Jesus and the Miracle on the Rio Grande
at Piedras Negras
by
Hector Carreon
La Voz de Aztlan
Los Angeles, Alta California, September 30, 2004 - (ACN) Do you believe in miracles? Do you believe in an omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent supernatural being that created the universe and that often intervenes in our lives? Does God communicate with us in ways that only the faithful can understand? For the nonbelievers, a miracle could be staring at them right in the face , and yet they will still doubt.
A miracle is defined as a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God and all religious traditions believe in them. The Jews for example believe that a bearded old man parted the Red Sea when the Hebrews were being chased by Egyptian chariots and Islam believes that Mohammed the Prophet rose from the Rock of Morriah towards Heaven in a beautiful white horse. We Christians believe that Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead and that he himself rose to the Father three days after being crucified by the Pharisees.
Jesus has not gone away and disappeared from our lives. He still manifests himself to us in various ways. If you doubt and want reassurances of this just ask the humble people of Piedras Negras. Piedras Negras is a border town just across Eagle Pass, Texas. The two border towns are separated by the Rio Grande or "El Rio Bravo" as it is known on the Mexican side. The waters of the Rio Grande have, in the past 4 weeks, witnessed certain events that should sent shivers down the spines of all believers.
Unbeknown to La Voz de Aztlan and after reporting on the cowardly drownings in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass of 4 undocumented Mexican immigrants by agents of the US Border Patrol, in two separate incidents, we came across a report that brought tears to our eyes.
We first reported that on September 23, two agents of the US Border Patrol drove up to the Texas bank of the Rio Grande and started throwing rocks at three Mexican immigrant women that were struggling to reach the US shore. The three women, too exhausted to swim back to the Mexican side, drowned in the deep and fast flowing currents of the Rio Grande.
Today we reported that this was not the first time that the US Border Patrol in Eagle Pass had caused the drowning of an undocumented Mexican immigrant attempting to swim the Rio Grande. On September 18, another immigrant drowned in the same area while two agents of the US Border Patrol were brutally beating his brother-in law. According to the survivor, the two agents just watched while his brother-in-law was gasping for his last breaths.
A few hours ago, I read a report that superficially seems unconnected but that on closer examination makes most humans, and especially Christians, believe that, "there are more things under heaven and earth than are dreamt in our philosophies".
Exactly one month ago, and prior to the drownings of the Mexican immigrants by two demonic US Border Patrol agents, a mysterious life-size,
life-like, and perfectly preserved statue of Jesus Christ was found in a sandbar in the middle of the Rio Grande and in the area where the four humble Mexican immigrants drowned later. The statue of Jesus was found by the US Border Patrol itself. While patrolling from the air, they noticed what appeared to be a human body in the river. The agents accustomed to seeing countless bodies of Mexican immigrants in the river thought nothing and radioed to ground units to investigate. The border patrol agents on the ground were surprised to discover the striking figure of Jesus minus his cross.
The US Border Patrol, not knowing what to do with Jesus, took the statue to the Eagle Pass Police Department. The police, after an extensive investigation, still do not know where the statue came from. No one has reported it stolen and no one has claimed it.
Because no one has claimed it and because of its mysterious discovery in the river where so many undocumented Mexican immigrants have died, Christians in Piedras Negras have now embraced the statue as a religious message from God. Veronica de la Pena of Eagle Pass said, "He's telling us he's alive and he is here with us. He's trying to tell us that there is hope." Eagle Pass Police Chief Juan A. Castaneda, a very religious person, said that he is embracing it as "The Christ of the Undocumented." "Faith has led me to believe that this is a sign," Chief Castaneda said.
"There's a reason for it to be here," Eagle Pass Police Officer Henry Cardona said of the statue. "People come here to the police department and pray", he added. Approximately 400 pilgrims a week are now coming to the police department to see the mysterious statue and the numbers are growing daily. Police Lieutenant Daniel Morales said "We have never experienced anything like this before, and interest is growing by the day." The event has made news all the way to New Zealand.
The local Catholic Church called the figure's arrival "miraculous" and said they wanted to place it in a specially dedicated chapel in the city.
"Jesus Christ manifests himself in many places, but he showed himself here in the way of an undocumented immigrant," said Marta Ramirez, a spokeswoman for the city's Our Lady of Refuge Church.
The arrival to Eagle Pass of Jesus as an undocumented immigrant, however, was one month before the three women were drowned by the US Border Patrol in the Rio Grande. What possible meaning can this have? Was Jesus showing us an omen of a future occurrence? No one yet has connected the events. I believe that the connection will soon be made manifest.
Related La Voz de Aztlan Articles:
US Border Patrol drowns three Mexican women immigrants in the Rio Grande
