Any Hispanic Catholics here to explain something for me?

I was raised Catholic, but German and Irish variants, so this is a bit foreign to me. (And I was raised in a Protestant household, the only Catholic due to the fact that I am the product of a mixed union and my father died before I was born. So my Catholic background is very educational and Jesuit, not very cultural, and pretty much intellectual rather than ecstatic. Think St. Thomas More rather than St. Francis Assisi.)

We got up this morning to find a Sanctuary candle of the Virgin of Guadalupe and a much photocopied prayer on the doorstep. I think it says Act of Faith at the top, but my Spanish is poor, and my Latin is not helping much. (Vela de la Fe)

I can transcribe it, if anyone thinks they can translate it for me.

So my bigger question is: is this a Lenten act of faith, or are we actively being courted for some reason? (We are not Hispanic, but we do have a sticker on the door to discourage door knockers, and I know other Catholics use the same sticker to keep Mormons at bay.) And if we're actively being courted, what can I do to discourage it? I don't want to waste anyone's time or the local Church's money (the local church being very small and rather poor and VERY liberationist.) I'm not hostile here, just not interested.

The only way I figured out it was Ash Wednesday this year was because some priest really laid it on thick on this poor guy's forehead.

Never heard of anything like what you speak of. The only group that I have ever heard of that witnessed was American. I don't think that many people go around asking for money door to door in latin America, maybe because so many are poor to begin with.

First they tell you to keep it inside of you, no trumpets, no looking ragged during fasting, etc. etc., and the next thing you know you're sporting a big ash cross on your forehead.

Oh no, and now I'm posting about it here!

What to do, what to do.....

I don't know about placing the candle on the doorstep though. I've certainly never heard of it. I'll ask my mother, see what she says.

What does the prayer say?

She's pretty well revered in the Irish and German Catholic communities, too. (Though the level of devotion is a bit different...)

After trying to translate it (it appears to be written in colloquial Spanish), I am thinking it's a chain letter....

Here's the transcription:

Vela de la Fe
si recibes esta vela de la fe, al dia siguiente enciendela y pediras tresa deceos, al gran poder de Deios debes compar 4 veladoras para compartir con 4 personas que tu quieres ver progresar. Esta cara es enviada desde Orlando para dar suerte en compañia. No la tengas mas de 4 dias. Los deceos se cumpliran. Al enviar las copias y veladoras recibiras una sorpresa, esta confirmada por....

Maria Clara: recibio la carta y se la olvido hacer sus copias y a los pocos dias perdio so trabajo.

Solano: recibio la carta y se las dias a sus seres queridos y ganaron un premio de la loteria.

Adrian: lo tomo de broma y al poco tiempo perdio a su esposa.

Esta cara es para ti, para sequir el camino de Cristo Jesus.

Hemos enviado esta carta, es para dar suerte, recuerda que despues de 4 dias tendras una sorpresa.



Here's the machine translation:

It guards of the Faith
if you receive this candle of the faith, to the following day enciendela and pediras tresa deceos, to the great power of Deios you must compar 4 veladoras to share with 4 people who your you want to see progress. This face is sent from Trimming to give luck in company. You do not have it but of 4 days. The deceos are cumpliran. When sending the copies and veladoras recibiras a surprise, this confirmed by

Marie Clare: recibio the letter and the forgetfulness to become its copies and to the few days perdio under work

Solano: recibio the letter and the days to their dear beings and gained a prize of loteria

Adrian: the volume of joke and soon after perdio to its wife

This letter is for you, in order to sequir the way of Christ Jesus

We have sent this letter, it is for giving luck, it remembers that despues of 4 days tendras a surprise

You're supposed to give candles and copies of the letter to four other people to whom you wish good luck. If you don't, you'll have bad luck.

"Marie Clare recevied the letter and forgot to make copies. A few days later, she lost her job.

"Solano recieved the letter and gave copies to his loved ones and they won the lottery."

"Adrian took it as a joke and in a short time lost his wife."

We have sent you this letter; it's to give you luck. Remember that you'll have a surprise in four days."

See? The equivalent of a chain letter. Pass it on, or you'll have bad luck, they're telling you.

Vela de la Fe
si recibes esta vela de la fe, al dia siguiente enciendela y pediras tresa deceos, al gran poder de Deios debes compar 4 veladoras para compartir con 4 personas que tu quieres ver progresar. Esta cara es enviada desde Orlando para dar suerte en compañia. No la tengas mas de 4 dias. Los deceos se cumpliran. Al enviar las copias y veladoras recibiras una sorpresa, esta confirmada por....

