Our Lady of Guadalupe: More Than Flowers

Continuing with excerpts from Our Lady of Guadalupe, we continue to see the depth of symbolism speaking in every item and gesture being used. For instance, I didn't know that the bishop-elect had been lied to. The stories I remember just implied that he was a crusty old so-and-so who didn't like Indians (which is completely untrue as I discovered in reading this book). I didn't realize those flowers had to do double duty. Read on and see what I mean.

The bishop-elect, disarmed by Juan Diego's confidence, sent two men to follow him to make sure that Juan Diego was not up to any tricks. The two men trailed Juan Diego for a good while but lost sight of him as he crossed the ravine near the bridge to Tepeyac. After a desperate and unsuccessful search, they returned to Friar Zumarraga's home and, infuriated with Juan Diego for having wasted their time, told Zumarraga that Juan Diego was a sorcerer and a fraud who deserved punishment to prevent him from lying again. ...

[Our Lady gives Juan Diego a sign for Friar Z. by putting roses in his tilma.]

Perhaps it is in this moment, as the Virgin stoops to rearrange the flowers in Juan Diego's tilma, that we are given the most poetically poignant expression of what the apparitions at Guadalupe would have meant to the Indian people. In her appearances on Tepeyac, the Virgin takes what is good and true in the Indian culture and rearranges it in such a way that these same elements are brought tothe fulfillment of truth. In the Indian culture, flowers and song (which, you will recall, Juan Diego heard just before the first apparition) were symbols of truth -- more specifically, the truth that, though somehow intuited by reason, is never comprehensively grasped. Thus the Virgin's sign of flowers, which had to undo the lie told to Firar Zumarrage by the false messengers, possesses a double meaning: more than a sign for the bishop-elect that is impossible to explain away as a mere trick by Juan Diego; for the indegenous people it is a sign of truth.

[Juan Diego takes the flowers to the bishop who recognizes the truth, unties the tilma from around Juan diego's neck, takes it immediately to his private chapel, and welcomes Juan Diego to spend the day in his home.]

In the account of the Guadalupan apparitions and miracles, there are many significant moments of reconciliation. In the image itself, one sees a perfect harmony of cultures and their respective symbols that convey the same truth. But for the Indians and laymen, the impression of the Virgin's image on the tilma and the acceptance of Juan Diego's tilma into the chapel are perhaps the most significant moments. In the Indian culture, the tilma reflected social status. A peasant's tilma would be plain and undecorated, while a tilma with color or decoration was reserved for noblemen and peole of high social rank. For the Indians, the Virgin, by placing her image on Juan Diego's tilma, gives a new and elevated dignity to the common person and especially the Indian.

Moreover, this dignity is recognized by the bishop-elect when, as the head of the Church in Mexico, he publicly and personally accepts the tilma into his own private chapel and welcomes Juan Diego into his home. At this moment, all of Juan Diego's roles that had previously impeded his total participation in the Church after the conquest -- as an Indian, a convert, a layman, and a man of limited social significance -- are welcomed as having an important and decisive place in the Church and its mission of evangelization.

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love
by Carl Anderson, Eduardo Chavez

I Miss Scott Nehring!

Thanks. Just had to get that out of my system.

Some Very Good Advice: Duty Before Holiness

Just as I was feeling doomed to unwittingly stray away from God by following "good" inspirations that would end up negatively impacting my life or the lives of my loved ones, I came across a three-word nugget of wisdom that would end up being one of the most helpful pieces of advice I've ever heard:

Duty before holiness.

A must read from Jen at Conversion Diary.

This quote ranges a bit wider and applies to everyone a bit more than a similar one which I like from St. Francis of Rome.

A married woman must often leave God at the altar in order to find Him in her housework.

We get the point though. It is tempting to be pulled away from everyday, mundane activities that are nevertheless of paramount importance: spouse, children, family, home. However, these are the places where God manifests Himself if we are striving to walk in Jesus' footsteps.

After all, let us not forget, Jesus spent all but three years of his life as a regular Joe, a carpenter with an everyday life in the back end of nowhere. If it's good enough for God, then it should be good enough for us.

