Chapter 7

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

http://www.zcgvaz.com/z/CLXP.htm

Started 9 October 2007

Category: DEFINITELY FICTION

Last Updated 6 November 2008 p

To ALL Government and Religious Leaders of the World

See:  http://www.zcgvaz.com/i/CHS.htm

 

Official photograph taken from:

http://www.sancta.org

 

Dec 2007

 

     The would be Quinceaneras were decorating the rolling pedestal that would be pulled down the streets around the church.  They were trying to place as much roses as they could around the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Of course they were not fresh ones.  They were made of silk. As on that day that Juan Diego went to the side of the hill where the Blessed Virgin Mary directed him to go, it was not the time for roses to bloom.  This was a re-enactment of the December 1531 series of events in Tepeyac, Mexico.   

 

     Lynn studied the official replica of the picture of the original tilma on display in the cathedral in Mexico City.  God was the artist responsible for this.  He could have painted a Raphael, Il Greco or Da Vinci portrait.  No, He sketched a weird drawing.  It was far from realistic looking.  In His omnipotence He decided to make it so for a purpose.  WHAT!!!???  To start, this was not the Blessed Virgin Mary’s classic look.  The painting had bright colors and was made of unknown super indelible inks.  The untouched original is still on display in Mexico City.  The Virgin was not in her usual blue and white and had three layers of clothes under the star studded mantle.  God was not designing clothes.  The outlines sometimes blended making it difficult to note the cut of each piece of garment.  It was obvious that an Astrological background denoting at least one date was implied.  The Sun was in Virgo.  There was a new moon and a solar eclipse.  The Cherubim and Flaming Sword were there along with the serpent being crushed by the Lady’s feet.  Adam and Eve were absent.  Her eye showed a reflection of the group in  the room with the bishop.  St. Juan Diego may have had his only photograph in black and white negative.  If he were the man with the beard he would have looked like one of the Egyptian or Syrian workers with large noses on the Pre Columbian codices.  Also observed was a family with adults and children with a baby carried on the back of one of the adults in the native Indian style.  Some claimed to have discerned outlines of other infants in various parts of the painting. 

 

     The portrait appeared on the most unlikely canvas …  St. Juan Diego’s tilma.  He was not aware of it until others saw it and knelt in front of him.  That must have been quite a surprise considering that the bishop and other church personnel were reluctant to let him in.  He returned repeatedly and was finally advised to bring proof.  He had claimed to have been sent by Coatlaxopeuh, “She who crushes the serpent’s head with her foot” to request the bishop to build a cathedral on the hill in her honor.  She spoke to him on different occasions in his own language … Nahuatl.  She looked like one of his people.  She was very beautiful, kind and understanding. She even told him not to worry about his uncle who he was supposed to check on because he was ill.  Instead he was requested to listen to her.  She addressed him as Juanito, her littlest one as a mother would a young child.  He believed her and sure enough later found that his uncle was in fair enough condition.  When he tried on another occasion to go around the area where he had previously seen her, he found her waiting where he was about to pass but did not reproach him.  Instead, she spoke to him understandingly.  He was afraid that he was not up to par with the task being asked of him to do.  She reassured him that he was the right man for the job.

 

     So, on that cold wintry day, he went to the spot to gather flowers which he really did not expect to see.  To his surprise, they were not only there but were also the best, freshest and most fragrant roses he had ever seen at the correct season.  He used the upturned lower portion of the front of his poncho to carry the best ones to her.  She rearranged them as a florist would and sent him on his way.  St. Juanito went to the bishop to keep a return appointment.  The sacristan tried to ignore him as usual but he was more assertive at this time and indicated that he had the proof that the bishop wanted.  He was worried that the gorgeous blooms would wilt.  He gained admittance after some delay.  In front of the bishop and his court, Juan Diego unfolded the tilma ro expose his precious delivery.  The bishop and all those around him were astounded and knelt in wonder at the sight.  Juan Diego knew the flowers were extraordinarily beautiful.  He did not realize though that they were looking in amazement at the sketch of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the front of the tilma he was wearing!!!

 

     The lady appeared as a Nahuatl native, standing erect but not stiffly and with her head tilted slightly to her right and eyes directed slightly downwards as a mother looking tenderly at her child.  This also showed humility.  She was not a Nahuatl godess who would otherwise look straight ahead.  Her face showed great compassion.  Her hands were held palm to palm as in prayer and sign of respect for a superior.  She was  indicating that she was offering something and that an important event was forthcoming.  She was wearing a black waistband meaning she was with child.  A cherubim lifted the hem of her beige with baby blue and pink flowers and Spring fresh leaves print dress showing a bare foot.  She was not a quinceanera yet.  Young girls at the time did not get their first shoes till their Quinceanera celebration at age fifteen when they were considered to have reached womanhood.  To the Native Americans, the winged being was a messenger of the gods making an announcement.  Mixcoatl, the Cloud Serpent, was the patron of the Milky Way or Underworld.   

      Her mantle was turquoise, the color reserved for Omecihuatl who represents the source of unity for everything that exists.  The stars meant the change to a new era.   The sun which represents the supreme god was behind her with only the rays visible all around her.  The woman is greater than the sun.  She was stepping on the moon covered with scales like those on serpents. The supreme god of the ancient natives was able to sacrifice himself for his people and became the sun god.  His brother who was unable to do likewise became the moon or lesser god.  The moon god is responsible for bringing back the sun every morning.  He had to offer sacrifices to please the higher one.  The moon, god of night, occasionally tries to eclipse the sun but never for long.  Such occurrences were generally viewed as bad omens.

 

     The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared several times under different circumstances.  In Mexico City it was to bring about a change from Aztec religion to Christianity.  In the Philippines, during the battle between the invading Protestant Dutch and the Catholic Spanish Conquistadores in Manila Bay in 1646, her image was seen in the sky.  She was dressed in regal clothes complete with gold embroidery, halo and crown as the Virgen de La Naval de Manila.  The Catholics won.

 

     In Fatima, Portugal, she appeared to three children several times.  On one occasion, the angel was seen standing beside her.  He held the Flamimg Sword and pointed it towards the people.  In a loud voice, he said: “Penance! Penance! Penance!”  Then the sun started tumbling down towards earth.  The people screamed in panic.  Our Lady waved her hand and sent the sun back where it belonged.  The people trembled not at the sight but at the discovery that their clothes which were drenched by the previous rain completely dried up.  The sundance was real. 

