Wednesday, December 9
ST. JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOHUAC (Mexico, 1474-1548)
Modern scholars question whether this saint ever existed, pointing to lack of documentation
about him at the time of the Marian apparitions and miracle (1531) that made him a decisive
figure for the mass Christianization of Mexico immediately following the apparitions, in 1532-
1538, at the height of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Mainly, they claim that the bishop
at the time of the apparitions never mentioned it in his writings. However, there is the fact
(scientifically unexplained) of Juan's tilma (cloak) on which the image of the Virgin was
imprinted, and that photographic enlargements of the Virgin's eyes from the image on the cloak
show a reflection of Juan Diego. The story is that the Virgin appeared to the elderly native Indian
peasant, a devout widower, and told him to ask the bishop to build a church on the spot. In order
to convince the skeptical bishop, the Virgin told Juan to gather roses from the spot (it was
December) and bring them to the bishop. He wrapped the miraculous flowers in his cloak, and
when he opened it in front of the bishop, there was the image of the Virgin on the tilma
[the object now venerated in the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City). Before Juan
Diego was canonized in 2002, the first native American earn this distinction, the Vatican named
a 30-man commission of scholars to research and establish the authenticity of his life and
the events related to the apparitions. The Basilica of Guadalupe is now the world's most
visited religious shrine.
No OR today (because yesterday was a religious holiday).
THE POPE'S DAY
General Audience - The Holy Father's catechesis was on Rupert of Deutz, a 12th century Benedictine
abbot and theologian who was devoted to espousal of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and
said that the Pope's Magisterium was safe haven for Catholics in any controversies about doctrine.
An addition to the Holy Father's holiday schedule:
Thursday, Dec. 17
17:30, St. Peter's Basilica
Vespers
with the university students of Rome
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 09/12/2009 22:13]