have a memory that dates back several years. It is of a Good Friday Service at my family's parish in Kotte, Sri Lanka and of the length of time I spent standing outside in overcast weather. A Good Friday service calls for a special liturgy, sober reflection, and patience. It's a long-standing joke amongst Catholics that during the Triduum, every lapsed Catholic remembers to attend Mass 'just in case.' Churches are packed to the rafters, and many have to stand throughout the longer services. That parish in Kotte is a special one, sandwiched between two Buddhist temples and within walking distance of Sirikotha (the stronghold of the UNP, the main political opposition to the present Government). There is no greater example of the intensity with which politics, religion and multiculturalism meet in Sri Lanka than to consider one's physical geography during Mass. That particular Good Friday, I was a troubled sixteen year old, full of questions about my faith, and fatigued by the length of time I had spent standing outside.
have a memory that dates back several years. It is of a Good Friday Service at my family's parish in Kotte, Sri Lanka and of the length of time I spent standing outside in overcast weather. A Good Friday service calls for a special liturgy, sober reflection, and patience. It's a long-standing joke amongst Catholics that during the Triduum, every lapsed Catholic remembers to attend Mass 'just in case.' Churches are packed to the rafters, and many have to stand throughout the longer services. That parish in Kotte is a special one, sandwiched between two Buddhist temples and within walking distance of Sirikotha (the stronghold of the UNP, the main political opposition to the present Government). There is no greater example of the intensity with which politics, religion and multiculturalism meet in Sri Lanka than to consider one's physical geography during Mass. That particular Good Friday, I was a troubled sixteen year old, full of questions about my faith, and fatigued by the length of time I had spent standing outside.