La Semana Santa

Albert Einstein once said that knowledge is experience. We honor and appreciate the education that we have recieved in the form of formal schools, but also value the limited experiences we have gained in our short lives that have also opened our minds and allowed us to better seek truth.

Growing up in Idaho and Utah, there were friends that participated in Holy Week activities, but most of our experiences were focused on the last few days of Holy Week. Specifically on the Garden of Gethsemane, the Crucifixion and, especially, the Resurrection.

Mrs. Bluth started to have a  better understanding when she was studying and preparing to go to the Dominican Republic and first read the words"Semana Santa" and learned about all the festivities. And then she found herself on a mission teaching many Christians and witnessing them particiapte in the week.

And now we are in Chicago where we have many opportunities to continue to gain knowledge through experiences. Last year during the week Mrs. Bluth was at work having a short interaction with a man that came in for an important meeting. Somehow in the short conversation he asked her why Good Friday is called good and not bad (because crucifying our Savior was a bad thing, in his mind). He then concluded by informing her that he was Jewish and never understood the meaning of the day. Mrs. Bluth was so taken aback that he brought up that question that she mumbled something and hardly gave him an answer before they had to depart. Mrs. Bluth thinks back on that question a lot because she wishes that she would have given a better answer and not been so surprised because we do pray to have missinoary opportunities everyday. 

Chicago has brought us new knowledge/experience as we have witnessed many in the city attending Mass on Ash Wednesday and have met more people where many companies give their employees Good Friday off. We've interacted with people that observe Lent. At work/school, we've met people observing Passover and the corresponding ordinances.

Together we decided to read about what Christ did from Palm Sunday through the end of his mortal ministry. Because there was little pomp placed on Ash Wednesday through Lent and Palm Sunday, we had been raised not particularly knowledgable on said traditions. But we educated ourselves through experience. It took people (of other faiths) around us for us to gain a deeper appreciation for the entire season. Their observance improved our worship. We had a more meaningful Easter this year because we wanted to learn more about how people arounds us were worshipping. As we learned about their traditions, we turned to the scriptures to better learn about what Easter meant to us. We read about the last week of Christ's life with a deeper background of Jewish/Catholic/Christian experience. And the experience/knowledge edified us.

We capped it off with a delicious Easter Dinner with a neighbor from our ward. The missionaries were there and several friends from the ward. We talked and reflected and had a good time. And most importantly we (hopefully) better appreciate His sacrifice. Happy Easter and to all a goodnight!