Un día en Abiquiu con los hermanos penitentes

It was a fascinating day! I did not grow up hearing anything about the Penitentes, so I didn't have any perceptions to shift, just new ones to form. One thing about the group that stands in COMPLETE contrast to U.S. culture is their concept of time--there are no limits! The discipline, dedication, & patience they demonstrated and demanded of participants was far beyond anything most of us experience in our daily lives. Like trying to do yoga all day! It was so cool to meet people who came up from Santa Fe or ABQ to spend the day with the hermanos because they love the traditions. One gentleman, an artist and teacher at St. John's college, told us he visits different moradas every year. "I'm a morada hopper," he said with a big smile. With any luck, we'll get an interview with him. He told us that his abuelos, tíos, & father were all penitentes.

It strikes me that the Penitentes are perhaps filling a void in modern U.S. culture. They offer a space and time to sit, listen to singing that is reminiscent of the Gregorian Monks, and touch a culture so far removed from daily experience, that I can only compare it to sitting in cathedrals in Europe. There, mysticism, spiritual struggle, peace, strong bonds of community, and love flow through everything they do. I am not saying I want to become a penitente (nor would they allow me to since I am female), but their sincerity   was unquestionable, even admirable. It was a powerful reminder to me that we may disagree on many levels, but there is no room for judgement.

Also--we went to observe language use, but it is impossible not to process this experience in multiple ways! It was a full cultural immersion, a home-stay on steroids! Thanks, blog, for being my sounding board :)