Alder, Nicaraguan seminarian: "The Pope asked us to be courageous".It is four o'clock in the morning of January 15, 2023. The day of the Solemnity of the Lord of Miracles has arrived in El Sauce, a municipality of the Department of Leon in NicaraguaThe atmosphere is festive and joyful in its National Sanctuary which celebrates its feast on the third Sunday of January. An endless line of pilgrims continues passing in front of the Consecrated Image of Our Lord of Miracles of El Sauce, in its chapel that since its novena receives thousands of pilgrims, coming from different parts of Nicaragua and even Central America.
During the first days of January and, especially, so far this year, pilgrims visit this national shrine to thank the Lord for the favors and miracles received, especially to benefit from the plenary indulgence granted by the Holy See to celebrate the Jubilee on the three hundredth anniversary of the arrival of the venerated and ancient image to these lands. On December 1st, 2022, Monsignor Sócrates René Sándigo Jirón, bishop of the diocese of León, opened the holy door in the national sanctuary, starting the jubilee year of the Lord of Miracles of El Sauce.
An impressive testimony is to see hundreds of pilgrims who enter the sanctuary on their knees, fulfilling a promise, some traveling on foot or by cart for days, as do the pilgrim carts that leave from Villanueva in Chinandega along rural roads, crossing rivers and streams to reach the National Sanctuary and arrive at the feet of the consecrated image of forty-two centimeters of a blackened Christ.
The Black Christ
This is a replica of the Black Christ of Esquipulas in Guatemala and that three hundred years ago on a pilgrimage through Central America, stopped in the Guayabal Valley, -which is the old name of this town-; it was on October 18, 1723 after passing through Jinotega and on its way back to Guatemala decided to stay in these Nicaraguan lands. This is how the population interpreted it after river floods, illnesses and even the death of its commander Guadalupe Trejos made it impossible for the image to leave the Guayabal valley, even in spite of the request of the bishop of Guatemala. The venerated image remained in that valley, attracting everyone to her feet where they begged for favors and graces, under the shade of a willow tree.
In their festivities are the pilgrims who stay under the shadow of his Sanctuary, those who decide to stay next to the house of the Lord of Miracles, which is transformed, in the words of a pilgrim, "in the house of all". They place hammocks or carry sheets and quilts and lay them on the ground to wait for their feasts, to live these days and give thanks for so many favors received.
The center of these celebrations is the Eucharist, during the day the Holy Mass is celebrated at different times and hundreds of people line up waiting for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Beautiful acts of popular piety and faith are witnessed, such as waiting for hours in line to enter the chapel where the consecrated image is located despite the heat, the cold and the sun. Even at dawn an endless line of pilgrims walk along the little road in a special way on the day of her solemnity and likewise in the octave of her feasts.
The Solemnity
On the Solemnity, the Holy Eucharist was presided by Monsignor Sócrates René Sándigo Jirón, Bishop of the Diocese of León. During the homily he emphasized: "This Jubilee Year in our National Shrine gives us a very beautiful possibility, to go on pilgrimage, to go through the holy door, to go to confession, to pray for the Pope and to receive Holy Communion. It allows me to purge my sorrows before the Lord of Miracles, to purge my sins, to gain indulgences, because the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, through the shed blood of Christ, which is well represented in the image of the Lord of Miracles that arrived almost three hundred years ago to our lands, allows me to do so".
Father Alberto Munguía, rector and parish priest of the Shrine pointed out that this jubilee year is: "A time of grace where at the feet of the Lord of Miracles of El Sauce we can receive his graces and what better grace than to receive the forgiveness of our sins".
Monsignor Francisco Tigerino, Bishop of the Diocese of Bluefields and former rector and pastor of this Shrine presided the Holy Eucharist on January 22 on the octave of its feast. During the homily he said: "Jesus Christ crucified is the one who has drawn us to this city, he has summoned us and we have come with the confidence that the Lord always hears our cry, when our request is according to the will of the Father... In our pilgrimage through this world we must remember what God wants from us. How does he want us to serve him? How does he want us to be close to him? And most importantly, how does God want to manifest His glory through us?".
This year thousands of pilgrims are expected to cross the Holy Door and celebrate with joy the Jubilee Year of the Lord of Miracles in El Sauce, giving thanks for its three hundred years in Nicaraguan lands. Today as yesterday, pilgrims are still called to beg favors and raise a prayer at the feet of the Lord of Miracles in El Sauce. Crucified.
