- Psalm 61:8 -
Then will I ever sing praise to your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.
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David made a vow to praise God each day. He continually praised God
through
both the good and difficult times of his life. Do you find something to
praise God for each day? As you do, you will find your heart elevated from
daily distractions to lasting confidence.
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December 12th - Our Lady of Guadalupe
Patroness of Latin America
(1531)
One of the most beautiful series of apparitions of the Queen of Heaven
occurred on the American continent on a December day of 1531, only ten
years
after the Spanish conquest. A fervent Christian Indian in his fifties,
Juan
Diego, a widower, was on his way to Mass in Mexico City from his home
eight
miles distant, a practice he and his wife had followed since their
conversion, in honor of Our Lady on Her day, Saturday. He had to pass near
the hill of Tepeyac, and was struck there by the joyous song of birds,
rising up in the most melodious of concerts; he stopped to listen. Looking
up to the hilltop, he perceived a brilliant cloud, surrounded by a light
brighter than a fiery sun, and a gentle voice called him by name, saying,
"Juan, come." His first fear was transformed into a sweet happiness by
this
voice, and he mounted the slope. There he beheld the One he had intended
to
honor by hearing Her Mass. She was surrounded by a radiance so brilliant
it
sent out rays that seemed to transform the very rocks into scintillating
jewels.
"Where are you going, My child?" She asked him. "To Saint James to hear
the
Mass sung by the minister of the Most High in honor of the Mother of the
Saviour." "That is good, My son; your devotion is agreeable to Me, as is
also the humility of your heart. Know then that I am that Virgin Mother of
God, Author of Life and Protector of the weak. I desire that a temple be
built here, where I will show Myself to be your tender Mother, the Mother
of
your fellow citizens and of all who invoke My name with confidence. Go to
the bishop and tell him faithfully all you have seen and heard."
Juan continued on his way, and the bishop, Monsignor Juan de Zumarraga, a
Franciscan of great piety and enlightened prudence, heard him kindly and
asked questions, but sent him home without any promises. Juan was
disappointed, but on his way past the hill, he once again found the Lady,
who seemed to be waiting for him as though to console him. He excused
himself for the failure of his mission, but She only repeated Her desire
to
have a temple built at this site, and told him to return again to the
bishop. This he did on the following day, begging the bishop to accomplish
the desires of the Virgin. Monsignor said to him: "If it is the Most Holy
Virgin who sends you, She must prove it; if She wants a church, She must
give me a sign of Her will." On his way home, Juan Diego found Her again,
waiting, and She said to him, "Come back tomorrow and I will give you a
certain mark of the truthfulness of your words."
The next day Juan was desolate to find his uncle, with whom he lived,
fallen
grievously sick; the old gentleman was clearly on the brink of death. Juan
had to go and find a priest in the city. As he was passing the hill, Our
Lady again appeared to him, saying, "Do not be anxious, Diego, because of
your uncle's illness. Don't you know that I am your Mother and that you
are
under My protection? At this moment your uncle is cured." "Then please
give
me the sign you told me of," replied Juan. Mary told him to come up to the
hilltop and cut the flowers he would find there, place them under his
cloak,
and bring them to Her. "I will tell you then what to do next." Juan found
the most beautiful of roses and lilies, and chose the most fragrant ones
for
Mary. She made a bouquet of them and placed it in a fold of his cloak or
tilma - a large square of coarse cloth resembling burlap. "Take these
lilies
and roses on My behalf to the bishop," She said. "This is the certain sign
of My will. Let there be no delay in raising here a temple in My honor."
With joy Juan continued on to the city and the bishop's residence, where
he
had to wait nearly all day in the antechamber. Other visitors noted the
fragrance of his flowers, and went so far as to open his mantle to see
what
he was carefully holding in it, but found only flowers pictured on the
cloth. When finally he was admitted to the presence of the prelate, he
opened his cloak and the fresh flowers fell on the floor. That was not the
only sign; on his cloak there was imprinted a beautiful image of the
Virgin.
It remains today still visible in the Cathedral of Mexico City, conserved
under glass and in its original state, having undergone no degeneration in
470 years.
Juan found his uncle entirely cured that evening; he heard him relate that
Our Lady had cured him, and had said to him also: "May a sanctuary be
raised
for Me under the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe." The bishop lost no time
in
having a small church built at the hill of Tepeyac, and Juan Diego himself
dwelt near there to answer the inquiries of the pilgrims who came in great
numbers. In effect, nearly all of the land became Catholic in a few years'
time, having learned to love the gentle Lady who like God their Father
showed Herself to be the ever-watchful friend of the poor. In 1737 the
pestilence ceased immediately in Mexico city after the inhabitants made a
vow to proclaim Our Lady of Guadalupe the principal Patroness of New
Spain.
In 1910 She was proclaimed by Saint Pius X "Celestial Patroness of all
Latin
America." Recent studies of the image of Our Lady on the tilma have
discovered in one of Her eyes the portrait of Juan Diego, the son She
chose
to favor by this triduum of heavenly apparitions and conversations.
Source: Message Marial, by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (FEC
Press:
Montreal, 1947).
Saint Quote:
Don't give in to discouragement....... If you are discouraged it is a sign
of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about
people's opinions. Be obedient to truth. For with humble obedience, you
will
never be disturbed.
-- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Bible Quote:
The eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and His ears unto their prayers. I
Pet 3:12
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A prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas:
Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose,
intercede for the Church,
protect the holy Father,
help all who invoke thee in their necessities.
Since thou art the ever Virgin Mary
and Mother of the true God,
obtain for us from thy most holy Son
the grace of a firm faith and a sure hope
amid the bitterness of life,
as well as an ardent love and the
precious gift of final perseverance.
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