One of the first known Marian dedications is that of the Virgen del Pilar, which has its main center of devotion and worship in the Basilica del Pilar Cathedral located in the city of Zaragoza in Spain, we invite you to meet her at its entire existence and history up to the present day.
History of the Virgin of the Pillar
Although at present its origin is not known for sure, the history that the Catholic Church tells us takes us to a Christian community called Caesaraugusta, one of the oldest in Spain, followed by that of Mérida, León and Astorga. The story tells us that the Apostle Santiago was evangelizing in Spain in the year 40 after Christ, when the Virgin Mary appeared to him, being the first Marian apparition of which there is a record recognized by the church.
He was very discouraged because evangelization in Spain was presenting difficulties, so he asked for a sign from heaven, and that's when the Virgin appeared to him atop a pillar. She told him to have courage to continue and promised him that as long as the pillar where she was standing remained standing, there would be many disciples of Jesus in Spain. There was never a document or archive that spoke of this apparition, but through tradition it was maintained over time and has been frequently worshipped. The most interesting thing about this apparition is that when she appeared to Santiago, the Virgin Mary was still alive in the house of the apostle John in the Holy Land.
Santiago was the brother of Saint John, who had been caring for Jesus' mother since his death. He was with eight of his disciples when the Virgin appeared. It is said that it was on January 8nd, and he heard the voices of angels singing a song of "Hail Mary, Full of Grace." The Virgin left him a gift, which was taken by Santiago and his disciples. They took the pillar where they had seen her, and it became a center of religion in the fledgling community of Zaragoza. She asked him to build a temple on that spot, which was done, always keeping the pillar inside a small chapel.
Even though it is a very old apparition, it is not the patron saint of Spain, since this honor belongs to the Immaculate Conception of Mary. But she has been named the Patron Saint of the Hispano-American peoples since the XNUMXth century, perhaps due to the discovery of America, where the conquerors would have taken this devotion to the new world.
The Virgin of Pilar through time
In the year 254 the existence of the pillar has been documented, and that Bishop Valerio in the Council of Elvira in the fourth century would have been a seat of it. However, in the Council of Antioch in the fourth century, it was established that images could be placed on top of columns or pillars. In the year 1608 it was possible to find an old wall that was next to the Holy Chapel of the tomb of the deacon Lorenzo who is believed to have died in the year 196, the pillar was already there, and that there were also underground ways to communicate from the church. del Pilar with other sites in the city.
When the old Plaza del Pilar was dismantled, several of these communications were found that reach the primitive temple. These underground paths would have been built in early Christianity under the empire of Hadrian so that Christians could preach there without being found by the Romans. There are also documents in which Caledonius, the bishop of Braga, came to visit the old church of the Pilar during the time of the persecutions of Diocletian.
Lower Empire
In the year 380 a council was held in Zaragoza where Bishop Valerius II was present, in addition to 12 bishops. At that time, in the church there were either painted or bas-relief sculptures, 24 scenes from the Old Testament and 24 from the New Testament. The church is referred to as a temple or house full of angels. By the 18th century, this chapel was enlarged and had the capacity to bury XNUMX martyrs who had died as a result of the persecutions of that century against Christians.
Prudentius was commissioned to compose some verses about church scenes, and he wrote about the pillar there that it was the same column where our Lord Jesus had been scourged. Lupertius also wrote about it that it had been carried by angels, giving a true reason why the Virgin had rested there.
The Visigoths
With the arrival of the Visigoths in Spain, many conflicts with religion arose again, between the Arians and the Roman Catholics, but the Visigoth kingdom began a process of change and unity towards Catholicism for three reasons:
- The Councils of Toledo
- The Conversion of King Recaredo
- To the Martyr San Hermenegildo.
In the 542th century, it is believed that the Chapel of El Pilar was destroyed by invasions. In 368, the stole of Saint Vincent, which was kept there, was carried in procession to Paris, as Chiddelbert I had raised a siege of the city. The church was sometimes called the Basilica of Saint Vincent. By the 645th century, the Mass of the Virgin of El Pilar, which had been used since XNUMX, began to be used. A document from the year XNUMX was found that mentions that this temple had been founded by the apostle Saint James. In the last years of the Visigoth occupation, this temple enjoyed a period of splendor.
The Domination of the Muslims
In the year 716 the Muslims took Zaragoza and changed its name to Saragusta, they brought their religion and built the Mosque of Saragusta al Baida or Zaragoza la Blanca, the Christian religion was allowed to continue being practiced and the Pilar church became the main , forming the first Brotherhood of the Blessed Virgin of Pilar. In the XNUMXth century, the Senior Bishop took the corpse of San Vicente to the Pilar church, now with a more baroque style and where most of the Christian community of Zaragoza attended, since in that period they were not allowed to be built. other Christian churches.
