Beyond Pity Dan González

Transcripción

1 Issue 3 Volume 1 September 2007 Beyond Pity Dan González After passing a box of tissues, a sniffled response finally squeaks out,...because we have so much and they have so little. For many first-time missionaries, myself included, this is the quintessential knee-jerk reaction when confronted with extreme poverty: Pity. Having grown up in the land of milk and honey, then walking through the field of dry bones, it s natural to dwell on the differences. But, really, this is only the inaugural step in what can be a long journey. It would be a shame if the sojourn would end with pity as the only fruit gleaned from missionary activity. Image courtesy of Juan Rabionet In this sense, solidarity is the exact opposite of pity. One dwells on the apparent chasm that separates us from them, while the other realizes that the gulf is only a mirage. Solidarity sees poverty and injustice as an affront to human dignity everywhere, including your own. The person who feels pity believes that there is a difference, I am up here, and they are down there. In fact, without perceiving difference, pity cannot exist; it cannot be given or received. Pity wallows in disparity. Without perceiving difference, pity cannot exist; it cannot be given or received. Pity wallows in disparity. Solidarity, on the other hand, is the technical term for what calls acompañamiento. It is walking along with a person and sharing their joys and sorrows so intimately that the line between us and them evaporates. It is a world where your neighbor and yourself, as St. Paul writes, become one in the body of Christ. Dan González at a summer mission camp in Cutupú, Dominican Republic.

2 Noemí Fefita Chirino Archdiocese of Miami Llegó a mi vida un caluroso día de Julio del año 2007 cuando, a través de los barrotes que separan su vida de la mía, me preguntó: Donde está tu Pae? Mi Pae está en el cielo. Y qué es el cielo? Donde vive Papa Dios. Y quién es Papa Dios? Papa Dios es el que mas nos quiere. Es el pae de todos los niños y de todos los grandes. Así comenzó el diálogo que me hizo conocer más de cerca a esta personita que me partió el alma y me robó el corazón. Su nombre es Noemí. Al día siguiente regresó, descalza, sin camisa, despeinada, masticando un pedacito de yaniqueque que le ensuciaba su boquita. La puerta estaba abierta, y Noemí entró con toda naturalidad, y se sentó en mi silla, otra vez a preguntarme donde estaba mi padre. Se me ocurrió que a Noemí le podría gustar un pedacito de chocolate. Creo que no conocía el sabor del chocolate, pero rápidamente aprendió a decir, muy despacito: cho-co-la-te. Mientras gozaba su chocolate, conversamos. El tema fue para establecer una amistad: (Yo) Noemí, Cómo se llama tu mae? (Noemí) Tu mae también esta en el cielo? (Yo) Como se llaman tus hermanitos? (Noemí) Chino, Han, Carlitos, Diana, y el Chichi- Tu tienes hermanitos? Tuvo que trabajar mucho para lograr nuestra conversación, ya que yo estoy tan poco acostumbrada a conversar con niños pequeños que me costaba mucho entender sus palabras, y constantemente le tuve que pedir que repitiera. Pronto descubrí que Noemí sabe contar hasta diez- bueno, hasta diecisiete: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, y 17. Así pasamos un rato, ella y yo solas, conociéndonos, conversando como viejas amigas. Y entonces pronunció Noemí las palabras más tristes que se pueden escuchar de boca de una niñita de tres años. Tengo hambre. Le ofrecí un poco de leche, y a medida que se la bebía, me hablaba: Mi mae no me da chocolate Mi mae no me da leche Mi mae no me deja dormir con ella. Yo duermo con Chino y con Diana. Yo duermo en el suelo Mi mae me da una pelaaaa..con una correa, que picaaaaa Y cuando la puse en mis piernas y la abracé Mi mae no me abraza. Qué se dice ante esto? Qué palabras pueden curar ese dolor? Cómo se reacciona ante una realidad tan cruel? Cómo se puede consolar este corazoncito que a penas ha abierto los ojos a la vida y ya tiene hambre - de pan y de cariño? Dos días después la vi pasar por mi puerta apurada y la llamé: NOEMI!!! Quise estar otro ratico con ella, ofrecerle más leche, abrazarla un poco mas Voy a hacer un mandao, me dijo. Y no entró. Luego supe que su madre la había mandado a comprar azúcar- un puñadito de azúcar. Pero a la tarde vino a verme. Llevaba un vestidito tan viejecito y roto, tan sucio, que parecía que nunca se había lavado. De nuevo entró en la casa y enseguida vinieron otros niños que viven cerca. A todos los conozco: Rosita, Deivi, Willy, Jacob, Niño Y como era el último día que pasaría junto a ellos, les