It will take her 13 hours of train ride just to get from her hometown Naga to the Capital City of Manila. But I guess, travelling great distances has become her forte, there is no distance that is really too hard for her. How she came about and how she was made known to the world, it had all been one great journey of faith....of overcoming great distances.
Her story started when a french man named Simon Vela heard a voice telling him to find the Virgin Mother's image in the far away mountains of Spain. He answered this call and spent 5 years wandering around to find it. He was led to a place called Pena de Francia and with witnesses, he dug a small land as shown to him in a dream and found this miraculous image.
A small picture of her image sailed it's way across the seas to the shores of Cavite and somehow find its way in the little hands of a small sickly child named Miguel Cabarrubias. How he was able to take hold of this picture was not really revealed in the many history accounts of the "Lady of Penafrancia" but what was recorded so many times is his devotion to that small picture and his testimonies of miracles that it brought him.
Her story started when a french man named Simon Vela heard a voice telling him to find the Virgin Mother's image in the far away mountains of Spain. He answered this call and spent 5 years wandering around to find it. He was led to a place called Pena de Francia and with witnesses, he dug a small land as shown to him in a dream and found this miraculous image.
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| Our Lady of Penafrancia, Philippines |
A small picture of her image sailed it's way across the seas to the shores of Cavite and somehow find its way in the little hands of a small sickly child named Miguel Cabarrubias. How he was able to take hold of this picture was not really revealed in the many history accounts of the "Lady of Penafrancia" but what was recorded so many times is his devotion to that small picture and his testimonies of miracles that it brought him.
The young Miguel then traveled to Spain himself to visit the original image, he later followed the path of being a priest and later became one of the most influential bishops of Naga, Bicol. His devotion led to the creation of the image replica here in the Philippines, the same one that visited our community.
I never expected so many of my neighbors to show up, there are even outsiders who traveled from another Barangay just to visit the Lady. The golden cloth that was being thrown over the followers by priests let devotees disclose their requests and wishes to the Lady.
Hands and more hands touch this image with faith of being healed and their wishes granted through Mary's intercession. Yellow shirts with Viva La Virgen printed on their backs were worn by devotees and followers that show their great admiration to the Lady.
It looks like madness at first. It really is. And, I have encountered people from different religion who'd say it is so. Many will criticize it to be idolatry. But, there's something more than the wishing and praying to grant requests part to it.
When the crowd finally died down, and the overnight vigil started. I have realized that her message hasn't really been about granting miracles. Miracles are brought about by our faith, it has always been that way since Jesus time. Jesus said that if we have faith as little as a mustard seed, we can tell this mountain to throw itself to the sea and it would. All we need is to believe.
Mary's message on the other hand was always about reminding us that Jesus existed through her and that his son sacrificed his life for us. She was always the bridge that linked Jesus to the human world. Even by this Lady's story now, how she reached out to Simon Vela and Miguel Cabarrubias and how she continued to travel around the Philippines all these years, she is still helping to bridge the gap between us and God. Encouraging us to meet God halfway and not be afraid to ask for a miracle and show our faith. Personally, her visit made my faith to God stronger and made me believe more that Mary truly intercedes for us. She was always the quiet Saint that brings me back to God. With this said, I think that putting my faith on her is not madness at all.
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