Middle Ages
From the 18th to the 1118th centuries, several capitulations were signed, one of them on December XNUMX, XNUMX, when Zaragoza was conquered again, and the Muslims were given some concessions such as a one-year term to vacate the city and live outside the walls to who continued to practice their religion. The Patronage of the Pilar Chapel is granted to Gastón IV de Bearn, who was the one who took the city of Zaragoza and Pedro de Librana was named Bishop of Zaragoza.
From 1119 to 1120 the search for donations began to make the necessary repairs to the Pilar Chapel, with the money obtained Pedro de Librana began the task of restoration. Already in the twelfth century there are many donations that are witness to the fact that by that date a pillarist devotion was already established in the city despite having been dominated for years by the Muslims. Also in the year 1138 the first congregation of Augustinians was founded in the city. Six papal bulls give more importance to the Pillar of Zaragoza and the kings of Aragon favor the temple to be a center of Marian worship.
In the 1261th century the pillarist devotion had spread throughout Spain, the Aragonese people called it Santa Capilla or Santa María del Pilar, and in the 1291th century it began to be called Santa María la Mayor y del Pilar. In the year XNUMX, some strong internal struggles damaged the façade and the structure of the temple, which was of the Romanesque type, when Bishop Hugo de Mataplana arrived in XNUMX, beginning a mission to restore it and taking it to a new Gothic style.
In 1318, John XXII mentioned this church as Santa María la Mayor de Zaragoza, and that it had been built by Saint James in the year 40, making it the oldest temple in all of Spain. This created an error in its age, since it had been built centuries after the apparition of the Virgin to Saint James. However, it is established that the Holy Chapel and the new Gothic temple are part of the same structure. The wife of John II the Great, Blanche of Navarre, was supposedly miraculously cured of an illness attributed to the Virgin of Pilar, and in her gratitude, she made a pilgrimage to the sanctuary in July 1434.
Between that year and the following year, a fire broke out in the cloister sacristy, destroying valuable objects, including the temple's alabaster altarpiece. However, the Virgin's dressing room and the Holy Pillar were unharmed. The image of the Virgin of the Pillar that is found today in the church is in the late Gothic style and was crafted by Juan de la Huerta, a sculptor from Daroca. It is believed to have been donated by Queen Blanca and Archbishop Dalmau de Mur. Concessions continued to be granted to the church thanks to John II and his son Ferdinand II.
Many faithful and nobles gave their collaboration to restore the damage from the fire, the walls were filled with bas-reliefs showing the appearance of the Virgin to Santiago. A new alabaster altarpiece is built in a lighter tone, with better carved figures, in each niche which had been done with great mastery. Archbishop Alonso de Aragón was the one who made the transformation to a Gothic-style temple, hence its altarpiece was carved by Damián Forment and was made between 1512 and 1518.
In the 1530th century, the House of Austria governed all of Spain and followed the Aragon tradition of granting privileges and continuing to protect the Pilar sanctuary. Clemente VII in the year 1676 makes the decision to exceed this jurisdiction, which causes problems in the archbishoprics of the locality, this problem was resolved in the year XNUMX when Clemente X merged the chapters of Seo and El Pilar to form the Metropolitan Chapter of Saragossa. At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the Gothic-style church began to transform into a Mudejar style. In this century, many important things happened for the temple. A flamboyant ribbed star-shaped vault was built with gleaming gold rosette ornaments.
In 1509, Damián Forment was hired again to build a new altarpiece in the Gothic style, which began the following year after the existing altarpiece was dismantled. By 1518 the new altarpiece was ready and was considered a new work of the Renaissance in Aragon. The Holy Chapel was repaired, the presbyter's grille was changed, to make a new balustrade and tin-plated with silver and they were also finished off with golden festoons, with the same height as the nave. Later, in 1644, the iron gate that closed the entrance to the chapel of the Virgin was changed, by order of Prince Baltazar Carlos of Austria.
The church choir was built between 1542 and 1548 by Esteban de Obray, Juan de Moreto and Nicolás Lobato. Three rows of seats were built in the form of a semicircular grandstand with 138 seats, currently only 124 remain of the originals, since some were relocated to the High Altar, now the Pilar Chair is larger than other chairs in Spanish cathedrals, but it was relocated in 1716.
In the year 1640 the so-called Miracle of Calanda occurred, where a man known as the Lame Manuel Pellicer made a claim that the Virgin of Pilar had healed his right leg, the most unusual thing is that he had lost that leg in an accident, this news spread throughout the kingdom and in the year 1641 on April 27 it was named as a miraculous event, in 1642 the Virgin of Pilar was named the Patron Saint of Zaragoza.
