By Javier Sanchez

This Easter Season, I was reminded that I don’t matter, that regardless of what I do or who I think I am, or even if I consider how hard I try, I just don’t matter.

Redemption comes not from the things I think I do, but the way we serve each other. Jesus died on the cross to give us another chance, to lead the way, and to abolish death. When we replicate that life — in our very small and meager way — we must do so with service and tradition in our hearts.

I am reminded of a sermon given many years ago wherein the priest asks the eternal question of how to get into heaven. Though he admits he has no direct knowledge of what it takes, he knows one thing for certain: When asked by St. Peter why we deserve to go through the pearly gates, you had better not start your sentence with the word “I.” As in, “I have worked hard to go to church and do the right thing.” Or “I have done all of the things Jesus has said in the Bible.”

Rather, one should recognize that “He” said I could come. We are given redemption and a chance at everlasting life, not because of my ego, but because of the chance that God has given us to serve one another. It is no small task to help those in need.  But it is an even greater obligation to repeat the same service so often that it becomes tradition.

During the Lenten season in Northern New Mexico, small restaurants continued the small tradition of making panocha. Panocha is newly-sprouted wheat that only local millers produce for our community. They know what it takes to transform it into everyone’s favorite dessert. It takes eight to nine hours to make. Some of you leave it in the crockpot overnight, letting it bubble over onto your counters. Socorro at Socorro’s Restaurant makes some of the best around. At La Cocina, we too, use grandma Jessie’s recipe to cook up some pretty darned good panocha.

Thanks to Sennie of Big Dawg’s catering, we served salmon patties with torta de huevo, beans and potatoes on Fridays at Apple Valley Kitchen. More than food, our local community serves up tradition that inspires, feeds and reminds us that redemption comes from hospitality, love and service.

Service to others takes many shapes. Rio Arriba lost a great leader and deputy when Sheriff Billy Merrifield passed away on Easter Sunday. His unexpected loss comes at a time when his department was charging full steam ahead. He was responsible for bringing more than $3 million to Northern New Mexico with hard lobbying at the state. I have all the confidence that his well-trained team will continue his legacy of serving our county and state with honor.

This week, we also recognize the loss of our spiritual leader, Pope Francis and supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church who passed away on Monday. His lifetime of service was unmatched, becoming ordained as a priest in 1969 at the age of 32.

He led a long career focusing his sermons on mercy, kindness and humility — the three pillars of society we often find lacking. Again, the tradition of succession and service will take us through this difficult time.

We take these inspirations from Pope Francis to guide our lives. We look at the good deeds of our leaders and officers. They inspire us to do the little acts of kindness, like making traditional panocha for our friends and family. We seek to gain the grace of God with acts of mercy, not for ourselves, but for others. To serve, to protect, to feed others and accept God into our life. It is the only way toward humility and mercy.

Happy Easter. May the season of redemption be with you.

Javier Sanchez is the former mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, columnist and El Rito Media investor.