Luminarias have played an essential role in Saint Paul’s history and continue to do so with this student-led event held on Thursday, December 2nd. Luminarias has been a tradition much longer than Saint Paul’s, however. They originated in New Mexico, where the Pueblo Indians used these small fires to light their path to church on Christmas Eve. As students of Saint Paul’s, we light these candles to remember that we are lighting the way for Christ in our lives now and always.
This year’s word is Agape meaning “the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the reciprocal human love for God.” There was also a heart in the smaller stands with the names of all of the Saint Paul’s family we have lost, and in remembrance, they will always be in our hearts and prayers. Marco Vargas briefly reflected on the word and how it fits into our lives at Saint Paul’s during the Luminarias prayer service. As students, we strive to show the love of God in our daily lives, and the word Agape is a good reminder that we always have that opportunity.
This is the biggest student council event of the year, and it always brings back neighbors, alumni, friends, and families every year. Along with the Student Council, the National Honors Society also rallied up a group of members to help put on this extraordinary event. We are thankful for these men’s hard work in the event and are excited to see what comes next.
The Luminarias prayer service is also a big part of the day and is led by Student Council Executive Board. President Walker Dubriel, Vice-President Marco Vargas, Secretary Ben Barousse, Treasurer Ethan Wilson, and Parliamentarian Isaiah Ayo played a massive part in the service. During the service, the Saint Paul community sings and listens to the readings and the Gospel before listening to the reflection on the word for the year.
As Luminarias has come to an end, we remember that although the candles may be extinguished, what they represent, the light of grace and peace of our Lord can never be extinguished.