PASTORAL LETTERS ON THE 2ND YEAR PREPARATION FOR THE TRICENTENARY OF THE DEVOTION TO OUR LADY OF PEÑAFRANCIA

Principalmente a la misa:
A pastoral letter on the veneration of
Our Lady of Pena de Francia in devotion and tradition

Our dear faithful:

A.  This pastoral letter continues reflections on our 300 years of devotion to Our Lady of Pena de Francia. After “Remembering the gift of devotion to Ina,” we now reflect on “Renewing our faith through Ina.” This pastoral letter is then a three-part series of reflections on Our Lady of Pena de Francia in devotion and tradition. The first part is on the origin of our devotion narrated in the tradition of novena prayers. The second part is on our devotion performed in the solemn processions of the traslacion and the fluvial procession. The final part is on the continuing challenge to devotion and tradition.

1. The Origin of devotion

The devotion to Our Lady of Penafrancia was initiated through the vow of Fr. Miquel de Covarrubias to have an image of Our Lady made for veneration. This vow fortuitously took form through the request from those called cimarrones to have an image of our Lady for their own. The more public veneration of the image is attested to in Fr. Miguel’s letter on May 1, 1710:
The image of Our Lady, under the title of Peña de Francia, was brought in solemn procession to the chapel completed. And there, she did many favors to all, all who made a visit, and principally at the Mass on Saturdays.
Since the date, the devotion has endured and spread in the city, province, region and the world over. It has described the fervor of Bicolanos and has become a gift of faith for Christians everywhere that, as Bishop Gainza foresaw, is for the good of the Church and Mary’s cult and glory. Through the centuries and across the globe, devotion to Our Lady has been marked by characteristics of its origin: Mary’s tutelage under the title of Pena de Francia, her image brought in solemn processions, acts of homage for favors through visits and pilgrimages, and especially the Mass.
This devotion calls for a continuing reflective practice. On one hand, the object of devotion is God; it is to love God. It actively comes from the inward attitude of deep fervency and intimacy of dedication. On the other, at the core of devotion, is the fact still of God providing and caring for all creation.. Passive in the sense of abandonment to God’s own will and work, devotion is really a gift of the Holy Spirit. While then the love of God directs acts of devotion in the midst of daily life to be righteous, frequent and immediate and, at the same time, requiring detachment from things finite -- never in order to get something back for deeds done -- it also active in celebrating God’s provident care since creation. God himself is the source and summit of devotion; God is the beginning and end of devotion.
In the experience of communion with God, interiority in devotion is externally objectified, in -- devotionals, e.g. novenas; practices, e.g., relics and images; they blend altogether in a ritual action of sacred time and space. The ritual becomes a communal expression of perspectives, powers and possibilities. Consistently observed, it becomes a tradition effectively binding persons to the history of one’s past and to the future of the next generation.

2. Reflection on tradition
2.1. The title of Our Lady of Pena de Francia
 and her tutelage in the novena
Let us then renew our faith in celebrating the devotional tradition of Our Lady of Pena de Francia --
2.1.1. Title and tutelage. The desire of  Fr. Miguel de Covarrubias to promote the devotion to Our Lady of Salamanca found at the mountains of Pena de Francia in Spain resounded in the supplications of those called the cimarrones (montaraces) at Mt. Isarog to have their own place for worship. The image carved in local form and color by a native artisan came to be eventually venerated as Bicol’s own Lady of Pena de Francia. Here, one sees the indication, even of old, for the essential link of devotion to the liturgy. The veneration of Mary leads the community to worship.
The orientation to liturgy and worship is through Mary’s title. Bishop Gainza accounts for the Lady of Penafrancia being the Queen of Angels. This title is related yet to two other Marian feasts:  the Nativity of Our Lady and the Most Holy Name of Mary. The Nativity of Our Lady indicates the imminent transfer of the image of Our Lady of Pena de Francia from her shrine to the Cathedral through the traslacion. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary marks the return of the image from the Cathedral to its shrine through the embarcacion, sakay or the fluvial procession. Bishop Gainza especially underlines the principal feast of Our Lady of Penafrancia to be on the Sunday after the fluvial procession.
Significant in the titles and observances for Our Lady of Pena de Francia is the fuller title for Mary as the Queen of Heaven (and the Angels). This title itself was introduced into the divine office by Clement VI in the 14th century as a preparation for Easter recalling Mary’s part in the reopening of heaven to men and there reigning as the Queen of Angels. By papal decree, the feast for the Most Holy Name of Mary has also been determined as the octave of the feast of the Nativity of Mary. Hence, the veneration of Our Lady of Pena de Francia describes her birth, her participation in redemption, and finally her Queenship.
The Easter imprint on Mary’s queenship readily leads further to understanding it as the fruit of her assumption into heaven. The intercessions of Our Lady of Pena de Francia need no longer be traced to circumstances at the carving of her image. Rather, the marvel God had done is for the  cimarrones to have faith by desire and their being attentive to the value of life. By her assumption, Mary is after all, “the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come” and is the sure hope and solace to the People of God on its sojourn on earth.”  
Sunday, the Lord’s Day, being the last day for the traditional novena, brings all of Mary’s intercessions “to gather all things in him (Christ)” in whom all “things in heaven and on earth” have their fullness. Our Lady of Pena de Francia is a figure of the communion of the faithful with Christ and for the renewal of creation. This eventual link of the titles of Our Lady of Penafrancia to the assumption, seen even before dogmatic definition, makes the Pena de Francia devotion truly an insight of faith among Bicolanos. It is, more so, a call for the continuing maturity in faith as a gift and pledge for all in the Christian community and society, the nation and the world.
2.1.2. The novena. Describing the role and work of Our Lady of Pena de Francia draws attention to how the devotee conforms his life to God in the Church and in society. In this, devotion is inspired and guided through a narrative, largely known as the novena. It is the novena that also directs expressions in ritual acts meaningful for the devotee and significant for the community.
Based on the widely used novena to Our Lady of Penafrancia in the vernacular, the following elements are edifying --

