Wisdom and the Word:

As we begin our spiritual journey, we contemplate the Mayan altar. The altar is divided into four quadrants, each representing one of the four directions. In the East is a red candle, nestled among red flowers. It symbolizes the rising Sun, the beginning of God's journey. In Chiapas, prayer always begins facing East. 

The practice of facing East for prayer has its origins in the Pop Wuj, the sacred book of the Maya: "They greeted and invoked, waiting for dawn, they only looked toward the rising Sun, observing Venus, the great start that accompanies the Sun, igniter of Heaven and Earth..." Pop Wuj: Book of Time (Mythic-historic poem of the Ki-ché, translated from the original text by Adrián I. Chávez), Biblioteca de Cultura Popular, Ediciones del Sol, ©1994, p. 117.

"Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeles poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn..." Isaiah 58:1-9.

Contemporary Reality:

Xitalá is the second poorest county in the state of Chiapas and the seventh in all of Mexico. This is the county where Petul Gutiérrez, the young Tseltal student who visited us in Seattle last November, grew up and where his family resides. Xitalá also has the highest rate of illiteracy in Mexico and the lowest number of children enrolled in school. One of the challenges for school-aged children is that many are hungry and sick. Most families in Xitalá live in houses with dirt floors. Between 5 and 15 people occupy about 10 square meters of space. Only 10% of kids over 18 years old complete primary school, and only 9% complete one year of school beyond primary. This makes Petul, who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in rural development on a work-study scholarship at a university in the state of Puebla, a rarity among his peers. Petul dreams of changing things in Xitalá. He wants to help the people of his region make the most of their marginal land, to grow food for their families with enough leftover to sell at the local market. But Petul does more than simply dream; he studies and works hard to learn traditional wisdom from his elders while he incorporates new techniques to improve the living conditions of the people he loves.

Questions for Reflection:

How might I deepen my connection with people who are poor, hungry and homeless?

How might I be turning away from others rather than seeing them as my "kin"?

Prayer:

Ignite in me, O God, compassion and commitment to work for justice for all my sisters and brothers, near and far.