His devotion spread throughout Spain made Viceroy Pedro Antonio de Aragón call King Carlos II to Cortes in 1678 so that the Virgen del Pilar be named Patron Saint of all of Aragón. Later in the year 1670 Juan José de Austria made a new renovation now in a baroque style and that it became a Basilica, the first stone was placed on July 25, 1681 by Archbishop Diego de Castrillo.
The new building had to wait for the end of the War of the Spanish Succession and it was not until 1716 that the altarpiece and the original Mudejar-style stalls were relocated in their entirety. The temple was inaugurated on October 11, 1718 with the name of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, with a new baroque style. 32 years later, other projects were carried out and the building of a new baroque-style chapel was approved, receiving the approval of Fernando VI.
On November 2, 1751, the old medieval-style chapel was destroyed, and construction began on the new building, which was completed on October 12, 1765. The costs were covered by Bishop Francisco Ignacio de Añoa y Busto and the people of Zaragoza, who worked without pay. Between 1863 and 1872, Bishop Manuel García Gil completed a central dome, renovated the iconographic images, and decorated the domes throughout the church. The basilica as it stands today was consecrated during the Pilar festival in 1872.
The Siege of Zaragoza
After several years of Zaragoza being besieged by the French, the city was destroyed but the devotion to the Virgen del Pilar had increased, reaching her many defenders who slept in the tabernacle of the Virgin. A bomb was thrown at the Chapel of San Juan that did not cause any damage, later on February 8, 1809, two more bombs fell very close to the dome of the sacristy and the chapel of Santa Ana, killing several people who were there. Two days later 12 more bombs fell near the Chapel of San Antonio that miraculously never exploded.
With an untenable situation, on February 20, 1809, the city surrendered to the French, and the 8 defeated surrendered their weapons in the Aljafería Palace, to avoid possible looting by the French, the Zaragoza Defense Board proposed to the town hall to deliver twelve jewels to the French, among them that of Bárbara de Braganza, wife of Fernando VI, which had more than two thousand diamonds. Among all the jewels delivered there were more than 130 thousand strong pesos.
Canonical Coronation of the Virgin
In the year 1904, Pope Pius X declared a Marian jubilee year, which is why many ladies of society began to make invitations to the people to raise funds and make a coronation of the Virgin of the Pillar, the cause was approved by the Pope thanks to that the Countess of Guiomar intervened on September 28. This crown was made in the Ansorena workshops in Madrid, thanks to Queen María Cristina de Habsburgo y Lorena. The crowns were taken on April 28, 1905 by Cardinal Juan Soldevilla, to Rome to be blessed by the Pope himself.
The virgin was crowned on May 20 by the bishop who first places the crown on the child and then on the virgin, there were hundreds of people, devotees and pilgrims, since then the pilgrimages to the Virgen del Pilar began to be more frequent, for what had to be organized in groups so that they could be housed in the city. After being crowned on the 20th of each month, the virgin's mantle is removed.
In the early hours of August 3, 1936, in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, three bombs were dropped on the towers of the Basilica of El Pilar. One of them lodged in the roof, another pierced through, and the third reached the vault of the Virgin's Coreto, causing extensive damage to the gilded frame crafted by Goya and known as The Adoration of the Name of God. None of the three bombs exploded, and this was considered a miracle of the Virgin's intercession. The bombs were defused and are now displayed on various pillars near the Holy Chapel.
On June 24, 1948, Pope Pius XII granted the title of Minor Basilica to the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar, which had already been declared a National Historic and Artistic Monument 40 years earlier. In 1979, this church was chosen as the site of the International Mariological and Marian Congress. The domes and roofs of the church were remodeled, as it was thought that Pope John Paul II would be present, but he was unable to attend.
The Image and the Sanctuary
The image of the Virgin of Pilar is a gilded wooden carving, just over 36 centimeters tall, located on a jasper column covered in bronze and silver. It also has a mantle that falls from the Virgin's feet to the base of the column. This mantle is not placed on the 2nd, 12th, and 20th of each month so that the column can be fully appreciated. Behind the chapel's façade, the shrine can be opened, where the faithful venerate the Holy Column, which can be seen through an open window.
The sculpture is in the late Gothic, French and Burgundian style dating from 1435, and is believed to have been made by Juan de la Huerta. Mary is crowned and wearing a mantle tunic that she has gathered in her right hand, looking at the baby Jesus who is also taking her mother's mantle with her right hand and a bird in her left hand. The image of the child had a poor restoration that is noticeable in its colors. This image is believed to have been donated by Dalmacio de Mur under the patronage of the White Queen I of Navarre, wife of Juan II of Aragon, for a healing miracle he performed on it.
