The Immigration Experience at the Border

Last week I attended the annual meeting of a national Christian organization named Christian Churches Together. The meeting was held in Austin, Texas. I had been asked to address the assembly on the topic of "The Immigration Experience at the Border". My talk was fairly lengthy, but if your interested, a link to the text is here provided:

http://christianchurchestogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Bishop-Daniel-E-Flores-CCT-AM-Jan.-30-2013.pdf

Who is CCT? 

"Christian Churches Together offers a space that is inclusive of the diversity of Christian families in the United States — Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostals, historic Protestant, Racial and African American churches.  ... Christian Churches Together is unique in providing the only venue where churches from all the major groupings of churches, representing over one hundred million Christians, come together for prayer, dialogue, fellowship and witness." (Description taken from CCT website)

I am grateful to CCT for their gracious hospitality to me. I was a bit under the weather when I gave the keynote, and everyone was very considerate. A pesar de la gripa, le doy gracias a Dios que me concedió participar. 

The Year of Faith and the Culture of Life

"I Have Overcome the World"

This month we observe the lamentable anniversary of the legalization of abortion on demand in this country. As we continue to work for the protection of the unborn child against the forces that sustain the culture of death, I am reminded of an important scripture passage in the Gospel according to John (16, 33): “These things I have spoken to you, that indeed, you have peace. In the world you shall have distress. Have confidence, I have overcome the world.” The Lord Jesus desires for us peace, and in the passage he speaks to us of the source of that peace, that is to say his victory. “I have overcome the world,” he says.

This Year of Faith is a call from the Holy Father to reinvigorate what it means to be a believer, what it means to be a man or woman of faith, a young person of faith, to recognize how it sets us apart from the world, to recognize it as a gift. In the context of our renewal of the sense of faith as a gift, it is good to meditate upon the words of the Lord when he says, “I have overcome the world.”  To believe this is a gift of faith. It is not always what we see with our eyes or what we perceive by virtue of news reports or other sources of information. Rather, it is a certain confidence rooted in our faith in the Lord Himself. To quote Hopkins' translation of a poetic line from Saint Thomas Aquinas: "Truth himself speaks truly, or there's nothing true." The bedrock of our activities as a people of love, a people of hope, is ultimately our faith in this victory that Christ Jesus speaks of and which he has already won. It is a victory which manifests itself first of all in his victory on the cross over death. He opens eternal life to us, and in so doing he vindicates the goodness of life itself. In the end, death does not win.

In Christ Jesus risen from the dead, we have definitively revealed before our eyes the victory of life over death. This is the sum of everything we believe as Catholics, as Christians. It is not our victory in the sense that we have brought it about. But it is our victory in the sense that his victory is a victory for us, and it is ours exactly to the extent we are associated by grace to the life of the Risen Christ: He has overcome the world. What we must do is seek the grace to refortify our faith so as to live and to act in accord with his victory. To live by faith means that we build our lives around the sure conviction that life is the gift at the heart of reality, that it is good, and that it triumphs over death. 

The gift of life is not just a biological reality, though, it is also the sense of joy that comes with life; life is something to be embraced, to be extraordinarily grateful for, something that is meant to be shared, and something that comes from God. To be someone who is pro-life, in the large sense, is to be someone who is "pro" the goodness of life, and to give witness to the fact that this great goodness of life must be defended. For, indeed, we live in a world that is grossly fascinated with the power of death.

The world to which we are called to evangelize is a world that is in many ways mesmerized, almost hypnotized, by the power of death. Death has a way of covering the eyes. It is a power that stubbornly continues to express itself in this world. The world needs to know that it is always better to appreciate the gift of life than it is to be mesmerized by the power of death. 

In the trilogy the Hunger Games, the author Suzanne Collins presents a stark world where the mesmerizing power of death is clearly displayed. Death has become a game designed to entertain everybody and control everyone. There are characters in the story who are the innocent victims of the power that makes death into a game and a means of control. The principle victims are children. Bizarre as the set up of these novels is, it is not unthinkable that the world could reach a stage where death is accepted as a spectacle, where the powerful use children as pawns to create a manipulative diversion ultimately aimed at maintaining power and control. I am no literary critic, just a reader, and some of my literary friends find the books painfully discouraging. But I see little glimmers of light in the tail. I am convinced the author is looking to tell the reader that it doesn’t have to be this way; death does not have to win. Despite the unleashing of the full mesmerizing power of death to blind an entire people to the goodness of life, the social order rooted in the teeth of the dragon -- so to speak -- does not triumph in the end. The conclusion does not show us a final victory in favor of life, but it does show the reader that small moments of heroism, rooted in love and in the resiliency of the human conscience can set the stage for a better way.

