In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City. She identified herself as the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth. She made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop. When the Bishop hesitated, and requested her for a sign, the Mother of God obeyed without delay or question to the Church's local Bishop, and sent her native messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assorment of roses for the Bishop. After complying to the Bishop's request for a sign, She also left for us an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native's tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 476 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.It apparently even reflects in her eyes what was in front of her in 1531.
Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.There is reason to believe that at Tepeyac Mary came in her glorified body, and her actual physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego's tilma, which makes this apparition very special.An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her.
Yearly, between 18 - 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica, making it Christianity's most visited sanctuary.Altogether 25 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002.The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent. During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born.
At mass yesterday, Father Armistead reminded us that today would be the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and that the celebration would begin with the "procession" at 5am, with a rosary at about 5:30 and mass after the rosary. He said if we showed up at 6:30 for the regular weekday mass, we would miss it. If we didn't want to get up earlier we "should make arrangements to go to the 8:00 am mass at St. Bernadette's. This got a laugh out of the nuns who call St. Bernadette's home, but attend the 6:30 at Annunciation because they also teach and it works better for their schedules. Father said if we didn't want to be late for mass at Annunciation we should be there by 5:45 am. I figured, "what the heck. I'll just go earlier to mass. It will give me an earlier start."
So I got up earlier than usual and got to the Cathedral at 5:35 and the rosary had just begun--in Spanish! It got me thinking. What a truly wonderful Church we have! I can say the rosary, attend mass, pray a novena---whatever the devotion--in any language and still get the same feeling as if I understood the other language. I had the same feeling when I attended mass in Ecuador last year. We all sit, stand, kneel, pray, and praise as a unified body no matter where we are. The only drawback is that I don't understand the homilies! That's not entirely true, though. I have attended enough masses in Spanish over the last couple of years to have picked up some of the more common phrases and words and know their meanings. And at one of the churches, St. Edward's in Stockton, the priest will recognize me in the pew and perform a "Spanglish" mass. He gives two homilies, one in Spanish and the other in English. This makes me feel special, because he looks straight at me when giving the homily in English. The drawback to this mass (if you want to call any worship of Christ a "drawback") is when he says the introductory prayer to the Consecration or asks for the Our Father in English and I am the only one responding. Fortunately, I can have a booming voice when needed. lol.
At mass this morning, it was truly an "ethnic happening". Many in the congregation, from the smallest, youngest child to the oldest adult was dressed in traditional Mexican attire--serapes, flowered dresses, ornate hair ribbons. I was struck by the fact that I seemed to be the only non-Mexican (other than Father Armistead, who speaks fluent Spanish, by the way) in attendance and I was in my usual daily mass attire--my work shirt, pants and boots. The church was filled with hundreds of Mexican(American?) Catholics who share a DEEP devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It also occured to me that there is a completley different "attitude" among the Mexican catholics and the rest of us when it comes to how we worship. I am more comfortable when things are quiet in the church, especially right after Communion. Today I was a bit taken aback when, after receiving Communion and walking back to my pew there were families taking pictures(!) of their children in front of the mural of Our Lady. Here we are at the most important part of the mass, and these parents are not paying attention to Christ, but to how pretty their children look all dressed up in their traditional clothing! Not only that, but they are speaking in normal voices, telling their children how to pose for the pictures! Forgive me, Lord, but this irritates the heck out of me! On the other hand, though, at least they really threw a gala event for our Blessed Mother. So all in all it caused confusion in my feelings toward my fellow catholics.
OK, enough ranting for now. May Our Lady of Guadalupe bring our praises and petitions to Our Father through her Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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