On November 1, Christians celebrate All Saints' Day. On this day the Church remembers all those deceased who, having overcome purgatory, have been totally sanctified and enjoy eternal life in the presence of God.
All Saints' Day, a Christian Solemnity
On All Saints' Day, November 1, we look to the sky. It is the day on which all the saints are honored.to those who are on the altars and to so many Christians. To those who are on the altars and to so many Christians who, after a life according to the Gospel, share in the eternal happiness of heaven. They are our intercessors and our models of Christian life.
"Holiness is the most beautiful face of the Church." writes Pope Francis in "Gaudete et exsultate", his apostolic exhortation on the call to holiness in today's world (March 2018).
The Pope reminds us that this call is addressed to each one of us. The Lord also addresses you: "Be holy, for I am holy" (Lv 11:45; cf. 1P 1,16).
On November 1, we remember each one of those who said yes to this call. This is why All Saints' Day is not only celebrated in honor of the blessed or saints who are on the list of those canonized and for whom the Church celebrates on a special day of the year. honor all those who are not canonized, but are already living in the presence of God.. These souls are already considered saints because they are under the presence of God.
All Saints, painted by Fra Angelico. Italian painter who knew how to combine the life of a Dominican friar with that of a painter. He was beatified by John Paul II in 1982.
History of All Saints' Day
This celebration had its origins in the IV century due to the great number of martyrs of the church. Later on May 13, 610, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Roman Pantheon to the Christian cult. This is how they began to be celebrated on this date. Later Pope Gregory IV, in the 7th century, moved the feast to November 1st.
Several thousand saints have been officially canonized by the Catholic Church. But there is an immense number of non-canonized saints, who are already enjoying God in heaven. To these, the non-canonized saints, this feast is especially dedicated. The church seeks to recognize the work of the "unknown saints" who risked their lives for justice and freedom anonymously.
Difference between All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day
Pope Francis explained in a very clear way the difference between All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day:
"On November 1 we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. On November 2, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. These two celebrations are closely linked to each other, how joy and tears find in Jesus Christ a synthesis that is the foundation of our faith and hope.
. Indeed, on the one hand, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the saints and blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other hand, she, like Jesus, shares the weeping of those who suffer the separation from their loved ones, and like Him and thanks to Him, she makes her thanksgiving resound to the Father who has freed us from the dominion of sin and death".
"There are many wonderfully holy Christians, there are many wonderfully, delightfully holy mothers of families; there are many wonderful fathers of families. They will occupy in heaven places of wonder." St. Josemaría Escrivá.
All Saints' Day
On November 1, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. A feast instituted in honor of each and every saint, known or unknown, for their great work in spreading God's message. Many people attend a special Mass in their honor today.
On this feast day of All Saints, the Church asks us to look to heaven, which is our future homeland. We remember all those who are already in the presence of God and who are not remembered as canonized saints. There are millions who have already reached the presence of God. Most certainly a majority of them did not arrive in a direct way, perhaps they went through purgatory, but in the end they managed to be in the presence of God.
As a commentary on the Solemnity of All Saints. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven." We were born never to die again, we were born to enjoy God's happiness! The Lord encourages us and wants us to take the path of the Beatitudes to be happy.
All Souls Day
November 2 is All Souls Day. Although it seems to be the same, it is far from it. First of all, we must keep in mind that the celebration of the dead is a cultural tradition where people remember those who have already died, and altars are dedicated where photos, flowers and the food that the person remembered liked so much in life are placed. According to historians, this tradition is mainly found in Mexico 1,800 years before Christ.
On this day the Church invites us to pray for all those who have already died but who may not have reached eternal joy. Perhaps they are in purgatory and need our prayers, so we must remember them in the Holy Mass for the dead and pray at all times for their eternal rest.
You can be a saint
All the baptized are called to follow Jesus Christ, to live and make known the Gospel.
