Podcasts about tepeyac hill

The apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary that came to be known as Our Lady of Guadalupe was a miracle. The Castilian roses that came from Tepeyac Hill in winter were a miracle. The divinely illustrated vision of Our Lady on St. Juan Diego's tilma was a miracle—as is the fact that the tilma composed of organic fibers has refused to degrade for 500 years and is still available to see to this day. But none of those were the greatest miracle that Our Lady brought to the Americas that fateful century. Fr. Mike points out the incredible miracle that many people gloss over—but the one that makes an eternal difference.

Friends of the Rosary, Today, December 12, the Catholic Church in the USA celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In December 1531, Our Lady appeared three times to a Chichimeca Indian convert named Juan Diego, requesting that a church be built on Tepeyac Hill, near Mexico City. Unable to convince the bishop and busy caring for his sick uncle, Juan missed a fourth meeting with the Blessed Virgin. Mary intercepted him the next day, saying: “Am I not here, your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? What else do you wish?” Our Lady instructed Juan to gather roses for the bishop in his cloak. When the roses tumbled out, a miraculous image appeared. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on Juan Diego's mantle. This image has proven ageless and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Virgin also appeared to Juan's uncle, healing him and revealing herself as the “Holy Mary of Guadalupe.” In 1910, Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared the Patroness of Latin America. In 1945, Pope Pius XII declared her the Empress of all the Americas. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • December 12, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Join Mary Jane Fox as she takes us on a spiritual journey with Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego. Discover the story of the Blessed Virgin Mary's four apparitions to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City in 1531. Whether you are new to her story or already familiar, this journey will deepen your faith and connection to Our Lady of Guadalupe & St. Juan Diego. During our journey, you will: Discover the history, symbolism, and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe Unpack Juan Diego's story, his encounters with the Blessed Virgin, and the miracle of the image on his tilma. Draw inspiration from the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego to guide your daily journey of hope. Continue Your Journey: Find additional media-related resources to take your journey to the next level. Jewel for the Journey: "Let not your heart be disturbed…Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything. Am I not here, your Mother? - Our Lady of Guadalupe Learn more at PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Journeys Help us spread hope! PilgrimCenterOfHope.org/Donate We are so grateful to this month's sponsors, Bill & Lisa Strain, who made this podcast episode possible. Do you like what you hear? Become a Missionary of Hope by sponsoring a week of Journeys of Hope, click here to get started.

Today is our one day Advent Membership Drive! Together with you, we’re praying to hit our goal of $60,000 in donations, to cover operating costs and get us to the finish line for the end of the year. Please consider making a gift now! We’ve been broadcasting solid Catholic content to the Tri-State and beyond since 2001 across multiple media platforms, and it’s because of God’s providence and your generosity we’ve been able to do so. We are so grateful for you! You can give a secure one-time or recurring donation online to help us hit our goal, but there are several other ways to give as well: by phone, mail, stock gifts, donor advised funds, and more. You can view all the ways to give here. We know you have so many options when it comes to your media choices. We’re grateful you’ve chosen to listen to and support us for nearly two and a half decades. Please consider making a gift to help us continue to share the truth and beauty of our Catholic Faith into 2025 and beyond! ***** A Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe O Blessed Virgin Mary, you appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill to present your Divine Son to the people of the Americas. In your maternal tenderness and love, you revealed to the world the power and glory of your Son as our God and Redeemer. Intercede for your children that they may have the strength to endure their hardships and the courage to persevere in their faith. By your act of perfect faith, Christ was conceived in your womb to bring new life and light into this world. May your image inspire us to seek your help and spread your devotion to all who desire to know your Son and dwell in his Sacred Heart. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Thank you to Fr. Rob Jack for writing this prayer for today’s feast! ***** RECIPES FROM RITA TWO LAYER PEPPERMINT BARK Ingredients: 24 oz bittersweet chocolate – good quality 24 oz white chocolate – good quality 1 cup or so crushed peppermint 3⁄4 tsp PURE peppermint extract or scant 1/4 teaspoon food grade peppermint oil Instructions: Place peppermint candy in a large plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a meat pounder. Set aside.Line a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet (small sheet pan) with parchment paper and set it aside. Let sides hang over a bit to form a cradle to make it easier to lift bark out. Heat 4 cups of water in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Set a large glass bowl on the saucepan so the bottom does not touch the barely simmering water. Add the bittersweet chocolate to the glass bowl. Stir and slowly allow the chocolate to melt. Once most of the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat, wipe bottom of bowl to remove any moisture or steam (any moisture if it hits the chocolate will cause it to seize), stir to smooth out completely, then pour onto the prepared baking sheet. Smooth to an even layer and sprinkle with 1⁄4 cup of crushed peppermint candy. This acts as a somewhat gritty surface which I think allows the white chocolate layer to adhere better. Let cool until firm, either in the refrigerator or even on the counter. You don’t want the chocolate real cold since it will be more difficult to spread the white chocolate on top and the layers adhere better together when the bottom layer is completely firm but not rock hard cold. (If it is real cold, let it sit out a bit to take the chill off, then proceed with white chocolate layer).Wash and dry the bowl thoroughly, and set over the barely simmering water. Add the white chocolate. Stir until most of the chocolate is melted, then remove from the heat. Stir to smooth out completely, and add the peppermint extract, stir, and pour over the bittersweet chocolate. Smooth to an even layer and immediately top with remaining peppermint candy pieces. Allow to cool at room temperature until hardened, 2-3 hours. Once the bark is hard, cut or break into pieces. Since the bark has hardened at room temperature, it won’t be rock hard and will be easier to break or cut into pieces.Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two weeks. TIPS Don’t use chocolate morsels/chips or the slabs of chocolate “bark” in the baking aisle that contain palm kernel oil, which may inhibit good bonding of the layers. High quality “white” chocolate will have sugar and cocoa butter listed among the first ingredients on the label. Don’t have peppermint extract? Sieve the candy cane pieces and the “candy dust” you shake out of the sieve can be stirred into the white chocolate layer for peppermint flavor, not as strong, but still good. Don’t use imitation peppermint extract which contains too much water and may cause the melted chocolate to seize. ***** BONUS RECIPE: PEPPERMINT WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE Ingredients: 20 or so oz white chocolate bars1 teaspoon peppermint extract or 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil8 candy canes, regular size, crushed very fine1 quart each half & half and whole milk Instructions: Easy peasy. Follow instructions above for melting white chocolate and adding extract.After pouring white chocolate in pan and spreading into even layer immediately sprinkle with very finely crushed peppermint. Cool until solid. To make peppermint white hot chocolate:Heat half & half and milk to 160. Break up bark into piece that fit into mugs.Pour warmed milk in cups and let folks add bark to taste. ***** Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Read OnlineThen the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”  Luke 1:30–31Today we celebrate five successive apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, who was an Indian convert to the faith. Early in the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan was traveling to the town of Tlatelolco where he intended to attend a catechism class and the holy Mass. However, on his way, as he passed by the Tepeyac Hill, he was gifted by the vision of a bright light and heavenly music. As he gazed upward with wonder and awe, he heard a beautiful voice calling him. As he moved toward the voice, he saw the glorious Mother of God standing in youthful appearance in heavenly splendor. She said to him, “I am your merciful Mother…” She further revealed to him that she wanted a church built on that spot and that Juan was to go and tell this to the Bishop of Mexico City.Juan did as our Lady asked, but the bishop was reluctant to believe. But once again, the Mother of God appeared to Juan and asked him to return to the bishop with her request. This time the bishop asked for a sign, and Juan reported this to the Mother of God. She said a sign would be provided, but Juan was prevented from receiving that sign, since he needed to attend to his sick uncle.However, after two days, on December 12, 1531, Juan was once again traveling to the church in Tlatelolco to ask the priest to come and attend to his dying uncle. But this time Juan had taken a different route so as to avoid delay from his heavenly visitor. But this time our Blessed Mother came to him and said, “It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear, for your uncle is not going to die. Be assured…he is already well.”As soon as Juan heard this from his heavenly visitor, he was overjoyed and asked for a sign to give to the bishop. The Mother of God directed him to the top of the hill where he would find many flowers that were in bloom completely out of season. Juan did as she said, and upon finding the flowers, he cut them and filled his outer cloak, his tilma, with them so he could bring them to the bishop