I went to a Catholic mass with my family on Sunday. I have attended Catholic masses in the United States before, but this mass was quite different from anything I have experienced. The mass started at 10:00 AM, but many people had all ready arrived by 9:30AM. It seemed like everyone was hugging and kissing before the service. It is customary to air kiss someone on the right cheek when you first meet them. I kissed quite a few people I didn’t even know. I am definitely not used to this custom yet, but I don’t mind it if I’m kissing a handsome, tall, and brown-eyed tico (Costa Rican guy)!
I was expecting some organ music or some grandiose sounding instrument when the service began, but all they had was a plug-in piano and a singer. They sang upbeat songs and I actually recognized one that I used to sing at my church a long time ago. We knelt down and said some things. I couldn’t figure out what they were saying, but I knelt down anyway. The priest was actually easier to understand than I thought. He was very down to earth and stepped down from the pulpit and talked to us at eye level. I received a real sense of community when I was there. The people were warm and friendly. At the end of the service many people told me to go with God and peace.
