(ANS – San Benito) – The value of sacrifice, perseverance, and missionary commitment of the laity, is the subject of a reflection in preparation for Easter by the Salesian Fr Giampiero de Nardi, a missionary in Guatemala.

Sacrifice, this word, which makes such an impression on us, is normally associated with something negative, with pain and loss. In reality that is not the case, but on one condition. Mothers and fathers wake up in the night to look after crying children... but they don’t count the cost because it is their child whom they love. Or think of someone in love... A sacrifice made for love does not cost anything to those who make it. The sacrifice of Jesus reveals the face of God who is Love, who sacrifices what is most precious, the life of his beloved son, to tell us how much he loves us! Looking at the cross, then, each of us can find the strength to face any fear. (...) We report here a good example:

Candelaria is the woman in charge of the chapel in Vista Hermosa, which once was a very dangerous neighbourhood. In fact it is still one of the most problematic areas of ​​the parish, with many murders. It is the place where we run an oratory, to give a healthy alternative for young people. There were criminal gangs that murdered people every day. On one occasion a boy was running away from an attack. He took refuge in the chapel while a catechism class was going on. His pursuers fired five shots through the closed door intending to kill him. Thank God all the bullets struck the altar and rebounded to the roof without hitting anyone!

People started to leave the area because they did not want to live there. Soon the chapel was empty. Only Candelaria continued to go there, with three other women at first, and later on her own, because everyone else was afraid of being robbed or killed.

But she kept going there, reading the Book of Esther and praying that the enemy would do her no harm. She began to visit the families of the area and to read the Bible with them. Walking alone in the street was very dangerous. Once she was stopped, probably by people intending to rob her. She quoted the Bible and asked the men why they acted that way. The Lord touched their hearts and they let her go.

Now the community in Vista Hermosa has forty Catholic families who participate in the Eucharist every Thursday. Her effort to evangelize the district has made it a better place to live in. It is people like Candelaria who can really be called "missionaries".  Through their practical Christianity, they make the world a better place.

Published 30/03/2015