Do People Still Cook? Michael Pollan's Answer Raises Hackles But I Think He is Right.

Just for a break from the usual controversial subjects that may be broached around here, let's take a look at the latest food world controversy. The upcoming movie Julie & Julia there has been an anticipatory swell of writing. I, personally, am looking forward to seeing Meryl Streep's take on Julia Child which is supposed to be really wonderful.

However, it prompted food writer and activist Michael Pollan to write a long, thoughtful article for the NY Times which has garnered some surprising response. Naturally, I have my own take on it as it dovetailed in with a conversation I had during the Beyond Cana retreat. Those who are interested will find it here at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

It's All Downhill from Here

A little something from Dr. Boli to brighten us as we move through the week.



I hear that Whole Foods is planning a return to their natural food roots. Now we can see the strength of their argument!

Those Aren't Fighting Words

“I don’t love you anymore. I’m not sure I ever did.”

His words came at me like a speeding fist, like a sucker punch, yet somehow in that moment I was able to duck. And once I recovered and composed myself, I managed to say, “I don’t buy it.” Because I didn’t.

He drew back in surprise. Apparently he’d expected me to burst into tears, to rage at him, to threaten him with a custody battle. Or beg him to change his mind.

So he turned mean. “I don’t like what you’ve become.”

Gut-wrenching pause. How could he say such a thing? That’s when I really wanted to fight. To rage. To cry. But I didn’t.

Instead, a shroud of calm enveloped me, and I repeated those words: “I don’t buy it.”

You see, I’d recently committed to a non-negotiable understanding with myself. I’d committed to “The End of Suffering.” I’d finally managed to exile the voices in my head that told me my personal happiness was only as good as my outward success, rooted in things that were often outside my control. I’d seen the insanity of that equation and decided to take responsibility for my own happiness. And I mean all of it.

[...]

I said: “It’s not age-appropriate to expect children to be concerned with their parents’ happiness. Not unless you want to create co-dependents who’ll spend their lives in bad relationships and therapy. There are times in every relationship when the parties involved need a break. What can we do to give you the distance you need, without hurting the family?”

“Huh?” he said.

An eye opening example of perspective, maturity, and love from this NY Times story. Also, though there is no mention of faith, to me this is a powerful example of covenantal love, giving your spouse 100% even when you are getting zero.

Via my dear Rita who, with her husband, brought Beyond Cana to our parish. She saw it at Faith & Family Live where Danielle Bean makes some good comments as well.

So now the air conditioner compressor is out at work

So now it looks as if the only place I have AC is in my car.

Really, I hate to have a whole building of people take it on the chin for the Beyond Cana retreat. It must be bearing fantastic fruit right now.

And I have something new to offer up. So ... if I live through it, then its all to the good!

Warm, but good.

Memo to Current Generation: Be Not Afraid. Keep Hope Alive.

More and more, we are hearing from people who might best be described as anti-birthers. Their claims have nothing to do with long- versus short-form Hawaiian birth certificates. Instead, they advance a simple proposition: that the birth of each additional American child is a kind of calamity for the environment.

You know when I see a WSJ op-ed titled American Babies Are Ruining Everything that I am going to stop and read it.

It is brief and I encourage you reading it, especially since I'm going to give a spoiler. I'll wait ...

Essentially, this is a summary of the creeping attitude we all know too well these days, especially if one is pro-life. Babies hurt the environment and make life harder for the rest of us so they are not really an occasion for celebration if one has more than two.

Tom blames Malthus. So do I. That Negative Nellie who predicted horrible things from overpopulation may have alerted us to the need for feeding the world better, but he left no positive message to look forward to after that. Later generations have taken his negativity and simply tweaked it to their own uses. The latest of these, of course, is the environment, which for many is elevated far beyond the original concerns of making sure that it can sustain life for all as it should (which I support so don't get all over me about this ... I recycle newspapers and suchlike). For many "the environment" as a cause has taken on religious undertones that make it equal in itself to human life.