Edifying as the novena is, it urges further attention. First, the nature of devotion precludes attachment to finite things, and even so, relations. This urges the devotee to actively seek the good of others. This is not merely from superfluous altruism, but from an alterity of respect and compassion with the other. For, is it not in giving that we receive, in loving our neighbors that we really love? Second, the novena to Our Lady of Pena de Francia offers a way toward a transforming human-divine relationship. The devotee is to grow into his relationship with God, with Mary’s help, through stages beginning, and not only with, the human heart contrite before the mercy of God, towards peace in the love of God till the joy of union with divine glory. The devotee is to aspire and has to be guided to progress in spiritual maturity.
The nine-day novena prayers, especially at the Cathedral, on the festivities for Our Lady of Pena de Francia, underscore the need for progress in spiritual maturity. These prayers, reputedly from a commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke and the Most Holy Name of Mary, depict the intercession of Our Lady of Pena de Francia for the devotee conforming his/her life to God’s will. Prayers speak of the soul seeking enlightenment about its origin and grateful for divine favors in public and in private, protection from the perils of the world on the journey of becoming an imitator of God, being faithful to one’s state of life and obligations, and finally attaining eternal happiness grateful of Mary’s intercession.
The novena prayers are an instruction on the dignity and destiny of persons. They are a pedagogy for the transformation of persons from creation to conformity with God’s love and will onto communion in God’s glory. In the devotee being drawn towards a community-for-others to the glory of God, the prayers encourage him/her to break from the usual and comfortable perspectives and powers. It leads him/her to being touched by God in ordinary even daily events of existence and to give one’s part for the good of the church and society. The novena, affirming the Eucharist as really present and salvific, points to the Eucharist being made more meaningful in today’s pressing conditions and concerns.

B.  Through our reflection on the origin of our devotion to Our Lady of Pena de Francia we have given her homage as our Mother who by her assumption is the Queen of Heaven and the Angels, of all creation. As the novena in her honor relates: the goal of our devotion is our very own salvation in God. This we attain by doing good for others in the community as the source of our own sanctification. We now reflect on how we express our goal in the acts of solemn processions for Our Lady of Pena de Francia – the traslacion and the fluvial procession.

