By Father Bernard Marsh
Just up the road
to the North from El Poblado (or an even shorter swim away for our aquatic
friends) is the 11th shrine of Torreciudad, dedicated to our Lady.
It centres around a romanesque statue of Mary seated and holding the child
Jesus. This is the very statue which was enthroned there in 1084 by the
Christians, after the reconquest of the stronghold in the place which the Muslims
had built to defend themselves from attacks from the North. Some traditions
refer to the statue of our Lady of Torreciudad being venerated even before this
time, having then been hidden away during the Arab occupation.
If we continue due North from El Poblado across the Pyrenees, then
we come to another shrine dedicated to our Lady – a relative newcomer in the
world of Marian shrines. This is Lourdes. The origins of this shrine are far
less faded by the mists of time, and are decidedly more peaceful in nature. In
1858 a beautiful lady appeared to a young girl, Bernadette Soubirous, on a
total of 18 occasions. When Bernadette asked the lady who she was, she replied
“I am the Immaculate Conception” – not the sort of name that a 14 year-old
shepherdess of that area would be at all familiar with! The upshot was that the
Virgin Mary asked Bernadette to arrange for a chapel to built in that place;
she was also instructed to dig a little hole in the ground with her hands –
which opened up a hitherto unknown spring of water. The rest is history, as
they say.
So, you may ask,
what goes on in these places? Why do we have shrines dedicated to the Virgin
Mary? Shrines of some sort are very much part of the human culture: we are not
pure spirits (like the angels), but have a body. Thus space and time are a
dimension of our existence. And our encounter with God – especially with God
made man – also involves space and time. Some places have particular
significance with regards to our being close to God.
From the earliest days of the Church, it was appreciated that as
Mary is the mother of Jesus, and that as Jesus is not only a man but is also
truly God, then we can correctly give Mary the title Mother of God. Thus,
this title, which on the face of it sounds either ridiculous or blasphemous (or
both!), is the most exact expression of who Mary is: the Mother of God!
However, she is also our Mother: given to us (through St John) by Jesus as he
was dying on the Cross. Just think: you and I have a Mother who is also the
Mother of God!
We all know that children can get what they want from their father
by persuading their mother to plead on their behalf. And this is how God has
wanted to deal with us too. He associates different places more “intensely”
with his Mother (our Mother) so that we approach Him through Mary in those
places with all our needs. Whether it be to ask God for some favour or to give
thanks for those already received, Christians have always gone to Mary,
wherever she may be found, as the “shortest” way to God. Thus during her
lifetime on earth, the disciples of Jesus, after he had ascended into heaven,
went to her for encouragement – perhaps on the pretext of comforting her! Her
very face must have brought renewed strength and faith to them when faced with
opposition and persecution. And this Tradition has continued from then onwards.
As we face untold challenges in the week ahead, you and I too,
should also make a point of going to Mary in this special place of hers, to ask
her to put in a good word for us before the Lord of all – for ourselves, our
families and friends. Let’s prepare our visit to Torreciudad before our survivors’
dinner, recollecting that ultimately what we want above all else for everyone
is eternal happiness and all that leads to it.