Written by: Father Tommy Dell'Oca and volunteer.

On August 11, I celebrated 17 years of priesthood. As with every anniversary, the central tone is one of gratitude. First of all, for the undeserved gift of vocation; a call that can only be understood from the madness of Jesus' love for each one of us. 

I seek every day that my priesthood be close to men and close to God, in order to be a bridge with them. Spartans, and especially each individual Spartan, make it possible day by day to find myself and bring God to the heart of man. 

That God who is love does not let himself be outdone in generosity and this time he surprised me in a very special way. The Gladiators of the U47 of San Martín made the hosts that I consecrated at my anniversary mass. With deep emotion my hands trembled at the moment of the consecration.

It is shocking that the hands that held weapons, that were charged with violence in crimes, were the same hands that kneaded the flour to make hosts. Those hands of people deprived of their freedom allowed my priestly hands to consecrate that bread so that Christ may be present in their body. And so each one of those who came to take communion at that mass received the Lord thanks to the hands of the Gladiators that are being washed by love.

That is what the gospel is about, about shaking hands. About bridging the gap in God. About having an open gaze and heart so that these miracles of love do not go unnoticed. I am convinced that they are within the reach of each one of us to perceive, we only need to dare to open our own hands to shake others in common-union. That is what Spartans is about, the opportunity to not only give them second chances, but also to receive them ourselves.