as the sign requested.Juan then made his way back to Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop of Mexico City, to present him with the flowers. To the surprise of all, as he opened his tilma to pour forth the flowers, there appeared on his tilma the image of the very woman who had appeared to him. The image was not painted; rather, every thread of this simple and coarse cloak had changed color to create the beautiful image. That same day, our Blessed Mother had also appeared to Juan's uncle and miraculously cured him. Though these miraculous events have become embedded into the fabric of Mexican culture, the message is far more than cultural in significance. “I am your merciful mother,” she said! It is our Blessed Mother's deepest desire that all of us come to know her as our mother. She wants to walk with us through the joys and sorrows of life as any loving mother would. She wants to teach us, lead us and reveal to us the merciful love of her divine Son. Reflect, today, upon the miraculous actions of the Mother of God. But reflect, especially, upon her motherly love. Her love is a pure mercy, a gift of the deepest care and compassion. Her only desire is our holiness. Speak to her this day and invite her to come to you as your merciful mother.My most merciful mother, I love you and invite you to pour forth upon me your love. I turn to you, this day, in my need, and I trust that you will bring me the abundant grace of your Son, Jesus. Mother Mary, O Virgin of Guadalupe, pray for us who turn to you in our need.  Saint Juan Diego, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Our Lady of Guadalupe, via Wikimedia Commons

In an episode originally dropped in December 2023, Harry and Rafe discuss the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in 1531.  A decade after the fall of the Aztec empire, Diego, a peasant convert in present-day Mexico, is visited four times by the appearance of the Virgin Mary, who tells him to ask the bishop to build a church on Tepeyac Hill in her honor.  When pressed for evidence, Our Lady arranges non-native roses in Diego's tilma on the winter solstice and, upon presentation to the bishop, a miraculous image is imposed onto and into the very fabric of his cloak: an image of a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, carried by angel, and carrying a child.The image spans two cultures, the natives of central American and the Spanish Christians, in its iconography and presentation and speaks to both groups about the nature of the mother of the one True God.Diego's cloak still hangs in Mexico City today, four hundred and ninety-two years later, having survived all manners of mistreatment and harassment, a testament to the Christian faith of the Mexican people and Catholics around the globe.    Our Lady of Guadalupe is essentially the American continents' first true superhero.*****As always, you can reach the Buf at bufnagle@bufnagle.com*****As you know, this is an independent podcast so your hosts also carry all the expenses of running this podcast. As such, some of you have asked how you can help out. Well, here's the answer: support us on Buy Me a Coffee:https://buymeacoffee.com/bufnagleOn this page, you can do a really nice thing like send us a couple dollars to help cover the cost of recording and hosting and microphones and research and all that. Any little bit really helps! Thank you in advance!!!

The realities of getting around an apparition site in a different country is explored in this week's podcast. I visited the “Our Lady of Guadalupe” apparition site in Mexico City a number of years ago now. Recalling my experience in today's podcast, specifically getting there and also walking up “Tepeyac Hill” becomes more vivid as the years go by. The actual experience is a paradox of inspiration, research, detailed planning, speculation, unexpected challenges, insecurity, confidence, blind faith and timing melded together, in an amalgamation of reward and relief, tension and finally peace. My desire to see and walk the grounds where the Virgin Mary appeared to St Juan Diego over 500 years ago just came to my attention out of the blue (as have all my other tours to various apparition sites in the world.)  And sharing those travels with my lovely wife who has now transitioned to Heaven makes all those investments of time during life more meaningful with each passing day… My take away for this one is the reward of persistence and perseverance in the face of the unknown and unexpected. And also, most importantly, to have total faith in the Virgin Mary whose requests go to her son for giving overarching protection for those on pilgrimages. In this case a visit to climb “Tepeyac Hill” at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica and Shrine apparition site in Mexico City. May the Virgin Mary intercede for your prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ. There are links, photos and more about this on my website. Pray for this war in the Middle East to end. Also, Pray for the People of Ukraine. There are links for ways to support them on my website: NikosSteves.com   I have written a contemporary novel with Christian themes entitled "The Very Fine Light" Preview it for FREE and/or purchase "The Very Fine Light" at Amazon.com   I value feedback through the comments section on my website, NikosSteves.com Or via email at NikosSteves@gmail.com Constant Procession tells of key apparitions of the Virgin Mary since she passed on from the world and how she serves humanity through Christianity. The origin of these podcasts began with my first book, The Constant Procession. Constant Procession (the podcast) is published every Tuesday morning and has links, photos, video and more information for each episode at NikosSteves.com

