Demos gracias a Dios

After breakfast we went to a short presentation by Apple Vacations on the hotel property and available excursions this week.  We showed up for Mass outside one of the restaurants but were soon escorted to a small private room in the conference center. The handsome young priest knew no English so Mass was entirely in Spanish, with an approximate translation of the gospel and homily provided by one of his female acolytes. The music was a cappella, deceptive description, since nothing was even remotely recognizable as a tune and the musical gifts were not much in evidence,

We were perhaps 30 in number, not one Spanish speaker among us, and yet we were all perfectly at home in this faraway venue, going through the familiar ritual together, praying the parts of the Mass in our own language. I kicked myself for not bringing the Spanish text with me. I know some prayers, like the Our Father, but I’m too slow to recite them without the words in front of me.  The final song was one that I could manage, however. “Demos gracias a Dios” had a catchy snippet of a tune and the words were easy and familiar.