 

     In Esperanza, on the feastday of Our Lady of Guadalupe, she appeared to a man who has been away from the Church for twenty years.  Like many adults today, he was disgruntled by the priests’ inability, reluctance or lack of patience to answer his questions about mysteries of the Catholic faith.  He as a child was searching for explanations of the Holy Trinity, the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ as man in spite of His being God.  How did the Holy Ghost do that?  How did the virgin birth happen?  The reply to all was: “You cannot understand.  Don’t worry about it.”  Muhammad did better.  His theory was that God only has to will something and it gets done.  Unfortunately, Muhammad thought it was disrespectful to even think of God begetting a son.  He therefore did not accept that Jesus also is the Son of God.

 

     At least, the sisters in the schools Lynn went to acknowledged sharing her dilemma and stated that we should strive even harder to go to heaven so we can ask God to make us understand.  They admitted that they along with St. Agustin can not fathom the mysteries of faith using human capabilities.  The difficulty was not hers alone.  Together they can work to get to where explanations would be simpler to figure out with God endowed empowered comprehension.

 

     The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared as a light in the darkness dressed in the same white robe and blue mantle she was seen wearing in Fatima.  She extended her hand to him.  Just as going to heaven, we may not even care to understand everything then.  The knowledge that we are there may be enough.

 

     “Why did she show up during the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe dressed as the Lady of Fatima?”  Lynn heard a voice behind her.

 

     It was that little girl who started attending mass at Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Church as a baby carried by her prospective adoptive parents.  She was alert and inquisitive even then.  They usually sat in front of her.  She watched everyone and everything and appeared to be examining objects she managed to reach.  The day she was baptized she must have known that she was the star of the show.  She did not fuss as usual when she wanted something.  That day, she had all the attention a little princess could have desired.  She was beautiful in her Christening outfit and spent a lot of time turning her hands and spreading her fingers to admire her tiny lace mitts.  She managed to loosen the ribbons tied under her chin keeping her matching bonnet in place.  The entire congregation watched her grow up.  She was a novelty specially to the couple who succeeded in legally adopting her.  She was obviously more white than Mexican with blondish hair and fair skin.  One morning, she and her parents sat on the other side of the aisle in front of the podium.  She sang her ABC’s while the bishop prepared his papers for the upcoming sermon.  He did not seem to notice.  The girl kept repeating the song.  When the bishop finished his preparations, he approached the family and commended the girl.  He then glanced at Lynn.  She smiled knowingly.

  

     “Her message was a mixture of both.”  Lynn replied.

 

      “Why did she show up in America?”

 

       “A lot of things happened in both South and Middle America.  The USA is about to be immersed in more world and local crises.”

 

     “Middle America?”

 

     “Yes.”  Lynn confirmed.  “It was Tenochtitlan.  Now we know it as Mexico.”

 

     “Oh yes!”  The girl said.  “That’s where the hole is.”

 

     “Am I transmitting messages to her brain or is she absorbing them from mine?”  Lynn thought.  “She is neither a relative or a clone.”

 

     She switched to a different computer program showing maps.

 

     “Alright.” She said aloud.  “Point at the hole.”

 

     The girl touched the area of the Gulf of Mexico with her finger.

 

     “Do you know how that was formed?”

 

     The girl deliberated for a while then said “Something fell off.”

 

     “I wish grown ups would think like you kids.”  Lynn laughed.  “Do you know where that something went?”

 

     “Nope.”

 

     “I am not sure either but I have an idea.”

     “It fell to the bottom of the sea.”

 

     “Possible.  … Part of it anyhow.  The Bimini Highway may be another part of it!” 

 

     “A highway?”  The girl repeated incredulously.

 

     “Not really.  It was just called that by the discoverer because it was a pair of obviously man-made structures stretching on the sea floor.  Investigators thought they were rocks sculptured by ocean currents.”  Lynn explained.  “Anyhow, all the land on earth started as one huge clump of dirt on one side of the globe.  There was no need for planes or ships.  There were no bridges to cross either.  Animals and then people could have walked all over the world without free vacation tickets.  There were no hotels or resorts.  No permits were needed for camping.  I don’t know why we are so intent on finding out where Paradise was.  All the earth was Paradise.”

     The girl was listening intently.  Lyn continued.

     “Pangacea was not the first single landmass.  It was the latest one before our current fragmented configuration.  About 600 million years ago, a comet hit earth.  Lt killed about 60% of lifeforms.  The bigger ones such as the dinosaurs had more trouble because they required more food and very little was left.  The smaller species survived better and adapted to the harsh environment.  A large crater has been discovered in the Yucatan Peninsula here in the American continent.  We do not know of any breakage at that time.  I imagine that the force of the impact would have at least weakened some areas of land.  The resulting debris from the impact apparently was the main cause of the near extinction of all life because of the cloud cover it produced.  The sun was blocked almost completely causing freezing temperatures in most areas.  Pangacea eventually broke around 200 to 225 million years ago.”

 

     “One piece went up and the other down.”

 

     “How did you know?”

 

     “That’s what Geologists now say.  "

 

     “Good guess!”

 

     “Yup!”  Lynn laughed.  “The experts think they know for sure.  The Northern piece was called Laurasia and the Southern one Gondwanaland.”

 

     “I think we belonged to the North.”

 

     “What made you think so?”


     “Our great grandparents cannot pronounce difficult names.”

 

     “Anyhow, there were more breaks and at least one rejoining of continents. Scientists and Geologists think that through all these, Africa and South America stayed together till close to or at the time the current distribution of continents happened.”

 

     “When was that?”

 

     “Good question.”  Lynn remarked.  “It had to be after one of  the eruptions of Yellowstone Volcano.  Mu may have broken off from its core which could be Easter Island close to South America at that time.  My guess is probably less than 25,000 years ago.  An ancient map showed an island in the Atlantic Ocean.  It was upside down.  When it was turned around to correspond to today’s North-South orientation, the island looked like South America but not exactly the same.  To the East are Africa, the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and the Eurasian plate.    Anyhow, I think that was the land that used to occupy the hole."

 

     “Atlantis!”  The girl exclaimed excitedly to Lynn’s surprise.

 

     “You heard of Atlantis?”

 

     “Yes!  My mom keeps talking about it.  She thinks that’s where I came from.”

 

     “What made her think so?”

 

     “I look different.  I know more than I’m supposed to.”

 

     “Just like a mother …” Lynn thought.  “When did she say that?”

 

     “Not too long ago. We were watching TV and it showed these guys looking for Atlantis.  They thought it was in South America.”

 

     “Where in South America?”

