I Can Hear Mexico Calling
Following the call as a YAGM through the ELCA
For the last week of orientation, we are staying at a hospitality house that is essentially a convent. I have met so many incredible nuns. They each have stories of feeling called to ministry, to spend their lives serving God in the Catholic Church. Almost all of the nuns are old. Mealtime is met with a parade of canes and walkers. Most of them are in their eighties and nineties—hard of hearing and soft spoken, yet they all are bad asses in their own way. These are women who have dedicated themselves to social justice, to spirituality, and have created their own path for their lives—defying the machista values of their society. Spending this week with them has made me question a lot of things about Catholicism as well as my own faith. These nuns, as well as much of Mexico, follow the Virgin of Guadalupe who comes from a story of the Virgin Mary coming to an indigenous man, named Juan Diego, in Mexico in 1531 and calls him to build a church. The Virgin of Guadalupe represents many things to the people of Mexico. What people often focus on is that she is known for appearing as a mestiza, which is a combination of the Spanish and indigenous race. This is important because the majority of Mexicans are mestizo, and therefore connect with her since she came to them as one of them. This is powerful, yet I believe it is even more powerful that she comes to the people in the social peripheries, to the marginalized and oppressed. The story of her coming to Juan Diego represents that all people are called by God, not just the powerful and privileged. On a deeper level, the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe contrasts with the historical context. In 1531, the Spaniards had just recently come to Mexico and tried to convert the native Nahua people “with the cross in one hand and a sword in the other.” The Virgin of Guadalupe demonstrates that building Christian community is about welcoming people, empowering them, and loving them. I went with the other volunteers to the Basilica which hold relics and art of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Part of her story is that she tells Juan Diego to fill his cloak with flowers to bring to the priest as proof of her presence. When Juan Diego arrives with the flowers, a gust of wind comes by which blows away the petals and leaves an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This cloak is displayed at the Basilica (as shown in the picture). When I saw it, I thought it was a painting, but I am told it was a miracle. I don’t know if I fully believe the story or if I’m ready to pray to her as the nuns have encouraged me to do, but her message for building God’s kingdom on Earth is undeniably profound.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Kathryn Ophardt. I am spending this year in Mexico City as a Young Adult for Global Mission with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. During this year of service, I'll be working with the non-profit, Casa Refugiados. Archives
October 2018
Categories |