The purpose of Opus Dei is to contribute to the evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church by promoting a life consistent with the faith in the ordinary circumstances of life, especially through the sanctification of work, among the Christian faithful of all walks of life.
Links of interest:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Opusdei.org
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Halloween! Witches? Something much better
On All Saints' Day we rejoice and treat those who have died in God's grace and are already in heaven. On All Souls' Day we pray for those who are still in purgatory, so that, purified as soon as possible, they may enjoy heavenly glory. And on Halloween we do not celebrate anything.
Halloween, celebrations to reflect on
Both celebrations invite us to think about the mystery of death that Jesus himself wanted to take on so that we could overcome it.
It should also make us reflect on the final destiny of our lives: achieve the ultimate happiness for which you have made us (heaven)the real failure of hell, or the 'repechage' of the purgatory once properly purified. There is no room for witches or consumerist celebrations such as Halloween, imported from the United States. We celebrate life, not death.
The Communion of Saints
And, at the heart of this celebration, there is the faith in the communion of saints which we confess at the end of the Creed.
"Since all believers form one body, the good of one is communicated to the others.... It is therefore necessary to believe that there is a communion of goods in the Church.. But the most important member is Christsince He is the head....
Thus, the good of Christ is communicated to all the members, and this communication is made through the sacraments of the Church" (St. Thomassymb. 10) (Catechism, 947).
We are never alone, Jesus Christ and all our brothers and sisters in faith accompany and support us.
In the early Jerusalem community, the disciples persevered in the apostles' teaching, communionthe breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).
Communion in the faith: The faith of the faithful is the faith of the Church received from the Apostles, a treasure of life that is enriched when it is shared (Catechism, 949).
The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one considered what he possessed as his own, but they shared all things (Acts 4:32).
The Unbelief of St. Thomas" (c. 1601-1602) by Caravaggio, a masterpiece that captures the biblical moment of doubt.
Charity in the mystical body of Christ
Communion of charityIn the "communion of saints". none of us lives to himself, any more than any of us dies to himself. (Rm 14:7).
If one member suffers, all the others suffer with him. If one member is honored, all the others share in his joy. Now ye are the body of Christ, and the members thereof every man severally (1 Cor. 12:26-27).
The least of our acts done in charity has repercussions for the benefit of all, in this solidarity among all men, living or dead, which is founded on the communion of saints.
"There is a communion of life among us who believe in Christ and have been incorporated into Him through the Baptism. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is the model of this fire of love.
And the "communion of saints" is one big family. All of us are family, a family where we all try to help and support each other". Catechesis of Pope Francis.
Intercession of the saints
Let us also count on the intercession of the saints. "Because those in heaven are more intimately united with Christ, they consolidate the whole Church more firmly in holiness... they do not cease to intercede for us before the Father.
They present, through the one Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, the merits they have acquired on earth... Their fraternal solicitude is thus of great help to our weakness" (Vatican II, Lumen gentium 49).
Some saints, near the time of their death, were aware of the great good they could continue to do from Heaven: "Do not weep, I will be more useful to you after my death and I will help you more effectively than during my life" (St. Dominic of Guzman, dying, to his brothers, cf. Jordan of Saxony, lib 43).
"I will spend my heaven doing good on earth" (St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, verba) (cf. Catechism 956).
Let us especially invoke Mary, Mother of the Lord and mirror of all holiness. May she, the all holy one, make us faithful disciples of her son Jesus Christ, and may she take the deceased who are in purgatory to Heaven as soon as possible. Amen.
Where is there room for a celebration of death and not of life, of witches? No doubt in our lives, Halloween, or whatever you want to call it in every latitude, makes little sense. We are of saints and of praying for our deceased.
Mr. Francisco Varo Pineda Director of Research at the University of Navarra. Faculty of Theology. Professor of Sacred Scripture.