There is a lesson here for us. We are here to say, ‘it doesn’t have to be this way." We don’t have to sacrifice an unborn child for somebody else to be happy. We don’t have to let utilitarian criterion govern all the decisions we make in nation, our families and in our homes. It takes a heroic, a courageous breaking-through and waking-up, though, to break the spell that death can weave in a world that so easily falls into the attitude that says “well this is how the game works; death is in charge.” But it doesn’t have to be this way. When Blessed Pope John Paul II called us to build a culture of life, he was calling us to give witness to the fact that life triumphs over death and that it is possible to build a civilization where society acts in favor of the goodness of life, from the unborn child to the aging person who is dying of a terminal illness. 

In this Year of Faith, we must strengthen our own sense of the victory of life and the power of Christ to break through the mesmerizing effect, this fascination the world has with the morose. Jesus says, “I have overcome the world.” Like lightning on a cloudy night, the victory that God wins through the passion, death and resurrection of Christ the Lord is the break-through of the power of life into a world darkened by the aggressive power of death. We must be reconfirmed in our faith because we do sometimes get discouraged. That too is part of the power of death, it's power to discourage. It is important to cultivate our faith in the victory of Christ and to invite the the light of the Lord’s life and his victory of life to take greater possession of each one of us. 

This gift of faith we have received is the only hope of the world; it breaks through the culture of death. Out culture desperately needs an infusion of faith in the goodness of life. In this context, we can hear the Lord speak these words, “Take care little flock for I have overcome the world,” for we are often afraid. Sometimes we think we are outnumbered, but numbers never matter with God. What matters is the conviction of his grace working through those who do believe.

That’s exactly why the witness of the pro-life procession scheduled this January 19th, here in the Diocese of Brownsville, and so much that happens throughout the year to promote life, is an expression that comes out of our faith. What we are really doing is planting the victory. The victory is present: “Take care little flock. Do not be afraid.”  Our witness must be sincere and based on our faith in the victory of life. Never underestimate the power of your prayers. Some things can only be dealt with, Jesus said, with much prayer and fasting. Continue your witness of prayer. It is possible for us to push back the tide that seems to think, “Oh well, we cannot win over the forces of death.” But we know better, because the force of life has already won. “Take care little flock. I have overcome the world.” 

Christmas Message to the People of the Rio Grande Valley

My Christmas Message is posted here below. It is a little unconventional, I will admit; but if you hear what it tries to say, it serves its purpose. For the English version, simply scroll down.

Se presenta un mensaje navideño 2012, o mejor dicho, una serie de diálogos intercalados con una narración del Señor Obispo.

Un niño pequeño los guiará

La Navidad 2012 nos llegó a la hora apuntada, interrumpiendo el curso de nuestros planes y actividades. Sí sabíamos que iba llegar, pero aplazamos o ignoramos el pensarlo. Teníamos mucho que hacer; había mucho correr y poco tiempo para perder.

“Sí hijo, quizás mañana vamos a ir a ver las luces navideñas en los exteriores de las casas.”

“No, Mamá, no se me va a olvidar conseguirle un regalo para mi Tía. No  te preocupes, todavía me queda tiempo.”

“Oiga, Mamá, ¿no tiene usted la dirección postal del primo? No voy a tener tiempo para pasar por la casa de la Tía.”

La tele interrumpe su programación ordinaria, y sin querer los reporteros nos muestran imágenes de violencia. Faltan palabras. ¡Qué tragedia! Tan inocentes las criaturas. Vemos lágrimas y familias inconsolables.

“¡Hay, Señor! ¿Qué podemos hacer?”

Espontáneamente, pensamos en los niños. Durante los días que siguen, abrazamos a cada uno con un apretón más consciente y más prolongado. Y quizás sentimos un poco de vergüenza: Esto lo debería de hacer todos los días. La vida es preciosa, y muy vulnerable. Existen cosas que no entendemos.

“Que Dios nos ayude.”

