A 106 yo Catholic Church is making me cry. With the Latin songs in the background, I prayed for the US elections that only meritorious candidates to win and to serve the American people with integrity. Let statesmanship and conviction to serve the American people prevail.
I also offered mass for the 99th birthday of my dad, Eleazar Aquino Abarquez, now deceased since 2000. Thank you, Dad, for all your hard work, sacrifices, and guidance. Because of you, we pursued higher education in science, law, business administration, nursing, and accounting, our ticket out of poverty, as stressed to us. We celebrate your 99th birthday today, election day 2022, with two gifts of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s statues for a Marian exhibit of San Ignacio Church, headed by Fr. Joel Bugas.
God’s painting at sunset is so so beautiful. I was lucky to look at the window and quickly took my camera and now, this beautiful photo.A few minutes later, it was bluish gray.
“Another account is the Codex Escalada, dating from the sixteenth century, a sheet of parchment recording apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the figure of Juan Diego, which reproduces the glyph of Antonio Valeriano alongside the signature of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún. It contains the following glosses: “1548 Also in that year of 1531 appeared to Cuahtlatoatzin our beloved mother, the Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Cuahtlatoatzin died worthily”[39]- Wikipedia
There were five apparitions, and the fourth one was the miracle of Juan Diego’s dying uncle. When asked why Juan Diego did not show up at their appointed meeting with the Virgin Mary, Juan Diego responded he had to take care of his sick uncle by requesting the town’s folk healer, but it did not work.
The Virgin Mary, in a gift of the apparition, asked the fifth time and told Juan Diego that she wanted a chapel built for people to pray. Juan Diego responded that the Archbishop requested to provide proof of the Virgin Mary’s existence. Juan Diego was heard but not believed and rebuffed by the Archbishop and his staff.
Local tour guide, Ricardo Gomez, described the fifth apparition as Juan Diego being asked by the Virgin Mary to go to the Tepeyac Hill, where he was to gather Castilian Roses. Juan Diego was intentionally going the other way, opposite where the prior apparitions happened to avoid Virgin Mary.
Juan Diego said no roses grew there, only cactus bushes. Still, he went and saw various colors of Castilian roses. To fulfill the Virgin Mary’s wish, Juan Diego harvested the roses and used sisal cloth to wrap them. Juan Diego was accompanied by a witness, per Archbishop’s request.
Shortly after, the colors of the roses dropped out, and the colors formed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Juan Diego’s shirt.
This photo was taken inside the Indian indigenous chapel. As soon as I saw it, I wept. I asked St. Juan Diego to intercede for us and Our Lady of Guadalupe to grant us world peace, and healing for my sister, Rachel, and classmates @Linda Rozales and @Elsa Azote.
Fr. Joel Bugas celebrated mass here and gave a meaningful homily, despite 14 hours now of travel from New Mexico. He gave Communion to 38 pilgrims from Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He reminded us that we are pilgrims, not tourists who would prioritize shopping, complaining, and photos. We are here to pay and give respect and reverence, and for me, gratitude for Our Lady of Guadalupe has lifted two huge burdens in my life.
I was so grateful for the gift of healing for my loved one years ago, whose back surgery was successful, and the gift of conversion from a very hostile, toxic workplace to a more conducive workplace from my white male superiors 15 years ago.
The day ended at 17 hours with a beautiful mariachi band; some of us even danced, while others, like tourists, complained.
Still, the best example of grace, humanity, and a joyful attitude was Fr. Joel and our tour organizer, Lou. Anytime I join Lou’s pilgrimage, she takes us from three stars to five-star places. Tonight is a decent place with birds chirping in the morning, and when you open the window, it looks out to the patio of green plants.
What a glorious encounter of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego. Gracias!- Prosy Delacruz
I was lucky to catch a scheduled 830 am mass which started at 915am at the Church of Our Savior and St. Nicolas in Calle Atocha 58, several uphill climbed steps from my hotel.
“It is currently one of the oldest churches in Madrid. The bell tower was built in 12th century; also the rest of church, but that rest of the building was rebuilt between 15th-17th centuries.” Yup, grace upon grace to stumble upon this 822 years-old Catholic Church!
That space of time allowed me to pray for sick relatives and classmates before the Lord of Mercy and with intercession from St. Pope Paul II, St. Rita, and St. Nicolas. Drops of coins lit up the candles automatically. I kept crying inside, tears could not be helped, much like hearing mass at another century-old Holy Family Church in Glendale.
I wonder if dropping good deeds like seeds sprouting in the garden are like lit candles automatically lighting our lives’ paths?
I am exploring on my own and stumbled on this plaque. Here lived Don Pedro Antonio de Alarcon. “Alarcón wrote another popular short novel, El capitán Veneno [es] (‘Captain Poison’, 1881). He produced four other full-length novels. One of these novels, El escándalo (‘The Scandal’, 1875), became noted for its keen psychological insights. Alarcón also wrote three travel books and many short stories and essays.
Alarcón was born in Guadix, near Granada. In 1859, he served in a Spanish military operation in Morocco. He gained his first literary recognition with Diary of a Witness to the African War (1859–1860) [es], a patriotic account of the campaign.”-@Wikipedia
Dinner at Oven was pesto pasta, whose fresh basil aroma was inviting, and mascarpone ice cream. Thank you, Madrid, you have been kind to me. Thank you, dear Lord, for this trip, stumbling on great finds.
Hubby @enriquedlz saw The Church of the Savior and San Nicolas was open. We went inside, said prayers, and saw ancient relics and statues of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Rita, St. John Paul II, and a few more.
I said a special prayer for my sick sister that she might be granted a healing miracle from her cancer.
Tonight, our dinner was quite simple: salad and carbonara, which we split into two after a luxurious lunch of mixed paella, crema de Catalona, and churros con chocolate at Mahou, founded in 1929 at Plaza Mayor.
Walking hand in hand was quite comforting after not seeing one another for 35 days while hubby @enriquedlz did his second Camino pilgrimage.
“Walking together is a key cornerstone of the Church and is something we can ask ourselves: in our own lives within our families, our workplace, and where we spend our time, are we truly capable of listening and being open and inclusive to all “in the service of the Gospel,” the Pope asked the faithful.-@Vatican News
In Madrid, Spain, with the love of my life, 45 years together, and 43 years married.
My dad said we would not last as I married a divorced man, a non-practicing Catholic. He must be smiling up there in heaven, defying his forecast. And to think hubby has completed twice the #caminodesantiago!
Congratulations, @enriquedlz, you did it! Not once, but twice.
As we walked into Plaza Mayor, we could hear this beautiful voice, Eva Cassidy singing, “what a wonderful world.” What fitting music to accompany our sojourn in Madrid, Spain.
