When I was a boy I grew wonderful tomatoes in my garden, but I didn't eat them. Go figure! Every night at dinner my father would say, "Son, you don't know what you're missing." I got over that and love tomatoes now.
So as the Church gets ready for the December 12th feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Do you know the story of The Guadalupe? If not, "You don't know what you're missing." So here's a link to the oldest written account. Nican Mopohua What a great way to step into the Jubilee Year of Mercy! And spread the word about this wonder even to the children you know. Heaven's great kindness!
So as the Church gets ready for the December 12th feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Do you know the story of The Guadalupe? If not, "You don't know what you're missing." So here's a link to the oldest written account. Nican Mopohua What a great way to step into the Jubilee Year of Mercy! And spread the word about this wonder even to the children you know. Heaven's great kindness!
And then here are some intercessions we might pray to help us get ready.
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The Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas:/ North,/ Central and South./ We pray for this hemisphere/ and ask for the conversion of hearts where persons suffer indignities,/ violence and injustice./ We pray to the Lord.
The Lady of Guadalupe called Juan Diego the littlest of her sons./ We pray to remember that each human person is God's child/ and to love people with the mind of Christ./ We pray to the Lord.
Juan Diego delayed meeting the Lady for their second appointment/ because his uncle, Juan Bernadino, was dying./ We pray for hearts to see as essential/ the taking care of those in frailty,/ suffering or need./ We pray to the Lord.
While the Lady asked for a chapel to be built on the top of Tepeyac,/ we ask God all the more to change us into living stones that build up the Church to God's Glory/ and the love of our neighbor./ We pray to the Lord.
The Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego/not elevated above him,/ but barefoot and standing on the ground./ We ask for the virtue of humility/ by which we see ourselves truthfully,/ in our vulnerability,/ insecurity and powerlessness./ We pray to the Lord.
On Juan Diego's tilma/ the Lady stands in the posture of prayer./ In the dark time of the year/ we pray to be enlightened/ as to how we might pray more deeply from the heart./ We pray to the Lord.
We entrust the sick,/ the friendless and the needy to the Guadalupe's care,/ and pray that the dead may experience the most tender mercy of Jesus/ who pardons,/ heals and makes whole./ We pray to the Lord.
