Thinking about this past election, one thing for which I am so grateful: no more ads. That in itself is a blessing.

Latino Vote

Apparently I was not the only Latino who voted for Trump. According to a CBSNews/YouGov poll, 46% of registered Latinos voted for him as well. Fifty three percent of  Latino voters favored Trump’s plan of mass deportation. Seventy six percent of Latinos believe that the crisis at the border was one of the main reasons. According to the Pew Research Center an estimated 36.2 million Latinos were eligible to vote this year. This number has increased from 32.3 million in 2020. The majority of us stand for faith, family and hope.

Faith

To me it was a priority to vote for a candidate who protected my faith.  Our God given-rights must be protected. We live in a free democracy and should always be allowed to express our love for God. Our values have been shaken with the distorted information about protecting the unborn. Because the Democrats took a radical stance on abortions as their main platform, it did not go well. They need to reexamine their inaccurate information and not use this as a platform in the future. Now they need to reboot their liberal thinking to reach the masses.

For me, a God-fearing Christian, it would he a heinous act to see a puppy being drowned. I would do anything to save it. I know very well that those on the left would do the same.  But under these circumstances, when it comes to the subject of saving an unborn baby, it’s a different story. You can give a new title to soften the meaning and gain constituents, but abortion is the killing of an innocent life. Although  they changed the name to Women’s Reproductive Rights, it does not dismiss the fact that an innocent child is being sacrificed.

Family

It is up to us as parents and grandparents to guide our children. They not only need parental guidance but spiritual guidance as well. In this cruel world we cannot make it without God. As a catechism teacher I have witnessed the positive difference in my students. I do not know their backgrounds, or if they are being raised by a single parent. All I know is that someone is taking the responsibility to nurture them to become better human beings. The Orange County Diocese requirement to complete this program is two years,

The Retreat

This weekend we hosted a day-long retreat. We played a game where some of the students were asked to do things outside their comfort zone. I have two Brians in my group, and they are both on the introverted side. It was an amazing transition as one Brian had to get in the middle of the group and pretend he was surfing, while the other Brian had to do a silly dance. Much to my surprise they were opening up and expressing themselves without fear.

I am so proud of my grandson Lucas  for enduing the eight-hour retreat. During the hour and a half break I walked around the baseball field while he socialized with other students in the youth room.

Adoration

Adoration was an integral  part of the retreat. I made sure that all of my students genuflected before the altar. Later I explained to them that bending one knee to the floor is showing reverence.  For an hour we listened to beautiful praise music while we were before the Blessed Sacrament. It was a holy experience for some of the students. I say some because others have not yet reached that level in their spiritual journey.

The adventure of mishaps continues with me and the prison visits.

Ill Prepared

I thought for sure that finally I got it right. Well, I did as far as my clothing regulations, but something went really wrong and I  knew I would pay for the mistake. The evening before the visit I had a conversation with Mario and mentioned that I did not have an appointment to visit him on Friday. Explaining that in the past several of my visits were without an appointment,  Mario and I both came to the same conclusion that it would be fine like all the other times.

Preparing

I went to Ralphs to exchange two twenty dollar bills for forty one-dollar bills for the visit. From the jar of coins that we keep at home, I counted an additional $18 in quarters. I was set.

On Fridays all visits  start at 11:00 a.m.,  but since I did not have an appointment I decided not to take any chances;  arriving at 10 a.m. felt safe. As I pulled into the facility, not a soul was there. Then I noticed two uniformed officers exiting their car with a box of donuts. I rolled down my window and asked, “Are there visits today?” One officer looked at me perplexed and said, “Yes.” Parking my car near the awning of the check-in area gave me a great advantage because the officer in tower #4 could not see that I was taking pictures from my vehicle.

The Rosary

At 10:30 I started to pray a rosary with intentions. To explain “praying with intentions” simply means that before every decade I say a special prayer. In this case it was so that Mario and I would have a fulfilled, blessed visit and that I would be able to minister to him.

The Shakedown

At around 11:00 a.m . other visitors had arrived. I was still in the car so a few people started to line up ahead of me. I let a young lady go before me because she had an infant in her arms. She also had an interesting tatoo around her earlobe.  As much as I tried to make out what in the world was written there, I could not read it or understand  why anyone would get tatted on an earlobe!

For the over 30 or more visitors with an 11:00 a.m. appointment the officers arrived at 12 noon to start checking us in. We are always at their mercy; they couldn’t care less if people drove for hours to see their loved ones. We all grumbled under our breaths at the disrespect the guards  displayed. Remember, I arrived at 10:00 a.m., so that was two hours for me.