Never have I been more happy to be Catholic. The Church understands and promotes stewardship of the earth but always with the understanding that human life, people, are the most precious of God's creations. Supporting man's dignity and right to life itself therefore trumps specious semi-scientific claims of environmental good in this case.

I find it interesting that in the age of technology, living more comfortably than any generation has, we also are more afraid than ever that our earthly comforts might diminish in some way. What has happened to the spirit of exploration and discovery that fueled some of man's greatest inventions? We have walked on the moon, looked at far away stars with the Hubble telescope, developed penicillin and other "wonder drugs" that extend life, built pyramids with little more than ingenuity, and so much more. Why now are we such a bunch of nay sayers, fearful of the future?

I was infused with the optimistic belief that man will overcome obstacles long before I became Catholic or even discovered that God does indeed exist. In the early years of our marriage, Tom turned me on to science historian James Burke's television series Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. At the time, the big science worry was the depletion of the ozone layer. I will never forget the mingled sense of relief and revelation that struck me as he calmly pointed out the many ways that we could continue to survive easily should such a thing occur ... with current technology. He went on to point out that many of our brightest minds would be busily working away on new inventions to solve both the problem and subsequent results. I felt a renewed optimism. "Why," I wondered, "had no one ever pointed this out to me before?"

We won't go into the various failures of news media on this point.

I just know that we have a spirit of pessimism these days. My grandparents enthusiastically hailed new inventions, even if it was just putting Tang, the breakfast of astronauts (!) on the table. The comparison between their view and that generally held these days is heartbreaking.

Now for the spoiler. Hopefully you've read the editorial in full.

I am pleased to see that there are still places where we can find proper perspective in national media.

The real answer, of course, is to have a little more faith in the creative powers of human beings. Given the freedom to grow and innovate, surely the same people who have licked polio, sent a man to the moon, and given us a revolution in information will sooner or later come up with new technologies that will provide for our energy needs while being friendlier to the environment.

The task is not without its challenges. But we’re not likely to get far with a “science” that defines the problem as American babies.

I turned to Tom yesterday morning and said ... (updated)

... "so now our air conditioner is broken and it's going to be 100 degrees today, my mother's got some old problems resurfacing, my father's health has taken a little downward slant, our Wall Street Journal wasn't delivered, our puppy has begun defecating on the patio again, and I couldn't sleep for three hours in the middle of the night ... again. Really? NOW is when we get all this? That's the best The Enemy can do? Now he's punishing us afterward?"

Tom laughed and nodded and said, "No kidding."

Let us add that yesterday afternoon we discovered that we may have to get a new furnace. Of course, that is a several thousand dollar investment which eventually comes to every long time home owner but the timing now is particularly bad. Of course.

And Rose had about 12 friends coming over for marathon movie watching and a friend's birthday celebration. (Never have I appreciated more the fact that our back room [where the television is] gets so little air conditioning that we have long had a little window unit. Let us thank God for hidden blessings. That was the one tolerable room in the house.)

Hey. At least I remembered to call my mother on Sunday and wish her happy birthday. I'll take the good where I can find it.

I sent some of this out in an email to the retreat team and had several people emailing back their experiences of backlash also.

We are used to taking hits from the very displeased Enemy before the retreat. Not just us, of course, but the entire team finds life is suddenly filled up and overflowing with troubles of many sorts before a retreat. We have learned to take it as a compliment, email each other that we are going to have "the best retreat ever," pray more than ever, and keep on going.

However, this is the first time that we've been hit so hard afterward.

Maybe it is a backlash of frustration. It does feel rather petulant.

There is no doubt that much good was worked by God through this retreat for the couples. In fact, there were even reports of a miracle or two.

I felt all weekend as if we were under a web of protection. Not the best way to put it perhaps. I could say "web" but to me there were no holes, it was a solid crystal sphere over us. As if angels were surrounding us, holding their wings out to keep anything external from entering the retreat. There was definitely more than one visible sign of God's love and power for us all.

You know what? If that's the price it takes, then I'm happy to take one for the team. Bring it.