 

     “I don’t remember.  Bo something …”

 

     “Bolivia.”  Lynn completed the word.

 

     “Right.  They were looking for something big but they did not find it.”

 

     “They were searching for man made harbors and waterways 600 feet wide.”  Lynn supplied the answer again but was impressed by what the girl knew to begin with.

 

     “Plato based his story on an account he heard someone relate to others.  There was this continent in the Atlantic Ocean just outside the Pillars of Hercules.  The civilization was so advanced and the people so wealthy.  One day it sunk in the aftermath of a very unusual storm never to be seen again.  It had the likeness of the godess Thera carved on the side of a mountain, had harbors running to the sea and the super wide circular canals all made by man.  Satellite pictures showed similar structures in Bolivia, South America.  Though there were such things discovered on land, they were not of the magnitude described in the original account.  As a result of Archeological explorations, unknown massive structures were found in remote areas.  The sad state of the forests and riverways were also discovered.  As in other places in the world, evidence of man and nature’s destructive ways were revealed.  Foliage has been thinned out due to the practice of burning tracts of land to clear them for agriculture.  Unlimited logging for building and sale drastically and irreversively eliminated some types of trees and plants.  Rampant usage of carbon dioxide emitting fossil fuels increased the contribution to greenhouse effect and global warming.  River and lake water levels were lowered.  Both flora and fauna have diminished.  Forrest fires increased adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.  What Archaelogists found is the similarity in fossils, soil content, man made artifacts, man made structures and cultures between the Americas and Africa confirming the theory that the two were together till fairly recently.  They belonged to a belt of megalith and pyramid builders who worshipped the sun.  This could have included Mu or Easter Island.  There was a mixture of snake worship that extends farther across the original landmass.  This included the Sumerians and Hitites or snake people.  The Salian Franks claiming to be descendants of Votan said the Hitites were their lost relatives in Egypt.  The names ‘Buddha’ and ‘Votan’ are both derived from the word ‘wood’.  The Israelites were thought to be relatives of Hitites.  It was not acceptable to marry outside the original twelve tribes of Israel.  Essau’s descendants, the Edomites may have.  Who were Cain’s descendants?  The believers in serpent gods, cobras and dragons also belonged in this widespread but unknowingly related group.  Furthermore, traces of cocaine and caffeine based products were found in ancient burials in Egypt.  Coca and coffee originally only grew in South America.  Reed boats similar to those used in Egypt during ancient times, were found still in use in South America.”

 

     “Did they find crystals?”  The girl asked.  Again, Lynn was surprised.

 

     “ … not in the bottom of the sea.  Archeologists and Historians alike were betting that some would be in the Bermuda Triangle.  They reasoned that crystals have strong mystical as well as physical powers.  Those should explain the storms and mysterious disappearances in the area.  Atlantis supposedly made use of crystal power in various ways.  The king’s palace’ walls also were said to have shone like crystal. Scientists explain that as due to the gypsum rocks and products used for building the edifice.”

 

     “Did anyone find gypsies in America?”

 

     “I said gypsum.  That is a type of rock.  It can be ground into powder and form a white paste to cover surfaces.  I imagine that those surfaces can shine when the sun hits them.  Gypsum also can form crystals.  They are called ‘desert flowers’ due to their shape.”

 

     “Are there some here?”

 

     “America, Canada, France, Italy and England have a lot of gypsum.  The largest crystals in the world were discovered in a cavern in Chiuaua, Mexico in 2000.  They were found to be made of gypsum originally and were about 4,600 million years old by Uranium-Thallium dating.”

 

     “That is as old as Adam and Eve!”

 

     “No.  Bible experts estimate Adam and Eve to be only 6,000 to at most 10,000 years old.  These crystals were almost as old as earth itself!”

 

     “Wow!  So Mexico is also that old?”

 

     “ … or older.  There were 13 crystal skulls found in different parts of the world.  Max is supposed to be real and thousands of years old.  Guess where it was found.”

 

     “Mexico!!!”

 

      “ … Close! … Guatemala!”

 

     “The Americas may be as old as Africa!”

 

     “South America may be.  Africa and South America were Siamese twins.  The crystals are much older than the oldest skeletons of possible humans found in Ethiopia.  These are only 3.8 to 4 million years old.  Of course they are older than Adam and Eve and evidence of possible humans in the Amricas.”

 

     “How long have people been in the Americas?”  The girl asked.

 

     “I do not know exactly but a footprint attributed to a human being was found in a fossilized layer of earth in Brazil.  That was supposed to be 50,000 years old.  Man made artifacts estimated to be 24,000 years old were also found.  Areas of previous habitation may have been claimed by the rising sea.  14,000 years ago, man supposedly walked across the Bering Strait connecting the Eurasian plate to Alaska.  Chavin, close to where reed boats were found still in use supposedly was there since 8,000 years ago.  The oldest civilization was thought to be that of the Olmecs who were around 5,000 years sgo.”

 

     “I guess they are not the oldest after all.”  The girl giggled.

 

     “No.”  Lynn agreed.  “The Mayans followed … then the Incas, Mixtecs, Toltecs and Aztecs.”

 

     Ongoing trade could have continued even after separation of the continents. Thor Hayerdal proved that ancient men were capable of travel by sea.  They could have travelled between the Americas and Africa or Atlantis.  Hallucinogen use in rituals were common in Middle and South America and to some degree in Africa.  Use of plants and animal products in Medicine developed across the same belt with South America, Egypt, China, India, and Greece ahead of the others.

 

     Archeologists found a tablet outside the religious complex in Chavin.  It looked like a business sign but with colored figures etched on the stone surface instead of letters.  It showed a man with a lot of mucus coming out of his nose, something like a yucca plant, and an alligator like animal with the face of a sad old man.  The last figure was probably the address since caimans were found by investigatrs in the swampy areas in the jungle below the mountain where the complex was built.  Different kinds of plants similar to cactus were also there.  The man with the mucus probably served to show the type of business.  To this day, hallucinogenic plant substances along with or in combination with alcohol, coffee are used for religious, healing and other purposes.  Underground chambers with strategically located wall carvings, lighted by a beam of light entering through a tiny hole on the wall, sound effects from water flowing, crashing from heights or bursting through tight passages enhance the type of rituals practiced in them.

