There's a beautiful, very unpompous formality about Catholicism in Poland. I have been on about five or six pilgrimages, which are as popular here as they were in Chaucer's England, but less scurrilous. The atmosphere on the journey is one of innocent laughter, jokes, songs, vodka, and fun. At the destination, there is serious prayer and piety. They are for me the happiest occasions imaginable, short of Heaven.
When you meet a Priest, you don't say, Good morning!", but, informally, "May God make you happy!", to which the reply is, "With God!" Formally, if you don't know the Priest, you say, "May Jesus Christ be glorified!", to which the reply is, "From age to age, Amen!"
This is not quaint, but normal.
At Christmas and Easter, the short and very informal greeting is, "Happy Holy Day!" More usual at Easter is, "Christ has risen! Alleluja!" or something much longer, and often in verse, such as the following:
Wieść radosną niosą dzwony
na wsze świata grają strony,
że zmartwychwstał Pan nad Pany
Bóg wszechmocny, Bóg kochany.
which translates as:
Bells bring glad tidings
Pealing to all corners of the world.
That the Lord of Lords has risen
God Almighty, the God of love.
The first Resurrection Mass today was at 6 a.m. It is followed by a hearty alcoholic breakfast. I overslept for one of the few times in my life, and will have to go at 10.00, without vodka. My fault.
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4 comments:
A Happy and holy Easter to you and Catholic Poland Chris. God bless.
Pilgramages and vodka? What's not to like!
Have a blessed Easter day.
Thanks: these liitle things are interesting and helpful , like crossing myself going past a catholic church, which I forget, to my kids enjoyment of correcting Dad with impunity!
cf the all but dead, but I've met it while still extant, and meant, not just a formalism , old castillian greeting not just " buenos dias" good day, rather "buenos dias nos dé Dios" "may God give us a good Day."
The same sort of perhaps rather old fashioned castillian folk (ladies , but I never heard this from a man) used to say, especially to someone looking single, as very genuine thanks for quite small acts of kindness or help (Boy scoutery , if you get me)
"¡Que Dios te/se lo pague con una buena mujer!" : "May God repay you with a good wife" which I always found embarrassing and a bit out of proprtion to anything I'd done , let alone if it were one wife per time Id end up with a very large harem!It never ocuured to me that it could equally be applied to the perfection of such spouse as one did have, if married! Nonetheless, Since I DO have a good wife and we HAVE been greatly blessed , Im am sure the almighty takes note of these simple things said from faith, and it's wrong to scorn even when this has become nearly empty -"when the lips lead , the heart will follow",.
Laus deo.
Christ is Risen Aleluya
Richard - and to you and Catholic Wales! God bless!
Chris - We think alike! A happy and blessed Easter to you too.
Mike - Thank you! I too hold very dear these old Catholic courtesies, such as, when I was in Austria a very long time ago, Gruss Gott!" rather than the German greetings.
I must remember, "When the lips lead , the heart will follow".
God bless! Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie zmartwychstał! Alleluja! (very hard to say quickly, if you're not a Pole). "Christ has risen. Indeed He has risen! Alleluja!"
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