The Virgin's dress is buttoned Gothic style, girded with a belt with a buckle, it reaches her feet, where you can see more of her right foot than her left, a cloth covers her head and her hair is wavy. The child is carried in her left arm and is without clothes, with a position to the left. The image was restored in 1990 by the Spanish Historical Heritage Institute, on the motivation of the Zaragoza Metropolitan Council.
The column where the Virgin rests measures 1,77 meters high with a diameter of 24 centimeters. According to history, it has always been located in that spot since the Virgin appeared to Santiago. The silver angels on either side were a gift from Philip II on March 24, 1596. They were crafted by Diego Arnal and serve as guards for the Virgin.
Basilica Structure
The basilica today has three naves, all of the same height, with barrel vaults, intercalated domes, and plate vaults, resting on very large pillars. Its exterior is made of exposed brick, and the interior is covered with stucco. The central nave is divided by the high altar beneath the central dome, where the main altarpiece of the Assumption is located. The other two elliptical domes house the Holy Chapel of the Virgin of Pilar, the choir, and the organ.
Patronage of the Civil Guard
In 1864, the Valdemoro Civil Guard College received the first military chaplain, Miguel Moreno Moreno, who organized the center's chapel and placed an image of the Virgen del Pilar, bringing this devotion and love to all the students, the On September 24, she is named the Patron Saint of the school, the guards who graduated from there spread the devotion throughout Spain. In 1913, the director Ángel Aznar Butigieg asked the King to make the proclamation of the Virgen del Pilar as the patron saint of the entire Civil Guard, which was approved by Royal Order on February 8, 1913.
Holidays and traditions
The festival of the coming of the Virgen del Pilar is on January 2, but also every October 12 the Pilar Festival is held and on May 20 the canonical coronation of the same. On those days, 2, 12 and 20, the cloak is removed from the image and the cylindrical column of carved silver is revealed. One of the traditions of Aragon is that at least once in their lives children must be presented to the Virgen del Pilar and do what is called "passing through the Virgin's mantle".
This visit should take place before First Communion, when children are still considered innocent, meaning they have not yet reached the age of reason. Ritual acts performed in honor of the Virgin include the placement of offerings, flowers, and fruit, which have been practiced since the mid-19th century, when devotion to the Virgin became more popular and grew significantly.
Pillar parties
The patron saint festivities are held on October 12, beginning the week before the 12th and lasting until the Sunday after the 10th, that is, about XNUMX days. On each of these days, certain types of events are held that are organized by the City Council, with the help of private companies and other collective organizations, and these have immersed various contests and popular activities such as:
- The solemn mass of the infants that takes place on the 12th at dawn
- The offerings of flowers in which thousands of people dressed in the traditional Aragonese costume take part, carrying bouquets of flowers to the Plaza del Pilar, these flowers are to make a large mantle in a metal mesh, in addition this parade lasts about 12 hours.
- The pontifical mass that is done after the offering at 12 noon and after finishing the procession of the virgin.
- The offering of the fruits is made on October 13 in the morning and is made with a route similar to that of the flowers, the fruits are typical of the Aragon region.
- The Rosario de Cristal is a show that consists of a procession of 29 crystal floats with lights inside, where at least fifteen of them perform the representation of the Rosary in each of its mysteries, also followed by the standard bearers and the lampposts. The rosary must come from the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and this tradition dates back to 1889.
The Hymn to the Virgin of Pilar
The Hymn to the Virgen del Pilar dates from approximately two centuries ago, and in it the Virgin is honored and praised, while thanking her for all the favors and blessings she grants.
Holy Virgin, and my Mother, beautiful lighting, clear of day, that the land of Aragon you had the dignity to visit (repeat this stanza).
This town that adores you, of your immense love implores you, acclaims you and blesses you always embracing your pillar.
Holy pillar, resplendent beacon, the richest present of charity. Blessed pillar, a throne of glory you will know how to lead to victory.
Sing, sing, hymns of honor and praise, sing, sing to the Virgen del Pilar.
Miracles attributed to him
Many miracles are attributed to the Virgin of Pilar, the most notable being that of Queen Blanche of Navarre, whom she miraculously cured after she prayed to the Virgin. There is also the story of the miracle of a blind boy named Manuel Tomás Serrano and the church organist Domingo de Saludes, or the one known as the Miracle of Calanda, where Miguel Pellicer, a beggar from the city who was born in Calanda, had his amputated leg restored in 1637. This miracle occurred on March 29, 1640, and the following year was declared as such by Archbishop Pedro Apaolaza Ramírez.
Three civil judges were present during the process of declaring it a miracle, interrogating 25 people. Miguel Pellicer himself was summoned to the Palace to appear before King Philip IV in 1642. Upon his arrival, he knelt and kissed the king's feet. That same year, the Virgin of Pilar was named Co-patron Saint of Zaragoza, along with Saint Valerio.
