I met Marcos while he was praying, taking part in the Eucharist and going to confession, some five years before he entered the seminary and flew to heaven, after the tragic accident that hid him from the eyes of this world but which has made him more present, alive and active, if that were possible, than he had been until then. At the Shrine of Santa Gema we very often see young university students who come to pray, to go to confession and to take part in the Eucharist; it is most comforting to find that there are young friends of God who seek him and «meet up» with him to tell him about their lives, to listen to him and to share their experiences. It is encouraging to see how they pray, how they struggle, how they believe and how they grow.
One of those young people who caught my attention was Marcos. Almost every day, generally in the morning, he would come and stay, helped by a book or simply concentrating before the tabernacle, always with his rucksack full of university notes. He was persevering, and his bearing was that of a man who carries important things within. He conveyed peace and, in my case, a great, edifying joy that moved me to thanksgiving.
One day I came to know him more personally when I heard his confession. My impression was confirmed and I saw in him an exquisite soul, a sincere heart, a clear gaze, an inveterate seeker. On every occasion that I heard his confession I always found a passionate love for Jesus. When he came back from the Holy Land and told me about his trip, he spoke only of Jesus, of his Word, of his Presence, of his personal encounter with Jesus. When he returned from his trip to Mexico, he was overflowing with joy at having borne witness to Jesus and at feeling himself an instrument of Grace.
The last time I saw him was a week before he entered the seminary. I remember seeing him come into the confessional, and when I saw his face I sensed that he wanted to reveal something very important to me. And so it was. «I’ve finished my degree and I’m off to the seminary.» I could do nothing but stand up and embrace him, without words and with tears in my eyes, of immense joy. I saw a happy man, convinced, determined to give his life to the One who loved him so much, Jesus. Those are unique priestly moments that fill one with hope and soften other moments of sadness and disenchantment.
Marcos was made to be a priest, to be a bridge towards God, to proclaim Jesus, to console, to serve, to give himself. I wept for joy. During those years in which I had the privilege of knowing him and dealing with him, I saw him grow in love for Christ in a persevering, firm, mature way; his spiritual maturity was out of keeping with, or rather unusual for, his age. What captivated me about his personality was his passionate love for Jesus Christ. He sought him, found him, followed him, fell in love, gave him his life and went off with him.
When, on the Sunday after celebrating the Eucharist, I was given the news of his death, I was paralysed. But at once I understood a few things. Marcos’s death has done me a great deal of good and, therefore, caused me a great deal of pain. «My plans are not your plans.» I consider his death to have been like his «first Mass»; so in love was he with Jesus that he could not hold back or wait for his priestly ordination to celebrate it. He was united to Christ, he lived with him, he died with him and with him he will rise again.
Marcos’s life bears an unmistakable mark: that of being a «model» young Christian for young people. I trust that one day he may be proposed by the Church to the young as an example to follow.
Carlos Cano c.p.
Santiago de Chile, April 2016
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