Shall we Guadalupe?
Several years ago, a friend told me that I would make a good Catholic.
(It was not an insult.)
Less than a week later, a different friend gave me a Virgin of Guadalupe candle from New Mexico.
Was it a sign that I had a long talk with a friend about Catholicism and a few days later a different friend gave me a prayer candle? I guess we would have to ask someone who knows the difference between a sign and a coincidence.
Just so you know: The Virgin of Guadalupe is a crusader for social justice. Her image has become a symbol of empowerment for the Mexican and Mexican American communities. People pray to her for comfort, for protection from illness, for guidance, and for solidarity with the vulnerable.
I’m just as Catholic as anyone else (unless they’re actually Catholic, in which case they’re way more Catholic than me), so I decided I’d light Guadalupe up. I lit her when a friend was going through a potentially ugly divorce. I lit her when my dad had his quintuple bypass surgery. I have lit her at different times for each of my kids. (Please know that “I have lighted her…” is also grammatically correct, but because I’m not officially Catholic, I’ll go with the more palatable present perfect.) The Virgin burned when a friend was interviewing for a job. When I was going through some stuff. When a friend’s mom was dying. When a different friend’s mom was dying, and when her sweet dog died a year later. When I was going through some more stuff. A few weeks back I lit her for a friend’s wife who had Covid, and when I went to blow her out I discovered that she was waxless and cold.
I don’t know where you’re at with the whole Despot in DC thing, but I’m not doing very well. Although I’ve now stocked up on super sized Virgins, I think it’s going to take a lot more than candles to get all of us through the next four years. We’re going to need some modern day Guadalupes to step up.
This is where I’ll say “And let it begin with me…” but anyone who really knows me also knows that I have the bones of a bird. I’m going to need some help.
I’ve got a vinyl cutter, an oversized heart (figuratively), a French horn, and insomnia. Let’s Guadalupe the shit out of all things Guadalupe-able.
I am struggling with this whole mess, and I feel like I’m constantly looking around and asking what I can do. Do you know? I just know I want to Do Something with People Who Are Also Freaking Out, but alas. I feel rudderless. Maybe I’ll start with some candles.
I've always thought that I had to have been a devout Catholic in my past life due to me relationship with guilt. I think we are all going to need a lot more Guadalupe candles to get us through the next few years. Maybe I should just build a Guadalupe alter...