regalé globos ( vejigas les llaman ellos). El que quiera conocer la belleza, la inocencia y pureza de la vida que el Señor nos ha regalado, sólo tiene que juntar un grupo de niños de esos que no conocen de Internet, ni celulares, ni juegos cibernéticos, repartirles globos y observar. Solamente hay que observar y disfrutar de uno de los mayores regalos de Dios: la niñez. Aquello fue una fiesta. Cada uno tenía un globo de distinto color. Todos los inflaban, y aquellos que no podían (o no sabían, como Noemí) les pedían a los mayores que se los inflaran. Y todos se admiraban de cuán grandes se hinchaban los globos, y todos estaban a la expectativa de cuál explotaría primero. Algunos quisieron que se les amarrara un cordelito a su globo, para imaginarse que era de helio y podía subir hasta las nubes. Algunos (como Jacob) prefirieron jugar tirando el globo al aire y alcanzándolo mientras descendía. Fue una verdadera celebración de la vida. En eso, mi amiguita Noemí se viró hacia mí y me dijo: Me voy. Yo, por supuesto, me quedé muy sorprendida, y hasta algo decepcionada, porque en parte, todo esto había sido para verla gozar a ella. Intenté convencerla para que se quedara, pero no hubo medio. Tomó su globo y sus piesecitos descalzos salieron corriendo. La fiesta siguió, pero para mí ya no era igual. Y si les digo, amigos, lo que sucedió después Fue como un cuento, una historieta de niños que nadie puede creer. A los cinco minutos regresó Noemí, trayendo (mas bien, halando) de la mano un niñito más chico que ella, como de un añito y medio, totalmente desnudo. Lo presentó ante mí y me dijo, exigiendo con urgencia: - Este es Han. Dale una vejiga. (Han es uno de sus hermanitos mas pequeños). Le di su vejiga a Han, y continué disfrutando de mi fiesta. Noemí me pidió que le inflara el globo de Han, y que le pusiera una cuerda al suyo. Su fue de nuevo, y al regresar me dijo: Dame una vejiga para Chino. Mi mae no lo deja venir.

3 Seguramente que Chino, su otro hermano, estaría castigado por alguna travesura de niños. Y de repente, sin darme cuenta de que Noemí se había vuelto a ir, se me presentó con otro niño de la mano. Este, más grande que ella: Este es Carlitos. Dale una vejiga. Y así me fue trayendo a todos sus hermanitos para que ellos también pudieran gozar la incomparable felicidad de tener su propio globo. Esa noche, reflexionando, pensé en la bondad de Noemí. Pude darme cuenta de que ella no fue capaz de gozar su vejiga si sus hermanitos no tenían la suya también. Noemí no es capaz de disfrutar de lo suyo sabiendo que los otros no tienen nada. Noemí conoce la solidaridad. No conocía el sabor del chocolate; no sabe nada de Sesame Street, ni de los cuentos de hadas. No tiene ropa limpia, ni zapatitos de rosa, pero Noemí hace transparente el amor de Dios por sus hijos. Noemí es espejo de Dios, y en ella se puede reconocer la mano del creador. Vemos sus Divinas Huellas en el amor de ella por sus hermanos, en su preocupación por ellos, en su actividad misionera de ir a rescatar a los que no tienen nada para traerlos a la Mesa de la Abundancia, al Banquete Eucaristico. Y aún más, vemos en ella el rostro del Crucificado. Lo vemos en esa niña que no tiene leche, que no tiene ropita decente o limpia, que no tiene zapatos, porque desde que nació, hace tres años, está crucificada con Jesús, con ese que vive en aquellos que están encarcelados por la miseria y la falta de esperanza. Y yo me pregunto cómo es posible que tantos y tantos de nosotros continuemos creyéndonos que amamos a Jesús cuando hacemos tan poco, o nada para aliviar su dolor. Nos convencemos a nosotros mismos de que amamos a Dios. Rezamos rosarios a la Virgen, nos postramos de cara al suelo ante el Santísimo Sacramento, vamos a Misa y comulgamos con gran reverencia, hacemos propaganda en contra del aborto, etc. Pero cuando se nos habla de las Noemís del mundo, cerramos los ojos. Nos tapamos los oídos para no escuchar su historia. No queremos dejar que ella nos enseñe a ser solidarios. Somos muy capaces de disfrutar de nuestras vejigas y nuestros banquetes sabiendo que nuestros hermanos viven tras los barrotes del hambre. La misión de es hacer que todos conozcan que Dios vive en el pobre y en el hambriento. Nuestra misión es hacernos solidarios con ellos por amor a Cristo nuestro Señor. Ustedes pueden ser parte de esta misión en la medida en que colaboren con nuestros esfuerzos por hacer que la vida de Noemí sea un poquito mejor; con nuestros esfuerzos por lograr que tenga leche para desayunar, que pueda alimentarse adecuadamente, que pueda ir a la escuela. Porque Noemí es hija de Dios. Y Dios