The incessant explosion of rockets on the other side of the lake and behind the hills accompany the night close to winter.
By: María del Refugio Reynozo Medina
Marco Antonio Solís says in the Hymn to Humility, that today is a day of celebration even in the smallest corner; San Cristóbal is a place in the municipality of Jocotepec and in this small corner, people gather around the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
«La Casita», as some villagers refer to this place, is a small brick hut of about 5×3 meters, located at the crossroads at the entrance of the town; it was originally built so that people could take shelter while waiting for transportation. At that time there was no street lighting. Today, the gas station, which opened last year, lights it up along with the stalls selling handicrafts, fruit and alcoholic beverages.
It is past five in the morning, the mariachi band is about to arrive, while the hymns and songs to the Virgin of Guadalupe come out of some loudspeakers. About 150 people are gathered in front of the «little house of the Virgin». Arranged in rows of chairs, with coats, shawls and thick blankets over their legs, the people reverently look at the statue, the voice of Buki is heard again:
-Today rancor dies and forgiveness blooms… you are the land where faith is sown…».
The people here, in the cold, the hot cinnamon that they drink from the glasses and the sweet bread are their sisters. They are united by faith and fervor to the Virgin of Guadalupe; that is why they sent for the mariachi, to sing for three hours the songs of love.
The place is covered with multicolored Christmas lights that embroider the darkness like shining candies. On the ceiling, garlands of three-colored plastic flowers hang from the center to the ends. The place is now a burning chapel of supplications and candles.
«The flowers on the altars are your perfumed and colored thoughts,» Cura José Rubén López Barajas once wrote. One man sent the 600 roses today from Concepción de Buenos Aires, a couple of hours south in Michoacán. White, pink, red and lilac, they dye the frame of the brown Virgin.
Outside a large steamer boils over the firewood; on some tables rest four thermoses of cinnamon flavored with rompope, a drink combining egg yolk, milk, sugar, and alcoholic spirits used for many celebrations . There are 400 liters of drink and 400 loaves of bread to accompany the day.
A man is lying on one of the chairs, perhaps he is one of those who stayed up late, a group of the organizers spent the night awake to welcome the first minutes of the day and to take care of the cinnamon bonfire and the pot of menudo, which boiled slowly all night long.
The arrival of the mariachi revives the spirits and the faithful sing «La Guadalupana».
-The applause is for the artist,» says a woman and drinks from her glass.
Those in the vehicles passing along the road bow, make the sign of the cross, slow down and record or take pictures from their cell phones. The bus of the Sur de Jalisco bus line stops, passengers get off and the driver crosses himself.
José Luis Villa Jiménez is the organizer; he and Gonzalo Garita talked more than twenty years ago about how it was possible that «the Virgin had so many lights somewhere else and in San Cristóbal, there was only darkness».
Ricardo Amezcua was his first collaborator, they renovated the site and painted it.
Now, more helpers have joined; like the teacher Javier Osorio Rito, who is in charge of one day of the nine-day novenario; Eduardo Ortega Escoto who gives the flowers and the people who contribute with money according to their abilities. The expenses for this day average 30,000 pesos.
Supported also by his family, José Luis Villa makes sure that the cinnamon in the thermoses does not run out, that the attendees have a place in the chairs and that there is bread for everyone.
-We are poor, but blessed by her,» he says, referring to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
He feels grateful for life, for having her blessing.
-I think she follows me,» he says, smiling.
When José Luis worked in the Jocotepec City Hall’s Public Cleaning Department, a plaster figure of the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared from among the black bags of garbage.
-It was just standing there, in the middle of the bags, it looked like new.
He picked it up and now it is also there on the altar, with a perfectly colored face and a profusely colored robe; it measures about 50 centimeters and still looks like new.
At eight o’clock in the morning the priest Carlos Enrique Medina Garibaldo arrives, accompanied by another priest Cristóbal Díaz Villalobos for the celebration. After mass, casseroles with food begin to arrive and people gather around the pot of menudo, meat in chili sauce and beans with cheese.
On the other side of the road, a man doesn’t miss the opportunity and sets up with a load of goats in a pickup truck to sell “pajarete” drinks with milk fresh from the goat served with chocolate, sugar, and cane alcohol. He ties the first one close to the tire of the vehicle and starts milking. A few meters away, a couple arrives and sets up with a stand of tachihual bread.
The wind blows cold, the decorations move and shadow the faces of those who are still there, now waiting for the next musical group.
Los Cadetes de Linares are coming,» says a man. And the Norteño band arrives, playing all the songs of Los Cadetes de Linares. La Guadalupana, mixed with Dos Coronas a Mi Madre, and No Hay Novedad.
-El Pávido Navido! shouts the delegate.
-I guess they didn’t know the Norteño song El Columpio,» says another woman.
And the songs continue to be played by the accordion at the stroke of noon.
The apparitions in Tepeyac
At the other end of town, very close to the shore of the lake, in the atrium, a woman recites a poem; it is Guillermina Garita Pila, one of the catechists of the parish.
«Juan Dieguito, my little son, I am the ever Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God and you are the most beloved son, the happy Indian Juan Diego like Juan of the Gospel. Jesus said it, the clean will see God, see God Transfigured and Mary in the midst of the sun, surrounded by splendors among perfumes and colors and in this moment of grace. Oh yes, moment of grace, you can hear thousands of hearts beating in Mexico and in the whole world».
Her voice is like a melody and the eyes and ears of the audience are set on her.
Around two o’clock in the afternoon, the catechists are gathered in the atrium of the parish for the representation of The Apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Each one organizes their pupils; the youngest ones are four and five years old; they are characterized as the main characters. There are about five girls with green cloaks and more than four boys evoke the indigenous Juan Diego. All are dressed in native attire and carry a rose in their hands.
The children’s actors get the applause and so does Guille, the catechist when she finishes in poetry:
«… Do you want to hear from your Mexico, the beating of their hearts?
Listen to them, here is our suffering, here is our pain, they are yours?
Our love is yours, our faith, our hope, receive them».
And the atrium is flooded with religious fervor.
Translated by Kerry Watson
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