Travel & Positivity Buzz

Last Sunday (September 8) was the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or simply Mama Mary’s birthday. It’s the time of the year when Marian devotees celebrate our Mother’s special day in their own way. For me, it was going to church to hear mass and to say my prayers of thanks. My devotion to our Mother has been influenced by my own Mom’s devotion to her (she built not one but two grottos in our house, the second one apparently from her dreams) and Filipinos love for her, as we are probably the only nation in the world where Mama Mary has a very special place in our day to day lives.

Lourdes, France

I am not really someone you can describe as a devout Catholic or a practicing one. In fact, I have already shed some religious traditions and beliefs that to me do not make sense at all, even after being raised in a religious and conservative family and years of blindly following traditions. In its place are beliefs taken from other religions, beliefs that are relatable and make more sense to me. You can say that I try to embrace snippets of certain religions or beliefs that resonate well with me. Like the concept of reincarnation, for example, from Hinduism. I am fascinated with past lives and what’s in store for me in my next life. The Hindu concept of karma is also very much a part of my pragmatic life. These are not teachings of the Catholic faith, but nonetheless I would see as having the same or even greater significance particularly on finding answers to or explanations for why certain things happen in our lives. I also subscribe to the teachings of Confucius, particularly the concept of filial piety. Although some of these are overlapping with Catholic beliefs, but there is just beauty on how certain religions depict and manifest these concepts and provide reason for being.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the holy water fountains

But one thing that is non-negotiable is my unwavering faith in Mama Mary. It’s not so much because she is our Christ’s Mother, but more on her being one of our own. Her story is simple as her character, but has immense impact as her presence. I don’t think I would have live this much or have gone thru life without her. There are challenges in this life that I have survived mainly on my belief in our Mother and her divine intervention. We always try to search for someone to look up to, someone who we think can guide us through. For me, there is no other higher power that I could relate to more than Mama Mary. The concept of her being a Mother to all of us cannot simply be ignored.

Grotto of Massabielle (Grotto of the Apparitions)

This is why even in my travels, I still have her even in just a few of my itineraries. In one of my trips to Europe a few years ago, I visited Lourdes (France) together with my folks. This is one of the places that our Blessed Virgin was said to have appeared in. It’s a quaint but scenic town with hilly areas and a river that snakes through the countryside. There are a lot of shops selling religious memorabilia and plastic containers for the holy water. The grotto that was built to serve as a marker of the probable location of her apparition is now where regular masses are held outside of the huge cathedral. The waters that come out from the fountains around the area are said to have miraculous powers that can cure the sick. The baths in the shrine offer the same miracles apparently, but it was very cold then and were closed for public use after it got flooded a few weeks earlier. Mom & Dad were quite disappointed (though even if it was open, I won’t let them take a public bath at that cold weather), so we ended up filling plastic bottles with holy water (I still have some up to this day). My belief though is that it’s not the water per se that is miraculous, but the strong, unadulterated faith in our Mother that she can cure us of our ills is the miracle that some people may have experienced.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima (Fatima, Portugal)

Two years ago I also went to Fatima (Portugal) to commemorate the 100th year of Mama Mary’s apparition. In that small town, she was said to have appeared to three young kids Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco multiple times that year starting May 13, 1917 and culminated on that fateful day when the extraordinary event now known as the Miracle of the Sun occurred on October 13, 1917. I traveled solo that time, since my folks were already too old to take that trip, though they would love to join me then if not for their mobility concerns. Fatima has that same idyllic setting as Lourdes but what ruins the vibe are the number of commercial establishments sprouting around the area. It doesn’t feel like a quaint town anymore but a modern town bidding for cityhood. Being in a holy place, there is nothing much to do but to hear mass and pray. I ended up attending at least two masses a day (morning and night) and participating in the night procession. I went at a time when the expected huge pilgrimage hasn’t arrived yet, so the area wasn’t that crowded. Just the right time to have that peace and space conducive to praying solemnly and life reflection. A special place and time to feel connected and closer to our Mother.

The Big Holm Oak

Translation: “Under this tree the little shepherds prayed while our Lady waited. The Holm of the apparitions was where the small column is today on the little chapel porch.”

I’ve mentioned about challenges in my life and how faith has kept me going thru these hard times. Last year was one of those difficult times for me personally. My Mom had several bouts of pneumonia and she was in and out of the hospital during that year. The first time I saw her in her critical state, tears started flowing and felt like the floodgates have been opened where I just couldn’t stop crying. She looked so frail and in vegetative state-like appearance, a face and a body that I could hardly recognize, like life has been sucked out of her. Gone were those hyper demeanor and huge kisses and hugs every time she sees me home. I remember flying in and out of Manila almost every week just to see her and ensure that everything is being taken care of in the hospital before flying back to Manila. While here, I would call the hospital every night after work just to check on her stats and condition. It has been a nightly routine (no matter how late and tired I was from stress from work) that nurses on duty would already expect my calls and are already prepared what to report to me. As if that wasn’t hard enough, my sister underwent transplant that same month when my Mom was in ICU for weeks. Like real troopers, these women in my life are now recovering nicely. Not so much due to medical science, but I could attribute these recoveries, which are nothing short of a miracle, to all the help I had from prayer warriors in my life: relatives and the Sisters of Carmelite, the former Marian devotees while the latter has the Blessed Virgin as their patron. They all came through for me.

Holy Mass at the Little Chapel (Fatima, Portugal)

That’s the beauty of faith and faith-based relationships. It seems like Mama Mary has put us together to serve a purpose and understand her workings. She may not manifest her intervention directly, but most of the time thru a vessel and comes and happens when you least expect it. This is the reason why I believe she lives among us, in us, through the pureness of one’s heart. That’s the ultimate mystery revealed, at least in my own little spiritual world where she is my core, my center.

My Mama, our Mother, and only worthy of our devotion, admiration, and respect. Dear Mama Mary, Happy Birthday. We love you.