no quiere que sus hijos sufran necesidad. Y porque amamos a Jesus, y el nos dijo que Todo lo que hagan por estos, mis hermanos mas pequeños, lo hacen por mi (Mt. 25, 40 ). Fefita Misionera de Shipping Update This May we happily welcomed the commitment of the Amador Family to the shipping service in. Enrique and Monica Amador and their little one-year-old Henry, have made a family commitment to coordinating this huge responsibility. This job requires a lot of heavy work and coordination. Just last week we received an enormous donation of over 500 school desks from the generosity of St. Brendan School. It was a wonderful blessing and a very big job for our new Shipping Team, and all went off without a hitch! Thanks to St. Brendan School, the Amadors and the wonderful volunteer crew. For many years has been shipping donated items to Haiti and Dominican Republic. In any given year, we make shipments, and estimated 30,000 lbs. or more. This amount is augmented in times of crisis. In 2004, after Tropical Storm Jeanne, we coordinated the collection, packing and shipment of over 100,000 lbs of donations, and were able to reach the most remote areas with this aid. The shipments provide a vital support supply of materials for the schools, food for emergencies and medical supplies for the hospitals and clinics. We have been blessed with the generosity of many people in donating many valuable things, and also with the work of many volunteers that have given hundreds of hours to packing, carrying and transporting boxes.

4 The Power of Transformative Education: Education for Social & Environmental Justice César J. Baldelomar Education has always been essential for humans. Starting with pre-literate societies, or what I refer to as tribal societies, education revolved around two preoccupations: 1) how to survive in a harsh environment; and 2) the metaphysical, or the meaning of our existence. For centuries, different civilizations have presented various answers to these two basic preoccupations. The Ancient African Stemming from the ancient African civilizations is the sophisticated Greek educational system. We find in this period such towering figures in the history of Western civilization as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Understanding what constituted a good (moral) life was the aim of these legendary teachers. As in ancient African civilizations, contributing positively to the social order was as important in Greek society as making personal gains in one s career. Education was meant to transform the person, who ideally would then transform society. civilizations, especially Egyptian, were the first to propose a system of thought aimed at answering questions about the meaning and the source of life. When developing their system of thought, ancient African scholars valued religion and philosophy. Religion and philosophy, in turn, birthed morality and ethics guidelines on how one should live in society. Job training was simply one facet of the African educational system, which included instilling in students values that were rooted in ancestral wisdom. In Timbuktu, the ancient African university, generations of African scholars were simultaneously educated for work and for responsible citizenship by learning ethics, morality, religion, mathematics, and engineering. Education was meant to transform the person, who ideally would then transform society. Image courtesy of AgnusImages.com Ancient Egyptians were among the first to provide education concerning life s spiritual questions. For our purposes, we next move to the greatest teacher of all time, Jesus Christ. He, like Confucius, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, sought to explain what a moral life entailed. One of Jesus most important teachings was, of course, the care for the least in society (Matthew 25). Preaching to the multitude of crowds, Jesus perceived education to be more than learning how to read and write, or learning the proper procedure for debate in the Roman Forum. Education, according to Jesus, was supposed to be a transformative experience it was a challenge to the faithful to respond creatively to the injustices occurring in society. We are experiencing in contemporary civilization an intertwined ecological, social, and spiritual crisis. On the ecological side, we see our beautiful and sacred Mother Earth suffering from the evil effects of global warming, pollution, soil erosion, and excess waste production. In society, we see a spike in suicide rates among the youth, increase in global poverty, more wars, family disintegration, and excess