cooked pig was brought forward to be blessed and then processed out of the church to be prepared for the feasting after Mass. That was something of a culture shock to my elderly grandmothers!!

It was quite an experience to attend mass celebrated by a priest whom I know very well, but in a language that I don't understand at all. I enjoyed it as one off experience, but wouldn't like to do it too often.