URUGUAY, by Fernando Olmedo, vía Schoenstatt.org.uy •
Sometimes the encounter with Jesus is a “stormy sea.” A stormy sea of worries or daily routines, of hostility or the dryness and emptiness of the world, of sorrows and sadness from the past that are difficult to let go, or of the frustration of this or that project that did not turn out well. So sometimes it is necessary to take a daring leap or to step out like Peter took to go out to meet that tangible God made man, who can be touched, embraced and who touches us to in the most profound part of our being.
Thirty youths were inspired to make this leap on the weekend of 2 October when they departed for the city of Trinidad to go on mission, to encounter the people who live there, to take the “Good News,” good vibes and joy.
Jesus’ face in others and in us
To go on mission is an experience that fills us with joy and renews us within; it makes our faith and relationship with God new and it reminds us that we believe in a God of life, in our concrete life and that of the other people. When “we go to encounter others,” in this case the people from Trinidad, we find Jesus’s face in every one of them. This is how “Jesus crosses that stormy sea” to address us in Mrs. Rosita’s words, to gaze at us through Don Roberto’s gaze, to smile at us through the smile of one of the children with whom we played or shared catechesis. It is even Jesus, who shares his suffering in Mrs. Olga’s abandonment by her children.
We were not the only ones who saw Jesus in the faces of Trinidad, but instead, the people of Trinidad saw Jesus’ face in us as well. This was the Jesus who “went doing good,” taking a message of hope and encouragement without any kind of self-interest but with the simple joy of “giving oneself.” Thus he reminded us that we had something “divine” within us, something of God that made the people of Trinidad open their doors to us. He also reminded us that we are “Children of God” and he loves us in a unique way.
All yours
“Totus Tuus” (all yours) was the name we chose for the mission. This is a name that was born from the motto St. John Paul II chose when he began his papacy. This “all yours” refers to Mary, the Blessed Mother, knowing that if we take her hand and abandon ourselves to her, everything will be all right. We wanted to transmit this in each home that we visited. The Pilgrim Mother is the one who entered every home. She was the one who wanted to stay to work miracles in the personal life of each person who allowed her to enter.
We hope that this first “Totus Tuus” is the first of many. We hope that we, as a Schoenstatt Family, can continue to provide these spaces of encounter with Jesus and Mary so that many youths and teens can find God, the God who gives us life and life to the fullest.
I take this opportunity to thank the many people from the family who helped us, spiritually as well as materially, which made this mission possible. Without their support, it would have been difficult to carry it out.
Original: Spanish. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