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St. Paul VI and St. Josemaría Escrivá
We cannot forget that our Faculty was erected as such in 1969, during his Pontificate. This recognition of the task begun a few years earlier with the encouragement of St. Josemaría Escrivá is part of the theological impulse that St. Paul VI wanted to give to the Church in the years following the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council.
In October 1999, I had the opportunity to prepare some words of welcome to the participants in a Study Days on "...".Modern man in search of God, according to the Magisterium of Paul VI"I would like to recall with gratitude some of the testimonies about Paul VI that, for various reasons, are connected with this Faculty of Theology. On that occasion, I wanted to recall with gratitude the memory of some testimonies about Paul VI that for various reasons are related to this Faculty of Theology and are therefore particularly dear to those of us who work here.
Today, twenty years later, I think that the canonization by Pope Francis is a good reason to remember them again.
Before becoming Paul VI: John Baptist Montini
Let us begin with a detail, merely anecdotal but significant, which refers to the first occasions on which a professor of our Faculty was personally received by Paul VI, although at the time of those meetings, 1943, Professor Orlandis, a professor at the University of Murcia and a young researcher, was not yet a professor of this Faculty, and John Baptist Montini was not yet Paul VI.
On one of the occasions on which they had arranged to meet, the previous audience went on a little longer than usual and the usher in charge of introducing the visitors to Monsignor Montini's office felt it his duty to give conversation to Fr. José Orlandis to liven up the wait.
"In the talk came up, as a confidence," recalls Prof. Orlandis, "the opinion that Montini deserved and the image that he presented before his eyes, so accustomed to contemplate him so closely. The definition, said in the popular language of an old Roman, was so funny to me," Orlandis continues, "that I could never forget it.Monsignore è proprio un santo: lavora sempre, quasi non dorme e mangia come un uccelletto!"".
This definition, somewhat singular in its form, is nonetheless an expressive testimony of the capacity for work and the affection that John Baptist Montini aroused in those who witnessed his daily work..
Years later
On the occasion of another meeting, on January 21, 1945, Professor Orlandis gave the future Pope Paul VI a copy of The Way, which St. Josemaría Escrivá had sent to him in Rome a few days earlier. Well, that book would not remain abandoned on the shelves of a library, but would also have its own history, which we have been able to learn about many years later.
Photograph taken during St. Josemaría's audience with Paul VI on January 24, 1964.
At a hearing
Granted by Pope Paul VI to Blessed Álvaro del Portillo thirty years later, that is, in 1975, shortly after the death of St. Josemaría, he spoke to his successor as head of Opus Dei about that book, which he still kept with great care.
This is how Bishop del Portillo recalled that conversation: "Paul VI spoke to me about Father with admiration and told me that he was convinced that he had been a saint. He confirmed to me that for many years he had been reading The Way every day and that it did great good to his soul" (Álvaro del Portillo, Interview on the Founder of Opus Dei, p. 18).
Paul VI's affection for St. Josemaría was already evident from the time he had the first references to him.and of the apostolic work he was carrying outMontini paid out of his own pocket the expenses for the granting of the appointment of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness that Blessed Álvaro del Portillo had requested for St. Josemaría Escrivá (Álvaro del Portillo, Interview on the Founder of Opus Dei, p. 18).
Bishop Montini and Josemaría Escrivá had the opportunity to meet for the first time in 1946 on the occasion of the founder of Opus Dei's first trip to Rome. St. Josemaría recalled all his life, and said it repeatedly, that Bishop Montini was the first friendly hand he met on his arrival in Rome, and he always had a cordial affection for him.
January 24, 1964
When Josemaría Escrivá When he was received in audience by Paul VI, he was deeply impressed to see in the Holy Father the kind face he had met in the Vatican offices on his first trip to Rome.
I seemed to be seeing once again the kind smile, and hearing again the kind words of encouragement (they were the first I heard in the Vatican) of Bishop Montini in 1946: but now it was Peter who smiled, who spoke, who blessed" (Letter 14 Feb. 1964. The text of this letter can be found in A. de Fuenmayor - V. Gómez Iglesias - J. L. Illanes, El itinerario jurídico del Opus Dei, p. 574).
