The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe (From Franciscan Media)
The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the 16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.
A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower, and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.
Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.
Eventually the bishop told Juan to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Juan to try to avoid the lady. Nevertheless the lady found Juan, assured him that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma.
On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground, and the bishop sank to his knees. On the tilma where the roses had been appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.
Reflection
Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a powerful reminder that Mary—and the God who sent her—accept all peoples. In the context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast significance for the indigenous population. While a number of them had converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. In these days when we hear so much about God’s preferential option for the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God’s love for and identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel itself.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of:
The Americas
Mexico
4 comments:
I used to pray with some good Catholic folks in a far away city in front of an abortion clinic once or twice a month. There were, of course, people who screamed at us, threw things at us, called the police on us (and the police were always supportive to us) and did other things to make our task unpleasant. We would always hold up an original-sized copy of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe while we prayed the rosary. Nothing was more effective than this image, especially with potential Hispanic customers. We saw many a car veer away from the parking lot, or turn around and leave the lot after they got a glimpse of that image.
Our Lady of Guadalupe isn't just a "Mexican thing". It is for all Catholics and we should embrace her and appreciate this incredible sign that is a significant for us today as it was in 1531.
-- Pope Francis’ Holy Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. December 12, 2023 A.D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdPQBwF1yLo
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Sophia here: Seamus, thank you so much for this compelling testimonial of Mary's, influence specifically, under this particular title, on abortion-minded Hispanic Moms.
Sophia here: Seamus, I shall be passing this information on to my nearest Crisis Pregnancy Center-which sits adjacent to an abortion center. They are almost two hours away from here, and have seen a dramatic rise in the number of "clients" seeking abortions as other clinics in adjacent states have had to shutter their doors (Thanks be to God)! Yes, a growing number of Hispanics are now showing up also. In fact, I interrupted this comment to call the Crisis Pregnancy Center to confirm that there is a significant number of Hispanic Moms showing up for abortions-there are-and of course to share your first person report. The senior counsellor with whom I spoke became just as excited about this as I am and said, " We hadn't even thought of that, but of course, she (The Virgin) is even pregnant- no wonder!".
Thanks again, Seamus!
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