MISSION IN MEXICO DECEMBER 2006

 

Crossing the border of USA into Tijuana is a great contrast in many ways. On one hand, one can see the long line of vehicles working on crossing into the USA, it looks like miles of a waiting line and every time is more and more complicated to cross that border. On the other hand, coming into Mexico is effortlessly, there is no body waiting for you to ask you any thing. If one doesn’t really know the difficult immigration situation between both countries, it will be hard to understand, especially if one is neither from USA or Mexico. If you look at the real situation of the world today, you see Mexico growing into serious danger with the drug cartels and the regular criminals that made of the kidnapping of people an industry. Then you see the USA and rapidly one comprehend that sadly enough, it is turning into one of the most lethal targets of any terrorist from around the world. It seems as if all of them are aiming at the USA and one could feel that it has become one of the most dangerous places to be. When you go through all of the secure measures that are needed today to go from place to place, it looks no different than the old Soviet Union during the communist regime. Which is totally ironic all things considered? One has the sense of something terrible about to happen any time any where. I’m sure that it has taking the peace away from many people.

Preaching in Tijuana, Baja California is a great experience because the Mexican people have a much more intense and mystical way about the faith and it makes you feel that the Church is alive. The Charismas are present in a very big way and don’t wait to be expressed widely in the midst of all spiritual gatherings. Lets not forget also that there is an element of superstition which also appears here and there within the church, due on one hand to the natives influence and on the other, the influences of the new age. These things mix religion with magic and occult practices. But in general, it is more common to see the real faithful working really hard at their faith and seriously looking for any thing to be closer to God’s ways.

 

I spoke at the Instituto Mexicano. A gathering that was put together by the charismatic renewal of Tijuana which is closely related to the Church in San Diego, California. We had a great venue feel with spiritual joy and the Lord Jesus make Him be felt in so many ways. We had a very good turn out and I was very happy an honor to meet all of the soldiers of our Catholic Church active in Tijuana. I saw an especial hunger for God, a beautiful relationship with our Lady the Virgin Mary, something that is very big in the Mexican Catholic church; they are of a Marian heart for real.

 

The next day I went to Mexicali, Baja California, a city about two hours away and also a border town. One of the peculiarities of a border town like Tijuana, Mexicali and others, is that they have to deal with a lot of foreigners that come with the intention of crossing the border illegally and when they do not succeed, they stay behind in those border towns, stilling and committing all kinds of crimes. It is difficult for the locals.

Mexicali received me with much love. I stay at the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi and the parish priest was so generous of heart that I felt truly at home. It is an honor to stay at a rectory and also, the gift of being able to have the Blessed Sacrament so close the 24 hours of the day.

I gave a retreat and a few separate conferences during the week end.

 

The next day I flew to Mexico City on my way to Reynosa, an other border town. I was welcome by a very gifted family of doctors. One of their sons had a car accident a few years back and was left paralyzed from his waist down. He was the lieder of the event and they put together a gathering in a coliseum which was very successful.  The coliseum was packed to the maximal capacity and after three hours of gathering we all walked away from the coliseum feeling blessed and joyful. It is wonderful to meet like that and testify to a large group of people in this case mainly youth of all walks of life. It gives one the sense of being part of a real Gospel that is alive, where people are being the real bricks of the building of the Mystical body of our Lord Jesus. One can feel the graces flow in enormous ways.

Part of being a missionary, is that where one can see the amazing work of God with every individual soul. It makes one grow in so much love for people, because the only thirst becomes the one to save as many souls as possible during your short life. Knowing that only God can save them, but being aware that He as a Commander in Chief, sent us as messengers of His kingdom, the greatest honor one could possibly receive.

I ended the mission in Mexico City. Went to the Shrine of Our lady of Guadalupe. As I enter the Basilica it was 10 minutes until five p.m. and after kneeling I found my self in the starting of the most beautiful vespers for our lady’s feast of the Immaculate Conception, followed by mass. It was the most beautiful way of ending a mission any where I can imagine. I have a very especial love for Mexico and its people and I receive a lot of spiritual strength from them, every time I mission there. May God have mercy on all of them and may He bless them all in a very big way. God willing, I’ll be back to give lent retreats in about seven cities in the month of March.

I parted for Colombia to mission on the Christmas Divine Infant Novena at the main house of prayer of our mission the Pilgrims of Love in Bogota.