Update:
Should have mentioned this sooner. This is just giving me more to offer up. So it's like a double whammy of "why bother?" Seriously. Do I need to point this out? Although smart isn't always what I hear applied to the Enemy.

Divorce Entrance Dance

You may find this spoof of the wedding dance video amusing. I know that I did. Via Kiwi Nomad.

The Senate Doctors' Show

Senator John Barrasso, M.D., and Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., are seeking your questions as Congress debates health care reform. We want you to be a part of this important debate. Send us your questions and comments by e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. Senators Barrasso and Coburn will respond to some of them in future episodes, which air every Tuesday and Thursday at 5 pm EST.

Fascinating. See their page with all past show links here.

Thanks to Terry for this, who as someone in the health biz knows a thing or two ... and also points out, "Sen. Coburn's bill deserves to be heard."

Thank you for your prayers

Victorian Couple Hand Tinted Photograph
via Victorian Paintings

The Beyond Cana retreat was really great. Eleven couples went away glowing with renewed love and their plans for improved marriages.

The experience of presenting the retreat is rewarding for us in so many ways. I am always reminded of how much I love the other couples on the team and how rewarding it is seeing their marriages grow richer. Also, I look at how many of them have young children and what they sacrifice in order to give to these other couples. It is a sacrifice that we don't have to make since our children are so much older ... and a real life example of how God takes it all and benefits both the giver and receiver. It keeps Tom and me grounded as well. The whole thing is a gift.

Many thanks to all who supported us in prayer. That support is essential and we appreciate it so much!

I finally watched that dancing wedding video that everyone has been linking to and talking about

(One last thing before I duck out for Beyond Cana.)

You know the video I mean, I am sure.

I very much fear that I must concur with the dear late queen on this subject.

"We are not amused."

One might rather say that we are actually appalled, although it might perhaps been a fine entrance to the ballroom for one's celebration after the nuptial ceremony. However, as a prequel to the sacrament of marriage, we would eschew such a demonstration in favor of keeping the focus on the sacrament that the couple is about to bestow upon each other. In these occasions, less is more.

Cheers,
QV and HC

Gone Retreatin' (and preppin')

Tomorrow our parish's Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreat begins. Tom and I are heavily involved in several aspects of this, both preparatory and presentational. I'll be out of touch until Monday or possibly Tuesday, depending on work, home, and everything.

For those who have sent me an email in the last couple of weeks to which I have not responded, I apologize. Vacation and retreat preparation have taken their toll. I will be linking and responding next week. Promise!

Any prayers offered for the success of the retreat will be much appreciated by everyone involved. Thanks y'all!

To Sit By An Open Window

To sit by an open window of a dark and quiet autumn night and hear in the sounds of distant traffic, the ebb and flow of the ocean (or the rushing water of a stream) is to displace oneself from all that is absolute, solid, identifiable and known, and to seek out the larger space that exists half in-reality and half in-perception. Half in heaven and half on earth. ...

Isn't that restful?

Read it all for a wonderful, meditative reflection from The Anchoress.

Believe it or not, I reference The Anchoress's writing fairly often in conversation. I have some friends who continually say that they don't like reading about politics so they don't read her blog.

I get it. I don't really care about reading about politics either.

However, by eschewing the whole, one misses these leaps that take us to another level spiritually. At least they take me there.

Even when writing about politics, one usually finds a The Anchoress exhibits greater spirit of charity than in the regular political writing. Sometimes she even combines politics and spiritual reflections. I know. Cool, right?

It's easy to skim the political writing in order to find the spiritual gems. Don't skip reading The Anchoress.

Oramus: For You We Pray

The essence of the Christian life is passing along God's love and blessings to those we find in our path. We love those with whom we live and work and play by sharing their daily lives, their joys and their trials. We love the needy in far off places through general prayer, and through contributions to those charities that aid them.

But how do we love and bless those in our own community that we do not know personally: those we see on the street, in the market, at the mall? Those who are well-dressed and well-fed, and in no obvious need? They, too, need the love and blessing of God. Some already have it; but what of those who do not know God? How, as Christians, can we love and bless them?

We Pray.

