I got up at 6:00 AM this Sunday morning. I took a shower and got ready to go to church. I decided to go to St. Mary Parish, the Catholic church near my home. At 7:25 AM, I left home. I greeted, with a smile, a few people I met on the way.
I arrived at the parish and took a good seat in order to have the best view of the mass. The mass started at 8:10 AM, and I was surprised not to hear anything in English!
I looked around me. My neighbor was a nice girl, very well dressed! I wanted to ask her if they were going to speak English in this mass, but I was too shy. I watched my neighbors and made the same gestures as them for a while.
When it was time for the readings, the first reading began, still nothing in English! So I decided to ask my neighbor:
— « Excuse me, don’t they speak English in this mass? »
She answered me so fast that I didn’t understand what she said. I replied « Thank you » and continued my imitation (I watched their gestures and did the same).
At the proclamation of the Gospel, the priest started speaking in English — I was so happy! But after a few sentences, he switched to the local language. In fact, he was translating his sermon back and forth between Twi and English. Switching between Twi and English made it difficult for me to follow. It went on like that until the end of the mass.
Nevertheless, I really appreciated the overall atmosphere of the mass. I saw happy people singing and dancing to the glory of God.
After the mass, I asked someone why they used the local language more than English. He explained to me that there are many older people who understand the Gospel much better in their native language.
I thank God for everything He does for me.
Have you ever experienced a religious service or an event in a language you didn’t fully understand? How did you react?