THE MISSION...

Yesterday I visited the San Xavier Mission located just six miles from Tucson on the San Xavier Indian Reservation. Work on the present structure began in 1783 and was completed in 1797. Its mission was to propogate and "civilize" the Pima Indians; it boasts itself as the Sistine Chapel of Tucson. I drove up to the parking lot smelling the tasty aroma of fry breads being served by the local Pima Indian merchants. As I sat in the Cathedral I was struck by the detailed rock or clay carvings of patron saints. There were people in deep worship and I was humbled by the sacred healing energy in the space. I was especially struck by how deeply the people surrendered to the clay statues. I'm not into symbol worship by any means, but I truly believed that these people had faith that by touching the statues, they would be touched by a miracle of sorts. Truly a deep belief in something much more powerful than the human condition. I couldn't help but admire the tenacity of these individuals willing to believe in something bigger than themselves. This is far more respectable than believing in celebrity, fame and how one's face lift will improve their outlook on life.