When I boarded an airplane headed for Mexico City in April of 2019 little did I know that in a number of hours I was going to see the face of Christ. Going on missions was something that I had first experience while at Le Moyne College with the Jesuits, having served in Kenya and Dominica. I definitely recognized the presence of Jesus then and had encounters with God on those missions, but this experience in Mexico City was something different.
After a long days journey from New York to Mexico City, we took a bus to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What a way to experience Christ and set the tone for what was to come! We celebrated evening mass and had the opportunity to view and pray before the Tilma of Juan Diego with the image of Our Lady on it. I truly believe that it was at that moment that my eyes began to see things differently with regard to the poor. Before the trip I prepared by praying daily and asked to see the face of Christ in others who I would serve and love on. I hoped God would show out in a profound way and that he did. The next few days we hit the streets meeting the street kids of Mexico City and through tortillas, rice, and beans and some water we spent time with those on the margins in the margins. Father Gregory Boyle, the author of "Tattoos on the Heart" and director of Home Boy Ministries in LA said, "It is not enough to take a stand on an issue. We must rather be like Christ and stand with those facing the issue and be one with them." By sharing in that meal, speaking some broken Spanish, and most importantly recognizing these kids humanity we shared love. In loving them and being with them, I saw Jesus and really felt his presence.
Three days into the mission, kids who were strangers that I had never met a mere 72 hours before now felt like family. The love of Christ that was shared between us and the relationship that was established through our human connection became so strong in such a short amount of time. Little did I know then that the street kids, those who are looked down upon in their own society, the one's rejected, down trodden, and hurting would show me the face of our Lord. Months later as I plan to go back for my third and fourth visit, I have a new family-mi familia de Mexico and Jesus lead me to them and brought forth such great joy by visiting me while I was there.
On the final day of the mission we headed on a long bus ride to the edge of Mexico City to spend the day at the dump. The smell was wretched and the fumes began to filter into the bus from about two miles out. We were told that no one comes to the dump unless you live and work there. If someone had to go in they always wore a full hazmat suit, gloves, pants, mask, the whole nine. Today we were going in and we were going to have an "explosion of Jesus." As I took my first step off of the bus onto the grounds of the dump, flies immediately attacked me, the smell was horrific, and all that I could see for miles was mountains of trash. This is where Jesus would be I thought. This is where our Lord would come to visit the lonely, the sick, the poor, and the orphaned. I started walking a few hundred feet and saw some men working sorting trash. I said a quick prayer and asked God to lead me to someone who I could help, but more importantly someone who would show me the face of Jesus. I took a quick turn to the left and walked a few more hundred feet and back, way back behind a huge pile of trash was Olga, a 30 year old mother of three. Olga was quietly sorting cans and glass bottles, as well as plastics into these huge trash bags. I went over and introduced myself and she smiled. I started to help Olga and before you knew it we were talking about her kids, her faith in Christ, and she was asking me about my job as a teacher. I met her children and saw the small dilapidated shack they lived in. Her kids were smiling ear to ear when I spoke to them in Spanish and later we would play some soccer in the dump. I asked Olga what made her smile and why she was so happy... Her response was something I did not expect. She said, "I have everything I need. I have my kids, my faith in God, and you came to visit me." When I looked into her eyes I saw Jesus Christ. I saw our Lord peer back at me with such a loving gaze. I gave Olga a hug and then met Michael the angel in the dump, played some more soccer with Juan, Jose, Chili, and Joshua.
See there is a reason why Jesus said in the beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the kingdom of Heaven." Some of us face physical poverty, like those at the dump the poorest of the poor. Some of us face spiritual or emotional poverty. And still others face spiritual or relational poverty. When we visit the poor and spend time with them, we get to hang out with Jesus. When we hang out with the Lord and share his great love with our brothers and sisters, it changes us radically. For the love of God is so radical and so crazy that it can transform you in a profound way.
That night when I went back to the Basilica to pray after the day at the dump I felt a call to missions in a way I never had experienced before. When we take a step out of our comfort zone and "shock" our faith it is then that God causes growth and an awakening that can profoundly impact us for years to come. A simple "yes" to go on mission with a bunch of good friends from our parish turned into one of the most impactful experiences of my life. I got to see and hang out with Jesus in Mexico City. The cool thing is he is all around us. It is time for us to seek out the poor in our own communities and to share Christ's love with them. Remember, Jesus "came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10).
So I encourage you to spend some time with the poor and in doing so you shall see the face of God. The Kingdom is among us and although it won't come to complete fulfillment until we are with our Lord in Heaven, he does want us to have snippets of paradise here on Earth. For Jesus came so that we "might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10). Abundance doesn't mean material goods, a fat wallet, or stuff that will lose its luster. The abundance is a full spirit, a heart for others, and joy that no one can take away. Joy and Christ's love that fills you up even on a mountain of trash.
To learn more about Hope of the Poor and how to get involved with serving the poor in Mexico City, please visit: https://hopeofthepoor.org/
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