CHILE, Oscar Iván Saldivar. “With that, their eyes were opened and they recognized him,” (Luke 24: 31). With these words taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we, who gathered at the Joseph Kentenich Major College – the Ibero-American Seminary of the Schoenstatt Fathers in Santiago, Chile -gratefully celebrated the diaconal ordinations of Alfredo Pereira – better known as Pope – and that of Pablo Pérez.
With that their eyes were opened and the recognized him
Our own brothers, Pope and Pablo, set the tone of the celebration by inviting us to accompany them in the spirit of the disciples of Emmaus (Luke 24: 14-31). Just like the two disciples, who were walking and talking about everything that had happened in their lives with Jesus, Pope and Pablo have made their road by forming themselves for the priesthood in the Schoenstatt Fathers’ Community. Throughout this walk, they have experienced joys and sorrows, but above all they have experienced the closeness of many during this walk – family, friends, companions, community brothers- but above all it has been the closeness of Jesus and the Blessed Mother that has made their hearts burn.
The celebration, which began at 6:30 p.m., was presided by Bishop Fernando Chomalí, Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago. The stage was in the main garden of the Major College. At the appointed hour, the entrance procession began its pilgrimage from the Trinity Zion Shrine- the Shrine of the Major College- to the presbytery, and the altar prepared for this outdoor event. The cupola for this “Outdoor Church” was a beautiful, blue evening sky, the mountain range embraced us with a warm welcome to this celebration, and the birds joined the wonderful choir directed by Santiago Cacavelos and Claudio López.
As the procession advanced, Pope and Pablo were greeted by many friends who had accompanied them on this walk, and who did not want to miss this celebration, where everyone wanted to open their eyes and hearts once more to recognize the Lord.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus
The Gospel that the diaconal candidates chose was that of the “disciples on the road to Emmaus” (Luke 24:13-35). It is a Gospel reading that very well reflects the road that they are again initiating as deacons; it is about sharing this fire from the heart (cf. Luke 24:32) with the men and women of this time, which is experienced when one lives with Jesus.
Surely the hearts of many were touched during several moments of the diaconal ordination. I will summarize some of the key moments: the call of the diaconal candidates, upon hearing their name -recalling that Jesus called each one personally – they responded: “Here I am”; then the prostration and the litany of the saints when everyone implored the intercession of those who are already in the full presence of God; and of course, the faces of Pope’s parents and Pablo’s mother. As we sang the litany, with tears in their eyes and holding hands, they also prayed for their sons. A very touching moment was after the Bishop performed the imposition of hands and the consecration prayer – essential moments of the diaconal ordination: Father Pato Rodríguez helped Pope vest with the deaconal vestments, and Father José María García, he was the novitiate master for both of them in Tuparenda, Paraguay, did the same for Pablo. Once both of them were vested, they went to presbytery to serve at the altar.
Undoubtedly, after the celebration, we all recognized that in the life of these brothers, on their road and at this moment that they were experiencing the presence of the Lord Jesus and ours. So we said like the disciples of Emmaus: “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24: 32).
The hour of Emmaus
At the end of the celebration as the afternoon fell, everyone – about 400 people – who attended went on pilgrimage to the Zion Shrine of the Trinity, and consecrated themselves to the Blessed Mother along with our brothers, Pope and Pablo. She is the Queen of each vocation; She is the Queen, Mother and Educator of every heart that wants to be aflame with the love of Jesus Christ. During these moments, it was not difficult to imagine the Emmaus disciples joyfully returning to Jerusalem after recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of Bread, and giving testimony about the Resurrected One. We are also called to live this Emmaus hour, that hour that happens when, at the end of the day, we dare to recognize the Lord in everything large or small that happened during the day, and to allow our hearts to burn again with the love of Jesus and in this way inflame this love in others.