It's cold and dark outside the Church of the Assumption in Richfield at 5 a.m Tuesday. At least a dozen parked vehicles idled in the lot, waiting for the church's doors to open up. The parishioners were eager to get a seat for the musical event to celebrate the feast day for Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.The band known as Mariachi Estrellas de Minnesota walked down the aisle, playing “Las Mananitas.” The title means “early morning.” As in the Mexican ditty is sung early in the morning at birthdays and celebrations. And every Dec. 12 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. Church volunteer Jose Luis Mena, who dons a T-shirt featuring the image of Guadalupe clad in a dark teal and gold cloak, reflected on what the day means to him and others.“These people come here in five in the morning to sing the mananitas, Happy Birthday to Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he said. “And they come in with hope, joys with everything, to give thanks to our mother for one more year … for all the miracles.“That's why it's so important for us.” The parishioners sang Las Mananitas to a statue of Guadalupe. It looks much like Mena's T-shirt. Purple tulle and white lights encircled the statue. All of this is surrounded by what looks like long, white tulle drapes. Potted flowers held back the drapes to reveal the saint. At her feet were flowers left by congregants.Guadalupe appeared four times to two Aztec men outside of Mexico City in Tepeyac Hill. She appeared before Juan Diego two times and once to Diego's uncle Juan Bernardino sometime in December 1531 (exact dates vary). The Archbishop of Mexico City did not believe Diego's account and said he needed a sign.It came in the form of a cloak Diego wore when he went to see archbishop. It revealed an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, similar to the statue and the T-shirt Mena wore.David Shaw is assistant pastor at the church. “It's deep in their roots of their families, I think and so the significance of today is to bind them to their families and to their nation,” Shaw said. “Probably many people here may have not returned to Mexico for many years … so it's a hugely significant day in many different ways.”Mexicans are not the only Latinos celebrating the feast day, Mena said. The church's Spanish-speaking members are also from Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Venezuela.Shaw said about half of the 2,500 congregants at the Church of the Assumption are Latino. The annual feast day began to be celebrated by the church around the time the Latino community experienced robust growth in Richfield. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latino residents have grown from 1 percent of the city's population in 1990 to nearly 19 percent.  Mena said he came to Richfield from Mexico in 1995. Back then, there were 15 or 20 Spanish-speaking congregants. The clergy aimed for more.“I remember the priests used to just give little pamphlets in Walmart across the street, to invite people to come to do the worship here,” he said. As word spread of the Spanish Masses at the church, Latinos from the Twin Cities and Burnsville began to visit it.  Former Richfield Mayor Maria Medina was the first Latina elected to the office of mayor in the state. She said Richfield is attractive not just to Latinos, but to other communities as well.Besides, the city's affordable housing, and convenient location to anywhere, she said, the city offers amenities, services and activities for families.“Those are some of the reasons that a lot of Latino families have told me that Richfield is a very great place to be,” she said.The mariachi band wrapped up. Mena tells parishioners that breakfast is waiting: tamales, sweet breads and coffee.

Harry and Rafe discuss the appearance of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in 1531.  A decade after the fall of the Aztec empire, Diego, a peasant convert in present-day Mexico, is visited four times by the appearance of the Virgin Mary, who tells him to ask the bishop to build a church on Tepeyac Hill in her honor.  When pressed for evidence, Our Lady arranges non-native roses in Diego tilma on the winter solstice and, upon presentation to the bishop, a miraculous image is imposed onto and into the very fabric of his cloak, an image of a woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, carried by angel, and carrying a child.The image spans two cultures, the natives of central American and the Spanish Christians, in its iconography and presentation and speaks to both groups about the nature of the mother of the one True God.Diego's cloak still hangs in Mexico City today, four hundred and ninety-two years later, having survived all manners of mistreatment and harassment, a testament to the Christian faith of the Mexican people and Catholics around the globe.    Our Lady of Guadalupe is essentially the American continents' first true superhero.This episode is kindly sponsored by BlendJet.Use our special link ("bufnagle") to save 12% at blendjet.com. The discount will be applied at checkout!

(Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 12)La Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: Patroness of the AmericasYou are definitely going to want to read this post all the way to the end.What a crazy ride!In 1946, Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be the Patroness of the Americas. In 1961, Pope St. John XXIII prayed to Our Lady as the Mother of the Americas, calling her the Mother and Teacher of the Faith to the peoples of the Americas.In 1979, shortly after the dedication of the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, four miles from Mexico City, Pope St. John Paul II celebrated Holy Mass in the sanctuary. This was his first international pilgrimage. In 1990, the Pope returned to the Basilica to preside over the beatification ceremony of Juan Diego. Then, he returned to Mexico City in 2002 to preside over the canonization of St. Juan Diego of Cuauhtlatoatzin (Feast Day: December 9)St. Juan Diego of CuauhtlatoatzinSt. Juan Diego was born in 1474 in what is now Mexico City, Mexico. At the time, Columbus had not yet set sail on his first voyage from Portugal. Juan, also called “Talking Eagle,” was a member of the Chichimeca people. There are a LOT of sources, including Britannica, that refer to Juan Diego as an “Aztec.” To be clear: he was not. His people were not the rulers of Tenochtitlan, nor did they practice human sacrifice, as the “Aztecs” did. Why do I keep putting “Aztec” in quotes? It is because the term “Aztec” was first used three hundred years later by the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt. I suppose, in an anachronistic way, we could call St. Juan Diego an “Aztec,” but he was certainly not a member of the Mexica tribe that were the dominant ethnic group in the Triple Alliance. As a Nahua, Juan Diego did share cultural and linguistic affiliations with the Mexica, but the Chichimeca had a varied history with the Mexica.Anyway… the Vatican accounts what happened next!When he was 50 years old he was baptized by a Franciscan priest, Fr Peter da Gand, one of the first Franciscan missionaries. On 9 December 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is now Mexico City. She asked him to go to the Bishop and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac, where she promised to pour out her grace upon those who invoked her. The Bishop, who did not believe Juan Diego, asked for a sign to prove that the apparition was true. On 12 December, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. Here, the Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and to pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it was winter time, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took them to Our Lady who carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take them to the Bishop as "proof". When he opened his mantle, the flowers fell on the ground and there remained impressed, in place of the flowers, an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac.With the Bishop's permission, Juan Diego lived the rest of his life as a hermit in a small hut near the chapel where the miraculous image was placed for veneration. Here he cared for the church and the first pilgrims who came to pray to the Mother of Jesus. (Vatican.va)The Image of Our LadyThe miraculous image that appeared on the tilma of St. Juan Diego is absolutely incredible and we continue to learn new things about it. First, a description is worthwhile. The Vatican describes it thusly:The miraculous image, which is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, shows a woman with native features and dress. She is supported by an angel whose wings are reminiscent of one of the major gods of the traditional religion of that area. The moon is beneath her feet and her blue mantle is covered with gold stars. The black girdle about her waist signifies that she is pregnant. Thus, the image graphically depicts the fact that Christ is to be "born" again among the peoples of the New World, and is a message as relevant to the "New World" today as it was during the lifetime of Juan Diego. (Vatican.va)Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Battle of LepantoThere are significant miracles associated with Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1571, Admiral Doria carried a copy of the image aboard his ship during the Battle of Lepanto. He said that it was the Virgin of Guadalupe's intercession which carried them to victory over the fleet of the Ottoman Turks, though they were outmanned and outgunned.Good Distinctions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Subscribed17th - 19th CenturiesIn 1647, the image was covered with glass for the first time. In 1648, Luis Lasso de la Vega published a telling of the story of St. Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe in the Nahuatl language. Our Lady continued to convert the peoples of the Americas.In 1667, Pope Clement IX instituted the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, the date it is still observed.In 1746, Our Lady of Guadalupe was made the patroness of all of New Spain, which at the time reached from northern California to El Salvador. This patronage was fully approved by Pope Benedict XIV in 1754 and he granted a Mass and Office proper to the December 12 feast.Bombing of the Image!On November 14, 1921, a bomb was placed beneath the image of the tilma! The bomb caused a lot of damage to the basilica, but despite going off just below the image did not do any damage to it!The Eyes of the VirginA photographer, Alfonso Marcue, in 1929, made the discovery of the reflection of a man's head in the right eye of the Virgin Mary in the image on the tilma. This was further confirmed by the investigations of a man named Carlos Salinas in 1951. Dr. Javier Torroella Bueno, an opthalmologist, also examined the eyes of the Virgin on the tilma and said that he too confirmed the reflections of human beings in the eyes.In 1958, Dr. Rafael Torija Lavoignet publishes a study of the Purkinje-Sanson effect which states that the reflection of images are inverted in the inner surface of the eyes' lens. This effect is present in the image of Guadalupe.Using modern techniques and magnification, in 1962, Dr. Charles Wahlig, O.D. discovered two images reflected in the eyes of the Virgin when studying a 25x enlarged photograph. In 1979, engineer Dr. Jose Aste Tönsmann found that at least four human figures are reflected in both eyes - including an image of a man who appears to be Bishop Zumarraga.The Tilma ItselfThe eyes of the Virgin in the tilma are spectacularly miraculous, but check this out…For 115 years, the tilma was displayed without protective glass. This means it was exposed to soot, candle wax, people touching it, and incense used nearby. And despite a bomb going off underneath it… the material of the tilma has maintained chemical and structural integrity for almost 500 years! The same composition used for these sorts of tilmas normally only lasted for fifteen years, not five hundred.The moon under the Virgin's feet, the angel holding the cloth, and rays coming from the image were are painted cloth that have been added over the years. But the original image of the Virgin herself was not painted. There is no sketch underneath it, no brush strokes, and it seems to have been produced in a single step. Dr. Philip Serna Callahan, a NASA consultant and biophysicist at the University of Florida made these discoveries as he studied the tilma under infrared radiation. That paper from 1981 can be found here.Our Lady Loves Her ChildrenLa Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is the mother of us all. She is the Mother of Jesus. But she is also Mother to all the children entrusted to her care, whether native American, Spaniard, or otherwise.Pope Benedict XVI reminded listeners in Brazil in 2007 of the words recorded to have been said to St. Juan Diego by our Blessed Mother. She said:“Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?” (Nican Mopohua, nos. 118-119).Our Lady of Guadalupe, wrap us in your mantle of love. Hold us close and draw us nearer to your Blessed Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Amen.Good Distinctions is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Good Distinctions at www.gooddistinctions.com/subscribe

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30–31Today we celebrate five successive apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, who was an Indian convert to the faith. Early in the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan was traveling to the town of Tlatelolco where he intended to attend a catechism class and the holy Mass. However, on his way, as he passed by the Tepeyac Hill, he was gifted by the vision of a bright light and heavenly music. As he gazed upward with wonder and awe, he heard a beautiful voice calling him. As he moved toward the voice, he saw the glorious Mother of God standing in youthful appearance in heavenly splendor. She said to him, “I am your merciful Mother…” She further revealed to him that she wanted a church built on that spot and that Juan was to go and tell this to the Bishop of Mexico City.Juan did as our Lady asked, but the bishop was reluctant to believe. But once again, the Mother of God appeared to Juan and asked him to return to the bishop with her request. This time the bishop asked for a sign, and Juan reported this to the Mother of God. She said a sign would be provided, but Juan was prevented from receiving that sign, since he needed to attend to his sick uncle.However, after two days, on December 12, 1531, Juan was once again traveling to the church in Tlatelolco to ask the priest to come and attend to his dying uncle. But this time Juan had taken a different route so as to avoid delay from his heavenly visitor. But this time our Blessed Mother came to him and said, “It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear, for your uncle is not going to die. Be assured…he is already well.”As soon as Juan heard this from his heavenly visitor, he was overjoyed and asked for a sign to give to the bishop. The Mother of God directed him to the top of the hill where he would find many flowers that were in bloom completely out of season. Juan did as she said, and upon finding the flowers, he cut them and filled his outer cloak, his tilma, with them so he could bring them to the bishop as the sign requested.Juan then made his way back to Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop of Mexico City, to present him with the flowers. To the surprise of all, as he opened his tilma to pour forth the flowers, there appeared on his tilma the image of the very woman who had appeared to him. The image was not painted; rather, every thread of this simple and coarse cloak had changed