THE SUFFERING OF "EL SANTO"
Sister Yolanda Tarango discovered "El Santo" one day when as a small girl she was sent to the family shed to finish throwing her pity party. She noticed a strange parcel in the corner, covered with a heavy cloth. Peering under the cover, she was shocked to find bloody feet. After a few minutes, she was brave enough to uncover the rest of the statue. She discovered an image of a man about four feet tall with his head hanging down, a look of sorrow on his face, and painted drops of blood running down his legs. It was Jesus, El Santo, as he looked during his week of Passion.
The statue, which was once the center piece for the Holy Week observance in El Paso, Tx, brought little Yolanda comfort because Jesus was just as sad as she was. He was not laughing at her, but suffering with her.
As Yolanda grew into a young woman, the statue became even more important to her family. They moved it into the courtyard, and it became a place for the family to pray and grieve, and rejoice.
Rejoice? Yes, because death-- Jesus’death-- ends the cycle of life and suffering. The family understood that death makes way for hope and rebirth. Jesus could not resurrect unless he died. Yolanda’s family learned that suffering can be redemptive--Jesus’ suffering certainly was.
"Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
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