I Have A Sore In My Gums Near My Tooth Extraction

"My Dear Son", a popular prayer for the Holy Week

A few months ago (November 2006) had reported in these pages a memory of how the week before Easter Valdantena had lived in the years between the two world wars, when the countries were still densely populated and when the church was the center of the Christian community whose identity was very much alive. Rites different from those of today, lived with a problem of our less religious, sometimes peppered with something that seems almost tending to stray towards the limits of superstition.

On " Lunigianesi Studies, the journal of the beautiful" Manfredo Giuliani "Villafranca in Lunigiana, had been published, together with the re-enactment of the Week Santa Valdantena in "even the" prayer "now propose again, a dialogue between the Virgin Mary and Jesus, who is about to rise on the cross and then, after being" as good underground wheat " , recur to men, on Easter Sunday, " in heaven, on earth and in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar .

Prayer has the development discourse, typical of sacred representations of medieval origin (remember certain passages in the "weeping Madonna " of Jacopone) and is rich in references to popular culture, from triumph in Jerusalem, the figure of the knight to that of a pilgrim (not a chance in our mountains, the cult of San Rocco was the most common), justice Pilate , the metaphor of good wheat , which germinates in the earth to be reborn and give bread to the people of the fields.

Also interesting is the use of the pronoun "you " as the subject of the verb forms used in various applications from both parties. Use, that of you as pronoun of respect, remained at a residual up more than half of the last century even in local dialects: the son turned to you with the father, mother, grandparents and elders of the house in the composition of the second person plural verb is used, however, both speakers : From Jesus to you have turned to their mother, but also by her, who knew his supernatural greatness of his own Son, honors him even through the choice of language.

Prayer I had known, but his knowledge was incomplete and rough in parts, almost a kind of nebula that was lost in the remoteness of memories. The reconstructed it, however, based on reminiscences her grandparents, Adriana Cavalieri, who has written down and handed it to me for publication. Then, just at the beginning of this Holy Week, the call of prof. Primavori, who had read about " Studies lunigianesi " last year, has provided me with further news. The essay - almost unknown in some parts of the Lunigiana, especially in the valley - was very much alive in the mountains of Reggio Emilia, where "Dear my son " should be recited three times daily by the faithful throughout Holy Week . Another proof, if proof were the need, as the Apennines combined the populations living on its opposite sides.

My Dear Son, where you will be on Palm Sunday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the day will come triumphant Palm Sunday in Jerusalem.

My Dear Son, where you will be the day of Holy Monday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the day of Holy Monday I will be dressed as a knight.

My Dear Son, where you will be the day of the Holy Tuesday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the day of the Holy Tuesday I'll be dressed as a pilgrim.

My Dear Son, where you will be on Wednesday of Holy Week?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, on Wednesday of Holy Week will be sold for thirty pieces of silver.

My Dear Son, where you will be the day on Holy Thursday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the Holy Thursday I'll be judged by Pontius Pilate.

My Dear Son, where you will be the day of Good Friday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the Good Friday I'll be on the tree.

My Dear Son, where you will be the Sabbath day holy?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, the day of Holy Saturday will be below ground as the good wheat.

My Dear Son, where you will be on Sunday?

My Dearest Mother, Virgin Mary, on Sunday I'll be in heaven, on earth and in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

All those who recite this holy prayer and my sins that had more leaves on the ground and fish in the sea I want to save them and with them also four of their families.