St. Juan Diego - Dec. 9th; Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12th

In 1531, a poor Indian, who had been baptized Juan Diego, was walking through the Mexican countryside to attend mass in honor of Our Lady. He heard beautiful music and saw a radiant cloud. In it appeared a beautiful Lady. She spoke in his native language and wore native dress. She sent him to the Bishop to tell him to build a chapel on that spot. The Bishop asked for a sign from the Lady. Juan was going to visit her but his uncle became seriously ill so he tried to avoid her. But he had to use the same path to see his uncle. She appeared to him again and told him his uncle would be cured and to cut some roses that were growing on the top of the hill. This was a cold December day. He did as she requested and brought the roses to the Bishop wrapped in his tilma (cape). When the Bishop opened the tilma, there was a magnificent picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When St. Juan Diego next saw his uncle, he had been completed cured as the Lady had said. Until this time few natives had converted to Catholicism, within a few years millions had. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron of the Americas and Her shine is one of the most visited.

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

"Here I will show myself as a loving Mother
to  you and to all those born in these lands,
and to all those who love me and trust in me,
for I am your loving mother."

In Mexico in 1531, God permitted Our Lady to appear to a recently converted Aztec Indian named Juan Diego. To him was given arguably the greatest treasure in the church - the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a true image of Mary the Mother of Jesus, when she was with child.

When Juan Diego first saw the Blessed Mother, he was a 57 year old widower and she seemed to him to be about 18. She appeared to him 4 times, and once to his uncle Juan Bernadino, who was cured of his sickness. When first Juan saw her it was at the foot of the Tepeyac Hill (in what is now Mexico City). She was in a brilliant light, and called to him softly. She told him that she was the ever Virgin, Holy Mary, Mother of the True God who is the Author of Life, the Creator of all things, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, present everywhere. Her purpose in coming was to ask Juan Diego to tell the bishop that she wished a sanctuary to be erected in that place where she would be honored. 

When the Spanish bishop asked for a sign to prove Juan Diego's story, Our Lady gave Castille roses, which she herself arranged in the Indian's cloak or 'tilma', telling Juan to show them to no-one but the bishop. When he did so, the roses cascaded forth, revealing on the tilma a miraculous image of Our Lady as she had shown herself to Juan Diego.
The name Guadalupe comes from an ancient shrine of Our Lady in Spain. The bishop was unable to understand the Indian name of Tecoatlexpeuh, which means "she who crushes the head of the serpent", and thought it sounded like 'de Guadalupe', by which name it has been known ever since. Within 7 years of the apparitions, 9,000,000 Indians had converted to Christianity from their pagan Aztec religion. It is the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the history of the Church.



To the Indians the picture told the great truths of Christianity. Mary is robed with the sun and is standing on the moon. The Aztecs offered human sacrifices on a massive scale so as 'to keep the natural order in creation'. She is wearing the dress of an Aztec princess, and the black sash at her waist indicates that she is pregnant. When the image was crowned by the Papal Envoy on 12th December 1981, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the feast of the roses, a great light shone forth from her womb over the whole congregation in the Basilica. This miracle lasted for 20 minutes, could be seen by all present, and was visible even on television. Our Lady is supported by her Guardian Angel, Saint Michael. Together they brought to an end the practice of human sacrifice by the Aztecs, and together, by the power of God, they will bring to an end the killing by abortion of unborn babies in our own times.

The figure of Our Lady is 4'11" high. It is unutterably beautiful and deeply compelling. Her hands are joined in prayer. Our Lady of Guadalupe is silent and humble, but her words to Juan Diego are a comfort for us all:
"...Know for certain that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God...here I will show and offer all my love, my compassion and protection to the people. I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear their weeping and their sorrows...their necessities and misfortunes..Listen and let it penetrate your heart...

Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and my protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the fold of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?"

The Virgin will be with you always, whenever you need her
- she will never abandon you

Never forget the words Mary spoke to Juan Diego:

"My little child, the smallest of all, let nothing afflict you. Do you not know that you are in my lap? Am I not here, I, who am your mother?"

And YOU are her child as well -
you will always be Mary's special child.