By David Jimenez
Originally published in the Spring 2013 Edition of the
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Late at night in the village of Guadalupe in the Petén
region of Guatemala, I encountered what seemed to be an inexplicable presence.
Removed from the busy lights and bustle of the city, the sky glimmered with an
infinite number of stars. The wonderful winter breeze felt as refreshing
as a summer evening back home. The small chapel of the town soon filled
as stoic, quiet abuelitas took their smiling, adorable nietas into this holy place.
David Jimenez |
The young children became fascinated with the saint cards
and images of Mary and Jesus brought by our group, captivated by something so
simple and seemingly unremarkable. One could only grin at the innocent
giggles and smiles of the children as they heard our broken Spanish and even
more awful Q’eqchi'. The Mass
erupted with the sound of boisterous instruments and songs. Although our
Maryknoll Priests and Maryknoll Brother played their part, it was the laity
that really brought life to the ceremony as they read the Word of God,
surrounded the altar with incense, venerated the Eucharist, and prayed to La
Virgen de Guadalupe. During the Mass, four languages of
Spanish, Q’eqchi', English, and
Latin were all spoken at one point, the best possible example of the universal
Church. During the handshakes of peace, one could see the friendliness,
cheerfulness, and respect that everyone held for one another. Indeed, it
was not the firm handshake one encounters in the United States, one of
firmness, strength, and dominance. It is instead a very warm touch of
hands, a sign of communion and friendship. Far from the great cathedrals
of Paris and Rome, one could feel more in this tiny chapel the presence of God
than anywhere in the world.
Br. Marty Shea, MM |
As a fractured Church in the United States seeks to
rediscover its own identity and purpose, my encounter with the Church of Latin
America is a powerful reminder to return to our core. As Father David
said, the “Church must be about people not issues”. We must, as the people of the Petén do
every day, let Christ enter into our lives, sharing intimately in our
struggles, poverty, and deepest hopes. We must not treat Christ as an
outdated icon, a political tool, or a cultural artifact, but a person who
invites us to walk with him, him, to follow him, and labor with him to build
the Kingdom of God. Whether as a Maryknoll or Jesuit, religious or lay
person, I hope to take on the same mission that the ordinary people of
Guatemala continue to make, the same commitment the Lord revealed to Saint
Ignatius of Loyola:
"It is my will to win over the whole world, to overcome evil with
good, hatred with love, to conquer all the forces of death - whatever obstacles
there are that block the sharing of life between God and mankind. Whoever
wishes to join me in this mission must be willing to labor with me, and so by
following me in my suffering and struggle may share in my glory".
[David
Jimenez is finishing his freshman year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick,
Maine. He joined us for our January 2013
Mission Immersion Experience to
Guatemala along with Daniel Mello of New Bedford, Massachusetts]
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