October 12th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, patroness of Spain and all Hispanic People. Though not one of Our Lady's most widely known titles, it is the oldest, and the story behind it is truly fascinating. Tradition tells us that before her bodily Assumption into heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Apostle St. James the Greater while he was preaching in Spain. After Pentecost, the Apostles went forth to proclaim the Gospel, and St. James journeyed to the Iberian Peninsula. But the people were slow to respond, and discouraged by the lack of conversions, he prayed with his disciples by the Ebro River in Zaragoza. At that moment, while still living in Jerusalem, Our Lady appeared atop a pillar of jasper stone carried by angels, holding a small statue of herself with the Christ Child. It was October 12, A.D. 40 — the first recorded Marian apparition in history. Our Lady consoled St. James, telling him not to lose heart, for the people to whom he preached would one day have faith as firm as the pillar on which she stood. She gave him the pillar and the statue, asking that a church be built on that very spot: “This place is to be my house, and this image and column shall be the title and altar of the temple that you shall build… and the people of this land will honor greatly my Son Jesus.”
She also promised:
“It will stand from that moment until the end of time, in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage.” St. James fulfilled her request, building a small chapel by the river — the first Marian shrine in history, now known as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, Spain. Over the centuries, larger churches were built on the same site, and the present magnificent basilica, erected in the 17th century, still houses the original pillar and statue just as Our Lady gave them nearly 2,000 years ago. In the same vision, Our Lady also called St. James back to Jerusalem, where he was martyred in 44 A.D. His followers carried his remains to Compostela, Spain, where the famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela now stands — one of the most visited pilgrimage destinations in the Catholic world.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love
(Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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