Our Lady of Penafrancia

A show of hands, how many are from Biko, Philippines. Fr Felino is also from Biko. I want to wish you a blessed and happy feast day of Our Lady. And the Biko people often would often say: “Be Cool, Man.”

How many of you are from around here in South Seattle. Thank you for you devotion and may God bless you. How many of you are from St. John Vianney, Kirkland. Welcome! I hear that it’s a very nice place. There are a lot of wonderful people there.  The priest there is average but the people are absolutely wonderful.

The history of the devotion to our Lady of Penafrancia, can be traced by a young lad named Simon, who had a great devotion to Our Lady. He grew up in a wealthy home, and was quite comfortable, and he could've lived comfortably for the rest of his life. But his heart was destined for something more. His heart was after God. After his parents and sister died, he devoted his life to the Church and helping those in need. Simon spent many hours praying in church, and especially praying before the Blessed Virgin Mary. Countless times, he asked her to help him, inspire him, give a purpose for his life.

One time while in prayer, he heard a voice that said: Simon, wake up; be on the watch…. From now on your name will be Simon Vela. Go to Peña de Francia west of this country, and there you will find the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary".

For 5 years, Simon set out to find this place. He traveled far and wide among caves, hills and mountains, in search of Peña de Francia. but he couldn't find the place. He wanted to give up the search. He may have thought that he was losing his mind, hearing voices, and becoming delirious.

But on his way back to Paris, while in prayer, he heard that same voice again: “Simon, do not give up the search; do not give up what you have begun. Persevere, and your labors will be recompensed.” This suddenly gave him hope and renewed energy, to continue the search for Pena Francia.

A story was told that one time, while he was passing a market place, he saw two men quarreling. One was seriously wounded by the other. The offender was apprehended by the crowd, and he remarked: “If I had killed my enemy, I would have escaped to Peña de Francia where no one, not even the king, could find me.” Upon hearing this, Simon was overjoyed because the place, actually existed.

Along the way, he met a man who was selling charcoal. When asked where the man was from, he also said that he was from Pena Francia. This was the second time that Simon heard the name of that place. Simon says to the man, to show him the place, but the man refused. Nevertheless, from the conversation, Simon was one step closer in finding the place.

He then reached a villa called San Martin de Castañar on May 14, 1434. He went to church and after the mass, he asked one of the parishioners, to kindly indicate where Peña de Francia was. The man took Simon to a place some distance from the church, and pointed to him a hill in the far distance saying that the hill was the Peña de Francia, he was looking for.

Simon was very grateful and thanked God that he was one step closer. Simon then set out for the place indicated and, after a long weary journey, came to a steep rocky hill. By this time, his supply of provisions had been depleted and he became hungry. He was worried that he would die of hunger, but on an abandoned road, he found a packet containing a loaf of bread and a piece of meat.

This relieved him so much until night overtook him and he sought shelter in a cave. Inside he prayed for guidance and soon he fell asleep.

Early in the morning of the next day, Simon began the search for the shrine in every cave where he had slept the night before. He felt somewhat discouraged, and wanted to give up hope. As he prayed some more, he heard the same voice he had previously heard before. “Simon, be awake: do not sleep.” Simon continued the search with more zeal in the morning of the next day. At a distance on a rocky hill, he saw a glaring and dazzling light filling the place with its brilliance.

Trembling with joy, he approached it and there he found the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her arms sittings on a golden throne. He Knelt before her and prayed with all the fervor of his soul. Filled with joy, Simon said, “Oh, Lady, the dream of my soul, the inspiration of men and women! My labors are now ended. Many years have I traveled far and wide to seek you and to drink in the beauty of your eyes! Do not forsake me: be my protection.”

In sympathy for Simon, the Lady answered: “Simon, rejoice! Your constancy will be rewarded. Your dream will be realized. Your labors are now ended. Take heed and keep in your heart what I wish you to do. Dig in this spot and take what you can see and place it on the summit of this rocky hill. Build on this hill a beautiful dwelling. You are to begin it and others will come to finish it.. This must come to pass as it has been the wish of my child.” The Our Lady suddenly disappeared, and Simon stood there alone in the spot with wonder and awe.

He soon began digging and excavating, but one again he heard the voice speaking to him: “Simon, do not attempt to undertake that big task alone. Seek help from others.” So Simon went to a nearby town, and asked five men to help him. Their names are: “Anton Fernandez, Pascual Perez, Benito Sanchez, Juan Hernandez, and Antonio Sanchez.

The men thought that they were digging for hidden treasure. Simon told them to dig for objects worth far more than any worldly goods their hearts could ever cherish. It was on May 19, 1434, after removing a huge stone, they found a coveted image of the Holy Virgin with the child in her arms.

The origins of this feast gives us hope that Our Lady, entrusted to us by Christ on the cross, is always with us. Although she appears in many different forms and nationalities, she is one and the same person, our Beloved Mother.

Hope is assurance that God is with us, and God will help us. I was reading a book on the gift of silence. And in the book, it talks about how sometimes clergy can talk a lot about God, and share lots of spiritual insights, which is wonderful, but sometimes we can overdo it, and sometimes we don't give time for silence, to be in the presence of God in prayer. Because in the back of our minds, we may think that God needs our help, and its as if we're trying to help God. But it can be a symptom of something much deeper, namely, for a lack of faith within, and a lack of hope. So we try to mask that problem by talking more, and filling our lives with noise and words. Hope is not helping God, but hope is looking to God to help us.

In the Gospel, Jesus, while in Nain, raised a man from the dead. After witnessing this miracle, the people glorified God, and said: God has visited his people. In whatever circumstances that we are in, let us be assured that God is always with us, and God will help us. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Penafrancia, may we increase in hope! Amen.