2.2. The tradition of solemn processions:
The traslacion and the embarcacion or the fluvial procession
2.2.1. The solemn processions. The break from ordinary life only to rebound to a more ordered way of living is observed is the power of ritual action in devotion, particularly in the solemn processions in honor of Our Lady of Pena de Francia.
Present observance of the feast of Our Lady is in fact introduced by the novena to the Divino Rostro and is concluded by the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday. This frame of reference unites the festivity for Our Lady to the mission of Christ. The novena to the Divino Rostro vividly recalls the redemption of man in Christ. The Eucharist makes its graces really present for the individual, for others and for the entire Christian community. Done still within the feast of Mary’s nativity upholding her to be the Mother of God, the novena to the Divino Rostro, the Eucharist delivers a prophetic message: God is always faithful to his covenant. Mary is the attentive virgin faithful to the love of God for his people. Uniting yearnings of peoples old and new, Mary sings the Magnificat, the song of the chosen people who, through the overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit, continue their journey to become the People of God, the Church. In this way is the image of Our Lady of Pena de Francia said to follow the image of the Divino Rostro.
2.2.2. The traslacion --- the transfer of the image of Our Lady from its sanctuary to the Cathedral -- is penitential in character. Bishop Gainza attests to the traslacion being, on one hand, “para cortar algunos abusos” – to end self-interests by both the cimarrones and the espanoles, even the sacerdotes. On the other, it was to accommodate the greater number of people visiting Our Lady. Traditions are not built on abuses, rather upon the aspirations of persons. People visiting Our Lady venerate and seek her intercession that the community of faith serve for the good of all. Penitence is for the failings of the community to act as the redeemed people of God by persistently clinging to self-serving interests.
Still, at the traslacion the Holy Spirit, who showed the Father’s loving faithfulness in sending Jesus for man’s salvation, calls to the People of God. He calls them to the freedom of the poor of the Lord that for Mary, the Virgin-in-prayer, meant the freedom to praise and to faithfully love God in response – “I am the servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to his word.” Indeed, the traslacion and the boya, can now be seen as that “sea of humanity” --  and, not of rowdy “self-interests” -- bearing the image of Our Lady. The traslacion is an intercessory procession. Rather than taking any of the fineries and adornments from the image of Our Lady, it is to give Mary fitting signs of thanksgiving that the deeds of the Lord may be fulfilled in us, as it was for her. It is to pray with her to praise and love God faithfully, as she did; and, to be a servant of the Lord for the community, as she is.
While at the Cathedral, Mary is the Virgin-Mother. She is the type and exemplar of the Virgin-Church that, by preaching and baptism, brings men to new life, renewed as disciples of Christ. Thus at Cana, when Mary interceded for the temporal needs of the occasion, Jesus worked the first of his signs that confirmed the faith of the apostles and the community on him as the one sent by God. This is the same faith Jesus entrusts to Mary and John at the foot of the cross; the Church cares for disciples as they care for the Church.  
2.2.3. The embarcacion or fluvial procession. The mutual care between the Church and disciples is further enacted at the embarcacion or the fluvial procession bringing back the image of Our Lady to its present Basilica. Mary is the virgin-presenting-offerings. At the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Mary’s “heart pierced with a sword” is oriented to Jesus’ being “a sign of contradiction” The Christ-child, according to Simeon’s greeting, is “…a light for all nations and the glory of the people Israel.” Just as Mary offered Jesus to be the light for all nations, so all disciples – devotees now – have to be reconciled with God by restoring all things in Christ.
Hence, Our Lady’s principal feast day on Sunday, celebrates the Virgin-Mother in union with her Son in the work of redemption. As Jesus “offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God,” “Mary “…united herself with a maternal heart to this sacrifice…” In the Sunday Eucharist Jesus perpetuates his sacrifice on the cross and entrusts it to the Church. The Church continues to pray in union with Mary who, assumed into heaven (as Queen of Heaven and the Angels), has never abandoned her mission of intercession for salvation. The Eucharist on Our Lady’s feast day celebrates the eternal love of God. It challenges the Church – especially the devotees of Mary – to imitate her, to act in the solidarity of charity.

C.  In our previous reflection, the traditional traslacion and fluvial processions are oriented to the Eucharist. The good we do for others, we must do as a Christian community. The traslacion is penitential: it is for our failing to act as the redeemed people of God by persisting in our self-interests. At the same time, at the traslacion we ask Mary to intercede for us -- to return to the loving faithfulness of God – by giving her praise and thanksgiving by not defiling her or taking any of her adornments. Resolving to act as disciples in caring for the Church, the fluvial procession becomes the offering of ourselves for service to the Church united with Mary and her Son Jesus. We now reflect, in this last of our series, on the continuing challenge for our devotional tradition for individuals, the church and society.

3. The continuing challenge: The practice of tradition
Bishop Gainza was edified by the fervency devotees give to their visits, prayers and adornment of the image of Our Lady, by the order bogadores (voyadores) give in assuring solemnity at processions, and by the involvement personalities in government and society give for the fitting celebration of Our Lady’s feast. These observances have, however, dimmed severely, diminishing tradition and darkening the vision of faith and culture. Still, from the foregoing, the Spirit calls to the vision of faith: the Church at the service of salvation in society. The tradition resounds in a cry: “Viva la Virgen!” – it is the veneration of Mary, Our Lady of Pena de Francia as the Queen of Heaven and of Angels; she is the hope for our union with God in the restoration of all things to Christ.
The tradition becomes the means to promote the vision.It is through the renewal of the devotee’s identity and vocation, of the inter-relationships in the Church, and of its service in society. Some key activities can be named without precluding other ways and initiatives.
3.1.  The renewal of the devotee’s identity and vocation
In this aspect crucial is formation toward the development of devotion and Christian maturity, such as offered for Marian spirituality in Our Lady of Pena de Francia being the Queen of Heaven and of Angels. Toward this formation is the renewal of the novena itself; it is still largely allegorical and subjective in affection. Further, it means promoting an education of faith especially seen as a pedagogical process from birth to finally a communion with God, as seen in the life of Mary. That is, a continuity of instructions for children, youth and adults and other circumstances, such as for instance in the adaptation of the rite of Christian initiation. In particular, with the performance of devotion still beset by self-interested affections, complicated yet by the breadth of history and distances, renewal means a habituation of the heart. That is, learning by the performance of devotion in its prayers and acts, e.g., processions, and no less of the liturgy and the sacraments, through training and practice especially in the home, in communities, school and the parish. This renewal is a discipling of the devotee, a formation of heart. Else what would the eye see or the ear hear, or enter into the human heart unless taught and trained for what God has prepared for those who love him?

