Santa Maria del Mexicano de Colon, QRO. I.A.P.

APDO. Postal No. 13, C.P. 76270

Colon, Queretaro, Mexico

To dial phone direct from U.S. 011 52 429 20245

Direct FAX from U.S. 011 52 429 20046

Mexico: LADA (91-429) 20248

MARCH-APRIL 1999

A SHARED THOUGHT

WE LIVE AND WE WORK, FOR A FEW YEARS OR MANY--THEN WE DIE. THIS LIFE, AS WE WELL KNOW, IS A TIME OF TESTING AND OF TRIAL; IT IS ETERNITY'S PROVING GROUND. THE HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY IN THE FULFILLMENT OF LOVE. UNLESS WE ENTER ETERNITY WITH LOVE FOR GOD IN OUR HEARTS, WE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY INCAPABLE OF EXPERIENCING THE HAPPINESS OF HEAVEN. OUR LIFE UPON THIS EARTH IS THE TIME GOD HAS GIVEN TO ACQUIRE AND TO PROVE THAT OUR LOVE CAN WITH STAND THE PRESSURE OF MAN-MADE EVILS, SUCH AS POVERTY, CORRUPTION, PAIN, HUMILIATION OR INJUSTICE. NO MATTER WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, FEELING OUR FAILURES, LONELY, REJECTED OR DEPRESSED WE MUST BE ABLE TO SAY: "my GOD, I LOVE YOU, HAVE MERCY UPON ME!" AND PROVE WHAT YOU SAY, BY YOUR ACTIONS.

WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT TIME-TABLE WITH THE LORD. FOR SOME THE ROAD IS SHORT, FOR OTHERS LONG. FOR SOME THE ROAD WILL BE COMPARATIVELY SMOOTH; FOR OTHERS ROUGH. BUT FOR ALL OF US THE ROAD WILL END. WE DIE.

DEATH IS SIMPLY THE SEPARATION OF THE SOUL FROM THE BODY. THE ROAD THAT WE HAVE TAKEN HAS BEEN OUR CHOICE. MISTAKES MAY HAVE BEEN MADE AND CONSEQUENTLY SOME HAVE TAKEN TO SELF-DESTRUCTION, AND OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED BECAUSE OF OTHERS OR YEARS OF GRIEF AND SICKNESSES AND THE BODY HAS BEEN RAVAGED, AND AT THE MOMENT THAT GOD OR OURSELVES DECIDE, THE HEART WILL STOP BEATING, BREATHING HAS CEASED AND WE APPEAR BEFORE GOD. NO ONE WILL ESCAPE THIS BEAUTIFUL OR FRIGHTENING MOMENT. I HAVE COME CLOSE ON A FEW OCCASIONS.

THE LORD IS COMING. HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. LET US PREPARE OURSELVES EACH DAY FOR THIS HAPPENING THAT IT WILL BE A JOYFUL MOMENT.

PROBLEM AND CONFLICTS

THESE WONDERFUL GIFTS FROM GOD ARE AS COMMON AS DAYS WITH PAIN, FAILURES AND FRUSTRATIONS. THEY ARE JVST UNAVOIDABLE. THEREFORE THE BEST SOLUTION IS JUST EXPECT THE WORSE AND REJOICE WHEN SOMETHING WONDERFUL COMES ALONG. I TRY THIS AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE AND IT DOES WORK! AT TIMES IT SEEMS LIKE THE LORD IS SAYING TO ME: "NICE JOB 0 FRIEND), YOU DID IT AGAIN WITH FLYING COLORS AND THAT IS BECAUSE YOU KNEW I WOULDN'T LET YOU DOWN. RIGHT ON.

FIRST COMMUNION CELEBRATION

ON EASTER SUNDAY WE JOYFULLY CELEBRATED WITH 29 OF OUR CHILDREN THEIR RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND THE CHILDREN WERE REALLY THRILLED. THEIR AGES RANGED FROM 8 YEAKS TO 16 YEARS. A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE CHILDREN ARRIVE HERE WITH NO RELIGIOUS OR MORAL TRAINING WHATSOEVER. HAVING OUR PRIVATE SCHOOL WILL BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET FOR THE FORMATIONOF OUR CHILDREN. AND THIS LEADS TO THE HAPPY ANNOUNCEMENT THAT

