Comunidad Ignaciana in Massachusetts Raises Support to Help Provide Healthcare to Migrants at the US-Mexico Border

By Zandra Schiemann | Leer en español.

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Fr. Francisco Javier Calvillo Salazar (Photo courtesy of Casa del Migrante in Juárez, Mexico)

The Office of Ignatian Spirituality’s Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas are small groups of adults who gather to pray, accompany one another on their spiritual journeys, and put their faith into action.

After considerable discernment and searching for something to do as a group, the Comunidad Ignaciana at the Parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, settled on a concrete way they could work together as a group for the promotion of justice.

The Comunidad recently met via Zoom with Fr. Francisco Javier Calvillo Salazar, director of the Casa del Migrante in Juárez, Mexico, about his work and the needs of the Casa.

The Casa del Migrante has been serving migrants on the US-Mexico border for nearly 36 years. They consistently serve between 240 and 280 people who have been deported or are seeking asylum but have no place to stay and no food to eat.

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Photo courtesy of Casa del Migrante in Juárez, Mexico.

The Casa has faced new challenges brought on by the pandemic and has had to adapt. Migrants, some arriving alone and others with their families, have had to remain there for more than seven months without knowing when or how their situations will be resolved.

This, of course, has increased the need for basic services, especially in caring for the health and safety of those staying at the Casa. At the same time, circumstances are making it difficult to procure the necessary food supply, which has led to a major effort to ensure that everyone at the Casa is adequately fed daily.

The Casa is also facing a lack of financial resources to pay medical staff to care for those who are sick.

At their meeting, the Comunidad at St. Ignatius Parish saw an opportunity to help. They are currently raising money each month to help pay for medical staff hours that are so needed.

This effort by the Comunidad has meant a lot to members and has brought the group together in such a way that led one of the participants to say, “Now we are truly a community.”

Donations to the Casa del Migrante in Juarez can be made via Paypal at paypal.me/casamigrantejuarez.

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Photos courtesy of Casa del Migrante in Juárez, Mexico.

Christmas Reflection

by Zandra Schiemann

In one of his talks via social media, Father Nemo Castelli, S.J., (Chaplain of Fundación Vivienda in Chile) makes me think of the real meaning of Christmas. He said we have failed to remember what and why we celebrate Christmas. We only focus on the food, parties and presents related to Christmas and forget that behind the scenes lies the real meaning and human value of Christmas.

Christmas is one of the most important festivities of Christians. We forgot God was incarnated, entered into our history, and acts in each human being’s heart, wishing all to live the human values of solidarity, union, love, peace and hope as He taught us. He requests we not be afraid; to go forth, to work for a better world in which all of us could live in peace.

The invitation in Christmas is to reflect and shift our lives towards God’s wishes for us. Our hearts and activities should move in the same direction and be able to celebrate together the Nativity of Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Zandra Schiemann was born in Bogotá, Colombia. Studied Journalism and Social Communications and received a Master’s Degree from Javeriana University of Bogota. She is married with three sons. Zandra currently works as Program Coordinator of Hispanic Ministries at Office of Ignatian Spirituality Maryland and USA Northeast Provinces of Society of Jesus.

This reflection was originally posted in Spanish.

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

by Fr. Bruce Bavinger, S.J.

It is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, and Christmas Eve is in just a couple days. Perhaps many of us are already hearing the angels proclaiming to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” But other types of experiences can shape part of our celebration of the Nativity. We have challenges that affect us as much in this season as in other times of the year: personal disappointments, misfortunes that happen to us, the challenges we face in our families, the injustices in this and other countries that seem never to change. It is very possible that with these difficulties many of us continue looking for the “perfect Christmas” that always escapes us.

But the Gospel we hear on this Fourth Sunday of Advent has something more important to teach us about our longing for the “perfect Christmas.” Mary is expecting a son, but she still has not lived with Joseph. He is planning to leave her quietly, we are told. We can imagine Joseph’s anger and sadness, and also Mary’s fear and disappointment. The two of them wanted to do the will of God, and now their hopes are frustrated. Until the angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream and speaks to him! Joseph obeys and does what the angel tells him, and God becomes incarnate perfectly in the world to save us from our sins. So, the first “perfect Christmas” had to happen for the sake of our imperfect human condition, so that God’s infinite love for use would be manifested.