 

     The Olmecs had a ruling class and a working class.  They made giant stone carvings to the image of their rulers who had memorials built in their honor composed of the stone head and a stone platform or stage.  The quary where the stones came from was probably close to a volcanic source far from the site of their ceremonial places.  Liquid asphalt like material was found in those locations.  Each was close to a river giving a clue as to how the building blocks were transported.  Two boats carved from trees were coated with the asphalt material for water proofing, tied together, topped by a platform and floated to the intended destination.  Large earthen jars with dried up asphalt in them were found.  The asphalt was probably also used for fuel to build a huge fire to heat the liquid to the correct consistency and chemical composition. 

 

     The Mayan temples showed evidence of places for human sacrifices in addition to those things in Chavin.  Some have capability for fantastic visual display by using the shadow of a carving of a god cast by the moon against the front steps of the building.  Quetzalcoatl can be made to appear sliding down the steps as the moon went higher.  The Mayans left around 900 AD.  Rainfall was successively less for a number of years.  The empire was dependent on rainwater.  The people may have been restless and difficult to govern.  The sunworshipping culture turned to the gods of the clouds or feathered serpent family to which Quetzalcoatl belonged.  They sacrificed maidens to the gods to ensure that ice settles on the mountain peaks  and later  brought to the community.  Eventually, most of the Mayans left.  The remaining few stopped the sacrifices about twenty years ago because there was no more ice on the mountains to bring anywhere.  The streams running down the slopes were reduced to a trickle.  In Machu Pichu, only tourists go nowadays and only a few are allowed on the trails.  Recently, a present day Mayan king leading his tribe to a place of ritual was shown on TV sadly looking at the deserted edifice.  The sun was briefly covered by a cloud but no rain followed.  The sun did not disappear permanently either.  “My Father will not let me down.”  The interpreter quoted him.  The procession continued.

 

     In Teotihuacan, which existed before 150 to after 800 AD, there probably were more of the same but the underground tunnels in the ruins have so far not been thoroughly explored to determine that.  Remnants of utensils used for forging knife blades and other articles out of Obsidian stone were found on the ground near them.  There were found the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon connected by the Avenue of the Dead bisecting the compound.   Accessory buildings and apartment like shelters stood along the perimeter.  Carvings of the Feathered Serpent adorned the outside with traces of previous colorful paintings in and out of the dwellings.  On the top of the sacrificial stage was the semi-recumbent stone figure of Chac Mul  with an aperture on the upper abdominal area through which hearts of sacrificial victims were dropped into a receptacle for nourishment of the spirit.  Pieces of broken jewelry and houseware were plentiful.  Ball courts were present as in the original Mayan and subsequent locations.  Apparently, opposing teams struggled to score points by shooting a ball through a small ring built high along the inner walls of the court.  The honored victors had the reward of being sacred offerings to the gods.  A strange finding was the collection of skeletons systematically enclosed in individual boxes.  Examination revealed that these individuals came from far and wide and probably learned the art of priesthood, healing, sootsaying, government administration, manufacturing and commerce at the site.  They were chosen by their own people for such a prestigious privilege while young and stayed for many years.  Some belonged to the teaching and religious class.  Tuition may have been in kind and supported the community.  Their bones showed signs of severe starvation.  The area was completely cleared of trees to build the complex.  Trees at the periphery were used for fuel in the huge furnaces to manufacture their goods.   Drought prevented the growth of new ones.  The members of the elite burned the main building and left. The Incas, Mixtecs, Toltecs and Aztecs had problems of their own.  Each group found a way to live with less perfect environment.  Their faith held on.

 

     “What about the Indians we know today?”  The girl wanted to find out.

 

     “They are fairly recent arrivals.  Mounds dating as far back as 8.000 years ago were discovered but not much is known about them.  North America was probably devastated at least three times by volcanic eruptions.  When the Vikings arrived centuries ago, the land was “virgin”.  There was nothing to pillage and there may have been indications that the absence of development could have resulted from Mother Nature’s work and can recur in the future.  The Vikings may have been the earliest Europeans affected by the starting Little Ice Age.  They may have been looking for a better place to live in.  America was a lot warmer compared to Greenland.  They returned four more times but the local inhabitants were wild.  The Vikings eventually left for good.  They came from land that was volcanic in origin.  They knew the difficulties and dangers involved.  There would be no telling when Mother Nature would strike again.  Some descendants have already been born on American soil but it was not too late to go elsewhere. 

 

     The Hopis in Northern Arizona are probably the oldest ones in North America.  They claim to have been in the Mesas since the time of Christ and even earlier.  Like South American natives, they honor snakes.  They have the rattlesnake dance included in their rituals in their ceremonial places called ‘kivas.  They have feathered ‘kachinas’.  The rattlesnake is the messenger of the gods.  ‘Kachinas’ are mediators.  They use the sun’s movement as a guide in agriculture and like the Mayans, believe that we are in the fifth world of existence also ending soon.  The Anazazis or ancient ones may have been around slightly earlier. Some experts say they may have fled from cannibalizing enemies in Chaco Canyon.  They left again and left no forwarding address.

 

     The girl giggled.  “I wouldn’t either.”

 

     The Hu Hu Kams may have been around before or after the Anazazis.  They understood the signs of impending drought and also left.  The Gila River and their fields dried up.  Some of their descendants stayed behind.  The ancient and extensive irrigation system they built are still in use today.  Centuries later, in 1891 and on January 1993, a good amount of rain  occurred.  The Gila River flooded unexpectedly.  By the second time, there were homes in dry river beds  and old unused farms.  Massive evacuation and moving of some trailer homes had to be done.  Then farther North, there was an increased amount of winter snow.  The following spring, Pinon nuts were plentiful.  One of the elders of the Navajo nation, wizened by time and oral tradition, predicted possible trouble.  A strange illness caused a deadly respiratory ailment.  Scientist later declared the Hanta virus as the culprit spread through dried up excreta of rats which proliferated with increased availability of food in the area.  Then one summer, there were killer bees. Then not too long ago, bee keepers reported empty beehives.  Adults left their entire supply of honey and young ones behind.  Marauding bees did not invade.  The untouched honey was found by laboratory tests to be toxic.  Pesticides were blamed.  For some time now, outbreaks of bacterial contamination of packaged fresh produce have been reported.  Life is never constant from year to year.  So called surprises are sequels of preceding events. 

     Though Hopis believe in migration in their past history and creation of man and animals from clay, the Sioux believe that the first human was a girl who fell from a star.  They probably are the only North American Indians who offered human sacrifices.  They had the so called girl sacrifice which involved the use of four different kinds of timber the colors of which correspond to those attributed to the four directions.  The Pawnees believed Houseman, the first human came from the Morning Star.  Perhaps the girl and Houseman met and embroidered the first star spangled banner.

