Alocución de S.E.R. Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García, Archbishop of Havana

By: S.E.R. Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez

Reading the fragment of the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 15, verses 21 to 28, Cardinal Juan dela Caridad García, Archbishop of Havana, drew a parallel between the insistence of the Canaanite woman before Jesus for the healing of her daughter, and the faith at every test of a mother, for which nothing is impossible.

In his alocution, the pastor shared with the faithful some stories of life that, occurring in different places and in the midst of circumstances also different, prove a mother’s unbridled passion for children and family, grandmothers for grandchildren and godmothers for godchildren.

Below we offer in full the text and audio of the allocution of Cardinal Juan García, Archbishop of Havana:

“How great is your faith, a Canaanite woman and mother”

The Lord Jesus knew well the faith of this woman who lived in an area that did not belong to Israel, and those who lived there were treated dismissively. Jesus did not need to prove this woman’s faith but treated her badly so that we would know her faith. Rejected three times, this woman remained at the request for her daughter’s healing. She knew that only Jesus could cure her and did not care about her contempt and insisted until she got what she wanted. For a mother, nothing is impossible. With Jesus we say, “How great is your faith, woman, and canaanite mother!”

(Song)

Today there are also people who have the persevering faith of the Canaanite.

Charity Lopez was pregnant and caught measles. Doctors, nurses, family members, friends, neighbors, the whole town begged him to have an abortion. But Charity knew that the blessed fruit of her husband’s love was her daughter, image, and likeness of God. And at nine months Judith was born, spectacular creature… and today Charity enjoys its daughter and grandchildren. How great is your faith, Charity!

(Song)

Emilia, a Polish man, had a son; afterwards, his second creature died. At the age of forty, Emilia, with limited health, became pregnant, and although many recommended abortion, Emilia moved on and gave us to someone who later became Pope St. John Paul II, whom many of you knew. How great is your faith, Emilia!

(Song)

Angel married Anne Mary. In the first year of marriage, one child was born and, the next year, the second child. After the second birth, Ana Maria became invalid. Her husband and family cared for Anne Mary. He, before work, bathed her, advanced lunch and, helped by her family, cared for the children. The children grew up, they married, and Angel was still next to Anne Mary. She did everything, made her lack anything and she had all the love of the children, the daughters-in-law and the whole family. On the eve of the sixties anniversary of the marriage she died. On the return of the burial, entering through the door of the house, Angel died. Death could not separate those who loved each other for more than sixty years, so that they were one person.

Angel, how great is your faith in marriage love!

(Song)

Teresita was about to turn fifteen and her mother, the best seamstress and embroiderer in town, had prepared an elegant dress for her.

Teresita’s friend and schoolmate, Tania, was very poor and did not have a worthy dress for her fifteen. Teresita took Tania home, they entered the room, opened the window, filled with elegant dresses made by her mother, and said to Tania, “Choose the dress you like the most for your fifteen.”

Tania neither short nor lazy chose the elegant dress that the mother had prepared for Teresita: “Take it, it’s yours, celebrate your fifteen with him,” Teresita said.

After many years, the cries of mrs. Bronca made by the mother to her daughter Teresita are still heard in the village. How great is your faith, Teresita, in love for one’s neighbour!

(Song)

The godmother of the Hna. Yaquelin, Servant of San Jose, was about to marry when her sister died suddenly and left three young children. The family didn’t know what to do. The godmother said, “I’ll take care of all three.” The groom said, “Those kids aren’t yours and I’m not going to take care of them.” The godmother, playing Mom, spoke to the groom and said, “You go your way and marry someone else, I’ll stay with the three kids.” Today the godmother and the three older children are happy. How great is your faith, in love for children, and in your mission as a godmother!

(Song)

The parents, the grandparents, the godparents of Rebekah of Charity, have walked 5 kilometers with the girl loaded to reach the temple and baptize her. How great is the faith of the Rebekah of Charity family at Baptism!

(Song)

We know Catholics who participate in Sunday Mass on 52 Sundays of the year, those who come from distant kilometers in guaguas, trucks, bicycle, bottle, on foot and those who under thunder, lightning, torrential rains, arrive with the soles of shoes taken off! How great is the faith of these Sunday Catholics!

(Song)

Canaanite woman, Charity, Angel, Teresita, godmother of Sister Yaquelin, relatives of Rebekah of Charity, Catholics of every Sunday, help us live the faith like you.

Send to the Archbishopric narrations of titans of the faith to imitate them, pray for them, and make known their beautiful testimonies.

(Song)

During World War II, the rose window, a marvel of art, from the historic cathedral of Reims (France), built in the thirteenth century, leapt into the air, shattered, due to a bomb that exploded very close. After the bombing, parishioners who lived near the cathedral gathered and on their knees gathered for days, from the rubble, each and every glass fragment of the historic rose window.

At the end of the war the rose window was rebuilt with the glass fragments that the faithful had so hard and lovingly collected.

They say that today the rose window of the cathedral is more beautiful and is proudly shown by the inhabitants of the city of Reims.