They are simple reminders of recent history that bear witness to the human category
Mr. Francisco Varo Pineda Director of Research at the University of Navarra. Professor of Sacred Scripture at the Faculty of Theology.
Carlo Acutis, a teenage saint: the story of the Internet's patron saint
Carlo Acutis, a very peculiar young man
The history of Carlo Acutis is extraordinary. Born on May 3, 1991 to a well-to-do family in London - because both of his Italian parents worked there - he died on October 12, 2006, very quickly from acute myeloid leukemia.
A computer genius, but also a particularly devout boy, even though his family was not - his mother said he had only gone to Mass for his communion, confirmation and marriage - Carlo not only lived a Christian life, he used the networks to create a virtual display of the miracles of the Eucharist in the world. In addition, always thanks to his computer, where he used to play video games, like all boys, elaborated a scheme of the rosary that included the mysteries of the light.
After living for a short period in London, where she had a Polish nanny, Beata, a great admirer of John Paul II He moved with his family to Milan, where he first attended a Catholic school and, shortly before his death, a high school run by the Jesuits. There he first went to a Catholic school and shortly before his death, to a high school run by the Jesuits.
From the time he received his first communion at the age of 7 - before his time because he demanded it - he never missed his daily appointment with Mass. He prayed all the time, went to confession and asked his parents to take him on pilgrimages to places of saints and places of miracles of the Eucharist, which he defined as "a highway to Heaven".
As his family also had a home in Assisi, he used to spend a lot of time in the city of St. Francis, the patron saint of Italy after whom the Argentine Pope was named. Carlo liked Assisi so much that before his death he expressed his desire to be buried there.
Carlo Acutis an adolescent of our time
"Carlo was not a Franciscan. He was simply an adolescent of our time, in love with Jesus. -and especially of the Eucharist- and most devoted to Mary, especially in the rosary practice. But in Assisi he breathed the charism of St. Francis," wrote the bishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino, in a book entitled Originals, Not Photocopies, a phrase attributed to Carlo, a boy who surely swam against the current. He lived simply, got angry if his mother bought him a second pair of sneakers or brand-name clothes and used to help out at a soup kitchen in Milan.
The miracle in Brazil
His cause for beatification began in 2013. In July 2018, Pope Francis declared him venerable, a title granted by the Catholic Church to those who, by the practice of virtues exercised during their lifetime, are considered worthy of veneration by the faithful. Carlo was later credited with a miracle through his intercession, an indispensable step for his beatification. This took place in Brazil, on the seventh anniversary of his death, on October 12, 2013, in Campo Grande, capital of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Cardinal Agostino Vallini with Andrea Acutis, the father of Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who died at the age of 15 from acute myeloid leukemia, was beatified in a ceremony in Assisi.
There, a 6-year-old boy was inexplicably cured of a serious abnormality he had suffered since birth in his pancreas. "Father Marcelo Renório invited the parishioners to pray a novena and placed a piece of Carlo's T-shirt on the little patient, who the next day began to eat and whose pancreas was suddenly healthy. without the surgeons having operated on him," said his mother, Antonia Salzano, in an interview with Corrierre della Sera, in which she assured that she also received miraculous signs from her son-baby.
"Carlo predicted that I would become a mother again, even though I was about to turn 40. And in 2010, when I was already 43, I gave birth to twins, Michele and Francesca," she said, noting that when she suddenly became ill in 2006, Carlo offered his suffering to Pope Benedict XVI and the Church, as well as "to go straight to Paradise without going through purgatory. The future Blessed, in fact, also had a great sense of humor and lived his final stage with great serenity.
