Collaborators with Christ

This morning was born brisk and chilly with a gusty fall wind. It was a challenge wanting to crawl out of my warm bed, but assisting the morning mass at San Silvestre made the effort worth my while.

I arrived at the San Silvestre chapel after a 40 minute micro ride and short 2 block walk down the sandy-mud laden streets of the Plan 3000. The chapel was packed for first communion. Doña Pura, my host mom (my first month in Bolivia), met me just outside of the door and ushered me to a seat.

After a hearty introduction of singing, Padre Pepé jumped into the morning’s homily based on Matthew 9:36: “When he [Jesus]saw the crowds, he was deeply moved with compassion for them, because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd ».

Padre Pepé, a tall, enthusiastic priest with graying hair, called the congregation to be collaborators with Christ in serving the least of these – the most marginalized and oppressed society has to offer - and becoming servant leaders committed to the well-being of all instead of being invested in serving our own interests.

He called us to pray that Christ would send workers into the harvest - religious and political leaders to lead the people in working toward the creation of a more just society and doing so in the same way Christ did – healing the sick, feeding the crowds, casting out the evil spirits of inequality and injustice – living as collaborators with Christ who announced the initiation of the good news of the Reign of God: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke4 :18-19).

Padre Pepé invited us to see our reality « through the eyes of Jesus » who was « deeply moved with compassion » for the people – a compassion that is « not pity, but authentic commitment that moves us to assume and share the suffering of the other ». The charismatic priest left us with the challenge to embody the call of Christ that is both personal and communal – a call to be collaborators with Christ in transforming the world and cultivating the Reign of God here and now.

After communion was brought to a conclusion with the passing of the peace, through a joining of hands, a beautiful symbolizing act of the work of the Spirit in and through us, uniting us as a community in a culture of peace that transcends personal, political and ethnicity differences.

We were sent out with a rousing rendition of Hallelujah Praise Ye the Lord in 8 different languages (Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Arabic, Greek, French, German, and English). After the linguistic workout, handshakes and kisses of greeting all around, followed by chit chat, cheese empanadas and hot chocolate – an experience worth leaving warm covers on a cold morning :)