Frenéticos transitamos de una cosa a otra como quienes buscan un tesoro escondido; nos consumen preocupaciones pequeñas,  divisiones y pleitos sin sentido. Se nos va el tiempo. Crecen los hijos.

“¿Cuándo te hiciste tan grande?”

Somos criaturas misteriosas y vulnerables. Fácilmente se nos olvida que el tesoro ya lo poseemos. Si el rayo de luz no nos cae del cielo, nos quedamos en el olvido, y en la oscuridad sin ver lo que realmente tenemos  frente  a nuestros ojos.

Llega el día 25. Nos faltó tiempo. Nos cae brusco.  Ni modo, ya llegó.

“Ven, hijo, vamos a  acercarnos al Nacimiento después de la Misa.”

“Qué bonito.”

“Mamá, hay mucha gente alrededor.”

“Si, hija, pero al rato nos podemos arrimar más.”

“Papá, ¿qué estamos viendo?”

“Es el niño Jesús. Diosito se hizo un chiquillo, hijo, como lo fueron tú y tu hermanita hace poco. El niño tiene frio pero está contento; tiene a su familia alrededor.”

“Y porque quiso Diosito entrar al mundo en tiempo de frio?”

“Pues, no sé hijo, quizás para darle a María y José el gusto de poder acurrucarlo con un cariño caluroso. Y quizás para enardecer con amor divino el hogar de María y José.”

La Navidad es una luz que penetra por las nubes, y llega hasta los rincones más oscuros de la vida para sanarnos del olvido y de la ceguera. El tesoro ya lo tenemos. No estamos solos. Sí hay mucho que hacer, pero no como antes lo habíamos pensado. Tenemos hijos para abrazar y ancianos para besar. Tenemos amigos con quien conllevar y disfrutar, familiares para consolar y con quienes regocijar. La vida es preciosa y vulnerable, un regalo de valor inestimable. Mi hermano me necesita y yo lo necesito en mi vida. Juntos llegamos bien.

“Feliz Navidad, hijo, y muchas gracias por haberme visitado.”

“Igualmente, Tía. Que tenga un día muy feliz.”

“Me le saludas a tu mamá. Que Diosito te guarde.” Un beso; un abrazo un poco más consciente, más prolongado.

A eso viene el Dios grande, el que se hizo pequeño. El amor de Dios es el camino hacia el amor entre los hombres. Nos queda mucho que hacer; el amor está en marcha, pero las tinieblas no se dispersan sin resistir. Ojos de fe ven que la luz que cae del cielo tiene cara de un niño; él es el líder que va por delante de nuestro camino. Como lo había predicho el profeta Isaías: “Un niño pequeño los guiará.”

Felices Pascuas Navideñas a todos. Que el Dios que se hizo hombre les conceda luz para ver y amor para envolver sus hogares durante esta Navidad y durante todos los días de sus vidas.

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And a Child shall Guide Them

Christmas 2012 fell on us at the appointed time, interrupting the course of our plans and activities. We knew that it was coming, but we put it off or decided to ignore it. We had much to do; lots of running around and little time to lose.

“Yes, son, maybe tomorrow we will go to see the Christmas lights on all the houses.”

“No, Mom, I won’t forget to get a Christmas present for my aunt. Don’t worry; I still have time to do it.”

“Mom, do you have the mailing address for my cousin? I don’t think I will have time to go by my aunt’s house.”

The television interrupts its usual programming and without wanting to, the reporters show us images of violence. Words fail us. What a tragedy! They were innocent children. We see tears and inconsolable families.

“Oh, Lord, what can we do?”

Spontaneously, we think of the children. And during the days that follow, we hug each one a little tighter, and for a little longer. And maybe we feel a little guilty: I should do this every day. Life is precious, and vulnerable. And there are many things in life we do not understand.

“May God help us.”

We frantically run from one thing to another, like people looking for a buried treasure; small preoccupations consume us, and so do divisions and arguments that do not make much sense in the long run. Time passes. Our children grow up.

“When did you get so tall?”

We are mysterious and vulnerable creatures. We easily forget that we already possess the treasure. If the ray of light does not fall to us from the heavens, we stay in a state of forgetting and of darkness, unable really to see what we have in front of our eyes.

The 25^th arrives. We ran out of time. It falls on us brusquely. Can’t do much about that, it’s here.