materialism. And in spirituality we see that many youth and adults mistrust organized religion. If we are to remain faithful to the intellectual heritage that began in Africa, culminated in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and continues today through individuals who are committed to promulgating the truth, we must see education as not only job training, but also as preparation to challenge all that is amiss in our contemporary society. Such a transformative education uses the see, judge, act methodology. It is first necessary to read the signs Image courtesy of AgnusImages.com Known as the student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, Plato wrote in the middle of the fourth century B.C.E. of the times, to identify what is socially and environmentally unjust in modern society. Then, we must analyze the problem in light of biblical values and the principles of both Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and philosophy. Lastly, one should implement a plan aimed at transforming the unjust environmental or social reality in question. Through this three-fold process, education becomes much richer than the accumulation and memorization of data. strives to use the see, judge, act methodology when teaching others about the dire situations in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In visits to different schools throughout the Archdiocese of Miami, AeA missionaries hope to raise awareness about the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the poorest regions of the world. Using biblical passages and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, they then analyze the causes of injustice. Finally, they urge the students to take action, either by participating in a project or going on a mission trip, both of which should transform the individual. By reflecting on situations of extreme poverty and acting to eradicate it, we can follow the intellectual heritage as taught many years ago in Timbuktu, Greece, and Jerusalem by the greatest teachers the world has ever seen.

5 Our Guardian Angels Jennifer Hanlon The children at St. Michael s School are eager to play their part in helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti through the campaign that has been present there for 18 years. Jorge Briz, Director of Religious Education at St. Michael s, explained the importance of AeA s visits to the school. He said that the slideshow presentations really motivate the children to open their eyes to a new reality, to a world they did not know exists. The presentations are given to all the students within the school, from Pre-K 3 up to eighth grade thus reaching and impacting them from early on. Sister Rosario Delgado shared with me the joy she receives from being a part of such a wonderful program, and she also gave me some concrete ideas as to what the students at St. Michael s are doing to make a difference. The kids save money from their allowances, and that money is then collected twice a year. It s important for the children to be conscious of where this money goes and to realize that kids die of hunger everyday, said Sister Rosario. Verbo y carne Sylvia Martel Dávalos Dios es Amor según dice el refrán popular frecuentemente visto en las calcomanías pegadas a vehículos. Esto demuestra que la virtud mas importante para el ser humano, es conocida como algo sobrenatural incluso, la identidad de Dios mismo (metafóricamente). El testamento cristiano en en la primera carta de Juan nos informa que Cristo es el Verbo que se encarnó simplemente el Amor se transformó a carne y hueso. es una frase muy profunda que conecta el amor sobrenatural de Cristo con la carne y hueso de seres humanos que desean que el mundo tenga un Nuevo Amanecer donde no haya hambre, ni pobreza, ni egoísmo, etc. Es la meta misionera de al igual que la manera de poder estar en comunión con Dios y nuestras hermanas y nuestros hermanos. Se puede decir, entonces, que la presencia de Dios no es escasa en todas las acciones Left to right : Jorge Briz, Sr. Rosario Delgado, Mrs. Sara Rodriguez, Mrs. Liset Lizano, Mrs. Maria Teresa Estrada. A fun way for the children to raise money is to bring in a few dollars to dress out of uniform. They then can wear jeans, a polo, and a cap if they so wish. In this way, the kids are not only benefiting those in Haiti, but also experiencing a change of pace from wearing their day-to-day uniforms. In this new school year, Briz said that he will yet again be planning AeA visits to St. Michael s in order to continue carrying out the campaign that has been a tradition for so