Cajun Sacramentality: The Fais do-do

Part 3

In the Summer of 2018, recovery efforts were still underway from the disastrous flood of August 2016. My parish’s youth group accompanied a group of Catholic teens from Oregon who had graciously decided to spend part of their summer in Louisiana to aid in the reconstruction.

While we did spend much time serving others that week, we thought it important to introduce our Oregonian friends to the culture of those they were serving. So, we wished to give them the experience of a Louisiana Saturday night! What better way to do this than at La Poussiere’s dance hall?

Our stomachs had just settled from stuffing ourselves with good Cajun cuisine when we heard live music begin to play. It was the sound of a Cajun accordion and fiddle having just started the infamous “La Porte de’arriere” The sound brought looks of both confusion and delight to the Oregonians faces, as they didn’t know what to make of it.

Us natives on the other hand, knew exactly what to do. We ran to the dance floor, leaving our shoes behind and essentially dragging our foreigner friends with us. The French speaking tourists spoke to each other something like “Ayou von a Danser?” We brought them into the mix too! We all danced for what seemed like forever, singing along with the little French that we knew. Soon, there wasn’t a soul who hesitated to dance and join in on this celebration of life and culture.

Eventually I had to excuse myself from the fun and catch my breath. Looking around, the beauty that I saw certainly did not make breathing any easier. I noticed everyone was dancing together to the music, but each in their own way. They danced freely, without fear of being seen. It was almost as if by their dancing you got the chance to see who they were and know something about them. While their bodies danced, their souls seemed to be speaking. “This is Heavenly” I thought. Truth be told, I wasn’t far off!

After reflecting on that experience, I began to understand clearly why our blessed Lord spoke of the Kingdom of God as a feast and banquet. Heaven is revealed to be filled with angelic music and song in another language, having food and drink, and a celebratory spirit of faith in Christ. In Heaven, each person will dwell in the light of God but alongside and in communion with all the members of the mystical body of his Son.

When you compare Heaven with a Louisiana Saturday night, it almost sounds as if Cajuns couldn’t wait to experience the heavenly feast so they brought a little taste of it down to Earth. I dare say that the Fais-do-do with its music, food, and dancing can be boiled down to a single principle: Sharing with others the joy of Life. Although it may be implicit, this joy of life has its source in the freedom found only in relationship to Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

There are many reasons as to why such parties have traditionally been held on Saturday nights, but personally I’d like to think that the reason is due to the anticipation of Sunday morning. Perhaps the Fais-do-do is itself a foretaste of Communion with which we share at Sunday Mass, which itself is a sign of our future in Heaven!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Disputa_del_Sacramento_%28Rafael%29.jpg/1024px-Disputa_del_Sacramento_%28Rafael%29.jpg

All of this is not accidental, as its source is in the Catholic faith of Acadiana. It is the Cajuns own way of expressing the divine mystery of the heavenly banquet. Perhaps this phenomenon can properly be described as “Cajun Sacramentality” - The tangible expression of intangible divine realities by means of Culture.

Eventually the lively music had ended that night, leaving me with the closing blues. The joy of dancing with friends and foreigners alike had left and the thirst for goodness began to show itself once more. I had little choice but to let my sudden sorrow lead me to hope of one day being invited to dance at the eternal Fais dodo of Heaven.

Cajun Culture has numerous more sacramentals in its possession, and it is my intention to reflect and share insights about them throughout this blog series. Soon, the Acadian flag will be under the spotlight!