Finally it  was my turn to get checked in. I explained that I was a walk-on visitor and waited for the clearance to allow me passage. In the past it was an additional 15 minutes of waiting, but not today. The officer looked at me and said, “All walk-on visits start at two.” I quickly reminded him that in the past it was not a problem. Then he said,”These are the regulations, and today I’m enforcing them.”

There were no grounds for an argument; besides I was going to lose. I was not about to make these other people wait longer, so I quietly stepped out of line. Heading back  into my car, I texted  Mario and told him that I would be back at two. Mario felt awful and suggested that I go home.

The Mass Reading

I knew that I had to keep the visit because after praying before attending Mass that morning, I needed confirmation from the Lord  as to whether I  should go to see Mario without an appointment. At Mass on October 25th, in two of the readings (Eph.  4:1 and Luke 12:58) the word prison was mentioned twice! As challenging as the day was, it was clear that the visit must take place.

Cowboy Lunch

Norco is a country town with cowboys and many horse trails. I drove around and found Norco’s Best Burgers. As I ate my lunch, I thought about how angry I was at the two guards. I concluded that I would write a letter to our governor. Then I remembered who our governor is and quickly dismissed that thought. I was upset but did not want to take this emotion with me to the visit. Maybe the guards were delayed because they had a meeting about making sure that the regulations were being adhered to. My mind was crazy with thoughts.

The Epiphany

As I took a  drink of my iced tea, a clear thought came to mind: Find a Catholic Church.  St. Mel’s Catholic Church was about six miles away from Norco’s Best Burgers. I had never heard of this saint, so of course I googled him. He was a 5th century saint and nephew of St. Patrick.

When I arrived at St. Mel’s I saw a woman exiting the church and asked, “Is the church open?” She quickly answered, “Yes!” “And by chance is there Adoration?” “Every Friday we have Adoration,” she replied. My heart was filled with excitement as I rushed into the Adoration chapel.

Spending this special time with the Lord at Adoration cleared my head of all anger. A great conviction came over me for blaming the officers when in reality I needed to own up to my irresponsibility for not making an appointment.

The Visit

I left the Adoration chapel at 1:30 and headed back to the prison. The same guard looked at me and said, “I think I can let you in 15 minutes earlier.” I shrugged my shoulders and sat down. The anger had lifted, but I was not about to give them credence for any favors the guard thought he was giving me. Besides it was 2:15 by the time I made contact with Mario.

Mario

I had already purchased a hoagie sandwich with chips and a drink by the time we sat at table 51.  As usual, one of the inmates in an orange vest assisted me in carrying the food while another got the Catholic Bible we use. Mario was happy to see me.

Mario mentioned that three times earlier in the week he had read Haggai. Haggai is a minor prophet with a major message to the Israelites. The Book of Haggai is about rebuilding the Temple of God. In many ways this book was speaking to Mario about rebuilding his temple, to finally gather all the right material to sustain any spiritual storms, to break free from all that would hold him back and finally attain what God has set aside for him.

The Medical Emergency 

While we were deep in conversation about Haggai, an ambulance arrived. With all the commotion I wanted to investigate the matter. I had just mentioned to Mario that I had to use the facilities.

Mario warned me, “You can’t go now, they won’t let you in the building!” Our visit was outdoors. “Well, you know what, when I have to go, I have to go!” I, too, was experiencing an emergency. I asked a guard for permission to use the restroom, and  he reluctantly agreed. But as I was approaching the steps, a female officer yelled out, “Ma’am, we are having a medical emergency, you need to sit down!” I pointed to the guard who gave me permission and said, “I need to use the restroom and he said it was fine!”

Much to my delight, I was able to witness the emergency. Apparently one of the inmates fell ill. As he was transported onto the gurney, his mother shed a few tears.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to organize my life. Lord, continue to work in Mario’s life to prepare him for a normal life outside of prison. Lord, may we never forget all those who are incarcerated.  I pray for all prisoners that they would seek Your guidance. Amen.

Have you ever had a desire in your heart that you never believed you could attain? My friend Vicky did.

Vicky

Vicky and I met at daily Mass. One day  after Mass, she approached me and asked if I could pray for a family member; since then we have supported each other in prayer. Trusting Vicky for my personal prayer needs has been a blessing. I had no idea that Vicky was 77 years old; she looks much younger than her age. She and her husband Rick have been married for 56 years. Together they raised  seven children and have 13 grandchildren. Needless to say, she has had a busy and fulfilling life.