 

     Some tribes speak of the rattlesnake in the sky which is according to some, probably a combination of different constellations, the diverse movements of which simulate the coiling and uncoiling of the heavenly messenger of the gods.  Its predictions parallel the doomsday one of the Mayans.  The Hu Hu Kams left something like an observation room or maybe part of a sacred complex now the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.  A square window plotted the movements of the sun and a round one that of the moon.   Although the forecasts of the elders were grim, they came up with practical solutions.  “They Who Are Gone”  wisely left at the right time.  Descendants depict Cocopeli and the maize in their art.  The message is there.  Would someone please read it.  Peruvian art also shows Cocopeii as a man dancing and playing a flute.  He led his tribe through the maize.

 

     By the time the newcomers arrived in Tenochtitlan, Teotihuacan was long gone.   Hummingbird led them everywhere.  They came from where all civilizations started.  They had to keep going till they find “THE SIGN”.  One day they spotted an eagle devouring a snake.  This was the place.  Today it is known as Mexico City.

 

     Christopher Columbus set sail westward four times to find India and start a Spice Trade between East and West.  Finding an all sea route to get there was elusive.  He also was a very devout Roman Catholic with the true and fervent desire to Christianize the world known and unknown.  In the process, he discovered America on October 12, 1492 according to some or 1485 and thereabouts according to others.  He also found the Panama Isthmus but did not realize its significance at the time.  He was looking for a waterway.  The natives pointed to a jungle with no visible exit.  He also was the first to call natives of the Americas Indians thinking he reached India.  The loss of his flagship Sta. Maria was the first mysterious disappearance of a vessel in the western hemisphere and close to the Americas.  Visits by the Dragon Lady aboard a sausage shaped ship in the Dragon Triangle just off Tokyo have been recorded as early as before 2000 years ago.

 

     Ferdinand Magellan also sailed west looking for India and new land to Christianize and claim for the Spanish crown.  On October 1520, he saw the Tierra del Fuego Island at the tip of South America.  He called it such because he saw fires burning everywhere on land.  He thought the natives were planning an attack on his ship and men.  He called what is now Cape Horn Virgenes and the Strait of Magellan Canal de los Santos.  On 16 March 1521, he supposedly discovered San Lazaro Archipelago now known as the Philippine Islands.  This was the beginning of the merging of Philippine and Mexico-American history.  Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu on Mactan Island on 27 April 1521.  It was a short and deadly visit for the country’s first known European tourist.

 

     In the meantime, in Tenochtitlan, the old religion and practices continued.  The newcomers blended with the old.  They learned all the teachings of Teotihuacan and traditions handed down from the Olmecs and subsequent civilizations.  In 1487, thousands of believers were sacrificed on a single day during feasts.  The savior was to end all of that.  Death may have been voluntary and so was servitude.  Starvation was not.  When Cortez , a strange looking man-beast but was really a foreign warrior on a horse, personally or accompanied by someone bearing something that they were later told was a cross arrived, the Aztecs welcomed him thinking he was Viracocha or Quetzalcoatl.  They related earlier omens to his appearance on their soil.  There was a strange vision in the heavens followed by fire streaking across the sky and episodes of flying objects actually hitting important edifices and setting them in flames.  Wise men and magicians consulted were unable to determine what they were about.  The place where he showed up in 1519 is now known as Veracruz which means true cross.

 

     The cross has been a symbol of power in different parts of the world since ancient times.  Mexican Americans had what are now called Ojo de Dios  wall hangings which are similar to the Four Directions symbol of the Southwestern Native Americans.  The Navajos have a variation that looks like a reverse version of the Swastika.  The arms point to the four corners of the earth.  North is shown as black signifying wind or storms or war.  The opposite is South, shown as white symbolizing earth, security of the womb and peace.  East is yellow meaning sun or fire.  West is shown as green reflecting a verdant and live world.  The broken arms and reverse direction of the points in the Navajo version  stress that the powers of the earth have to be tempered and balanced for PEACE and HARMONY to occur/

     Gold was overflowing but not life sustaining.  The Spanish interpreted the situation differently.  After initial cordiality, the Aztec king was kept hostage in his own palace while subjects were supposed to get enough gold to fill the king’s quarters.  Instead, they dumped them in secret locations.  After years of changing alliances and strategies, the king was killed.  Those who survived actual combat died a much slower death later from small pox that the foreigners brought with them.  Lack of immunity was more overpowering than the sword.  On August 13, 1521, Tenochtitlan, under new leadership, surrendered to the Spanish trying to conquer the Aztecs since 1519.  The cross still had to find solid ground.

 

     When Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego and the Archbishop believed the latter and granted the former’s request to have a basilica built in hthe Blessed Mother’s honor, a rock solid base for the Catholic faith was established in what we know now as Mexico City.  Both the Archbishop and the Lady who appeared as one of them, said that she is the mother of God,  they readily entrusted their souls and fate in her hands.  Whatever the clergy said later were gospel truth specially if indeed she crushes the serpent’s head with her foot.

 

     “Did she bring the Tree of Life to Mexico?”  The girl asked.  “She has flowers all over her dress.”

 

     “She is shown in the picture as with Child.  Jesus at one time said, He is the Way and the Life.”

 

     “Aha! Life is here!  The Tree must be around too.”

 

     “He also said that He is the Vine and we are the branches.”

 

     The girl spread her arms, looked at them, then drew an imaginary line from head to toe. 

 

     “The trunk is the brotherhood of humanity.”  Lynn replied to her unspoken querry.

 

     “Where is God?”

 

     “Goodness, girl!  He is the Root System reaching everywhere just like the Vine.”

 

     “Isn’t there only one God?  There are a lot of roots.”  The girl argued.

 

     “God has many roles and different functions.  He is the entire System.”

 

     “Which branches are Muslim and which are Jews?”

 

     “They are all mixed with us so we can say Hi to them easier.”

 

     “Hi!”  She said to one arm and then the other.   She noticed Lynn’s arms extended too and she said “I love you” to both.

