Today we have gathered together in community to celebrate one of the
most beautiful events of the Mexican Culture – La
Misa de Acción de Gracias Quinceañera. It is a tradition
that is gaining popularity among all of the Hispanic groups in the
United States.
The
origins of this celebration continue to be a mystery. Some say
that it comes from the Aztec tradition. Bernardino de Sahagún
wrote in his History of New Spain that among the Aztecs it was
tradition to commemorate the transition from young girl to woman.
In the Aztec ceremony an explanation of the seriousness of the event
was included. During the celebration an older person would
explain to the quinceañera what were the acceptable attitudes that she
had to live by from that moment on. Other people say that this
celebration has its roots in the Jewish family's tradition of
presenting a young girl in the Temple. There she showed, before
God, that she was ready to live a mature life and to follow the
mandates of her religion.
Today,
this tradition is celebrated when a girl reaches fifteen years of
age. Traditionally it is celebrated with this Mass of
Thanksgiving. (Name) and her family, friends and acquaintances
have come to this temple freely to give thanks to God for the immense
gift that God has given, which is (name)’s life. We are happy
with her and for her. Her parents are joyful because they have
seen their daughter grow and mature. Now she is ready to tell God
that she wants to follow him, that she wants to follow his commandments
during her life, that she wants to be a responsible Christian
woman. That is why she comes today to consecrate herself to God
as well as to the Virgin Mary, who was also a girl and a woman and who
knows about the joys and pains that all women have. We celebrate
(name)’s future because we are sure that, now that she is a woman, God
will continue to bless her with the grace she needs to live an adult
life “as God wills,” as we usually say.
(Name)’s
parents celebrate this day. Faithful to the promises that they
made when they baptized her, they have been the first teachers of
(name) in the Catholic Christian faith. They have seen her grow
in the faith and now they bring her here to give testimony of their own
faith in God. They pray to the Most High so that, through the
intercession of the Most Holy Virgin, (name) can continue to grow and
mature in the faith, so that she can continue developing as a Christian
woman, so that she will soon know what her vocation in life will be and
so that she will follow the Lord’s call faithfully.
(Name)
in the name of the Christian community of this parish, I congratulate
you on this very important day in your life. We are prepared to
help you so that you will continue to mature in the faith, so that you
will continue to learn all that you need to know in order to become a
mature Christian woman. I ask you to continue to be faithful to
all that your parents have taught you during your childhood, to
continue to be faithful to all that you have learned form Our Mother,
the Church, that you continue to give joyful and valiant testimony of
the faith that you have inherited from your parents, your grandparents
and all of you ancestors. May God bless you always.