"Carlo embodies the sanctity of digital natives." explained in his book Bishop Sorrentino, who clarified that he was not a fan of virtual relationships and that he was also a great catechist. Faithful reflection of this, the domestic servant who worked in his family, Rajesh, thanks to him decided to convert from Hinduism to Catholicism. "It was Carlo, with his enthusiasm, with his explanations, with his films, that gave me the desire to become a Christian and to be baptized," Rajesh testified in the cause of beatification.
"Carlo knew how to speak about Jesus and the sacraments in a way that touched your heart."Bishop Sorrentino, who in his book drew a parallel between this teenager and St. Francis of Assisi, stressed that his body in 2019 was transferred from the city cemetery to the Sanctuary of the Expoliation in the church of St. Mary Major, the ancient cathedral of Assisi. It was there that the young Francis stripped himself, even to the point of nakedness, of all the goods of the world, in order to give himself entirely to God and to others.
Carlo's body
Seeing that in recent days some improper versions circulated in the media, Sorrentino a few days ago explained that it is not true that the body of the future Blessed was found incorrupt. "At the time of the exhumation from the cemetery of Assisi, which occurred on January 23, 2019, in view of the transfer to the shrine, it was found in the normal state of transformation proper to the cadaveric condition," he said.
"However, not many years after the burial, the body, still transformed, but with the various parts still in their anatomical connection, was treated with those techniques of conservation and integration that are usually practiced to expose with dignity to the veneration of the faithful the bodies of the blessed and the saints," he said.
It was an operation that was done "with art and love," said Bishop Sorrentino, who mentioned the "particularly successful reconstruction of the face through a silicone mask. The prelate also detailed that thanks to a special treatment it was possible to recover the "precious" relic of the heart, which will be used this Saturday, the day of the beatification.
In Christus vivit (Christ Lives), the apostolic exhortation he wrote to young people after the synod dedicated to them in March last year, Pope Francis made special mention of Carlo Acutis. "It is true that the digital world can put you at risk of self-absorption, isolation or empty pleasure. But don't forget that there are young people who are also creative and sometimes brilliant in these areas. This is what the venerable young Carlo Acutis used to do.", he wrote in paragraph 104.
"He knew very well that these mechanisms of communication, advertising and social networks can be used to turn us into numb beings, dependent on consumption and the novelties we can buy, obsessed with free time, locked in negativity. But he was able to use the new communication techniques to transmit the Gospel, to communicate values and beauty.", he continued.
Acutis passed away on October 12, 2006 (the feast day of the Virgin of Pilar in Spain and Latin America) and reached the altars with his beatification on October 10, 2020.
Elisabetta PiquéShe is the Italy and Vatican correspondent for La Nación. She has a degree in Political Science with a specialization in International Relations.
On the day of the Our Lady of the RosaryOn October 7, the Church invites us to do something very special: to pray together the Holy Rosary. This prayer not only connects us with the most important moments of Jesus' life, but also gives us the opportunity to pray for those who need it most.
From the CARF Foundation we would like to invite everyone to use this powerful prayer, which St. Josemaría defined in The Way, in point 558, as follows: "The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you will be amazed at the results.
The invitation focuses on uniting the Virgin Mary with priests and future vocations. By praying the Holy Rosary, we not only pray for our own needs and those of others, but we support those who give their lives to God. Today, more than ever, your prayer can be the impetus that future diocesan priests and religious need to advance in their formation journey.
Origin of the Virgin of the Rosary
The Feast of the Virgin of the Rosary has its origins in the 16th century, linked to the Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571). At that time, Pope St. Pius V asked Christians to pray the Rosary to ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary against the threat of the Ottoman Empire. After the victory of the Christian fleet, the Church attributed this triumph to the protection of the Virgin and established this feast in her honor. Initially called the Feast of Our Lady of Victories, it was later renamed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1573 as the Feast of the Virgin of the Rosary, reminding us of the power of this prayer and the constant protection of Mary.
