The Quinceanera refers to the traditional coming-of-age celebration for Latinas. It is an elegant party on the girl's 15th birthday, highlighting God, family, friends, music, food and dance. To mark her passage into womanhood, a ceremony is held in her honor, which presents the young woman to the community while giving thanks to God for his blessings.
On my deployment to Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Las Vegas, I have celebrated the Quinceanera Mass for Magali, Angie, Julia and Sophia. With all their young friends, most of them teenagers, this was my story to help bring them closer to Jesus.
One of my hobbies is to take landscape photos at national parks. I was humbled by the generosity of a parishioner who let me borrow her car to take a 24-hour trip to Death Valley National Park. However, before this adventure, I contacted a modest motel to stay overnight. The owner bargained that if I would take photos of their motel rooms to update their website, he would offer me a free room for the night.
When I arrived in Beatty, Roy, the motel owner, immediately took
me aside to share that he had just brought his wife Roberta home from a Las
Vegas hospital where she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. At the quinceanera, I
shared that the devil is about getting. Jesus is about giving.
I asked Roy if I could visit his wife and give her a blessing. He said that he was not a Catholic, like this really matters to Jesus. Within minutes, Roy says, “Come” and I am walking into their humble home, knelling down at the side of his wife’s wheel chair, taking hold of her hand and offering a blessing prayer asking Jesus to heal her and give her courage for the next step in her treatments. I reminded her that God loves us and especially wants to be close to us in our time of suffering. A prayer of hope, healing and compassion. Roy cried as we walked outside their home to express his thanks.
I finally drove into the park and stopped at the visitor center to get my day pass, where I met a young park ranger who said she lived in Rochester. I replied with delight, “that’s my home too.” Then I thought, what a wonderful image for God. I told our 15 year old quinceanera and her young friends to think of God like a park ranger.
A person who serves. A park ranger serves her visitors by giving out maps so they won’t get lost, Jesus helps us who are lost in this life. Our ranger points visitors to find the best places to visit and see God’s beauty. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. The ranger suggests hiking trails and shares information how to stay safe. Jesus teaches that the most important word in life is forgiveness. The ranger leads special classes about the environment and local animals that inhabit the land like the coyote and mountain goats.
What a wonderful image for God. Jesus is about giving and this young ranger was giving me ideas where to find the best spots to take my landscape photos.
On this special day of your quinceaneras, where do you think Jesus is calling you to serve? For a young teenager, it might be the time you are asked to babysit your younger brothers and sisters, or volunteering to help visit your grandparents, a lonely neighbor or family member. There are tons of ways a young person can serve Jesus. Maybe sing in your church Hispanic choir.
My dear Sonshine Friends, what about you? Where do you think Jesus is calling you to serve?
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, that God inspires us to choose where we can use our special gifts and talents to serve God and be the best Christian we can be
After I taught our young peopel that Jesus is about giving, this is the prayer the young lady recites asking Jesus for His help to serve Him.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of life for creating me in your image and
likeness and
for calling me to be your daughter through baptism. Thank you for sending your Son
Jesus to save me and
your Holy Spirit to sanctify me. To
that which in your goodness and love you will for me, I say “yes,” With your grace I commit myself to serve my brothers and sisters
all my life.
Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, I dedicate myself to you. Since you are my model of faith, help me to continue learning from you what I need to be a Christian woman. Help me to hear the Word of God as you did, holding it in my heart and loving others, so that, as I walk with Jesus in this life, I may worship Him with you in all eternity. Amen.