It is worth remembering Pope Francis’s trip to Paraguay in 2015, one of his first trips as pope. While he was there, the pope spoke with some young people who came to see him. Pope Francis spoke to them about solidarity, hope, and the importance of knowing Jesus. He added that in order to have these virtues, “it takes sacrifice and going against the culture.” Pope Francis said to the young people: “Make a mess, but also help to clean up and organize that mess. A mess that gives us hope, that is born of having known Jesus.”

For Pope Francis, a perfect Christmas begins with us “making a mess” — that is to say taking a risk, seeing and speaking out about bad situations, doing something new, something different, something for justice, something that could change the misfortunes of the present so that the blessed future might arrive. Make and embrace a mess, and change it with love so that it no longer hinders life but becomes the new creation that Jesus brings, one that truly praises our Lord.

Fr. Bruce Bavinger, S.J., is a Jesuit of the Maryland Province. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is part of the team at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Raleigh.

This reflection was translated from the original Spanish version.

Reflection for the Third Sunday of Advent

by Rita Rodríguez

“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers… They will see the glory of the LORD,” the prophet Isaiah tells us in today’s first reading. It is a beautiful image, but I can hardly imagine it.

When we speak of the desert, the first image that comes to mind for me is not flowers and lilies blooming, but what I see in photos and videos of immigrants trying to cross the southern border into the US. I do not see flowers in this desert, but people in great need, people held in detention centers, and the fallen who did not survive the harshness of the desert.

John the Baptist knew much about life in the desert. While in prison, we are told in this Sunday’s Gospel, he told two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” In Isaiah’s words, this question to Jesus might be, “Are you the one who will let us see the desert bloom?” Echoing Isaiah, Jesus responds to John: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” In other words, Jesus responds that Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in him and states surprisingly that some will be disappointed by his response.

We have an advantage that John the Baptist did not: We know that Jesus is the resurrected Christ and our savior. We know that Jesus is the Messiah that God had promised. This is our faith. But, have we let God open our eyes and ears to see the possibility of the desert covered in flowers? Am I helping those who are not able to walk alone? Am I living a new life in the love of God for those who are dying of sadness and abandonment, and the poor who are enduring many needs? Am I helping and advocating for the human rights of immigrants arriving in our country and those people suffering here because they are undocumented? If I do, I will be helping the desert to bloom not only for these people, but for the whole world — the presence of God alive in the world. And when others see me living this way, they will see a disciple of Jesus who is not disappointed by him, and who, like Jesus, is working to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah that the whole world will see the glory of God.

“Be strong, do not fear!” the prophet tells us.

Rita M. Rodríguez lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a spiritual director and helps coordinate the Hispanic ministry at the Jesuit Parish of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

This reflection was translated from Spanish.

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent

by Domingo Caratachea

This article was translated from the original Spanish version. Leer en Español.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Preaching of St. John the Baptist (via Wikimedia Commons)

In the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Advent, we notice three concrete invitations for the way we live: to preach, to repent, and to announce the good news.

The first invitation is to preach. John the Baptist preached through the humble way he lived and through the example he set for the many who followed him. We would say that he acted with great humility, since many followed him, confessing their sins and being baptized. In his time, John preached in the desert of Judea. Today, we should ask ourselves: Where is the “desert” in which God is present to us in the realities of this moment? Are we preaching in this “desert” through the way we live and the example we set? Or, maybe there are many “deserts.”

Repentance. In this second invitation, we reflect on how God, through John, has a clear plan: inviting us to repent and to prepare to encounter Jesus when he arrives. What is God’s plan for us today? What are God’s desires for me? Based on our experiences, let us focus our gaze and our hearts on the hope that Jesus brings. Like John, Jesus comes to teach us humility. But unlike John, Jesus remains with us and lives in our hearts when we turn to him for forgiveness. Once we allow him to enter our hearts, not only does he want to remain with us, but he also wants to give us his Holy Spirit.