In this aspect significant is the imaging of the Church as a sacrament of unity. The devotion is intimately oriented to salvation made real through the Eucharist. However, the immediately observed inordinate conduct particularly at processions works against the Church being seen an effective instrument of unity. Nonetheless, the same failing points to the task of the Church: to promote a  moral vision among the faithful. Immediately urgent certainly is for devotees, especially the bogadores, to organize themselves for the sake of order in the procession and devotion. They themselves at their best are the “guardians of honor” for Our Lady’s image. One way is to prevent any defilement of Our Lady’s image and her fineries. Another is to gather in “stations of prayer” to greet her and her Son with signs of praise and thanksgiving; for instance, flower-offerings, lighting of candles, waving of handkerchiefs, etc. particularly during the processions.
Indeed, inculcating vision among the faithful is to build them up to care for Mary as she cares for the Church. In building-up the faithful together as groups or communities in the Church, spiritual guidance and direction, such as in retreats and recollections, is vital. In building-up the services of the Church, pastoral direction is critical: for incorporating individuals into the Church, the liturgy and preaching, and catechesis have to be intensive; for improving the life of people, social action and mission have to be extensive. Facilities may get to be improved and programs coordinated, but there need not be the “crossing of boundaries” to have more activities. Rather, paramount is to build up the infrastructure of resources in the Church -- the priests and religious, lay elders and workers, cooperators and volunteers, and the new leaders of the future after them, with the local and global participation of devotees. It is no longer far-fetched to even set up centers for the spiritualpastoral care of devotees abroad. Bishop Gainza nonetheless noted reluctance among the cimarrones (montaraces) as well as of the espanoles and sacerdotes to render, among other things, accounts of Our Lady’s action in their lives. Preserving and transmitting Our Lady’s interventions will enable the Church to grow in devotion. Indeed, after St. Thomas, is it not that ceremonial precepts help to obtain justice in relations among persons for them to attain to the peace of God?

In this aspect, needed is the collaboration between the Church and the state. Public officials and personalities from social sectors have been present at the festivities of Our Lady of Pena de Francia. Their presence is a representation by the people. People giving public expression to their religious faith, especially through the processions across the city, inaugurate a sacred time or season and dedicate a sacred space. The city – together with it, the province and the entire region – becomes a place of pilgrimage.
As in a place of pilgrimage, leaders are recognized as elders of the faith, the feast of Our Lady of Pena de Francia calls upon public leaders to give the time and space conducive to the faith-expression of the people. This means the Church and state working together for the solemnity of the celebration. In the least, it is to have less of commercialization. Instead, it is to challenge and direct agencies and corporations to offer services for the increase of social and spiritual capital. Unchecked, commercialization is a distraction from religious motivations and an eventual destruction of the intellectual, moral and cultural fiber of society. Seen as immediately appropriate alternatives are activities celebrating the learning, values and cultural genius of a people; for example on communication-technology as well as in the regeneration of cultural heritage, etc. Strategic initiatives are far more lasting on ecology and livelihood security and sustainability, etc. In sum, recommendations negative and positive are a capacitation of people for their faith to bear fruit in quality of life. The efforts – by the Church and the State together – are a solidarity of charity especially for the most vulnerable. In the faith attaining to a quality of life, is this not the healthy attitude towards possessions that assures life, security and liberty? Is this capacitation of people not their aspiration for equality, freedom and dignity under God that democracy is all about?

A concluding prayer
These reflections and recommendations are to promote veneration of Our Lady of Pena de Francia. The observance of its devotion and tradition are narrated by the novena and the ritual action of processions and other acts; they are oriented to and completed by the memory of Jesus’ redemption perpetuated principally at Mass, in the Eucharist. Thus, the true mark of Our Lady’s devotee is the prayer and service for the good of the other in the care for the Church in society that becomes the source of his/her own sanctification. In this the devotee unites him/herself with Mary as she united herself with the sacrifice of her son Jesus. So to her we pray ---
“Offer your Son, Holy Virgin, and present to the Lord the blessed fruit of your womb.
Offer for the reconciliation of us all the Holy Victim pleasing to God” Amen.