Recently a new mosaic of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chinquinquira was placed in the Vatican Gardens in Rome. She is the patroness of Colombia and is also venerated in Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Boliva.
The original painting depicts The Mother of God with the Infant Christ in an aureole (body halo). There are two crowning angels atop and Sts. Anthony of Padua and Andrew appear left and right. The painting seems to have been originally placed in a simple chapel with a leaky roof which caused the fabric to tear and the organic colors to fade. From 1577 to 1586 the painting was discarded (thrown away) and used to sift flour or dry corn.
Wondrously, the day after Christmas 1586 the painting was found with its colors again bright and the tears, holes and scratches essentially "healed." On another three occasions witnesses attest the painting to be illuminated from within — most recently in March of 1999.
I say, "wondrously" because these occurrences seem to be inexplicable. Some folks are comfortable staying with the story on this devotional level. Indeed, one website which presents the Chinquinquira Mother of God to children reduces the celebration of her feast day to iced cupcakes, coloring pictures, finding south American countries on the map and sock Mary dolls. I'm afraid an opportunity missed.
We live in a throwaway world. The throwing away is choking the land, the waterways and even the air. Soon the plastic in the ocean will outweigh the fish. We breathe micro-plastic; it's in our food. But there's more, isn't there?
We are an overfed people who throw away unspeakable amounts of food in a starving world.
We throw away pets. I adopted a dog I found on my front porch one November some years ago. The vet said, "Animal shelters are filled with these old ladies."
Some countries boast of having eliminated down syndrome — aborting those found lacking in early amniocenteses tests. Some countries throw away little girls by abortion. Some countries throw away handicapped boy babies leaving them in the woods or under bridges. The Missionaries of Charity pick through the garbage heaps of Calcutta each morning looking for babies thrown away during the night. In some places mentally troubled family members are thrown away and left to fend for themselves.
The refugees who flee awfulness and show up at the border understand being thrown away. Pope Francis calls the Mediterranean Sea "the world's biggest cemetery" — thrown away people hoping to sail to safety. He is hated by some — including some Catholics for being their voice and advocate.
Husbands and wives can throw each other away. A very fine man I know said of his much-treasured wife's former husband, "He threw her away."
A damaged veteran can be thrown away. A young gay boy or girl can be thrown away — they often are found wandering city streets. A psychologist told me that transgendered people are the most damaged people in our society. They understand being thrown away.
Some people are thrown out of their religious communities. A drug addict can be thrown away. A prisoner can be thrown away instead of worked with. We know the expression, "I'd put him in jail and throw away the key." How disappointing when a Christian talks this way — we're a religion of hope, conversion, healing and repair!
Perhaps we can share the Pope's joy at having the Chinquinquira image placed in the Vatican gardens. But let's skip the cupcakes, coloring books and sock puppets. Let's challenge any throwaway habits or throwaway thinking that's leaked into our own lifestyle. Maybe we can somehow creatively restore someone's dignity and beauty, reflective of the healed and bright-again image of the Mother of God and her heavenly friends.