The Virgin was also credited with freeing prisoners, passing trials, obtaining fortunes, and achieving athletic achievements. Her intercession was attributed to her in military campaigns such as the capture of Zaragoza from the Muslims in 1118, resistance to the French army in the Spanish War of Independence, and protection of the temple during the Spanish Civil War, when it was bombarded but never exploded.
Veneration of the Virgen del Pilar in other countries
The Virgin of Pilar is an object of devotion in many parts of Spain as well as in other countries. Among them, we can mention the following, which are the most famous and well-known:
Venezuela
On Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta State, in Venezuela, is located the Church of the Oaks in the Maneiro Municipality, many years before this church was called the Church of the Pillar, it is the patron saint of the town along with Saint Jude Thaddeus, its image is venerated in a bell made of gilded silver where a virgin is carved, and inside the church there is another carved image of the Virgin of the Pillar, made of solid gold, which was brought by Queen Juana the Mad, daughter of Queen Isabella the Catholic of Spain.
This image was an offering for having restored health to her husband King Ferdinand of Aragon, arrived to this island in the time of the Colony is believed to be in 1504, date from which began to venerate the Virgin of Pilar or better known as the Pilarica, its patron saint festivities are on October 12. In the same way in the city of Araure, in the state of Apure also a procession of an image of the virgin is made, which leaves the Church of the Pilar of Araure, and was where the Liberator Simón Bolívar prayed before entering the famous and historic Battle of Araure.
Spain
In the Canary Islands, on the island of Tenerife in Spain, there is an alabaster carving of the Virgin of Trapani in the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de la Laguna. This Virgin bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin of Pilar, which, if true, would be the oldest representation of her in the Canary Islands. Similarly, in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Parish of the Virgin of Pilar, there is a replica of the Virgin of Pilar found in Zaragoza.
In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, she was named the patron saint of the Guanarteme neighborhood, where there is also a Plaza del Pilar and the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Secondary and High School. Also in Huelva, Spain, a Hispanic Heritage Day celebration takes place, from which a procession of the Virgin of Pilar departs every October 12th, which travels through all the streets of the eastern part of the city. Similarly, in Valladolid, there is a neo-Gothic church where the Virgin of Pilar is worshipped. There is another shrine in Alicante dedicated to the Virgin.
In Cartagena there is a statue of the Virgin of Pilar at the headquarters of the Spanish Navy Submarine Base, which took her as its patron saint since 1946. An emblem of the submariners was placed on it. When the torpedo submarine Isaac Peral made its first dive, they took with them a statue of the Virgin, which had a mantle that every February is taken to Zaragoza to commemorate the anniversary of the Submarine Navy.
Argentina
In the province of Córdoba, Argentina, in the town of El Pilar, is the Chapel of Our Lady of Pilar, which was built between 1698 and 1711. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1819. Many Argentine heroes passed through this church.
Interesting Facts about the Virgen del Pilar
We already know that in the IV century the tradition of devotion to the Virgen del Pilar was carried out, also that the church was built in the form of a small chapel, by the apostle Santiago himself, but we are going to date more interesting facts about it:
- In the sarcophagus of Santa Engracia, a bas-relief figure of the Virgen del Pilar was found next to the apostle Santiago.
- By the writings of the monk Almoino de San Germán Paris, where already in the second century it was mentioned of this small church in Zaragoza, where the Martyr San Vicente was in the third century and that his remains were there.
- There is data on the miracles of the Virgin of Pilar that were compiled in a book called Book of Miracles attributed to the Virgin of Pilar dating from 1438.
- The tradition of the story of the apparition of the Virgin of Pilar has remained almost intact throughout these centuries, shaping the identity of a people and a faith that has been passed down through many generations. This faith is dominated by prayer in unity and the transmission of the word, by being firm in faith, practicing love for one's neighbor, having hope, and being merciful.
- She is named the Patron Saint of Hispanic Heritage because the day of her appearance, October 12, took on significance centuries later when Spain discovered the American continent on October 12, 1492, and for the expansion of the evangelizing mission that could spread Castilian in the new lands.
- Both the Pillar where the Virgin appeared and the Temple that was built have a symbolic meaning: a temple that is supported by pillars or columns makes the devotion to the Virgin an invitation for us to trust in her protection and to know that she will be our base, the column is the union of heaven and earth, in the Old Testament it is said that when the people of Israel were guided by God a column of cloud and fire went before them, during the day it was a cloud and at night it was fire, so they had a constant guide so that the people would not stray.
Prayer to the Virgin of Pilar
This is the prayer of the Virgen del Pilar that has been transmitted for many years, it is a sign of the grace and goodness of the Virgin so that we remain firm in the faith:
O Virgin of the Pillar! Queen and Mother, of Spain and of all the Hispanic nations that today give thanks for your gratitude and your protection and that want to continue counting on you.