 

     The Philippines and Mexico were governed by Spain through the Viceroy Legal based in Mexico.  The parallel development of the two countries continued.  The 'Galeones Manila-Acapulco' trade system cemented it.   This started in 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, Andres Urdaneta and the navigator Felipe de Salcedo accidentally found a safe way to get to Acapulco from the Philippines without going through the dangerous foggy route used that time.  Since then, one large ship called a galleon travelled from Manila to Acapulco, Mexico, another from Acapulco to Spain and one from Spain to one of the other two locations three times a year.  In 1593, Seville complained of large losses due to long and dangerous travel through the Insian Ocean and particularly, around the Cape of Good Hope which was then controlled by the Dutch.  It was decided to reduce the number of ships out at sea from three to two at any one time.  Additionally, each ship was to be escorted by a Spanish Armada to protect the crew, ship and goods.  The real priority was probably the last mentioned.  The galleons have become bigger and were filled with porcelain, processed cloth, lacquer, ivory and other rare items aside from the spices that Columbus dreamed of.  These were sold or exchanged with other goods in European markets.  Cultures merged.  Blood relationships across the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean started.

 

     There was a major route modification.  Overland transfer between Acapulco and Veracruz was started to avoid the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope.  During the days before the Panama Canal was constructed, the safest way to transfer between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans was through the Strait of Magellan.  Overland transfer through the Panama Isthmus entailed an extremely high risk of Malaria infection for which there was no cure. 

 

     The Dutch did not appreciate this move.  Piracy was very profitable.  Since they already control much of Indonesia and the rest of the East India Company and practically surrounding the Philippines at the time, the next step was to fight Spain for the country.  In 1646, a horde of Dutch armadas and fourteen Spanish ones battled in Manila Bay.  The Philippine ‘Indios’ were put to the test.  Who and what were they to support?  The real choice was independence but that was obviously not an option at the time.  It was a matter of which foreign power they would prefer to put up with.  Devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Holy Rosary have been entrenched among the Catholics since about 1590.  Day and night, blessed beads were clicked to pray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for nearly two thirds of the population in support of the Catholics.  Though Islam started ahead of Catholicism by a few centuries, the Roman Catholic religion is still the predominant one in the country to this day.  The Spanish won and from year to year till now the feast of the ‘La Naval de Manila’ is still celebrated.  The 'Galeones Manila-Acapulco' continued till 1813.  Both countries were involved in the Spanish American War.  Mexico attained Independence in 1821.  The Philippines became a United States of America Territory for fifty years towards the end of which relationship between Americans and Filipinos were tied closely through mutual support during World War II.

 

     General Douglas McArthur and Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon shared the last stronghold in the Malinta Tunnels in Corregidor.  President Quezon had to leave for Saranak Lake and died there.  General McArthur and Philippine General Carlos P. Romulo escaped 40 latitudes South across the equator to Australia.  They returned years later landing on Leyte Beach fulfilling the former’s departure promise:  “I shall return!”

 

     Native American talkers from different tribes together stumped the Japanese who were never able to break their ‘code’.  Till recently, the world did not realize that Navajo was not the only tounge spoken by these heroes. There were ‘talkers’ from different tribes. There is an Ira Davis Memorial in Sacaton in the Gila River Reservation depicting his participation in the historic planting of the US flag in Iwo Jima.

  

     The Philippines was granted independence on 4 July 1946.  US bases stayed in the country till after Mt. Pinatubo erupted forcing the closure of Clark and Subic Bay Bases. 

 

     Cooperation between the two countries continued through the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq Wars and fight against Al Qaeda in the Philippines and elsewhere.  Now both Mexico and Philippines are pushing a common issue … immigration to the United States.  It is a tedious and complicated process but at least there is still land to get in and out of.

 

      According to the ancient Mayan calendar, the earth tilts on its axis and the North-South orientation shifts roughly about every 25,000 years.  The current calendar says that would happen in 2012.  People think the end of the world is going to be on December 21 or whenever the winter solstice would occur that year or whichever is the correct year of the end of the 5th world or the current Mayan calendar.  Don’t make plans yet.

 

     “Do you believe that?”

 

     “No and yes.  It is not the end of the world.  It is the end of the current Mayan calendar.  There have been four previous worlds before that just as the Northern American Hopis say.  There would be geophysical changes as noted and predicted by their very observant and knowledgeable ancestors.  We know more about earth changes and are slowly but gradually confirming some of their findings.  It is our job to filter out the superstition from fact and figure out as much as we can to outline the coming cycle of events, find out where we are in the schedule and prepare for the next step.  Their records are a lot of help.  To ignore them would waste all their well intentioned efforts to help us.  They are gone.  We can show our sincere appreciation by planning a strategy to help us including their descendants whose survival was their main concern.”

 

     Our job is to figure out as much as possible what to expect based on the last time similar events happened and how today’s conditions would affect the outcome.  We know more about climate changes and environment now.  We should be able to plan strategies to survive hopefully more successfully than they did.

 

     “You think we would make it?”

 

     “Not all of us but there should be some left to talk about it and and carry on.  You young ones are our hope to continue life.  Your ways may be different but that may be what cyclic catastrophes are for ... a change for the better and a chance to restore the balance in nature.  Earth is grossly overpopulated at this time with shortages in food, other supplies and morals.”

 

     Humans certainly changed through the ages after initial creation.  The oldest remains of a hominid was found in the Hagar layer of the earth in Ethiopia.  The skeleton was determined to be that of a female Australopethicus  about 2.5 to 3.5 mllion years old and with evidence of injury to the pelvis.    Lucy was an adult about 3 feet tall and weighed about 65 pounds and with limbs characteristic of having walked on her feet.  Another skeleton was found also in Ethiopia and of the same species.  This was thought to be that of an infant but was later determined to be about 3 years old at the time of death around 3 million years ago.  This female also walked upright but had characteristics of an individual who may have spent some time climbing trees. Studies to compare their characteristics are not final.  Could a woman have had a traumatic delivery and the infant adopted by apes but was not able to keep pace with the new family’s lifestyle and did not survive till adulthood?  Absence of a tail can be a major disability in a tree swinging society.  Other bones were found.  Altogether, the ages ranged between 2.5 to as old as 3.8 to 4 million years based on the layer of soil they were found in.  The strongest criterion for being classified as humanid was the structure of the hip joints suggesting the ability to walk upright.  In areas of possible habitations of humanids, the presence of humanid made tools was a prerequisite.  Adam and Eve must be the first members of a new breed or there are much larger gaps in bible history.  The seven days could have spanned eons.  God had no trouble recomposing Adam’s DNA sequence from the soil in Paradise.  All He added was His  divine breath.  He made a short cut by starting with Adam’s rib to mold Eve.  The test they had to pass involved intellect and will.  The test for the snake required swallowing pride.  They all flunked.  We have our own tests to pass. We already flunked several.  It may be necessary to create yet another breed.  Let’s wizen up.

