Holy Week 2014

On Holy thursday I attended Congregation of the Great Spirit. Luckily I started feeling better by then. I was sick for about a week. I think I had a strong cold or the flu. It sure dragged me down and made me week. With the washing of the feet at church mass there was only about 30 people. There were 4 basins and pitchers. We took turns washing each others feet. It was very neat to see. Someone sou,d ways your feet then you would wash the next person and everyone was helping each other out. I had this cute little 2 year old indian girls who helped me pour water on her brothers feet and then I wiped his feet. It was touching experience.

Friday I headed down to Racine to help Leo with Geometry. He then taught me about iMovie. now I am addicted to it and love making trailers. It has been a fun project. Fr. Bruce and I then watched Mel Gibson's the Passion of Christ with 4 students then we went to a fish fry afterwards. It was a long day but a good day. I think Mel Gibson goes a bit over the top but he sure gets the message through on what Jesus went through.

Saturday was the night Vigil. Mass started with The elders drumming behind the altar. Then one of the elders got up and told the Great Creation story from the Lakota People. It seemed very similar to the creation story with Adam and Eve. In the middle of the mass we went outside where the bonfire is and lit the easter candle and prayed to the four directions. We then migrated back into the dark church with our candles and the women dressed in there Native American outfits did the snake dance down the aisle. It was very peaceful to watch. The snake dance and signing is about shedding our old skin and becoming new. We then renews our baptismal vows and then the native women blessed us by shaking cedar branches dipped in the baptismal water at us. It was a very nice mass and then at the end we had a big potluck in the basement.

Sunday the next morning at 6 am we met across the street from where I live to have a native American Piece Pipe ceremony. Al opened up the ceremony with drumming and chanting in the Lakota tongue then we did the prayer to the four directions. Then Al explained that the chanting he is doing is asking the Great Creator to listen to our prayers and that we are offering tobacco to the Great Creator and the smoke that comes out of the Pipe is our prayers rising to be listened too. He then passed the Piece pipe around the circle in which we all smoked. Then there was a closing of drumming and burning of cedar branches. One of the guys gave me cedar leaves and said if you have a cold boil this in water and drink it and you will be fine. So I did. It didn't taste to bad. I am not sure if it worked because I was already feeling better at that point but maybe it finished off my cold.  We then had a big feast that night with our house and we invited 3 individuals over to join us. It was realizing and then we finished the night off watching the Sopranos.
Easter we were blessed with 68 degree weather. That only lasted a day. It is 47 today and I hope warm weather is on its way.

 Foot washing of Holy Thursday at Congregation of the Great Spirit

 Fr. Bruce is holding Angel's new born baby girl who is one week old

This is preparing of the peace pipe for the ceremony on the lake front Easter morning