Maria Clara: recibio la carta y se la olvido hacer sus copias y a los pocos dias perdio so trabajo.

Solano: recibio la carta y se las dias a sus seres queridos y ganaron un premio de la loteria.

Adrian: lo tomo de broma y al poco tiempo perdio a su esposa.

Esta cara es para ti, para sequir el camino de Cristo Jesus.

Hemos enviado esta carta, es para dar suerte, recuerda que despues de 4 dias tendras una sorpresa.

Candle of Faith

If you receive this candle of faith, light it on the next day and pray for three causes (lit. desires)to the great power of God. You must buy four candles to share with four persons whom you want to see do well (lit. progress) This letter has been sent from Orlando to bestow mutual good fortune. Do not hold it more than four days. Your prayers will be answered. When you send the copies and the candles, you will receive a surprise. This is confirmed by . . ..

Maria Clara received the letter and forgot to make her copies. A few days later she lost her job.

Solano received the letter, sent it to his loved ones and won a prize in the lottery.

Adrian took it for a joke and lost his wife. Remember that after four days you will receive a surprise.

This letter is for you, so that you may follow the path of Jesus Christ.

We have sent this letter. It is to bestow good fortune.

It sounds like a neighbor spotted your sticker and simply left a present for a possibly fallen away, not seriously practicing Catholic. I'd know more if I saw the rest of it, but you can find out yourself at a free translator like the one at http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html

She guards the faith, although I would consider it poor spanish grammar.

It could also possibly read as "ve la de la fe" meaning "She sees the one of the Faith"

Someone much more steeped in Hispanic culture needs to explain the rest. I've seen some pretty strange things done regarding the Virgen De Guadalupe. But it appears someone is asking Mary for something or to do something possibly regarding you or your family. I wouldn't think its anything evil, though.

Literally "Candle of the Faith"

On Edit: I think it's a generic term for all of the rather beautiful candles that have pictures of saints and such, generally along with a prayer on them that you recite before lighting.

act of faith involved in embracing life fully in the face of unavoidable death. Marked by Christ's cross in baptism - a cross that briefly reappeared on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday - we are, Lent reminds us, a pilgrim people, journeying toward the certainty that we all will be "buried with Christ in his death


I think they were just reminding you to denounce the devil and to become one with Christ in your life to insure your position in Heaven upon your death.

I dont think you were being courted per say,, I think they are spreading their gospel and your doorstep was just on their way to the next door.

In their mind, they are doing Gods work.

If you have no interest in their literature, then just throw it away and go on with your life as you see fit.

That Hispanics have a love-obsession with the Virgin of Guadalupe, to the point of madness. If you go to Mexico, you'll see that people come from miles on their knees to pay their homage. It's impressive how much they love her. She's credited with miracles of all kinds. Unless someone is building her a chapel and needs a donation, I'd say they maybe know you're Catholic and are giving you a token of what they consider to be holy?

If you want me to translate, type it out.

Mexicans and Mexican-Americans do.

just to help us figure out what is going on with the candle.

You might type some reply and put it out next to the candle, for the placer person to get.

ps ... keep the candle unlit, to avoid fire hazard. LOL, yet serious too.

Several of the Catholic families in the area have one that's similar specifically to keep the Mormons at bay.

.

I once placed a small brass engraved sign beneath my doorbell/doorknocker . . . which stated: "NO SOLICITATION, PLEASE" . . . well? That only goes as far as those who understand what the damn sign said. It is a broad term meaning that anyone not invited to knock at my door was unwelcome. Very simple, really! It's merely a polite manner in which to express it. But my doorbell/knocker still sounded. And, by those whom I wanted to prevent bothering me.

I now know that bold tactics are better used and useful in America today than merely understated politeness.

My next step was to remove my brass engraved (and quite tasteful) sign, and replace it with a bold and colorful sign "No Trespassing, Attack Dog" . . . it worked and continues to work. So goes the times in America.

I just posted a picture of my mother in law in her nitegown.

not only have I not had anyone knock on my door since then, all the neighbors have moved and I now have 2000 acres of unpopulated land around me.

LOL

For 50 bucks, I can send you a copy of the picture to hang on your door.

:-)

Oh, man. What next?????

I'm just about to tell the personnel dept. that they need to tell people to stop sending Christian chain letters using work e-mail. Why don't Christians keep their religion to themselves? I mean, it's one thing to pray for you WITHOUT TELLING YOU, just pray for the person, and it's quite another to be a proselytizing freak, openly sending out chain letters or telling you what they believe. If it existed, I'd wear a button that said:

KEEP YOUR RELIGION OUT OF MY FACE.