ARGENTINA, Santiago Landa. “On another sabbath he went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there; Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus”. (Luke 6: 6-11).
A new challenge, new stories to live and to share, new friends, and a new mission. The motto that accompanies us in this new “piletazo?” is extend your hand. Jesus’ words invite us to act, they invite us to mission. To mission like an apostle is service, it is Christ sending you forth, and it a gift of your time for love and with love, not time that is left over. It is leaving your mark, because you discovered God’s, extending your hand because God extended his to you. In the Gospel, Jesus shows us helping a brother even on a Saturday. In a similar situation, we are two hundred youths with the desire to mission, to share, of being protagonists, of helping, of being helped, of getting into action, of extending our hand.
Extend your hand places each missionary as a protagonist to go out of ourselves, of our comfort, to be concerned about others, knowing that we are God’s and the Blessed Mother’s instruments. Extending your hand to others, you are going to feel God’s love in them, and you will experience a relationship with the Blessed Mother in them. Extend your hand in every house that you visit, in every person of Santa Ana.
Extend your hand means to leave all your concerns in God’s and the Blessed Mother’s hands, to give them all your being, to become free of all those things that weigh us down, or that we do not want. Throughout the Gospels, we see how Jesus always wanted for men/women to give something of themselves so that He could carry out his task, his miracles. Extend your hand, points the missionary to action, for them to go out to encounter Jesus. Extend your hand to God and allow yourself to be filled with love and life.
Extend your hand so that each person can: grow, that you can share what you are, so that you can learn, you can go on mission, and finally, but the most important thing, so that you can have an experience with God, who is a friend, of a God whom you can trust, a God who is already waiting to walk together. He is waiting for you, extend your hand, you will not regret it. Do not remain idle!
English translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, Texas