“Come now, son, we are going to go see the Nativity scene after Mass.”

“How pretty it is.”

“Mom, there are lots of people around.”

“That’s right, but in a little while we will be able to get closer.”

“Dad, what are we looking at?”

“It is the child Jesus. God became a little child, son, just like you and your little sister were not too long ago. The child is cold, but he is happy; he has his family around him.”

“And why did God enter the world in the winter when it was cold?”

“Well, I am not sure, son, maybe it was to give to Mary and Joseph the joy of being able to snuggle him close to warm him. And maybe it was so he could warm the home of Mary and Joseph with his divine love.”

Christmas is a light that penetrates through the clouds, and it reaches to the most obscure corners of life to heal us of our forgetfulness and our blindness. We already have the treasure we were looking for. We are not alone. Yes, there is much to do, but not like we had previously thought. We have children to embrace, and old folks to kiss. We have friends with whom to carry our burdens and with whom to enjoy life; and we have family members to console, and with whom to rejoice. Life is precious and it is vulnerable, a gift without price. My brother needs me, and I need him in my life. Together we can make it.

“Merry Christmas, son, and thanks very much for stopping by.

“Same to you, Auntie. May you have a very happy day.”

“Say hello to your mother for me. May God protect you.” A kiss, a more conscious hug, lasting a bit longer.

It was for this that the great God made himself small. The love of God is the pathway toward our love for one another. We do have much to do; love is on the march, but the shadows do not dispel without resistance. Eyes of faith see that the light that falls from heaven has the face of a child; he is the leader that goes before us on our path. As was foretold by the prophet Isaiah: “A little child shall guide them.”

Happy Christmas-tide to everyone. May the Lord God who became man grant you light to see, and love to envelop your homes this Christmas, and every day of your lives.

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Having Fun in the Valley

These are enjoyable days in the Rio Grande Valley. I have a few pictures to offer to give you just a small sense of the scene, from Guadalupe Day to Posadas to Piñatas.

Yes, the Bishop can get stuck in traffic looking for a way to get into the general area of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Brownsville. Here I am watching the procession from the neighboring churches enter into the environs. I eventually made it. "But, officer, I know this is a one-way street, but I just need to get right over there, and besides, the street is blocke off!"

Truly amazing. I walked my way into the outdoor area where the Mass was to be held, and snapped a few shots along the way.

Needless to say, it took me a little while to wend my way to the sacristy.

Los Matachines were in excellent form as the parish groups gathered for the outdoor Mass.

Left view from the Altar.

Center view from the Altar.

Right view from the Altar. I think this group had the most fun!



Now, on to the Posadas! Only in the Valley can you do this in broad day'light, and with Palm Trees, and 80 degree weather. 

Now here is an interesting shot of the San Juan Diocesan Staff Posada,... of them taking a picture of me taking a picture of them, knocking on the door... Sort of makes me confused. 

Someone took a shot of me getting ready to take a shot at the Piñata. Take my word for it, I did some damage. I was in a good disposition, so I did not confiscate the cameras. (Just kidding.)

Had a nice visit to the Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllan for Mass. My third year of celebrating Mass there in the days right before Christmas. Truly a blessing for me to see the residents and visit with the families.

And of course, what would these days of Guadalupe and Posadas and everything else be without Tamales! Lots and lots of them. Some of the best I have ever tasted! And believe me, I have tasted my share. We used to help make them at home when I was a kid.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

These are intense days of devotion and prayer in the United States, and certainly here in the Rio Grande Valley. On December the 8, we celebrated the Immaculate Conception, Patronal Feast of our Cathedral here in the Diocese of Brownsville, and since 1847, patroness of the United States. And yet four days later, on December 12 we celebrate the great feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. The two feasts are deeply connected in the mystery of faith. On December the 8 we recall the truth that God chooses to give the full gift of grace on his own initiative, to prepare Mary from the first moment of her conception for her mission. On December 12, we are given a vivid reminder of what that mission entails. The Virgin's presence announces that the Lord is coming to be with his people, to free us from death, darkness and sin.

On December 12, I wish I could be everywhere at once in the Rio Grande Valley; the processions, the Masses in all the parishes, in small mission chapels, and at the Basilica; las Mañanitas, the menudo and hojarascas-- it's everwhere. And it is for everyone: families, the elderly, small children in costumes; laughing, singing, high school students playing in mariachi bands, fireworks. It is joyous, reverent and a full display of the mystery of faith alive in our land. This feast is a singular grace for our diocese and our nation, worthy of a special place in the hearts of all Catholics in the United States.

