COSTA RICA, Gaby Yglesias de Tous •
This year I listened to my teenaged daughter whose desire it was to take the Pilgrim Mother on mission. She had had the opportunity to attend Holy Week in Guanacaste, and she loved it. To me…it seemed like knocking on strangers’ doors and invading their lives was an uncomfortable activity. But that was nothing further from the reality! —
First I prepared myself with a very interesting talk about Joao Pozzobon’s great legacy; he began the Campaign in 1950 when he felt the Blessed Mother’s call to visit homes, taking the Mother of God to families, hospitals, schools, and jails on foot for more than 140,000 kilometers. This apostolate grew rapidly, and it spread to different countries. He motivated prayers to Mary, the great missionary, especially the Holy Rosary as a weapon to change the present-day world, since she works miracles.
By this point, the heroic love of this great man surprised me. I already wanted start walking with her and allowing God to mold my soul more and more, transforming me interiorly.
In the second meeting, the objective and the program to follow were explained. The excitement increased! But questioning whether I could do it or not caused my heart to beat nervously.
Human contact with complete strangers concerned me. I asked myself if I would be able to get out of my comfort zone and share the beautiful experience of God’s love “without a script.”
“Put on your shoes …”
Again it was my daughter’s nobility and purity of heart that made me see that this was the time to follow that life current. I thought about Pope Francis’ call of “not to be an observer of life, to put on your shoes and go out to the street.”
That is what I did, I went out of myself finding growth in my own being through others.
We began our travels with a joyful, serene, respectful attitude, without making judgments through the pre-selected streets of Sarapiquí.
Speaking the language of love
From visit to visit, I began to realize people’s great need to be listened to, and the pleasant surprise caused in welcoming a group of missionaries: children and adults, at the door of their home and perhaps, even inviting them in.
However not all of them were Catholics, which still made it possible to pray, since there are several roads that lead to God. He speaks the language of love!
The stories of this fellowman that at first was unknown began to involve and interest us. Their testimonies of life enkindled us. Together we united and prayed to God and our Mother. Every house and every member of the family was blessed, and to my surprise, they blessed us in return.
I felt happy I had agreed to be Mary’s loyal instrument, recognizing my smallness, and launching myself to the void in a leap that took daring and confidence.
In the end, I did not go to go on a mission, I ended up being missioned!
Original: Spanish. 17 July 2018. Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA. Edited: Melissa Peña-Janknegt, Elgin, TX USA