For the sick, crucified, suffering Christian…

-even if his life has been broken into a thousand pieces, it serves;

-even if he lives immersed in physical or spiritual suffering and seems to him that nothing is worth it, the value of suffering, incorporated into that of Christ, is immense;

-even if you find your pain sterile, useless… all suffering is valid, serves, and takes advantage of one’s good and that of others; for this life and for the eternal.

Pope John Paul II, ill, said: “Faith in Christ does not suppress suffering, but enlightens it, lifts it, purifies it, transforms it, makes it valid for eternity.”

(Song)

God the Father, you created us in health. Thank you for the wonder of our bodies and for having created us in your image and likeness.

Jesus Christ, healer, heals our diseases of body and soul.

Holy Ghost, give your gift of wisdom so that scientists and doctors can find solutions to the diseases we suffer.

Saint Mary of Charity, pray that there will never be a lack of love for the sick and help us take care of them as you did with St. Joseph and your neighbors.

Blessed Olallo Valdés, nurse, surgeon, epidemiologist; Tell us how you could love so many sick people in the midst of the epidemics of your time. Blessed Olallo Valdés prays for us. Amen.

And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit descend upon the sick, upon those who care for them, and remain forever. Amen.

(Song)

of everything and managed to keep her from missing anything and she had all the love of the children, the daughters-in-law and the whole family. On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the marriage she died. On the return of the burial, entering through the door of the house, Angel died. Death could not separate those who loved each other for more than 60 years, so that they were one person.

Angel, how great is your faith in marriage love!

(Song)

Teresita was about to turn 15 and her mother, the best seamstress and embroiderer in town, had prepared an elegant dress for her.

Teresita’s friend and schoolmate, Tania, was very poor and did not have a worthy dress for her fifteen. Teresita took Tania home, they entered the room, opened the window, filled with elegant dresses made by her mother, and told Tania, “choose the dress you like the most for your fifteen.”

Tania neither short nor lazy chose the elegant dress that the mother had prepared for Teresita: “Take it, it’s yours, celebrate your 15 with it,” Teresita said.

After many years, the cries of mrs. Bronca made by the mother to her daughter Teresita are still heard in the village. How great is your faith, Teresita, in love for one’s neighbour!

(Song)

Sister Yaquelin’s godmother, Servant of St. Joseph, was about to marry and when her sister died suddenly, leaving three young children, the family did not know what to do. The godmother said, “I’ll take care of all three.” The groom said, “Those kids aren’t yours and I’m not going to take care of them. The godmother doing Mom’s ass spoke to the groom and said, “You go your way and marry someone else, I’ll stay with the three kids.” Today the godmother and the three older children are happy. How great is your faith, in love for children, and in your mission as Godmother!

(Song)

The parents, the grandparents, the godparents of Rebekah of Charity, have walked 5 kilometers with the girl loaded to reach the temple and baptize her. How great is the faith of the Rebekah of Charity family at Baptism!

(Song)

We know Catholics who participate in Sunday Mass on 52 Sundays of the year, those who come from distant kilometers in guaguas, trucks, bicycle, bottle, on foot and those who under thunder, lightning, torrential rains, arrive with the soles of shoes taken off! How great is the faith of these Sunday Catholics!

(Song)

Canaanite woman, Charity, Angel, Teresita, godmother of Sister Yaquelin, relatives of Rebekah of Charity, Catholics of every Sunday, help us live the faith like you.

Send to the Archbishopric narrations of titans of the faith to imitate them, pray for them, and make known their beautiful testimonies.

(Song)

A sick lady went to the doctor and diagnosed her with her illness…

(Song)

During World War II, the rose window, a marvel of art, from the historic cathedral of Reims (France), built in the thirteenth century, leapt into the air, shattered, due to a bomb that exploded very close. After the bombing, the parishioners, who lived near the cathedral, gathered and on their knees gathered for days, from the rubble, each and every glass fragment of the historic rose window.

At the end of the war, the rose window was rebuilt with the glass fragments, which the faithful had so hard and lovingly collected.

They say that today the rose window of the cathedral is more beautiful and is proudly shown by the inhabitants of the city of Reims.

For the sick, crucified, suffering Christian…

-even if his life has been broken into a thousand pieces, it serves;

-even if he lives immersed in physical or spiritual suffering and seems to him that nothing is worth it, the value of suffering, incorporated into that of Christ, is immense;

-even if you find your pain sterile, useless… all suffering is valid, serves and takes advantage of for one’s own good and that of others; for this life and for the eternal.

Pope John Paul II, sick, said: Faith in Christ does not suppress suffering, but it enlightens it, lifts it, purifies it, transforms it, makes it valid for eternity.

(Song)

God the Father, you created us in health. Thank you for the wonder of our bodies and for having created us in your image and likeness.

Jesus Christ, healer, heals our diseases of body and soul.

Holy Ghost, give your gift of wisdom so that scientists and doctors can find solutions to the diseases we suffer.

Saint Mary of Charity, pray that there will never be a lack of love for the sick and help us take care of them as you did with St. Joseph and your neighbors.

Blessed Olallo Valdés, nurse, surgeon, epidemiologist; Tell us how you could love so many sick people in the midst of the epidemics of your time. Blessed Olallo Valdés prays for us. Amen.

And the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit descend upon the sick, upon those who care for them, and remain forever. Amen.

(Song)

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