Get from your sacred Son the strength of faith and the security in hope to be constant in infinite love.
Allow that in every moment of our existence we can feel that you are our mother.
Omnipotent and eternal Father that you placed in the Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and ours, who between heavenly choirs and angels was arranged in a marble column, as if sent from heaven, so that in her mana form she would appear.
That the church that was built serve to honor all the martyrs like Santiago, we beg you that through his merits and his intercession you can give us the confidence that we request today, since you are the one who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, through all the centuries, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Novena to the Virgin of Pilar
The novena is done for nine days and should always begin by making the Sign of the Cross, then the series of prayers that we are going to detail here must be performed, and which are repeated on each day of the Novena:
Here kneeling with great humility, and with the constant hope placed in God, in the protection of our Holy Virgin of the Pillar, we make the sign of the cross, to ask for our most pressing needs in the hope that they will be heard by you, Our Lady and Mother and that you can take it to your sacred Son, so that it may be heard and attended, By the Sign of the Holy Cross, from Our enemies, Deliver us Lord Our God, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Act of Contrition for every day
An act of contrition is a way of asking for forgiveness for the offenses and sins we have committed not only against the basic principles of life, but also that cause pain to God, Jesus and his holy Mother, the Virgin Mary, when you do it you should feel true repentance.
My Lord, Jesus Christ, you were God and man of truth, who cares for us and gives us our redemption. For being who you are and because we have love for you above all things, today I feel that I am sorry for having offended you, today I make a firm promise not to sin again, and to separate myself at all times from those situations in which I may offend you, make my confession and comply with the penances that are imposed on me to restitute and satisfy what I owe.
I offer you through my life, my actions and my work, to make reparation for my sins, and just as I beg you, I also trust in your immense goodness and your eternal mercy, that you will forgive my sins through the merits of your blood that was shed with passion and where your death gave us the grace to amend ourselves and preserve our bodies in holy service until the moment of our death, Amen.
Prayer for every day
As the title indicates, the daily prayer is said before the daily considerations, to remember Jesus' role in our lives as our shepherd.
Lord, Almighty God! That in your sovereign presence you have poured into my heart, to implore your goodness, since I am one of the sheep that has been lost from the flock of our beloved Jesus, who was a good shepherd and who had the desire to go in search of him, He forgave her with his spilled blood, carried her on his shoulders and took her back to his church. Will you allow it to be lost now? What will happen to me if I get confused?
This cause belongs to me since it is part of my healing, but it is also yours since your glory is immersed there. As long as I live on this earth I will be full of uncertainty for my salvation. Faced with this dilemma, I ask you, my Lord, that you can relieve me in sighs of this feeling that keeps my heart afflicted. Since I don't mind winning the universe if I have to be lost forever.
It is for this reason that I bring my prayers before you until your throne of grace returns to us to beg for my soul to be free from the claws of the animal of hell, I will trust you, Mother full of Mercy, to give me a favor in my need. Remember Graceful Virgin Mary. That no one has ever said, that once he has asked for your protection and your protection, and that he asks you imploring for your intercession, you have let him get lost.
Encouraged with this confidence I come before you, as a sinner, I am presenting myself to beg and plead with you to accept me as your son and to take into your hands my eternal salvation. Do not despise me in what I tell you, since you are the mother of the eternal word, listen to me and listen to me, since that is my consolation in this world and the one that inspires me to have confidence that one day I will be inside the heavenly choir of your angels, where I can praise you and our Lord God and Savior forever and ever, where I can sing for eternity the greatest mercies of my protector, so be it.
Considerations for the First Day of the Novena
Holy Virgin of Zaragoza today I greet you, Sovereign Queen, on a day full of happiness for all nations, what a pleasant memory that has passed through the generations, and that has been maintained through the centuries in eternal devotion and single piety. just to thank you. How miraculous is your arrival that has filled our hearts with joy and that awakens in us the best feelings of piety and eternal gratitude. What a predilection that when the Mother of God still lived in the city of Jerusalem, caring for her son's church, she decided to come to Zaragoza to make a personal visit.
That in the year 40 and under the domination of the Roman Empire, the apostle Santiago was preaching his gospel on the banks of the Ebro River, when on the morning of January 2 you appeared to you, Holy Mother, as the Mother of God and the Queen of Heaven, Even though your mortal body was elsewhere, you arrived full of majesty next to a choir of angels who sang the most beautiful praises to you.
That the angels, according to your piety and tradition, had your holy image and placed it on a column of Jasper, which today can be venerated, what a beautiful and incomparable benefit, where did so much favor come from that you have dispensed to us, because it was Zaragoza your chosen city for the great things that have been said about you, that made you great with the arrival of the Virgin Mary, who became your new city full of greatness.
