In Bolivia, at the feet of the Virgin of Urkupiña, Patroness of National Integration, the Archbishop of Cochabamba, Mons. Óscar Aparicio Céspedes, presided over this August 9 the Eucharist broadcasted nationwide by the Communication Commission of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference from the Sanctuary of San Ildefonso, in Quillacollo. In the context of the celebrations of the festivity, the prelate invited the devotees of Mary to turn their faith into announcement and testimony of the presence of God.
The celebration took place days after the gathering of more than 30 Marian advocations from different regions of Bolivia and from countries like Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, who came to Quillacollo to accompany the start of the Urkupiña festivity. In this context of meeting of peoples and expressions of Marian devotion, Mons. Aparicio reminded that from this sanctuary faith should not remain only in contemplation, but open itself to the mission.
“With Mary of Urkupiña we announce the glories of God”, he expressed when presenting the meaning of the celebration. And he added: “From witnesses we want to become announcers of these glories”, inviting the faithful to not limit themselves to experiencing the presence of God in their own lives, but to extend that announcement in the mission that the Lord entrusts.
Faith that is born from the encounter with God
For the archbishop, the Sanctuary of San Ildefonso can become a starting point to announce salvation. Although the devotees gather in this place to celebrate Mamita de Urkupiña, the encounter with God does not end there: from this space of prayer and celebration, believers are called to bring the Gospel to their families, communities, and to all of society. “From here also comes this announcement of salvation”, expressed Mons. Aparicio.
In his reflection, he recalled that God also manifests in the simple. From the biblical account of the prophet Elijah, who did not find the Lord in the wind, the fire, or the great manifestations, but in “the gentle and small breeze”, the archbishop invited to recognize that God approaches humanity with tenderness and silence. “God also comes to meet us. God becomes present. God speaks to us”, he assured.
For Mons. Aparicio, this image of the breeze also allows us to contemplate the face of Mary, whose presence manifests in “all her tenderness, in her motherhood, in her softness, in her deep love”. Therefore, he explained, the pilgrims arrive at this sanctuary: to meet the Mamita of Urkupiña and, together with her, rediscover the loving presence of God.
“We do not need spectacular situations”
The archbishop called the faithful to be silent, open their hearts, and let themselves be found by God. “It is important to be silent. It is important to let the Lord love us. It is important to accept it”, he pointed out during the homily.
He emphasized that the experience of God does not need to be accompanied by extraordinary events: “We do not need spectacular situations. It is he who is in your life”, he expressed, remembering that God knows the sufferings, the adversities, and the struggles of each person.
The devotion to the Virgin of Urkupiña, he explained, can help believers discover that presence in the everyday. “May the Mamita of Urkupiña truly invite us, help us, and inspire us to be able to discover this loving presence of God”, he requested.
In the face of the storms of life
The Gospel of the day led Mons. Aparicio to pause at the scene of Jesus walking on the waters and the fear of the disciples in the face of the storm. For the archbishop, those troubled waters can also represent the difficulties that people, families, and society face today.
He mentioned among them the economic and value crises, violence, drug trafficking, the corruption, misunderstandings, illnesses, loneliness, and the difficulties that affect families. He also recalled painful situations such as separations between couples and family divisions caused by inheritance-related conflicts. At the social level, he also raised a question about the path Bolivia has taken during its years of independence: “How much have we advanced? How much have we grown? How much have we been able to progress? How much have we seen each other as brothers?”
In the face of all these storms, he assured, God does not remain distant. “In the face of these situations, these storms, the Lord presents himself”, he said and invited the faithful not to let difficulties make them lose trust in the love of God.
Walking on the waters with our eyes on Jesus
The figure of Peter coming to meet Jesus allowed the archbishop to formulate an invitation: not to remain paralyzed in the face of difficulties, but to walk toward the Lord with renewed faith. “Lord, if it is you, let me come to you,” he proposed as a prayer for those going through difficult times. And he added: “Lord, dwell in my heart. Lord, give me light. Lord, give me strength.”
Mons. Aparicio recalled that Peter begins to sink when he stops looking at Jesus. Therefore, he pointed out that believers can also lose their way when they allow difficulties to completely occupy their gaze.
The presence of Mary appears again as a companion on this path. Just as the Virgin went to meet her cousin Isabel and accompanies her children, the devotees of Urkupiña are also called to go out to meet the Lord and others. “May my faith be increased, may my spirit be strengthened. May I, alongside Mary, glorify the glories of God”, expressed the archbishop.
“Little Mother of Urkupiña, be my comfort”
At the end of his reflection, Mons. Aparicio turned the Marian devotion into a confident prayer. “Lord, save me,” he asked, recalling Peter's cry in the midst of the waters.
And from the Sanctuary of San Ildefonso, he placed on the lips of the pilgrims a supplication directed to the Little Mother of Urkupiña: “Little Mother of Urkupiña, accompany me. Little Mother of Urkupiña, be my comfort. Little Mother of Urkupiña, help me find your son Jesus”.
The homily concluded with an exhortation to overcome doubt and to allow God to strengthen the faith of those who attend the festival. “May the Lord, therefore, strengthen our faith”, expressed Mons. Aparicio, encouraging that the devotion to the Virgin of Urkupiña be lived in a “confident, total, and complete”.
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