People in Spain have such an amazing reverence for the Virgin Mary here. It’s absolutely incredible and inspiring. As Christians we tend to think of Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity more than we think of her, and I know that sometimes I certainly forget about Mother Mary. But here in Spain it’s impossible to forget about her, every church you walk into has a huge statue of Mary, and then next to her is her son, Jesus. Churches are named after Mary, Mary of Sorrow, Mary of Anguish, Mary of something else, they are incredibly dedicated to her.
So when I was wandering out Huelva today, just to kill some time I stumbled (aka didn’t pay attention) into the church I’ve been attending since I came here. To my amazement there were four giant floats standing in the whole church being prepared for the “acto de fe” that will happen tomorrow. And the first thing I saw was a giant statue of Mary on the floor. It took me a bit of wandering around to realize, but this statue actually came off the wall, where it was previously standing. The statue was in a nook carved out for one of many statues of Mary and Jesus. And, to make it even more curious there were men standing around this statue dousing it in incense, keeping her surrounded by it. I found this very curious, but continued to meander around the church as everyone else took pictures and admired the floats being prepared. They were putting flowers on them and adorning them to be absolutely gorgeous tomorrow.
A bit later I wandered back over to look at the statue one more time before I left, and noticed that people kept going up to the statue and kissing her hand. I was so shocked and confused, and realized that the two men standing in their suits were there to protect the statue, one to shower Mary with incense and the other to wipe her hand after each person kissed it. I then watched one woman walk up to her, kiss her hand multiple times and stand and pray and cry, presumably thanking Mary for all that she has done for us. After watching this tremendous act of faith and devotion to her I walked up to Mary myself, kissed her hand and said a Hail Mary. Afterward, I realized how incredibly dedicated the country of Spain is to her, and how important Mary is to me as well.
Since being here I’ve learned to love Mary even more and accept her love for me. I’ve turned to her more often than I have in the past and realized that in giving birth to Jesus, raising Him and then watching/letting Him die for me, she has also done one of the most tremendous acts of love. She watched her son die and has cared for all of us as her own children. It’s amazing how important she is, and it’s amazing how quickly we forget that. Spain has helped me remember, and I can’t wait to watch the processions tomorrow down Gran Via. Rain or shine, the people of Huelva will be showing their faith in Jesus Christ, in God and in the Blessed Virgin Mary, by carrying the very heavy floats down the street and remembering all that God has sacrificed for us to live in his love.
Thank you Spain, for reminding me to remember Mary and her love for all of us as well.
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