long. Image courtesy of Juan Rabionet y los encuentros misioneros de Amor en Acción. El Amor de Dios es reconocido en la Vega, El Carmen, Port-de-Paix, Michigan, Miami, etc. cuando uno reconoce a su hermana o hermano en el otro y decide acompañarlo/la en todo momento. Esto significa que Amor en Acción no es algo ficticio que solamente busca publicidad por razones egoistas. es algo continuo que da fruto donde el que viene con sed y hambre (física o espiritual) se alimenta. Our History AMOR EN ACCION, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, is a missionary community recognized as such by the Archdiocese of Miami. The community was founded as a result of the individual missionary experiences of two of its members, Adriano Garcia and Alicia Marill. In 1976, both participated in separate Catholic missions in the Dominican Republic. Upon their return to Miami, both felt a special call to dedicate their lives to lay missionary work, serving the poor in the Caribbean and Latin America. Ms. Marill and Mr. Garcia founded (Love in Action) on the principle that faith without works is dead (James 2:14). From the community s earliest stages, s members dedicated themselves to promoting the Catholic faith in the missionary dimension of the Church. In 1978, the late Archbishop Edward McCarthy gave the missionary group his blessings and sponsorship, enthusiastically supporting s vision of living out the universality of the Catholic Church. Since its founding, has touched thousands of lives in other countries and here at home. Today, with the continued blessings and guidance of Archbishop John C. Favalora, we collaborate as the missionary arm of the Archdiocese of Miami in its Sister Diocese of Port de Paix in Haiti, and also work with the bishops and pastoral agents in five areas of the Dominican Republic. As we work to meet the urgent needs of the poor, the very people we serve continue to evangelize us in Gospel values. This is referred to as mission in reverse. Thus, together, we work toward building the Kingdom of God.

6 A Jubilee Project for Solidarity Jennifer Hanlon In honor of the Archdiocese of Miami s 50th Anniversary, AeA has joined with St. Thomas University, and Catholic Charities Miami, in a mission project with our sister diocese in Haiti that will highlight fair trade. Under the direction of Sister Nazarete Ybarra, three groups of women from throughout the Diocese of Port-de- Paix, Haiti, will make hand woven keepsake ornaments that will be sold to parishes in Miami during the Christmas season. Saginaw Corner Back to School Amongst Autumn Leaves Jennifer Watt- Saginaw, Michigan Autumn brings many changes to our beautiful State of Michigan. While apples are harvested for pies and cider and maples are tapped for their sugary syrup, the leaves of other indigenous trees, such as the sturdy oak, begin their yearly transformation from olive drab to brilliant hues of red, orange and yellow. As the cooling temperatures alter our landscape, Michigan members will challenge ourselves to refine our methods of educating the public to the realities of life in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. With members returning to their Universities, we are spread out across the Lower Peninsula like polka dots on the mitten. However, I feel that this will only enable us to reach a more expansive public. Members will do their best to share their mission experiences with fellow students, friends and family. Some have mentioned reaching out to local clubs and college groups that might share similar interest in social justice if not religion. Members, including myself, will speak at churches and schools- Elementary through college levels. We hope to ignite a passion for social justice in the youth groups of our areas as well. Our goals are to bring awareness to the situations in the Dominican and Republic and Haiti and to gain support for agendum's, such as the Educational and Nutritional programs already in place in La Vega. We would like to help our communities understand that the choices and decisions we make as individuals and as a government directly or inadvertently effects the lives of our brothers and sisters across the world. God has opened our hearts to these truths and we must spread his word. The theme of the 50th Anniversary is Walking in the Light of Christ which brings us to reflect upon mission and the call to solidarity. The idea behind this project is to create a commemorative item that will serve the people of Haiti in fair trade, and will also engage the people of our community in an action of economic justice. Supporting