I feel the necessity to share with you what this pass of “God-The Church” meant for me, and not only for me, but also what I feel it meant for our religious family.  God irrupted in our history with a reality unthinkable, that arrived suddenly, opened our eyes and taught us, in a very concrete way, what liberation, humanization, dignity of persons, good, evil really is… testimonies that, at the light of this reality, I need to confess that before where reduced only to words, until TODAY.

In this TODAY given to us by God, we transited from the deepest sadness in front of the abuse, exploitation, pain and death of the innocent, to the most sincere joy in front of the new of liberation, when the number were increasing, growing, having names… it’s easy to say but there are 8,126!

In this TODAY given to us by God, I could see the best and worst of us: of the worst I don’t want to talk, because it hurts too much and it’s not worth of publishing it; but YES it is worth to talk about the best and I feel immense joy as we pass from the previous obligatory silence to announce from the top the pride that I feel when I see my sisters giving their life for this cause, having opportunity of being witnesses of the pass of an “angel” in the life of those children and all persons involved, the pride for those who assumed the “front line” accompanying, denouncing, defending, sustaining, discerning… to be a witness of their struggles, impotence, but also of their courage, their determination, their availability to give their lives in every minute and from their faith, incarnated and alive… to see that everything is perfect in the plans of God and that he called the precise persons for this specific mission, making them fall in perfect constellation for the good of his Church suffering this reality, TODAY.

We ought to feel blessed, my sisters, giving thanks to God for having irrupted in our history with this TODAY that cannot leave us the same as before, TODAY that showed to us the true face of the Church to whom we profess to love and serve, TODAY that challenges us more and more every day.

In my personal life, I feel that God gave me, from the service that he asked me to do in this TODAY, to be able to be a part of this cause… to know the stories of these little giants, courageous and fragile, wounded and rescued… stories that were making me almost touch their heart so tender after hearing even one word from their “mommy angel” who was talking to them about love of God for each one of them, who was promising them this eternal embrace where they would find rest and tenderness forever, who was telling them that God loved them as the apple of his eye…

… to be witness of the sleepless nights and struggles of sister Ma. Jose who in quality of first responsible assumed the courageous responsibility which supposed for her many struggles, discernment, determination, courage, pain… and that in quality of being religious committed with the poor, enkindled with passion and commitment she offered completely, loving until the end, offering her whole being of a mother… She involved us in all that she could, inviting us to discern together, to pray in the most important moments (that were many), to share with us the joys, the news of liberation that we were receiving and that, before all else, she always searched for light and confrontation.

… to be witness that, together with my sisters from Council, we were able to accompany, pray and validate when it was necessary every step that should be taken, in marvelous unanimity, with one heart and one soul.

… to be witness of this “angel” who gave this TODAY to our religious family and who with great courage, that can come only from God, faced the giants of this world for love of the least and vulnerable.

… to be witness also of those who stood close to her, directly and firm, who tenderly accompanied her isolation, her walks, her sleepless nights, all changes that the cause was bringing, wiping her tears and sharing her joys. Witness of all those who got involved in this cause.

This cause hasn’t finished; from my own place and continue welcoming this invitation that was given to us in previous testimony: I desire to EMBRACE, embrace this REALITY, embrace my sisters, embrace all agents and judges involved, embrace the grandmothers, uncles and aunts, embrace every night those children who know now that they have this big family that welcomes them, consoles them, embraces them; embrace those who haven’t been rescued yet and need some consolation; embrace in the heart of Father those who surely enjoy already of his eternal embrace…

In this time when embraces are forbidden, I confess and declare: I WON’T STOP EMBRACING! One, two, one hundred, one thousand… because there is no pandemic worst than dehumanization, use and abuse of the innocent, violence and perversity… from the silence of my prayer, I will come close and embrace to all I can, from pain and lack of understanding, I will continue making my option for embracing this reality that has been revealed to me; from admiration and gratitude I will continue embracing those who continue in this war; from my own place I will continue embracing, accompanying and sustaining those who are embracing, accompanying and sustaining.

I WON’T STOP EMBRACING! This is my commitment with myself, with you, with them, with the Church.

Marcela Jaque, general counselor CMT