Wednesday, December 12, Third Week of Advent
FEAST OF NUESTRA SENORA DE GUADALUPE
'Queen of Mexico', Patroness of the Americas
Images from left: Apparition to Juan Diego; the miraculous image on the tilma; etching of Juan and the cloak; 18th-cent painting "God painting the image of Guadalupe'; battle standard of General Miguel de Hidalgo in the Mexican War for Independence; and Juan Diego's tilma with the image, venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe.
December 12 commemorates the day when the image now venerated as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared miraculously on the cloak of the man who is now St. Juan Diego, remembered by the Church on December 9, the date of the Lady's first apparition to him on Tepeyac hill (part of what is now Mexico City), bidding him to tell the bishop to build a church in her honor. The skeptical bishop asked for a sign, and Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac to intercede for a sick uncle and convey the bishop's reaction. The Virgin told him his uncle would recover and asked him to gather roses on the hilltop to bring to the bishop. Juan wrapped the miraculous roses in his cloak and when he opened it for the bishop, the cloak itself was found to carry the image of the Lady who had appeared to him. The initial surge of popular devotion and conversions to Catholicism inspired by the miracles, coinciding with the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Europe, grew to be the most popular devotion in all Latin America and perhaps the world. Millions of faithful visit the Shrine of Guadalupe on the two days of spiritual celebrations Dec. 11-12 dedicated to Our Lady. This shrine has become the most visited Marian shrine in the world.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/121212.cfm
AT THE VATICAN TODAY
General Audience - The Holy Father says God is in our midst but the world is too distracted to notice.
This was also the occasion at which he sent the first Papal tweet (shortly followed by other tweets
responding to questions at #askpontifex).
One year ago...
The Holy Father presided at a concelebration of the Eucharist at St. Peter's Basilica for the peoples of
Latin America on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and on the occasion of the bicentenary of the declarations
of independence by the Latin American nations between 1804-1824.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 13/12/2012 16:53]