There are so many reasons for this exuberance. And yet in the end they are all one simple reason keenly felt by all of us who celebrate her day. The Virgin, in her very person, -- because her person bears the Son of God-- appears in 1531 as the gentle voice announcing to a good but labored soul that heaven is kind and very close, and that the darkness will not have its way forever. There was much blood spilled in the Americas both prior to the arrival of the Spanish Empire, and after. Human sacrifice gave way to a conquest that was in many ways brutal. It was hard in those days to believe in the triumph of light over darkness, mercy over vengeance, reconciliation over recrimination. But somehow, in the Virgin's appearing, in the image of the innocent one already bearing the Son of God in her womb, the announcement of mercy went forth and was joyfully received.

This is the cause of our joy: God has appeared in our land; he has taken flesh from the Virgin; and we need not fear that the darkness will in the end prevail. She comes as the breeze that announces that the springtime of the human race is possible by the grace of God's favor. The Gospel brings this springtime, and for us in the Americas, Our Lady left us the Gospel written as an image on Juan Diego's tilma. The Gospel was the hope of the peoples of the Americas when the Virgin appeared, and it is the hope of our future as a people. There is urgent need for this hope. We in the Valley know too well that much blood is spilled senselessly for power, greed, vengeance, and drugs. A new sort of cult of death menaces our children. Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Christ she bears forth to our world show us the way out of this encroaching despair.

Perhaps it is time to designate Our Lady of Guadalupe as Co-patroness of the United States. Most recently I read a post by Cardinal Mahony encouraging this prospect: http://cardinalrogermahonyblogsla.blogspot.com/2012/12/our-lady-of-guadalupe-patroness-of-usa.html. Together with the Immaculate Conception on December 8, and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, we could as Catholics in the United States renew our appreciation for the way grace works in us by contemplating the Mother of God under these two magnificent invocations. For us also, grace is given by God's wise design to both make us holy, and to send us forth to announce that the long reign of sin is ending. The one follows upon the other. There is no evangelization without holiness; and grace is given so as to be shared with a world that dwells in darkness and under the shadow of death.

Our Lady Conceived without sin, pray for us that no sin impede our reception of your Son into our lives!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray that having received him, we be worthy bearers of your Son to others!

Sin Pecado Concebida

  

Meditación sobre el himno Mística Rosa de intocados pétalos,

(Breviario Romano para el día 8 de diciembre)

Santísima sin pecado concebida

Madre compasiva,

Virgen de inocencia indecible,

Mística Rosa de intocados pétalos,

Tu manto refleja el límpido cielo de infinitas lámparas,

Y tus ojos abarcan la condición afligida de tu pueblo.

El Padre y tú pronuncian la misma Palabra:

Dios-Hijo del Padre en el cielo narrado,

Dios-Hijo por ti en tierra cantado,

Santificando primero la morada santa de tu cuerpo,

Tu Hijo Bajó del cielo, como dice el Credo,

Abrió así camino que al Padre devuelve.

Por nuestra salvación Dios cruzó la antigua frontera,

Que separa de Dios la criatura expatriada.

Saltó como carnero sobre la vieja muralla.

Musa celeste, cántanos del Amor-Artífice,

El Sabio sin tiempo que del Padre procede

Cántanos el sendero que de Él proviene

Muéstranos amar como Él lo quiere,

Sanar las heridas que el odio enciende,

Ser servidores de los relegados

Entre los cuales Él se esconde.

Cántanos de un futuro luciente

Que solo por Dios se concede.

Y, cuando el viento tu presencia anuncie,

            Pídeme lo que Él requiere. Amen.

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8 diciembre 2012

La Inmaculada

A beautiful night in the Valley accompanied the traditional procession with the image of Our lady of the Immaculate Conception from Saint Thomas Church in downtown Brownsville to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and provided for a touching expression of the Faith of the Church.

This is one of my favorite nights of the year, as it is a great joy to celebrate La Inmaculada with the PRocession and Mass, followed by a meal with the parishioners. Congratulations to all those who made this such a marvelous expression of love for the Blessed Virgin, and a joyous occasion for all.