If asked, they would not accept our help; but through us they may receive the Lord's blessing. And some few might choose to ask what we are doing, and why; and perhaps they will learn to know God themselves.

This site really resonates with me. Perhaps because lately I have found myself looking at the faithful taking Communion while Thomas Merton's words echo through my head:

There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.

I do not take credit to myself for the sometimes overwhelming waves of love I feel for all the wide variety of people filing before my eyes. I feel this is the Holy Spirit giving me just a little taste of Jesus' overwhelming love for all of us. It is a glorious thing.

Oramus also put me in mind of The Anchoress's reflection upon praying for strangers which also wound around Merton's statement.

Oramus also has a blog which says there will be occasional posting. I am inclined to think that if all they ever posted was the excellent reminder to anonymously pray for our neighbors then that would be enough. Perhaps, again, because that is what I often find myself doing, all based on that really good prayer which I wrote about some time ago: Lord have mercy on me and bless (name/that person). Praying for our neighbors is an extension of that idea but without the impetus of an annoyance to kick start the process.

I like it.

I like it a lot.

The Facts About Overpopulation and Why it is a Myth

Simplified of course. For the facts behind the video, go to Overpopulation is a Myth.

Found at American Papist.

In the News ... Catholic Style

For those who don't get their Catholic news anywhere else (yes, there actually are a few, including Tom).

20 Awesome Prolife Democrats and 2 Tremendous Phonies

Twenty Democrats in the House of Representatives joined all but 9 Republicans last week in voting to defund Planned Parenthood in an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to the Labor / HHS Appropriations Bill. The Amendment failed, but I'd like to share some information about these prolife Democrats, as well as some info on two betrayers who should have been among their number.

Catholic Key Blog, which I am liking more all the time, has the details.

Vatican defrocks key Medjugorje priest, threatens excommunication

In the decree of the Congregation [see circular 939/2008, dated 8 July 2008, from the Curia of Mostar] it was written that Fr. Vlašić was suspected of "heresy and schism" and accused of "spreading questionable doctrines, manipulation of consciences, suspect mysticism, disobedience to legitimate orders and violations contra sextum (against the sixth commandment, that is). This last accusation relates to an event in 1977 (therefore prior to the "apparitions"), already reported on the page "And the Gospa said, Thanks so much to Father Tomislav; he's guiding you so well." ...

The Holy Father, accepting the request of friar Tomislav Vlasic, O.F.M, member of the province of friars minor of St. Bernardino of Siena (L'Aquila), responsible for conduct harmful to ecclesial communion both in the spheres of doctrine and discipline, and under a censure of interdict, has granted him the favor of reduction to the lay state (amissio status clericalis) and of dismissal from the Order.

In addition, the Holy Father has granted the petitioner, motu proprio, the remission of the censure incurred as well as the favor of dispensation from religious vows and from all the responsibilities connected with sacred ordination, including celibacy.

It's all here. Via New Advent.

Pope confirms visit to Shroud of Turin; new evidence on shroud emerges

A recent study by French scientist Thierry Castex has revealed that on the shroud are traces of words in Aramaic spelled with Hebrew letters.

A Vatican researcher, Barbara Frale, told Vatican Radio July 26 that her own studies suggest the letters on the shroud were written more than 1,800 years ago.

She said that in 1978 a Latin professor in Milan noticed Aramaic writing on the shroud and in 1989 scholars discovered Hebrew characters that probably were portions of the phrase "The king of the Jews."

Castex's recent discovery of the word "found" with another word next to it, which still has to be deciphered, "together may mean 'because found' or 'we found,'" she said.

What is interesting, she said, is that it recalls a passage in the Gospel of St. Luke, "We found this man misleading our people," which was what several Jewish leaders told Pontius Pilate when they asked him to condemn Jesus.

She said it would not be unusual for something to be written on a burial cloth in order to indicate the identity of the deceased.

The whole scoop is here. Again via New Advent.

Back in the Groove

Back from the beach but not a lot to report.

