Antonio Mascorro Zapata and Maria Seberina’s Love Story:
Last night, Sadie dreamed of a baby boy being raised to the heavens by his father, Joseph Manuel Mascorro. The year was about 1788. The village was quaint, lined with blue, red, yellow, and pink-colored homes along the narrow, cobblestoned streets.
“Este nino lo dedicamos para ti Jesucristo,” Sadie clearly hears in her dream, “lo presentamos ante tu luz!”
She heard the voice so loudly that she sat up suddenly in bed, gasping for air! “That child was being displayed onto the light of our Lord,” she whispers, “I must continue with my love story.”
Later that morning, as she savored her coffee, she opened up to day 6 of the Novena she was studying. Jesus’ whispers on this day were for divine mercy for the little children. She reads:
Today, bring to me the meek and humble souls and the souls of the little children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence….
Wiping away a tear of joy, Sadie begins her day, knowing that divine order is clearly at play.
Years later, these two children (Jose Antonio and Maria Seberina Vasquez, a child of the light herself) would meet. He was 11 years her Senior, and they grew up in a charming, quaint town close to the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Cordillera Neo-Volcanica rising above the Mesa Central. They were as different as night and day but regularly met in church.
Antonio tends to look away every time their eyes meet. Maria smiles coyly at her crush’s long, wavy hair, even though he is older than her. It was not unusual for younger girls to marry older men then. Maria loves to write, and Antonio loves music, politics, and the military.
One fantastic, relaxed summer evening, Antonio walks past Maria’s garden, discreetly gazing at her bedroom window.
“What an awesome garden!” he whispers gently. It is, indeed. Near the entrance are tall Spanish trees: Oliva arboles, some Granada along the southern entrance, aguacate, guava, and even papaya trees by a giant lemon tree. Oh, how he especially loved the pomegranates!
Suddenly, he notices her silhouette amidst a flicker of the burning candle. “Hola Maria, why are you still up tonight,” he gently hollers.
“Antonio, you know how I love to write and how I heal myself with my own stories, right? Through my writing, I realized that love is giving love, and I couldn’t sleep, so I got up to write.”
“Yes, I do know you love to write. So, are you writing a love story about us?” He smiles softly.
“Hmmmm, perhaps,” she smiles back, “but don’t you think you are a bit too old for me?”
“What does age matter, querida? Do you believe, Maria, that our dreams shape our destiny? Lately, I’ve been dreaming a lot about us. I don’t care about age; I know I can provide for you, and that’s what matters.”
“Sometimes I do think of you. Where on earth are you coming from at this time of evening? Shouldn’t you be home helping your Dad with the horses ?”
You see, Antonio is a soft-spoken man who describes himself as a “loner.” Most of his friends are his cousins or the men he works with. He relates swapping lively stories with Dr. Juan Jose Ignacio Zapata (1772-1849), his “compadre” of the Spanish and French settlers. His father, Joseph Manuel Mascorro Zapata (born about 1746 in Jalisco, Mexico), used to share many stories that his father, Gregorio Mascorro Ruys, used to tell him about their complex Indigenous origins, and the more he listened, the more he wanted to explore.
(Years later, Mexico would gain independence from the French and Spanish conquests)
You see, Maria Seberina Vasquez is an outspoken young woman who loves to write. She enjoys discussing philosophy, the stars, and the reason for things and does not take NO for an answer unless it’s the last option.
***
On January 3, 1816, Jose Antonio and Maria Seberina married at El Sagrario Asuncion de Maria, Aguascalientes, Mexico. He was 28 years old, and she was 17. Their love story, as fateful as it was, lasted a mere 9-10 years. What happened to Seberina is not known. Still, the most likely scenario is that she died between 1818 (the birth of her second child, Nicolasa) and 1825 before Antonio remarried. They could not have divorced since the dissolution of marriage in Mexico was not possible until much later.
Antonio’s second marriage was to Maria Ynes Medina in his late 30s, on 9/24/1825, in Jalisco, Mexico, at Inmaculada Concepcion, Cienega de Mata Church.
Felipe Mascorro, the firstborn of Antonio and Maria Seberiana, is Sadie’s great-grandfather. Since Sadie and her ancestors originated from this first marriage, after having researched her lineage, Sadie is convinced now more than ever that God continues to direct her steps to this day.
“For love creates like itself and is forever one with what’s created.”