Vicky’s father was a high school coach who made sure that his children were fit by making them exercise. Do you remember the term calisthenics? I do, because we seniors used this word to describe working out. Vicky was a runner who ran for years, but due to  back  surgery she switched to racketball to stay fit. Vicky’s daily routine is getting up  at 4:30 a.m. She works out six days a week:  90 minutes of cardio and on other days 40 minutes of weight training. Aside from this routine she walks four miles daily. Perhaps Vicky did not realize that this entire time God was training her to walk the Camino de Santiago.

Stella

Stella and Vicky are lifelong friends. After Stella moved to Northern California they remained friends. In June Vicky received a call from Stella, who was planning to visit her in Orange. Vicky and Stella had dinner together; this is how the “camino” talk started. Stella is 71-years old and has run a marathon in every continent, including Antarctica. Stella, an attorney who recently retired from working for the District Attorney,  was ready for a new adventure. This stirred up great excitement in Vicky. Her husband Rick was quick to encourage the pilgrimage, “Vicky, you have to do this!” Vicky had seven weeks to prepare for the journey.

The Preparation

Vicky stepped up her walking to five miles a day, and  she added a 10-pound backpack to her walks. She had to get the proper gear for the  camino. At REI (a sporting and camping store)  she purchased trail runners (sneakers), hiking sandals and special socks. She took with her a pair of 25-year-old hiking pants and two- year-old sneakers as well. Rick, her husband, purchased a head lamp from Amazon. One small carry-on and the backpack were all she and Stella traveled with their carry-on to the next village. From the beginning of the trip, Vicky requested that she wanted to stay in a hotel. So they used the services of Transporte de mochilas en el Camino de Santiago to transport their carry-on to the next hotel. This service, for a small fee of six Euros, really helped them.

Day One

At the airport no one spoke English, but they needed  to take a taxi to the train station. Finally they met their first angel, a police woman who spoke perfect English who guided them to the train station. They spent their first night at their starting point, the city of Leon, Spain. They attended Mass in Leon and prayed for a good camino. The following day they purchased walking poles and started the camino. Every pilgrim needs poles to help with the walk because sometimes you come across mountainous passages or paths that only one person can traverse one at a time.

They filled their backpacks with protein bars, apples, a first aid kit, pen and notepad, and water, which was the heaviest item to carry. They also had the special book given to them at the beginning of the camino to stamp their passage.

On the camino they met people from all over the world. They met a woman from the Netherlands walking with her Dalmatian. They met a couple from Florida who where half way done with their journey. People from Japan, Australia, Norway, Africa, New Zealand and Canada, all were on their own spiritual journey. All the pilgrims  they met were friendly and cordial.

Time to Reflect

By the third day of the journey Vicky was overwhelmed with gratitude. She wanted a closer relationship with God. She reflected on her life, remembering the special graces and giftings God had given her. With emotional thanksgiving  she praised God for her solid, happy marriage, large family and her faith. At each local church Vicky and Stella lit candles and prayed for family and friends.

After attending a Mass in Triacostela, the local priest asked all the pilgrims to come up for prayer. He handed each one a prayer written in his own language, and asked them to read it aloud. The prayer was a special blessing for their safe camino.

Time to Purge

Remember the 25-year-old hiking pants and the two-year-old sneakers? Vicky decided to get rid of them. She was purging spiritually as well; her soul was being cleansed from things from her past that were holding her down. She felt a great spirit of humility as God was cleansing her every step of the way. Vicky and Stella were up at 6:30 a.m. They needed their head lamps to walk; every morning as they witnessed the gift of the sunrise that led them closer to Santiago.

The purging did not stop on the camino. When Vicky got home she cleaned out her closet and shoes, getting rid of half her wardrobe. The journey changed her.

Santiago de Compostela

Just before 10 a.m. they arrived at the cathedral. Vicky could not hold back her tears; the journey, the desire of her heart, was complete. Vicky and Stella attended the 12 p.m. Mass. I, too,  have attended Mass at Santiago de Compostela.  I remember  the sounds of the bells, the organ piercing  my heart,  the gigantic incense burner swinging across the altar and filling the cathedral with an aromatic,  sweet-smelling cloud, a sacred heavenly scent, that touched all my senses.

El Camino

El Camino de Santiago or “the Way of Saint James” is a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. For most of the pilgrims it is a religious experience. Depending on the route you choose, it could take over 35 days. Vicky and Stella walked 250 miles, averaging a  pace of 15  or more miles per day. They completed  their journey in 15 days.

Saint James

Saint James really understood how to reach the double-minded and those who struggled with trusting God, but my favorite passage is on taming the tongue (James 3:1-11).

My Prayer

Dear Lord, we are all on a camino in life. I pray that it always leads to You. May we hunger and thirst for Your Word. And in our twilight years guide and strengthen us to accomplish all the plans You have for us. Amen.