On this significant date, the CARF Foundation invites you to join in prayer, praying the Holy Rosary for our priests and vocations. We ask Our Lady to protect and guide those who have generously responded to the call to serve God and the Church. As Pope Francis reminds us, "the Rosary is the prayer of the humble, of those who trust fully in the love of the Mother of God."
By praying the Rosary, we feel that we can come closer to the life of Jesus through Marywhose intercession is a way full of love and tenderness. She, with her maternal care, always guides us to her Son, listening to our petitions and presenting them before Him.
Liturgical and devotional evolution
The celebration was extended to the whole Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 and definitively fixed on October 7 by St. Pius X in 1913. The Rosary was consolidated as a popular prayer, promoted by various religious orders and popes over the centuries, highlighting its role in the meditation of the mysteries of the life of Christ and the intercession of the Virgin Mary.
Popular and cultural events
Nowadays, the feast of the Virgin of the Rosary is celebrated in various parts of the world with processions, solemn masses and cultural activities. In Spain, towns such as Torre Pacheco and Soto del Real commemorate this date with religious and festive events that reflect popular devotion. These celebrations range from parades and concerts to solidarity and cultural activities, showing the validity and deep-rootedness of this Marian tradition.
The Virgin of the Rosary is also the patron saint of numerous localities in Spain, such as Algámitas, Brenes, Burguillos, El Cuervo, Fuentes de Andalucía, La Lantejuela, Lora de Estepa, El Madroño, Marchena, Martín de la Jara, Los Molares, Las Pajanosas, El Rubio, Sanlúcar la Mayor, Santiponce, El Saucejo and Villanueva de San Juan. In these communities, devotion is manifested through brotherhoods, street altarpieces and other popular expressions that keep the tradition of the Rosary alive.
Spiritual significance
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary not only commemorates a historic victory, but also invites the faithful to deepen their spiritual life through prayer and meditation. The Rosary is a tool for contemplating the mysteries of the Christian faith and strengthening one's personal relationship with God and the Virgin Mary.
In addition, this devotion has been a source of inspiration and consolation in times of difficulty, reminding believers of the importance of faith and constant prayer. The Virgin of the Rosary is seen as a guide and protector, interceding for the needs of the faithful and accompanying them on their spiritual journey.
Spiritual reflection
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary invites the faithful to deepen their prayer and meditation on the mysteries of the faith. The Rosary, as a spiritual tool, offers a way to contemplate the life of Christ and to seek Mary's intercession for personal and community needs. In a world marked by challenges and changes, this devotion offers consolation and spiritual guidance.
In conclusion, the October 7 celebration in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary is an occasion to renew faith, remember history and strengthen community through prayer and devotion. It is a witness to Mary's enduring influence in the lives of believers and her role as intercessor and spiritual guide.
October 12, Virgen del Pilar of Zaragoza: what do we celebrate?
Patroness of the Hispanidad, of the city of Zaragoza and also of Mail and the Civil Guard. Thousands of pilgrims of all nationalities come to pray to the Virgin of Pilar in Zaragoza, where the Cathedral-Basilica is located.
Zaragoza, throughout the year, but especially during the festivities of the Pilar, is the city from where the national and universal union arises. Since Columbus opened the doors to the New World in 1492, Christian values have spread to the nations of America, Africa and Asia, now united by the solid pillar of a common past, a common language and a rich and diverse culture.
What is the history of the Virgen del Pilar?
As recorded in 13th century documents preserved in the cathedral of Saragossa, the story goes back to the period immediately following the Ascension.
In the year 40 AD, the Apostles had begun to fulfill the mission of preaching the Gospel. Each one seeking a part of the world.
The documents state that Santiago, "passing through Asturias, arrived with his new disciples through Galicia and Castile, to Aragon, the territory called Celtiberia, where the city of Zaragoza is located, on the banks of the Ebro.
The Apostle was seeing that that civilization was incredibly hard. It was very difficult to make the words of the Gospel reach those people, so James began to get discouraged when he saw that his efforts were not bearing fruit.