 

     “ ... Very interesting!”  Rev. Mother Hope commented.  “The former Vice President is recommending that we turn green.  I wonder what he would do if we all show up at his home with green skin.  We can wear red lipstick, retain our white eyes and teeth and apply green makeup foundation.  We can do that on Our Lady’s feastday.  Viva Mejico!  Of course we can turn into plants and use up carbon dioxide and increase oxygen in the air.  How about that?”

 

     “He might drop dead as soon as he realizes that it is not war paint.  I myself wondered if it would be necessary for animals including man and other oxygen utilizing carbon dioxide emitting organisms to switch into chlorophyll based metabolism instead of hemoglobin.  The side effect of course is a bunch of jolly green giants.  Of course in my case, it would be a sick or jealous dwarf.”

 

     “No, just a Filipino turned Irish!”  Bishop Patrik corrected.  “I’ll be happy to join the delegation.  When do we do it?  My wife may even be interested.  Do you really think we are in trouble?”

 

     “It looks like it.”  Lynn confirmed. 

 

     Known historical records so far show a definite trend towards repeating cycles of warming followed by cooling with resulting catastrophes after each switch from one to the other.  It is not a regular schedule written on stone and the magnitude of side effects is directly proportional to the degree of temperature change.

 

     Analysis of two glacier cores in Peru indicated a general warming trend the past 100,000 years with noticeable shifts in 600 AD and 920 AD.  Sea levels have changed on different times in history following temperature changes and resulted in geographical, economic and intercontinental political relations.  Archeologists say there were evidences of human presence n the Philippines as far back as 75,000 years ago.  Timor was supposedly already inhabited by 65,000 years ago.  A recent discovery of ‘the first human settler’ in Australia involved a skeleton dated as 55,000 years old based on the soil level it was found in.  He was supposedly from Africa. The first migration of foreigners to the Philippines was supposedly as far back as 30,000 BC on foot over a land bridge connecting with Indonesia.  About 3,000 BC, immigrants arrived by dugout canoes.  The land bridge was gone when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521.  He did not mention seeing one.  It has always been warm in tropical Philippines.

 

     Clues to possible crossing of man from somewhere to South America 50,000 years ago and 24,000 years ago were found with complete absence of remains of dwellings.  Their loss from rising sea level was postulated.  The theory of man walking over the Bering Strait 14,000 years ago is well known.  We certainly cannot do that today.

 

     About 7,000 years ago, there was what people believe was Noah’s flood.  The bible mentioned the absence of rain in the Garden of Eden but the ground was watered by mist coming out of the earth.  Archeological proof of a flood reaching 3,000 feet above sea level have been documented and widely reported.  It was determined to possibly be secondary to glacial melting raising sea level to the point that the Mediterranean broke its natural partition from the fresh water Dead Sea which really is an inland lake.  Sea shells were found in the lake and vicinity.  Lot ‘s family moved to Sodom and Gomorrha area which was the ideal place for agriculture at the time.  We do not know for sure what happened there.  The Great Crater is close to where Archeologists believe the cities used to be.  The area is extremely arid reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures now but with evidence of seeds and other previously cooked plant products and remnants of mud dwellings.  The Dead Sea level dropped 500 feet since then. 

 

     The climate may have been normal around the time of Christ.  Constantine finally decided to unify the vast Roman Empire under Christianity in the 300’s AD.   His elderly mother, St. Helena journeyed to the Holy Land and found the true cross.  Merovech drove away Atilla the Hun from the Salian Franks’ territory.  Huge earthquakes in the Mediterranean and large volcanic eruptions then blended with history.  By the 400’s AD, it was so cold that Emperor Justinian cancelled his planned invasion of Gaul and Brittannia because he caught the plague.  Persians invaded Byzanthium.  Ireland lost the battle with the Roman Catholic Church over when to celebrate Easter.

  

      Between 400 and 600 AD, there were stories that may be related to the onset of the Dark Ages.  King Arthur was killed in battle in 540 AD not by sword but by what witnesses said were fire from the sky during an eclipse at about ten in the morning.  There was severe, progressive cooling and frosts causing agricultural chaos, starvation, epidemics, economic collapse and wars.  There were about 10,000 deaths per day.  The Muslim religion started at about 630 AD followed by more wars.  It was postulated that Comet Biela impacted earth  causing meteor showers and enough cosmic dust to add to previous volcanic emissions to produce a significant cloud cover and severe secondary cooling of the earth.  In Greenland, freezing of agricultural land started sometime at the end of this period.  Vikings crossed the seas to pillage other nations.

 

     We do not know what the temperature was around 920 AD.  The Mayans left around the 900’s and the Vikings visited North America for the first time that century.  It was warm by 1000 AD.  The Pahlevi kings built tall pagodas south of India 700 to 800 years ago.  When Vasco da Gama finally reached India before 1524, the bottom of his ship did not get snagged by the tops of the pagodas which were seen by survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

 

     The Titanic was welcomed to the Atlantic by an iceberg on her maiden and last voyage.  They were nowhere close to the Artic.  The little ice age claimed about a third of the population between the 1200’s to the 1800’s.  It was hot on the coastal areas of Mexico and cold with hail in the mountains when Cortez arrived.  Incidentally, some of the omens observed by the Aztecs before that involved fire streaking across the sky.  It was definitely cold in Europe killing crops and people.  Economic failure, starvation, uncontrollable epidemics, loss of land, farms, towns and cities happened in multiple places specially farther North as in Greenland and Iceland secondary to advancing glaciers.  Central Park in New York City, the Great Lakes and Nessie’s bath tub were carved by later retreat of some of them.  War to obtain food, supplies, livelihood and territory increased in frequency only to be lost due to inability to survive the bitter cold.  The dark ages and the little ice age sound alike.  There are major differences.

 

     The Dark ages occurred earlier when it should have been relatively colder than before the onset of the little ice age.  Volcanic eruptions and the impact of the comet and resulting meteor showers happened close together.  The one big volcanic eruption involved in the little ice age happened centuries after a possible cosmic event not so far cited by environmentalists.  Furthermore, The volcanic eruption happened after advancing glaciers have already been common occurrences indicating that cooling was already far advanced then.  The timing definitely was the factor that broke the camel’s back.  Advancing glaciers are definite evidence that the little ice age was a result of warming first followed by freezing of the thin layer of melted glacial water flowing down the periphery of the bottom further causing cooling of the newly covered surfaces.  The ocean water so covered stopped ocean circulation preventing thermal exchange of saltier, heavier, sinking warm southern and fresher, lighter, floating surface frozen northern Atlantic waters.  The extensive ice sheet layer on land and water reflected sunlight further increasing cooling rate.  There were no floods reported during the dark ages further pointing to a predominantly cooling effect of cloud cover as the precipitating factor.  There were floods, glacier melt and evidence of warm to hot weather in other places at the time of the little ice age.  Warm ocean water power storms.  Factors related to moisture, barometric pressure and wind determine strength.  Helium and methane gas have been observed bubbling to the water’s surface.  Earthquakes and volcanic activity increase around this time.

