Viva Cristo Rey!

This past weekend, 9 months of hard work finally came to an end. Our annual Diocese of Yakima Youth Convention has come and gone, and our 186 participants from all over the diocese have returned to their hometowns. For some of them, life is "back to normal," but it is my hope that for some of them, even if it's just one of them, life is anything but normal because their hearts have been changed.

For three days, we reflected on the life and martyrdom of St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, Joselito, to those who have an affectionate devotion to him. As someone who has a deep admiration for young saints who courageously followed the Lord even to death, I was inspired by the story of the young Cristero. The movie For Greater Glory documents Joselito's story from being an altar server to begging his parish priest to hide from the government that wanted to eradicate Christians from Mexico. He watched his beloved priest be killed, and he still had the desire to join the movement to guard his faith from harm. Jose Sanchez del Rio was eventually captured by the Federales and tortured and killed for refusing to deny Christ. His death was not an easy one. His captors cut the soles of his feet and forced him to walk to the cemetery barefoot. He was beaten and stabbed with bayonets. Before he died, he traced a cross in his own blood in the sand. All the while, he proclaimed Viva Cristo Rey. Long live Christ the King. He was only 14.

In his closing talk, our keynote speaker, Jon Blevins, said, "It would have been easier to just do what the Federales wanted. All he had to do was say 'Death to Christ the King,' and they would have spared his life. He could have lived."

He's right. For the average person, it would have been easier and more attractive to just give up and accept the apostasy. But would it have been easier for this saint who loved Jesus so much that he was already ready to die for Him? One of our breakout session speakers, Jessica Ornelas, shared a letter from St. Jose Sanchez del Rio that he wrote when he was in his prison cell:

My dear mother:

I was made a prisoner in battle today. I think I will die soon, but I do not care, mother. Resign yourself to the will of God. I will die happy because I die on the side of our God. Do not worry about my death, which would mortify me. Tell my brothers to follow the example that their youngest brother leaves them, and do the will of God. Have courage and send me your blessing along with my father's.

Send my regards to everyone one last time and finally receive the heart of your son who loves you so much and who wanted to see you before dying.

-- Jose Sanchez del Rio

He looked forward to seeing Christ. He was ready to die. He was happy even to die for Christ. I've always thought that dying for someone was a nice thought, but I wasn't always so sure I would be able to do it - or even if I wanted to. But St. Jose Sanchez del Rio showed me an example of what it means to die. Jesus said it himself, "There is no greater love than this, to lay down one's life for a friend." Joselito didn't just die for a friend. He died for his faith in Jesus Christ. He died for the love of his life. In the middle of all the turmoil, he still had the faith to say "Nunca fue tan facil ganarse el cielo. - It has never been easier to gain heaven." Joselito knew something that we often struggle with. We aren't meant for this world. In fact, we're too good for this world. We were made for more. In dying, he went to where he belongs, in heaven with God the Father who created him. It's my hope that the 186 participants who gathered in a little church in the Diocese of Yakima will realize the same thing: This isn't our endgame. Viva Cristo Rey!