Holy Virgin Mary, may your glorious form truly cover this land with the honor of having the greatest wealth and nobility that no memory can recall, which is the immortality of your love for the Church of your Son, so that her glory may be eternal as well as that of all nations who are faithful to you in their devotion.
Prayer
Queen, mother and Lady!, how much I owe you for this benefit that I ask of you, and that I have been able to do so little in your honor, today my soul is full of tenderness and feels bad for not having reciprocated, but I know that you are a mother full of kindness and that is why I ask for your protection, I beg you with great humility, not to attend to my vanities, but through your great mercy, you can be my intercessor and advocate with God Our Lord.
May my soul, which today is being torn apart by guilt, now that it is mortally wounded, be healed, and may it be healed, so that when I feel my spiritual death has arrived, I may be alive again, and may, as the Apostle said, emerge as a new being in Jesus Christ. Therefore, may this grace I ask and desire through this novena be transformed into the good of my soul, and may the Angels praise and say, "Amen."
This prayer, called the Consideration of each day, is repeated every day of the novena after saying the considerations of each day.
Considerations for the Second Day of the Novena
May the Queen of Heaven, who is our advocate and who has distinguished herself in all nations not only appear in Zaragoza, so that her memory may be perpetuated for our benefit, and for that reason sent the Apostle James to build a church in the name of our great Lady. The apostle, once enraptured by the presence of the Virgin, listened to her sweet words, where she told him that she had chosen that place because God wanted her to build a temple there that would bear her name so that his would be greater.
That this temple would be the house of inheritance and possession, where the will of Almighty God would be manifested through their intercession and their prayers, with the favor they sought through true faith and pious devotion. May great wonders and admirable things be performed there for those most in need, as long as they invoke your favor.
There we see your pillar, which is the living example that was placed with your image on it. May this be your testimony of truth and promise, that in this place faith will remain until the end of time and that in this city there will never be a lack of someone who venerates Jesus Christ, your Son. With such generosity and love, our Holy Mother, who is the Queen of Heaven, placed her throne in the city of Zaragoza so that all her children may come to her and ask for mercy, confident that her favor will be heard and that our mother will be at our side for our well-being.
Considerations for the Third Day of the Novena
Very great and with dignity is the grace of the benefit that our Queen and sovereign of the Angels who came to Zaragoza, and in the same way so great is the appreciation we have for her, having left us her image as a gift from heaven, That is why we must not forget the benefits that she has given us and we must consider the memory of her motherly love towards us. We are at your feet great lady with total confidence, so that you spill your effusion in our hearts that allows us to remove our anxieties and sorrows.
Considerations for the Fourth Day of the Novena
Zaragoza, which has to its credit the richest jewel, the most sacred treasure, the holy column that now protects it, gives it honor and makes it illustrious among the cities, a gift that came from the Virgin Mary herself, to be the deposit of the Christian faith, everyone admires the strength of this pillar that was pointed out by the Virgin so that it would not suffer the rigors of the Roman conquest, the hatred of the infidels and the fury of the Arabs. Making it big and strong, before a column that still shows us its splendor, may it be the light of faith that the Holy Virgin gave us with her coming that will never be extinguished and may it be the guide of all those martyrs of religion who gave his life in defense of the true faith.
Considerations for the Fifth Day of the Novena
The Queen of Heaven and our advocate before God is the founder of the Zaragoza temple, one of the first to be built, to be the new ark where healing could be obtained, and also to be the house of the martyrs of Christianity , today we praise and adore you queen and majesty owner of this temple, which was the throne of the Mother of Heaven. Where her pillar and her image have traveled the world for the glory of God, that is why she has to see how her faithful increase so that we admire her mercy and her goodness.
Considerations for the Sixth day of the Novena
Out of respect for the majesty of our Lord, where the Jews had to purify themselves before entering their interiors, where the Levites could not go beyond the court to make sacrifices, where the priests could only go to the golden ark once a year to light the incense, that all these measures were to maintain the divinity and respect within a temple, that we understand that all these precautions were for our well-being and for the noblest celestial figures to coexist in it.
It is for them that God teaches us that we must go to the sanctuary to feel the fervor of religion, so that with humiliation we can contemplate the majesty of God, so that our feelings increase in faith, in respect and veneration since this is what the virgin asks us, let us worship the holy land through the presence of God and the Holy Virgin so that we may see the house of the Lord and the gates of heaven.
