Advent Liturgy invites us to prepare for the celebration of Christmas with a deep and authentic faith. But our Lord can grant us the grace to prepare His coming.
I hope and trust that all of us have heard the words of John the Baptist inviting us to prepare the way and to allow the Lord to prepare a willing heartin us and to have an authentic transformation and conversion. We are aware that grace can do everything and that He is the source of salvation and justification.
It is a time of joy and peace, it is time of fraternity and to celebrate the Son of God as the center of our life. But the Lord came to his people and they did not receive him. May we, the people called by Him to follow his steps, respond with generosity, joy and peace. May we unit our voices with those men and women in the world, so that the message of peace of the angels becomes a reality in the world, in our communities and in our lives.
There will be no difficulties and challenges. I have finished the visit Venezuela and I have witnessed the hardships of a whole town and our brothers. We could say that the abundance of other presences is a contradiction with the brothers in that vicariate. What Christmas Eve will be at our table cannot imagine or dream by them. We have taken what we could to help them remedy the most urgent needs, but it will be of little use if we do not make a systematic plan to send them any help. When we leaved Madrid the exchange of money was about 300 bolivars and on our return, it was already over 700.
The friars made an effort so that we did not need anything, but they should not have done it since they live with all limitations. We have witnessed the queues of 186 buses, trucks and cars for gasoline and the service station was not open.
On the ordination of Fr. Moisés as deacon the reception consisted of a glass of juice, a little portion of rice and a salad with a slice of sweet. And what is this when medicines are not found for the sick? What eyes we have not seen! What looks! Yes, come Lord, do not delay, come and do justice so there will be bread, peace and justice.
Apart from this privation, we witness the enthusiastic attendance of the faithful in the churches, the energetic songs and the energetic responses in the prayer of the faithful, sign of faiths, and also the impotence they have. At the same time, we witness the crying of those who want something radical to happen to free them from the present situation. the penury and insecurity in a country that is rich in raw materials, that has a perfect climate for production, and that has large reserves of oil, wood, diamonds ...
I ask all the brothers of the Province who, before the Lord in prayer, remember these brothers of ours and the people that surround them. Otherwise, our Christmas would not be fraternal and responsible.
I extend my greeting to each and every one of the brothers of the Province and I ask the King of Peace to pour out on us all his grace, life and peace.
Merry Christmas.
Fr. Bonifacio Solís García, OP
Prior Provincial
Province of Our Lady of the Rosary
