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• "Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe," from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, the celebration of Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Archbishop Jose H. Gomez as celebrant. Live. Airs 3 a.m., ET, Friday, December 12.
In December 1531, Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass when the Virgin Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, just outside of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request that a shrine in her name be built at Tepeyac. She also promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego, asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac, where the Virgin told him to climb the hill and to pick the roses that he would find in bloom—in the middle of winter. He gathered the flowers, carefully placing them in his mantle. When he approached the Bishop, he opened his mantle. The flowers tumbled to the ground, and on his cloak (known in Mexico as a tilma) was the image of the Virgin!
When the Indians learned the news of Our Lady's apparitions, an enthusiasm and joy such as had never been seen before spread among them. Renouncing their idols, superstitions, human sacrifices, and polygamy, many asked to be baptized. Nine years after the apparitions, nine million Indians had converted to the Catholic faith—nearly 3,000 a day!
This Friday, December 12, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the Patroness of the Americas. She converted the pagan Culture of Death in Mexico at that time and she continues that conversion process around the world now. The faithful continue to invoke her as an intercessor for the rights of the unborn and the vulnerable. In honor of her feast day, EWTN offers a line-up of programs you won't want to miss:
• "Mass in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe," from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California, the celebration of Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Archbishop Jose H. Gomez as celebrant. Live. Airs 3 a.m., ET, Friday, December 12.
• The Holy Father's Mass from Rome (TBA)
• "1531: The Story That is Not Yet Finished"--dramatizations of the testimonies of St. Juan Diego, Bishop Zumárraga, the Friars and soldiers who saw the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Airs 10 p.m. ET, Friday, December 12.
• "Our Lady of Guadalupe and Miraculous Mexico"-- the ever-miraculous telling of Our Lady's appearance to Juan Diego, a poor Mexican farmer, and his obedience to the Virgin Mary's requests. Airs 3:30 a.m. ET, Tuesday, December 9 and again at 11 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 13.
• "Guadalupe: A Living Image"-- Monsignor Eduardo Chavez, postulator of the cause for canonization of Juan Diego, discusses the authentic historical accounts of the apparitions of Our Lady and the Miracle of Guadalupe. Airs 3:30 a.m. ET, Tuesday, December 16 and again 11 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 20.
Today, this image is still on the tilma and is located at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Almost 500 years later, scientists and even secularists cannot explain why it has not decayed or faded.
As the image graphically depicts, Our Lady has the physical dimensions of a woman who is three months pregnant. Christ is to be "born" again among the peoples of the New World. The message is as relevant to the "New World" today as it was during the lifetime of Juan Diego.
God Bless Family!