But on the night of January 2, 40 AD, Santiago, who was resting with his disciples by the river Ebro, in the Roman Caesaraugusta, which was the name given by Rome to the present Zaragoza, suddenly heard the voices of angels singing "Ave, Maria, gratia plena" and the Virgin appeared standing on a marble pillar".
The Blessed Virginasked the Apostle to build him a church there, with the altar around the pillar where he was standing, and promised that he would "This place will remain until the end of time so that the virtue of God may work wonders and marvels through my intercession with those who in their needs implore my patronage".
The Virgin disappeared and the pillar remained there. The Apostle James and the eight witnesses began to build a church on that site. But before it was finished, James ordained one of his disciples as a priest to serve it, consecrated it and gave it the title of Santa Maria del Pilar, before returning to Judea. This was the first church dedicated in honor of the Blessed Virgin.
Years later...
Pope Clement XII is aware of this devotion and establishes October 12 as the day on which the feast of the Virgin of the Pilar is celebrated.
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus set his first foot in America and thus it became clear that there is a world beyond Hispania. For this reason, Our Lady of the Pillar is entrusted with the Hispanic world, because the evangelization of the new lands was placed under her mantle.
The devotion of the people is so deep among the Spaniards, and from such remote times, that the Holy See allowed the establishment of the Office of the Pillar in which the apparition of the Virgin is consigned as "an ancient and pious belief".
The city of Zaragoza and the basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, its patron saint
On the banks of the Ebro River in Zaragoza stands the Basilica del Pilar. Its construction began in Renaissance times, it goes through the Baroque period and ends, in the 18th century, with neoclassical solutions.
Inside the basilica is the Santa Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, a magnificent case that encloses the pillar where the Virgin of Pilar appeared to the Apostle Santiago and which visitors have venerated over the centuries. This pillar is covered in bronze and silver, and holds a statuette representing the Virgin of Pilar, with an imposing mantle and the child Jesus in her arms.
The image of the Virgin
The carving of the Virgin does not reach forty centimeters. Its lines are late Gothic, and from the way the tunic is buttoned, the belt with its buckle, the high waist and the shoes, it could be dated to the 15th century.
The figure of the Child holds a little bird in one hand and with the other hand he holds tightly to his Mother's mantle. It can be said that it does not follow the sculptural style of the Virgin, although it completes it.
The whole is based on the Pilar, the smooth column of jasper covered with carved silver that except for the 2nd, 12th and 20th of each month, the Virgin of the Pillar, is not covered with mantle.
Some curiosities:
On the current importance of the Basilica
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pilar in Zaragoza is the most visited monument in Spain in recent years pre-pandemic. The Basilica del Pilar is not only the main tourist attraction of Zaragoza and the icon of the city, but also the first Marian shrine in the world and an important pilgrimage destination, millions of people visit it annually.
It is a Basilica and also a Cathedral. Zaragoza was the first city in the world to have two cathedrals, the first, from the early twelfth century when the troops of Alfonso the Battler conquered the city, the second the Basilica del Pilar, since 1676 no less.
You can climb one of the four towers, for only 3 €. The elevator reaches 63 meters high and you can enjoy the best panoramic views of the city of Zaragoza from the viewpoint of one of the four towers of the Basilica of Pilar. You can also contemplate from there the majesty of the Ebro River and the Pyrenees. In addition, you can also access the highest part of the towers (which is about 80 meters high) after climbing a few steps.
From the history of the basilica of the Virgen del Pilar
In August 1936 the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar was bombed. During the Spanish Civil War by a Republican airplane, there were 4 bombs, one fell on the Ebro, another on the Plaza del Pilar and two inside the temple without any of them exploding or causing serious damage. Two of these bombs are exposed in the pillars of the temple and the hole, in the shape of a cross, left by the one that fell in the square was filled with marble.
On the artistic and cultural value of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.
Goya painted the dome of the basilica of the Virgen del Pilar in only 44 days.
