I don’t get much sleep at night but especially on Saturdays because the girls who work here go out after their duties and they come back late in a not too quiet manner. So, on Sundays I want to sleep in rather than to go to 7:00 a.m. Mass. Also, there is a resident who cries out loud, “Let me out! I want out!” When no one comes to let him out at 2 or 3 in the morning, he proceeds to bang on his bedroom door. I can turn it off and go back to sleep but not really.
This Sunday morning was no different. I was awakened around five and that was it. I got dressed and left for Mass downtown. It takes me about 15 minutes at a fast pace to get downtown. On Sundays businesses are closed and I have the streets to myself. Downtown is a different story. Vendors are getting the street carts all ready and the pot-belly stoves are going.
I end up always going to the cathedral. It is so nice and orderly there. It is not fancy. The benches don’t all have kneelers. The altar decorations are simple. Lectors, offertory people, musicians, MC’s, altar servers, etc. are all organized and well trained. No Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers, however, and no one receives Communion in the hand. The young priest is a super homilist! Today was no exception. He just grabs unto our hearts. I continue to remember his sermon all week…and I even share it with others. He said that none of the gifts we have has been given for our use.
Two days ago I was so discouraged concerning this entire process of spending a year here in Mexico. I had heard on the morning radio news that a 20 truck convoy had landed in Jalpa, Huanusco and Tabasco in Zacatecas and had rounded up the night policemen and had beaten them. They took 5 policemen with them; the others were left for dead. This happened between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. When, Lord, will this violence end?! I was so saddened by these news. Huanusco is the little village I will be serving as pastoral minister during my last 4 months here. Nowhere is it safe!
On Saturday I went to Mass at Santa Ana, a Redemptorist chapel nearby. I was asked to read the psalm during Mass. “You have the Words of eternal life!” (Remember Peter’s words to Jesus when Jesus asked him if he also wanted out?) The alleluia verse: “The Lord has sent me to bring the Good News to the poor and to announce liberty to the captives.” The gospel was the call of Matthew—“Follow Me.” Gosh, darn! Why does God have to speak so clearly? That was not what I wanted to hear. I wanted Him to say, “I know this is too hard for you and I can’t ask of you such big, difficult things…in a land so threatened by violence!” The priest’s sermon was about giving God whatever percentage…depending on our response to His grace. Some can give 20, 30 or 100%. I am to become a disciple of Jesus and then move on to be His witness and then on to become His missionary! I cannot be a weak missionary. I have been given His strength! He has nourished me with His own Body and Blood. He has shown me that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Today, Sunday, I went to Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady and heard another good sermon. The priest started with a story about a woman who sold apples while sitting on the sidewalk of a very busy street. She sat there day after day…sold maybe a kilo or two of her apples. One day a man who had purchased an apple from her before said to her, “Here, let me help you sell these apples because I know you have a fine product here.” He shouted out, “Come and get your daily apple here! Great, fresh apples for sale! Look at these amazing apples!” etc. Well, before long the lady had sold all the apples. The priest said, “We happen to have awesome Good News to share, but we are not doing a good job of sharing. We are keeping it very quiet!” His sermon was filled with other dynamic antidotes and they all hit the mark, for me.
I am now to be, not only a disciple, a testimony, a missionary, but I must also have Jesus’ bright shining light to attract all the people to Him! Not an easy task, this new evangelization…under the shadow of San Juan Diego, the humble servant of Our Lady! This new evangelization has to be a message of hope and love that goes beyond this space and time…the Message of Jesus Christ! Not an easy task but it can be done a breath at a time…it will take me a lifetime of blood, sweat and tears, but I can do it if I run ahead on the wings of His Love.
(Photo of Mons. Antonio Soto and some scenes from near Huanusco, ZAC.)
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