 

   According to scientists, methane gas trapped under the ice layer under the sea water can supply us with fuel for 3,000 years.  Increasing heat expands the gas which bursts out of its confinement.  Dissolved accumulation of methane, carbon dioxide and helium increase sea water volume and level making floods more likely.  Gas explosion into the air has been documented recently.  With both tectonic plate reshuffling and possibility of exploding gas to ignite upon contact with oxygen, a fiery tsunami becomes less improbable.  The Mexican Gulf area is at high risk for a tsunami.

 

   Storm related cloudiness and dust from earthquake destruction debris and volcanic emisions  can paradoxically turn hot to  cold climate.  Cloud cover can be good if it occurs before cooling has started and disastrous if it coincides with cooling factors.  Mt. Pinatubo bargained ten years of slower warming for us.   Another one at this time can help if it does not have a bigger or longer lasting emission than last time.  Since the predicted Big One and coincidental events are due around  2017, 2007 is the deadline.  Should we be brave enough, small bursts of artificial emissions may be preferable if we can really control the degree and duration of effects and reasonably predict absence of toxic results. There are no reports of advancing glaciers so far.  We might still have time.  We need all the luck of the Irish and double time efforts of todos los santos specially St. Jude AND intercession of La Senora de Guadalupe.

 

      Considering that the little ice age happened before rapid industrialization and war technology and emissions, it is only logical to think that we would be facing a worse problem.  The brighter side is knowing that earth millions and billions of years ago survived violent geological events that happily did not wipe out all living species and in fact led to stronger ones is comforting.  No matter how bad our predicament is, earth will survive.  We have more than tripled the number of survivors from last time.  There should be some of us left to talk about it.  We have to focus on how to improve our chances.  The immediate strategy would be to slow down the process to bide some time and lessen the severity of the consequent changes.

 

      Now that we have some ideas about what factors lead to each one, we can implement actions not just plans to modify them.  “It is up to us!”  Lynn concluded.

     “ … Each one of us and to individual maximal capability.”  Bishop Patrik stressed.

 

     “Me too?”  The little girl wailed.

 

     “Especially you, Mija.”  Her mother said.  “You have the most to lose and most to gain.  We have already spent much of our useful lives.  You are just starting.”

 

     “Tell everyone in school and wherever you go.  They probably will listen to you more than they would to us old problem makers.”

 

     “… and we problem makers need to have a short talk.”  Bishop Patrik pointed to himself, Lynn and Rev. Mother Hope to walk into the sacristy.

 

     “What did you decide?”  He asked Lynn.

 

     “I’ll go ahead with my consecration.  There is no way I can do what I plan to do without being a bishop.”

 

     “… and after that?”  Bishop Patrik pressed on.

 

     “I’ll leave.”

 

      Rev. Mother Hope whistled.

 

       “It is best for us to go different ways.  We have different capabilities, interests and agendae.  There is more than one way to serve the Lord, the Church and mankind.  Together, we get into each other’s way.  Separately, we are forced to do the best we can without the others casting doubt on each one’s validity of strategy or hindered by fear of sharing blame and guilt for poor outcome.  We each have a tendency to be very innovative and sometimes unorthodox in our ways.”

 

     “Sometimes!?”

 

     “I suppose that is why the Apostles went different ways.”  Rev. Mother Hope said neither agreeing nor arguing with Bishop Patrik.  “Guess why the most senior member of the sect resigned and his whole congregation went with him!”

 

     “First, Jesus died, returned to empower them after being enlighthened by the Holy Spirit.”  Bishop Patrik added.  “They also had a crash course on languages.  I am staying in this country but going ahead to move my operating base to Kiva.  Rev. Mother Hope becomes the New Pastor of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Cathedral.  My cathedra remains here.  This will still be the official seat of the diocese.”

 

     “Well,  I suppose the Apostles had more reasons.”

 

     “Yeah?”  Lynn and Bishop Patrik joined in a duet.

 

     “It kept St. Peter from putting his foot in his mouth in the presence of the others and kept his teeth away from Mary Magdalene’s neck.  Poor St. Jude was assigned to go to Iraq bringing the Shroud with him to show the king whose illness was miraculously healed by the sight.  I wonder if the Shroud has antiaging properties as well.  Carbon dating done on it was off.”  Rev. Mother Hope mused.

 

     “Anyhow, we all need to ask the Lord to be on guard for humans going under the water’s surface.  St. Peter floundered and sank.”  Bishop Patrik reminded them. 

 

     The eleventh anniversary of Bishop Patrik’s ordination to priesthood, Rev. Mother Hope’s installation as new Pastor and Lynn’s consecration as bishop all happened on December 12, the feast day of the Lady of Guadalupe.  There are a good number of Mexican Americans in the US southwest.  Southern Arizona and California have  top concentrations of them.  The feast of the Lady is almost as important here as Christmas since she, through her picture, brought the same message to the local people in Mexico.  In that country,  The feast of the Lady of Guadalupe officially takes the place of the feast of the Immaculate Conception and in some places, unofficially, Christmas as well.

 

     The Irish bishop blessed the congregants and said “Feliz Navidad!

and many Happy New Years to come wherever you may go.  Together, we shall prevail!  That sounds vaguely familiar.”

 

     The visiting organist played her personal rendition of Leonardo Da Vinci’s chords hidden in “The Last Supper” discovered and transcribed by Giovanni Maria Pala.

 

     As the world lavishly ushers in another disastrous year and the ball drops in Times Square, some of us would quietly celebrate the Feast of the Serenity of Mary.  She knows what is best for us and continuously intercedes for us.  Forget the list unless she does the writing.  … good idea!

 

     “Dear Blessed Mother …”  The girl whispered.  “Please tell us what to do.  We are kind of stumped.  Thank you.”

 

Also See

http://www.zcgvaz.com/i/CHS.htm

 

ALL Rights Reserved 2007

Submitted for Copyright 2008

Magdalena D. Guerrero, MD, FACOG/GP (dr G)

Comments welcome

POB 12096, Casa Grande, AZ 85230 USA

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