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Monday, December 12, 2011
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th.  I must admit until very recently I did not know the background of this Feast Day.  I misunderstood this feast day to be a South American homage to Our Lady.  In fact Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of the Americas, including North America.  I watched an episode of Fr. Barron's Word on Fire, Catholicism series about Mary.  The film included so much information on our Blessed Mother.  Pilgrimages to sites of apparitions were included as well as a plethora of information of St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I'm so grateful that I was able to learn about this, I truly was missing out.

Here's some information that was provided by Catholic.org about Our Lady of Guadalupe. 


Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12 (USA) When we reflect on the feast of  Our Lady of Guadalupe we learn two important lessons, one of faith and one of understanding.
Missionaries who first came to Mexico with the conquistadors had little success in the beginning. After nearly a generation, only a few hundred Native Mexicans had converted to the Christian faith. Whether they simply did not understand what the missionaries had to offer or whether they resented these people who made them slaves, Christianity was not popular among the native people.

Then in 1531 miracles began to happen. Jesus' own mother appeared to humble Juan Diego. The signs -- of the roses, of the uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and especially of her beautiful image on Juan's mantle -- convinced the people there was something to be considered in Christianity. Within a short time, six million Native Mexicans had themselves baptized as Christians.
The first lesson is that God has chosen Mary to lead us to Jesus. No matter what critics may say of the devotion of Mexicans (and Mexican descendants) to Our Lady of Guadalupe, they owe their Christianity to her influence. If it were not for her, they would not know her son, and so they are eternally grateful. The second lesson we take from Mary herself.  Mary  appeared to Juan Diego not as a European Madonna but as a beautiful Aztec princess speaking to him in his own Aztec language. If we want to help someone appreciate the gospel we bring, we must appreciate the culture and the mentality in which they live their lives. By understanding them, we can help them to understand and know Christ. 
 
I hope you will take the time to learn more about Juan Diego and his vision of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The story of the miraculous image on Juan's tilma is beautiful.  The sometimes controversial meaning of the title Our Lady of Guadalupe shows the connection of her name being a translation of the Aztec Nahuatl word of coatlaxopeuh word meaning "who cruses the serpent" and the Genesis 3:15 verse which says "I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; it will bruise your head and you will strike its heel." 

Our Lady of Guadalupe





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posted by The Catholic Gift Shop at 12:07 PM




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