Gulf Pine Catholic

8 Gulf Pine Catholic • December 6, 2024 It was time to renew my car insurance. I sat in the insurance office, waiting for the next avail- able clerk to entertain my request. One other gentleman sat a few paces away. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him shooting periodic glances my way. As he did, I could guess what he might be thinking. “That guy sitting over there looks familiar. I know I must have met him somewhere before. But I don’t know where I met him and I have a feeling I might know his name.” Finally, his curiosity exploded. He couldn’t wait any longer. He began, “I think I might know you. Since you came in and I saw you, I have been won- dering who you are. I must have met you somewhere before..” Then, he blurted out, “Your last name might be ‘Tracey,’ by any chance. Would you be a ‘Father Tracey’?” I nodded in agreement. Then he said, “You must be Tom’s brother?” One of the joys of being away from the surround- ing area for decades is that its become easy to blend in, to go around incognito. Nobody really knows you and when you go out shopping, you are not recog- nized and don’t have to entertain casual meetings or asked questions. The incident at the insurance office has become a common feature of my encounters of late with peo- ple. If I celebrate Mass in any nearby parish, invari- ably, I meet folks who, when they recognize my last name, usually ask, “Are you Tom’s brother?” Once someone has asked that question, they follow it up with another question, “How is Tom?” The question is never prefaced by, “It is nice to meet you,” or “How are you doing?” Still, my ego remains untarnished by such seemingly lack of concern for my personal wellbeing. I have resigned myself to the idea of being Tom’s shadow. As for people asking the second question -- “How is Tom?” I fully appreciate the question and concern. You see, my brother, Tom, worked in the local hospital system for decades. There, he had con- tact and access to legions of people who came in and out through its doors. Obviously, friendships were formed there. Some might have been fleeting while others were more lasting. Tom developed Parkinson’s following his retire- ment and news of his diagnosis spread among his friends and acquaintances. And so, it is natural that folks ask, “How is Tom?” It seems, as we go through life, we are often car- ried through it on someone else’s coattails. All of us, at sometime or other, have been ushered through life by someone who shapes, forms, guides, inspires us along the way. It might be a parent, grandparent, neighbor, teacher or a friend. Such persons might have been the magic carpet that carried us through life’s bumps and bruises. As kids, we might have said, “When I grow up, I want to be like...” While there are such persons in our lives whose coattails we hitch a ride, we also have such persons on whose coattails we can ride on our journey of faith. In the past, children were often given the first name of a saint whose feast day might be closest to the child’s birthday. When a young person is pre- paring for the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are asked to choose a saint’s name for their Confirma- tion name and they are asked to research the histo- ry of that saint’s name to inspire them on their own journey of faith. Also, it was a good idea to know that saint’s background just in case the confirming bishop might ask one to explain why one chose that saint as well as its background. Our church calendar is filled with the names of such saints. We also know of certain saints that are not only patron saints, but saints that are associated with various ministries and causes. Of course, we are quick to call on St. Anthony, not because we have ‘lost’ something, but that we have ‘misplaced it and we want him, with his Xray eyes to find it for us. In more pressing situations, we might call on St. Jude because we might feel that we are in a hopeless situ- ation and need his help as a last resort. As we approached All Saints Day and the Month of the Holy Souls, we must again revisit the names of the people, known and unknown, as well as the saints who interceded for us and who allowed us to hitch a ride on their coattails. So, the next time, someone approaches me and says, “You must be...” I will gladly say, “Yes.” So, in case you are wondering who wrote this column, just know it was written by “Tom’s brother.” Father Michael Tracey is retired and lives in Ireland. He can be contacted by email at mtracey1@ bellsouth.net . His website is www.michaeltracey.net . You must be... Across the Pond Father Tracey On December 9, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Juan Diego, and on December 12, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, two important days when we recall the people and events surrounding our Blessed Mother’s miraculous intervention in the Americas. It began on December 9, 1531, when Mary appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin while he was crossing Te- peyac Hill near the area now known as Mexico City. Born Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1474, he took the name Juan Diego when he and his wife were among the first of the Nahua people to be baptized by Franciscan missionar- ies in 1524. Mary told Juan she wanted a church built at Tepeyac Hill in her honor, so he shared this request with newly appointed Bishop Juan de Zumarraga. When the bishop refused, Mary appeared to Juan Diego again with the same request, and again he went to the bishop, who this time said he needed a sign. Juan planned to return to Te- peyac Hill the following day but was detained when his uncle fell seriously ill. By the next day, December 12, he feared his uncle would die and hurried to find a priest to perform Last Rites. In his haste, Juan avoided Tepey- ac Hill, but Mary appeared to him on the path he took. When he explained the desperate nature of the sit- uation, Mary declared: “Am I not here who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow of protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there any- thing else you need?” After this beautiful declaration, Mary told Juan that his uncle was healed and instructed him to col- lect flowers from Tepeyac Hill, a place that was usually barren. So, he went and gathered Castillian roses, a flower that was not even native to Mexico, and she arranged them in his Tilma and sent him to the bish- op. When he unfurled the Tilma, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was revealed, and the bishop finally believed. In her apparitions to Juan Diego, Mary spoke his language, Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs -- and she appeared in the likeness of his people. In this way, Mary can be seen to have given the faith to indigenous peoples of the Americas as their own. It was not long after these miraculous events that millions converted to Christianity. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Gua- dalupe sits at the foot of Tepeyac Hill, and every year in early December, millions make pilgrimages to honor Mary on the anniversary of her final apparition to Juan Diego and the miracle of the Tilma. Homes are decorat- ed with altars to the Virgin Mary, the rosary is prayed in the evenings, and a novena begins nine days before the feast. Some pilgrims are known to travel many miles on their knees as a sign of devotion to our Blessed Moth- er. Groups of mariachis, folk musicians, and dancers perform outside the shrine. Inside, priests and bishops from all over Mexico offer Mass, and fiestas with fire- works take place throughout the country. Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has spread around the globe. Our Blessed Mother’s message to Saint Juan Diego speaks in resounding ways to us today, showing that God wishes to bring the peoples of the world together under Christ. Let us pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to open hearts to conversion. Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M., serves on The Chris- tophers’ Board of Directors. For a free copy of the Christopher News Note, GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, write: The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org . The Miracle of the Tilma Light One Candle Fr. Dougherty