this project will help to serve as a sign of solidarity and faith, Anthony Vinceguerra of St. Thomas University. He stated that often people only think of reaching out to those in need through monetary means, but the purpose of this project is not only to send money but more importantly, to create a relationship of mutuality as well. The ornaments are currently being made and will be sold at $10 a piece in various parishes and gift stores. The ornaments can be framed as wall décor or hung on Christmas trees. Orders will begin at the beginning of September and shipment will begin the third week of November. Make the choice at Christmas time to not only buy something special, but to support solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Haiti, shared Teresita Gonzalez of AeA. THE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. For more information please contact (305) or (305) Image courtesy of AgnusImages.com

7 CAMINOS Misioneros SATURDAY SEPTEMBER Contact Information 5th Publisher & Adriano García Photo Editor S HERATON M IAMI M ART H OTEL Chief Editor David Masters aea.newsletter@gmail.com 60 Saginaw Editor Jennifer Watt smwgpw@aol.com Kreyol Editor Kathy Lynn Pierre kpierre12@hotmail.com Amor En Acción Annual DINNER/DANCE FUNDRAISER F OR INFORMATION, CONTACT : Layout & Design Daniel González dan@ampersandmiami.com N OCHE C MOR E N A CCION. COM J.S. Paluch Company Serving the Church since 1913 PARISH BULLETINS ~ PARISH DIRECTORIES ~ CALENDARS WORSHIP AIDS & RESOURCES ~ PARISH SOFTWARE For More Information Please Call: Cristy Guzmán ~ NW 124th Avenue ~ Coral Springs, FL I have been working the J.S. Paluch Company for 12 years. I m very proud to be part of this company which is dedicated to serving the Catholic Church and promoting vocations since J.S. Paluch is a family owned company that is very involved in the Catholic Church. We are happy to be able to help and are proud supporters of ANSH and other Catholic Hispanic organizations. Cristy Guzmán New shirt designs for Christmas: Get $10 off $50 with coupon code: COUPONTEE at check out. Expires 10/31 CONTRIBUTORS TO Jennifer Hanlon Journalist-inTraining CAMINOS Misioneros César Baldelomar Pax Romana Society President at St. Thomas University Fefita Chirino Founder and Board Member Jennifer Watt Newsletter Saginaw Editor Carlos Cueto Founder and Board Member Teresita González de la Maza Director David Masters Chief Newsletter Editor Daniel González Graphic Designer, Member m o d e l f o r o t h e r s a n e w, e c c l e s i a l - b r i d g e - b u i l d i n g, m i s s i o n - i n - r e v e r s e a p p r o a c h t o m i s s i o n a r y w o r k

8 Amor En Acción PO BOX AMOR EN ACCION Coral Gables, Fl Your Donations Make a BIG Difference! Carlos Cueto Our lifestyles in the US make it hard to fathom that a little money can stretch far and do great good in mission places. I discovered that in an AeA trip to Cutupú, Dominican Republic, in Outside of this small country town, accessible only by a dirt road, a small village of 300 farming families had minimal access to water for drinking and irrigation. Thus, their harvests were meager. Good quality water was available but it would require digging an artesian well 30 yards deep. With the help of the local missionary priest, the village leaders were able to calculate that $300 US would be required for the materials needed to build such a well, with the villagers providing free labor the men would dig, the children would carry away the dirt, while the women cooked for the laborers. The Youth Group from Resurrection Catholic Church in Lakeland, Florida responded to the villagers plight and within 9 months the needed moneys were collected, and the artesian well was built and operating. For the past 25 years, those $300 have provided drinking and farming water to 300 families on a daily basis what a return-on-investment! Your donations change many lives - please help do so now. Your sacrificial gift will deliver hope to innumerable members of our human family! Financial Contributions Name: FIRST LAST Address: City: State: Zip: Home Phone: Work Phone: Mobile Phone: I want to make a monthly pledge of: $15 $25 $50 $100 Other $ In addition to monetary contributions, businesses can donate construction equipment, office or school supplies, medical supplies, or other donations. Make check payable to Amor En Acción and mail to address below. Credit Card donations can be made online by visiting: Amor En Acción :: PO BOX Coral Gables, Fl phone :: w w w. A m o r E n Ac c i o n. c o m Newsletter designed by: W W W. A M P E R S A N D M I A M I. C O M