Let us announce that Jesus has arrived. Advent is a time of preparation, so that when Jesus comes and approaches us, we can open our hearts to him and offer him a place. The way we live and the changes we make during this time of preparation are a concrete sign of how God is preparing us for Jesus to come into our lives. Let us prepare with humble hearts, and let us ask God for the grace not only to open our eyes and ears to hear and see Jesus, but also our lips to announce the good news that he is present to us.

This post was originally written and published in Spanish.

Domingo Caratachea lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He coordinates the “Posadas Ignacianas” for the parish, and together with his wife, Marta, and two others, he coordinates a prayer group. He also leads an Ignatian group which gathers to deepen faith through Ignatian spirituality. Currently, he is in the process of discernment to become a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Richmond.

Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent

by Liliana Montoya

This reflection was translated from the original Spanish version. Leer en español.

Advent is a liturgical season of great significance to Christians. We have the opportunity to reflect on, and prepare for, Jesus entering the world as a child in need of love and care.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).

As we contemplate Jesus as a child, vulnerable and fragile, we are able to see his greatness. The example of his life reminds us of the fact that we do not need great wealth, power, or prestige in order to be accepted and loved. We spend our lives chasing positions, seeking recognition and admiration without realizing that one glance at the child Jesus is enough to see our own fragile needs as humans. When we welcome God, we let his purity and love manifest itself in us and in our world. His love saves and transforms us, so that we are able to discover that our ability for greatness lies in our vulnerability and the places we seem poor.

Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (Phil. 2:6-7).

Advent invites us to look inward at who we really are in the eyes of God; to notice who we really are in our hearts. It is by staring into the tender eyes of the baby Jesus that we allow him to enter our hearts.

Jesus invites us during Advent to embrace him in his own vulnerability, because he fills the vulnerable places in us — our sadness and loneliness. He is with us in our suffering and fear, bringing his light and his peace. He nourishes us with his unfailing love.

This post was originally written and published in Spanish.

Liliana Montoya and her family live in Dayton, Ohio, where she serves as the Hispanic Initiative Coordinator at the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton.

Two Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas Begin in Staten Island, New York

The Office of Ignatian Spirituality’s Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas at the Parish of Mount Carmel in Staten Island gathered for the first time on Sept. 24, 2019, for Mass celebrated by Fr. Hernán Paredes. This year, there are two Comunidades at the Parish of Mount Carmel, one offered in Spanish and the other in Mixtec, an indigenous language of southern Mexico. Nearly 70 people attended the Mass, including the program leaders, the participants, and their families.

In his homily, Fr. Hernán highlighted the value of the Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas program and the significance of having a Mixtec community so committed and enthusiastic about engaging more deeply with Ignatian spirituality in their own language. During the Mass, Andrés Fabián, one of the programs leaders for the Mixtec Comunidad, offered a deep-felt introduction of the Comunidades and why, especially for the leaders, it is both a real challenge and a blessing to be able to participate in the program. Fr. Hernán also gave a special blessing both to the guides and to the materials that participants will use in each of the program sessions.

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The Comunidad facilitated in Spanish held its first session of the program itself on Oct. 8, 2019. The topic for this first part of the program was “What are the Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas?”

Fifteen people participated in this more than two-hour session in which the local leaders for the Comunidad explained the program. The participants introduced themselves, prayed together, and had the opportunity to share ideas, doubts, and suggestions with the group.

The Comunidad facilitated in Mixtec gathered for its first session of the program on Oct. 22, 2019, also on the topic of “What are the Comunidades Hispanas Ignacianas?” Fifteen participants attended this session led by Aida Reyes and Andrés Fabián.

Despite the challenges to forming this Comunidad in Mixtec, the leaders dida great job making this opportunity available to participants. Because the participants only speak Spanish partially and have difficulty reading and writing, the leaders have translated and adapted the material so that everyone can participate and contribute to the group.