The first Spanish film in history was shot at the Pilar in 1898.
The Basilica del Pilar is the only Christian building in the world with Taoist symbology. These are the symbols similar to those used in traditional Chinese medicine that adorn some parts of the temple and that feed the theory of Taoist influence in El Pilar. The Jesuit monks returned to Zaragoza after a period as missionaries in China and this may be their explanation.
"In those years, I entrusted my prayer to a simple image of the Virgin of Pilar, so that the Lord would grant me to understand what my soul was already feeling. Domina! -I used to say to her in Latin terms, not precisely classical, but embellished by affection.-I am not a woman, ut sit: Madam, let it be of me what God wants me to be.
St. Josemaría.
Our Lady of the Pillar in the life of St. Josemaria
In the childhood of St. Joseph Mary the Virgin of the Pillar has been a great companion and support. His parents, Aragonese by birth, instilled his devotion in him since he was a child. And this devotion accompanied him until the end of his life.
In the last years of his life, he was accompanied by a small image of the Virgin of Pilar that he kissed every morning when he woke up; and in his workroom, he kept another life-size representation of the Virgin of Pilar.
During the years he spent in Zaragoza, both in the seminary and studying law, his visits to the Virgin were daily. "As I had good friendships with several of the clergymen who looked after the basilica, one day I was able to stay in the church after the doors were closed. I made my way to the Virgin, with the complicity of one of those good priests now deceased. I climbed the few stairs that the children know so well and, approaching, I kissed the image of Our Mother. I knew that this was not the custom, that kissing the mantle was allowed exclusively to the children and the authorities (...)
(...)However, I was and I am sure that my Mother of the Pillar was happy that I skipped for once the established customs in her cathedral. I continue to treat her with filial love. With the same faith with which I invoked her in those times, around the 1920s, when the Lord made me guess what he expected of me: with that same faith I invoke her now (...). Under her protection, I remain always happy and secure". That prayer before Our Lady of the Pillar, asking her to see and be what God wanted for him, prepared the foundation of Opus Dei.
Domina, ut sit! Madam, let it be that... which you want
St. Josemaría celebrated his first solemn Mass in the chapel of El Pilar in Saragossa. When he moved to Madrid and then to Rome, he continued to visit Our Lady whenever he could. The last time was on April 7, 1970.
On June 23, 1992, after the recently celebrated beatification of the Founder of Opus Dei, the then prelate of the Work, Don Álvaro del Portillo, offered a mantle to Our Lady of the Pillar.
On the occasion of this feast, we offer a prayer to ask for her intercession: Blessed Virgin of the Pillar, pray for the Pope and the bishops, for priests and for all Christians, that we may be worthy to attain the promises of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
At the feet of the Virgin
"Now we understand the profound meaning of the Pillar. It is not, nor has it ever been, an occasion for sterile sentimentalism: it establishes a firm foundation on which a real and solid norm of Christian conduct is based. At the Pillar, as at Fatima and Lourdes, at Einsiedeln and Loreto, at the Villa de Guadalupe, and in those thousands of places that Christian piety has built and continues to build for Mary, the children of God are educated in the faith.
History takes us back to the apostolic beginnings, when evangelization, the proclamation of the Good News, began. We are still in that era. For the greatness and eternity of our Lord, two thousand years are nothing. James, Paul, John and Andrew and the other apostles walk with us. Peter sits in Rome, with the watchful duty of confirming all in the obedience of faith. Closing our eyes, we relive the scene recounted to us, as in a recent letter, by St. Luke: all the disciples, animated by the same spirit, persevered together in prayer, with Mary, the mother of Jesus," says St. Josemaría.
Our Lady of the Pillar is a sign of strength in faith, love and hope. With Mary, in the cenacle, we receive the Holy Spirit. He will not abandon his Church. Our Lady will multiply the number of Christians on earth, convinced that it is worthwhile to give one's life for the Love of God.