Considerations for the Seventh day of the Novena
What an insight they give us, enabling us to appreciate the grandeur, beauty, and magnificence of a magnificent temple that has been sanctified as a house of the Mother of God—the sanctity of temples, the hymns and songs of praise sung in her honor, and above all, the devotion shown by the faithful. Therefore, we must invoke her name so that her goodness may reach us and also grant us her forgiveness. Temples filled with angels who can take away our thoughts so that we may be the temples of our souls, which, out of greatness and excellence, we must preserve for God.
Considerations for the Eighth day of the Novena
Queen of heaven who shone like a great star and spread all your splendor throughout Spain, you who with a dawn full of divinity announced the gospel and carried the banner of the cross and taught us the cult of faith, the one who was despised so long, that we always feel for you the great devotion and love that you deserve, for the salvation of our souls and the forgiveness of our sins.
Considerations of the Ninth day of the Novena
Queen of all heavenly angels, we do not stop admiring you for all the benefits you grant us, we give you thanks for all the glories you have given us, Great Lady of Zaragoza and of all Spain, of all the Hispanic nations, to whom we always recognize as our benefactress and protector, that all the devotions that are made are in your name, that all those who have been called martyrs, saints and heroes continue by your side and that they enjoy your eternal protection.
Final prayer for every day
This prayer should be done every day after the daily considerations to thank the Virgen del Pilar for listening to us and helping us in the request we make of her.
May you be the pillar that we need as an instrument that serves to give us your illumination, as the only true path that leads us to God, who is the only path of truth and life, and that with that light we can have more strength, help and assistance. , to continue to remain faithful to your example, and may it be the Virgin Mary who fills us with her motherly love.
That we can arrive as brothers to the Kingdom of God which will never end, and that we live in a world of true love, just as Christ taught us, whose teachings are still alive through the grace of the Holy Spirit and that we it clearly says in the holy gospels.
O Maria! that you have always cared for the Holy Church, and that at all times you have given her protection, we see in you the bride of Christ, who redeemed us with the price of her spilled blood, we want the brightness of holiness to be present in us just as it is presented in your Holy Son.
Holy Mother of God, allow every faithful and devout person to remain under the light you radiate, as if they were a sun full of divinity, and remove all mist of lies and evil, so that we may remain faithful to the truth, and may continue to say that we are your children, so that we may motivate others to become part of your Church, and may come to know Jesus in the same way that we come to know him.
May faith be revealed in them, may they call upon you full of hope, and may they love you as we have all learned to do, in perfect and reciprocal love. You, who were the spouse of the Holy Spirit, help us to be gathered into one flock, with one religion, and may all nations unite under your mantle.
Fill your faithful with abundant graces and blessings that only you know how to give. Reach all hearts filled with peace and friendship, just as when your holy Son announced to us that nothing should be done against the peace and freedom of the Church that Jesus leads.
Mary, you who are the temple of the Holy Trinity, you who were born pure and blameless, we ask you to look with your eyes full of mercy on all nations, especially Spain, which you chose to make your first appearance on a pillar. We ask you to help us emerge from sin, to continue loving us despite our mistakes, to remain in your Catholic faith, to preserve the unity of the Church, and that through the protection you give us, you may consecrate us in the hands of your Son to continue together on the path of redemption and resurrection. Amen.
Pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a glory.
We make this novena in special memory of all the intentions made by the Pope, that of the Bishops and that of all those who dedicate themselves to doing the work and mission of God. We also ask for all the countries and cities that present war problems and pressing economic and political situations, for the family and for all those people who are afflicted and sick.
We especially ask you for the care of children, those who must follow your sacred path, so that their parents may instill in them spiritual values that go hand in hand with the teachings of Jesus Christ, with what his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, preaches. She, full of love, tells us that she loves us, just as she loved her Son unto death. May we follow prayer, novenas, and rosaries as the primary means of bringing our prayers to God, so that He may hear us, help us, and grant us His protection. Amen.
End the Novena by praying five Hail Marys, you must first pray the Hail Mary and then close with each one for the following reasons:
- To praise the hour in which the Virgin Mary appeared physically in Zaragoza, Ave Maria.
- Because he chose the Apostle James, by order of the Holy Virgin, to build his temple, the first to be dedicated to his name in the world. Hail Mary.
- Because he left us with the gift of his Sacred Image to be our protection and comfort in moments of disturbance. Ave Maria.
- For the column or Pillar, which is the symbol of our strength and stability in the Catholic faith until the end of time. Ave Maria.
- To give you thanks for the great benefits that you have given us since you came to be our protector. Ave Maria.
Make the particular request that you wish to obtain from the Virgen del Pilar and then pray the following:
O Mary! Daughter of God the Father, protect the Church, which from its beginning has always sought your protection. We recognize in her the spouse of your only Son, who, with whose shed blood he paid the price for her ransom and for the forgiveness of our sins, watches over our souls so that we may be worthy to obtain the promises of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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