We had a great time ... got to visit with Tom's many relatives ... were knocked around by very rough waves ... watched line after line after line of brown pelicans soar majestically overhead on their way to somewhere (I'm tellin' ya, they look just like pterodactyls when soaring overhead) ... got in the habit of doing a morning crossword puzzle (so much so that Tom bought his first app so he could get crosswords on his iTouch) ... ate fresh caught shark ... and I got a pair of flip flops that I love.

Now I am catching up at work and also getting ready for the Beyond Cana marriage enrichment retreat next weekend (where Tom and I will be the Spiritual Directors ... prayers appreciated!).

So I will be blogging some but it will continue lightly for the rest of the week ... most likely.

A Must-Read Book for Anyone Interested in Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love by Carl Anderson (Author), Eduardo Chavez

Although I usually pay scant attention to Marian apparitions, ever since I first was exposed to the importance of the symbolism in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I have been interested in her. Briefly, as In Conversation With God (Vol 7: Feast Days, July-December) sums up: The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on Tepayac hill near Mexico City on the 9th of December 1531 to ask for the construction of a church there in her honour. After the miraculous cure of his uncle, Bernardo, this Indian peasant brought to his Bishop some roses that he received from Our Lady as a sign of her request. As the flowers fell from his cloak to the ground before the astonished Prelate, the image of the blessed virgin, which is venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe to this day, was miraculously impressed on the simple garment before their eyes.

For the full scoop, you really must read this fascinating book which I was lucky enough to receive thanks to Random House. This book helped me see not only how well Our Lady spoke to the Indians in the past but also how she continues to carry a message of love, unity and hope for us today. Authors Carl Anderson, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Knights of Columbus, and Father Eduardo Chavez, one of the most renowned experts on the Guadalupe apparitions, trace the history of the apparition and explore her as an important catalyst for modern religious and cultural transformation.

What has impressed me most is how completely every bit of symbolism was tailored to speak to the Indians of the time. Here is an example.

After introducing herself, the Virgin revealed the reason for her appearance:

I want very much that they build my sacred little house here, in which I will show Him, I will exalt Him on making Him manifest, I will give Him to all people in all my personal love, Him that is my compassionate gaze, Him that is my help, Him that is my salvation. Because truly I am your compassionate Mother, yours and that of all the people that live together in this land, and also of all the other various lineages of men, those who love me, those who cry to me, those who seek me, those who trust in me.

The Virgin then explained to Juan Diego how she needed him to deliver her message to Friar Juan de Zumarraga, the head of the church in New Spain.

Within the context of European Catholicism, the first apparition makes poignantly clear the Virgin Mary's universal role as mother and her desire to bring all people closer to God through her loving intercession. Less obvious, though no less significant, is what the Virgin's request for the construction of a chapel would have meant to a learned Indian. For the Aztecs, the temple was more than a religious building and the establishment of a temple was more than a ceremonial religious occasion. So central was religion to Aztec culture that the temple was seen as the foundation of society. Historically, the construction of a new temple marked the inauguration of a new civilization. In fact, the Aztecs built the Templo Mayor in the years immediately following their migration to the Valley of Mexico, and the common Aztec glyph, or pictogram, for a conquered people was the depiction of a temple toppling over, sometimes in flames. Thus the Virgin's commission to Juan Diego was rich in meaning far beyond the construction of a building, and was made richer still by the fact that it had been given to an Indian.

This scholarly but accessible book has so very much more fascinating information that I am going to do a series of excerpts to help give you a sense of the book. I'll list them at the bottom of the review as they are posted. Especially interesting to those who have read much about Our Lady of Guadalupe will be the appendices which include a transcription of Juan Diego's testimony about his encounters with Mary.

My one criticism of the book is that there isn't a good reproduction of the image on the tilma in the book for us to use in considering all the symbolism being explained. The best image is on the cover and is mostly covered by the title and other such information. I encourage you to seek out an image to put with the book so you really appreciate the information being shared by the authors. However, that is one oversight in an otherwise excellent book. I am not quite finished but wanted to get this review out there as it is being published August 4.

Highly recommended.

Additional excerpts:

• More Than Flowers