OUR NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL WILL BE OPENING SOON

I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WHICH I REALLY DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I CAME ACROSS ONE OF OUR NEWSLETTERS, DATED MARCH 1997. IN THAT LETTER I STATED THAT MY GOAL WAS TO OPEN THE SCHOOL IN MAY (1997). WELL A LOT OF WATERWENT UNDER THE BRIDGE AND WE ARE STILL SHOOTING FOR A MAY DEDICATION. BUT THIS TIME I AM NOT MENTIONING THE YEAR--ONLY MAY! SO MANY THINGS HAVE ARRIVED UNEXPECTEDLY THAT WE JUST HAD TO SHUT DOWN IN ORDER TO KEEP FOOD ON THE TABLE, WATER, PHONE, AND ELECTRICITY FROM BEING CUT OFF AND A HOST OF OTHER SURPRISES THAT ENDED UP AS SHOCKS. AND LIFE CONTINUES ON--MEXICAN STYLE, MANANA (TOMORROW).

VISITORS AND VISITORS TO COME

WE HAD A WONDERFUL SURPRISE VISIT FROM TWO WONEERFUL FRIENDS OF OUR MISSION JUST RECENTLY: DAVID AND PHOEBE ANDERSON FROM SANTA FE, N.M. I REMEMBER THEM SO WELL BECAUSE OF A VERY BEAUTIFUL GIFT THEY MADE WHEN THEY MARRIED FIVE YEARS AGO. ON THEIR INVITATION THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD PREFER ANY MONEY THAT FRIENDS INTENDED TO SPEND ON A WEDDING GIFT SHOULD BE SENT RATHER TO THE CHILDREN IN OUR MISSION OF SANTA MARIA. THE GIFT CAME IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,500 AT A TIME WHEN IT WAS REALLY NEEDED. IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS SEVERAL YOUTH GROUPS WILL BE COMING FROM CO, WA, CA, KS, and TEXAS.

EASTER WEEK VACATION FOR THE HOMELESS

FOUR WONDERFUL, JOYFUL AND SPIRIT-FILLED DAYS WERE SPENT IN A RETREAT CENTER CLOSE BY TO OUR HOMES IN COLON DURING EASTER WEEK. THERE WERE 90 OF US AND NOT PROBLEM (A MIRACLE)! SWIMMING POOL, GAMES AND CONTESTS OF ALL SORTS. OUR CHILDREN ARE REALLY GREAT, AND THEY WERE SO APPRECIATIVE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RELAX AND ENJOY THEMSELVES. I TOLD THEM NOT TO THANK ME BUT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO MADETHIS DREAM VACATION COME TRUE.

THE BEST THINGS ARE WITHIN ONES SELF

SOMETIMES THIS FOLLOWING THOUGHT MIGHT BACKFIRE, BUT IT IS A GOOD RULE OF LIFE. HAVE YOUR SIGHTS ON THE BEST GOAL AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN CONCEIVE, AND THE RESULTS WILL BE THAT YOU END UP WITH THE BEST AND MOST SATISFYING RESULTS. THIS WE TRYTO TEACH OUR CHILDREN. MANY, YES, MANY HAVE PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE. AS A PROOF OF THIS I WILL JUST MENTION A SHORT LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUR PROGRAM. WE HAVE DOCTORS, NURSES, C.P.A.'S, BANKERS, FEDERAL POLICEMEN, TEACHERS, SECRETARIES, BUS DRIVERS, SEVEN PRIESTS, TEN RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND MANY OTHER PROFESSIONS. THEIR GOALS WERE HIGH AND THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THEY COULD ACHIEVE WHATEVER THEY DESIRED. ALSO THEY ARE BEING TAUGHT THAT EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE, AND ANYTHING VALUABLE REQUIRES SOME BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS. BUT THE END RESULT WILL BE WELL WORTH THE EFFORTS. WE ALSO ASSURE THEM THAT IF GOD IS A CLOSE PARTNER IN YOUR GOAL, YOU WILL NOT FAIL. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF TOTALLY, BUT IT WILL HAPPEN THAT YOU WILL START DOUBTING FIRST. OVERCOME IT AN MOVE ON.

The Food Basket and Dinner for the Poor

The needs are so many and the help is so little in comparison. An average of 600 persons arrive each Tuesday.

Fr. Cliff Norman