{"id":1925,"date":"2026-06-06T08:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T14:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carlosmendozaalvarez.blog\/?p=1925"},"modified":"2026-06-08T07:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:09:16","slug":"transfiguraciones-mayas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carlosmendozaalvarez.blog\/en\/2026\/06\/06\/transfiguraciones-mayas\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayan transfigurations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Carlos Mendoza \u00c1lvarez<\/p>\n

Good afternoon, dear brothers and sisters:<\/p>\n

This cultural event in the public square of the municipality of Zinacant\u00e1n is a symbol of the dialogue between faith and reason that has been at the heart of the preaching of the Gospel, from its origins in the lands of Palestine with Jesus of Nazareth, two thousand years ago, to the present day in the Highlands of Chiapas.<\/p>\n

Jesus of Galilee was a preacher of good news for humanity, standing up to the powerful of his time, and accompanied by his messianic community even though he was betrayed by an angry mob.<\/p>\n

Jesus' loving sacrifice for a humanity reconciled with itself and with Mother Earth acquires a cosmic force with his resurrection from the dead, which is the most radical good news of all time.<\/p>\n

God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. And that is why the God of life is always on the side of the poor, the excluded, and the vulnerable, so that from there he may call everyone\u2014victims and executioners alike\u2014to heal humanity's mortal wounds and lead us to his fullness of life.<\/p>\n

On the occasion of the arrival of the first Dominican friars to the mainland of Abya Yala of the native peoples, five centuries ago on the coasts of Veracruz in 1526, we Dominican friars of today long to make a joyful, yet critical, memory of those five centuries of encounters and disagreements with the peoples of Mexico, especially those of Chiapas.<\/p>\n

The dialogue between faith and reason, we Dominican friars have promoted for eight centuries in spirituality, thought and the arts, always accompanied by the promotion of human dignity and its inalienable human rights, through justice and peace for all peoples and creatures, as did the first bishop of Chiapas, our brother Friar Bartolom\u00e9 de Las Casas, through peaceful evangelization, and later followed in his footsteps by Friar Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada in the lands of the Pochutlas and the Lacandones, as can be seen in the mural that is about to be unveiled.<\/p>\n

The cultural event that brings us together today is a movement in three moments: image, word and music.<\/p>\n

The image<\/em><\/p>\n

Through murals, the Mayan peoples have long preserved their ancestral memory, the culmination of which are the murals of Bonampak. This tradition is renewed in contemporary Mayan art, such as that of the great master Ant\u00fan Kojtom, a Tseltal artist from Tenejapa, who accepted the invitation of the Dominican friars to conceive, design, and paint the mural that will be unveiled in a few moments by the Provincial Prior of the Dominicans in Mexico, Friar Luis Javier Rubio Guerrero, the guest artist Ant\u00fan Kojtom, and a friar representing the authorities of the San Lorenzo M\u00e1rtir church.<\/p>\n

Next, nine paintings by young people from Zinacant\u00e1n who participated in the introductory acrylic painting workshop offered by Master Ant\u00fan last week will be exhibited. Their works reflect the ch'ulel, or spiritual strength, that accompanies them in their inner lives. We will then present them with certificates of recognition for their commitment.<\/p>\n

The word<\/em><\/p>\n

Since ancient times, human words have been a reflection of the divine word, especially poetry. In the second part of this cultural event, we will hear poetry from Xun Betan, a Tsotsil writer from Venustiano Carranza, and from the young people who participated in the workshop he led for several weeks in Zinacant\u00e1n. We will also present certificates of recognition for their commitment.<\/p>\n

The music<\/em><\/p>\n

And to conclude, traditional music, that ancestral sound memory, will inspire us to look closely at the monumental mural by the master Ant\u00fan Kojtom and the acrylics of his students. The sound waves of the traditional musicians from the Parish of San Lorenzo M\u00e1rtir de Sots'leb will reach throughout the plaza, echoing in the sacred hills inhabited by the ch'ulelal, who also watch over us and accompany us today.<\/p>\n

\u2202<\/p>\n

We, the Dominican friars, offer this gift to the people of Zinacanteco. It was made possible thanks to the agreement of the three community authorities: the municipality, the churches, and the pastoral plan.<\/p>\n

A special word of gratitude to the Sertull Foundation of Mexico City for its generous support in funding this initiative, as well as to the Fray Bartolom\u00e9 de Las Casas Human Rights Center for its support in educating about historical memory and the human rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, I invite the Dominican family (friars, sisters, and laity) to continue deepening, with rigor and hope, the historical memory of that complex past of the Dominicans in Chiapas, considering the challenges that lie ahead in our time:<\/p>\n