¡Siempre Adelante! We move in the direction of hope

What would you do if you were left alone on Mars?

Each morning we make the choice on how to face our day. Sometimes, we can get discouraged by circumstances and the challenges before us, those in our personal lives and those on a grander scale. Saint Junipero Serra, recently canonized by Pope Francis during his U.S. Papal Visit in September, lived by the motto: ¡Siempre Adelante! Always move forward.

Pope Francis at the Canonization Mass in Washington, D.C., opened his talk recalling the words of St. Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, rejoice!” “This command,” said the Holy Father, “resonates with the desire we all have for a fulfilling life, a meaningful life, a joyful life... Something deep within us invites us to rejoice and tells us not to settle for placebos which simply keep us comfortable.”

“At the same time, though,” he added, “we all know the struggles of everyday life. So much seems to stand in the way of this invitation to rejoice. Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our hearts grow numb. We don’t want apathy to guide our lives… or do we?”

How opportune that in November we take time to give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Even the feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day remind us to celebrate life. We honor the memory of the saints in heaven and all our ancestors who went before us.

As we give thanks, we can also take time to reflect on the direction our lives are moving. Are they moving in the direction of hope? Are we taking steps to bring joy to others, to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need? Or are we letting apathy guide our day?

No matter what is occurring in our lives, no matter the challenges, we must move forward. There are some noteworthy takeaways from the movie “The Martian” about an astronaut left behind on Mars when his team thought he was dead.

The astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, never gave up when he awoke and found himself alone on the planet. While some might have given up in the face of the extreme odds of survival, he instead took action. He looked at every possible way to stay alive. He remained positive, focused and looked for solutions.

The Martian is a story about survival and perseverance. Sometimes our days can feel like we are on Mars, alone and miles from a solution to our problems. Each day we wake does not come with a guarantee that it will be easy, but guided by our faith and trust in God we can find the courage to move forward. Don’t panic. Just as the astronaut in The Martian, take time to figure out what comes next. He did not give up on life or remain idle waiting for someone to come and save him.

We read in Sirach 15:14, 17 “God in the beginning created human beings and made them subject to their own free choice. Before everyone are life and death, whichever they choose will be given them.”

Just as the astronaut Mark Watney had to overcome one obstacle after another to the point of what could have led him to defeat, the world too presents us with a slew of challenges. The headlines remind us daily about the struggles in our communities and around the world. 

We read about the plight of migrants and refugees who embark daily on dangerous journeys trying to flee from violence. In the midst of this humanitarian crisis are stories of hope, of men and women who take the only action they can to save their children. Here in our community, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley helps 50 to 100 people each day. More than 25,000 have received assistance at the respite center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen since it opened in June 2014.

We read too about growing infringement on religious freedom here in our own country. Most tragically, we have also heard about the horrors of human trafficking and the profiting from the organs of unborn children.

Bishop Flores in his column which we published in our October edition, “The Dismembered children will rise to judge us,” reminds us “We cannot relent.” He said, “We will continue to sound the drum, today and tomorrow and beyond.”

The bishop stressed we need to “Let state and local officials who are slow to express the truth to higher levels of government know that the nation is bleeding and the trafficking in unborn children must end.” “Let our faith in the Lord’s promise strengthen us to fight unceasingly to help our nation find its soul and reason again,” he said. 

There is much work ahead for each of us. We must continue to speak up for the vulnerable. We must look for ways to make a difference. Thankfully, we are not alone on our journey. Let us remember Saint Junipero Serra’s motto ¡Siempre adelante! We must keep moving forward.

(Originally published in November 2015 edition of The Valley Catholic newspaper)