color to create the beautiful image. That same day, our Blessed Mother had also appeared to Juan's uncle and miraculously cured him. Though these miraculous events have become embedded into the fabric of Mexican culture, the message is far more than cultural in significance. “I am your merciful mother,” she said! It is our Blessed Mother's deepest desire that all of us come to know her as our mother. She wants to walk with us through the joys and sorrows of life as any loving mother would. She wants to teach us, lead us and reveal to us the merciful love of her divine Son.Reflect, today, upon the miraculous actions of the Mother of God. But reflect, especially, upon her motherly love. Her love is a pure mercy, a gift of the deepest care and compassion. Her only desire is our holiness. Speak to her this day and invite her to come to you as your merciful mother.My most merciful mother, I love you and invite you to pour forth upon me your love. I turn to you, this day, in my need, and I trust that you will bring me the abundant grace of your Son, Jesus. Mother Mary, O Virgin of Guadalupe, pray for us who turn to you in our need. Saint Juan Diego, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The 12 of December is the traditional Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Inextricably linked to the Mexican identity, is her story that of the Virgin Mary? Or is there someone much older at work here? This week I'm discussing Our Lady of Guadalupe and the history of her sacred site at Tepeyac Hill having belonged to the goddess Coatlicue long before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.  Perhaps Guadalupe was not Mary, but Coatlicue, coming to remind her people she was and is still with them, even in the darkest of times. The goddess and her people both survived brutalization, death, murder, theft, and abuse at the hands of the Spanish, but Coatlicue appeared at her holy site in the midst of the chaos and turmoil and uttered the now famous words - "Am I not here, I who am your Mother?" A link to curandera Griselda Alvarez Sesma's page on Guadalupe-Coatlicue https://www.curanderismo.org/about

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”  Luke 1:30–31Today we celebrate five successive apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, who was an Indian convert to the faith. Early in the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan was traveling to the town of Tlatelolco where he intended to attend a catechism class and the holy Mass. However, on his way, as he passed by the Tepeyac Hill, he was gifted by the vision of a bright light and heavenly music. As he gazed upward with wonder and awe, he heard a beautiful voice calling him. As he moved toward the voice, he saw the glorious Mother of God standing in youthful appearance in heavenly splendor. She said to him, “I am your merciful Mother…” She further revealed to him that she wanted a church built on that spot and that Juan was to go and tell this to the Bishop of Mexico City.Juan did as our Lady asked, but the bishop was reluctant to believe. But once again, the Mother of God appeared to Juan and asked him to return to the bishop with her request. This time the bishop asked for a sign, and Juan reported this to the Mother of God. She said a sign would be provided, but Juan was prevented from receiving that sign, since he needed to attend to his sick uncle.However, after two days, on December 12, 1531, Juan was once again traveling to the church in Tlatelolco to ask the priest to come and attend to his dying uncle. But this time Juan had taken a different route so as to avoid delay from his heavenly visitor. But this time our Blessed Mother came to him and said, “It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear, for your uncle is not going to die. Be assured…he is already well.”As soon as Juan heard this from his heavenly visitor, he was overjoyed and asked for a sign to give to the bishop. The Mother of God directed him to the top of the hill where he would find many flowers that were in bloom completely out of season. Juan did as she said, and upon finding the flowers, he cut them and filled his outer cloak, his tilma, with them so he could bring them to the bishop as the sign requested.Juan then made his way back to Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop of Mexico City, to present him with the flowers. To the surprise of all, as he opened his tilma to pour forth the flowers, there appeared on his tilma the image of the very woman who had appeared to him. The image was not painted; rather, every thread of this simple and coarse cloak had changed color to create the beautiful image. That same day, our Blessed Mother had also appeared to Juan's uncle and miraculously cured him. Though these miraculous events have become embedded into the fabric of Mexican culture, the message is far more than cultural in significance. “I am your merciful mother,” she said! It is our Blessed Mother's deepest desire that all of us come to know her as our mother. She wants to walk with us through the joys and sorrows of life as any loving mother would. She wants to teach us, lead us and reveal to us the merciful love of her divine Son.Reflect, today, upon the miraculous actions of the Mother of God. But reflect, especially, upon her motherly love. Her love is a pure mercy, a gift of the deepest care and compassion. Her only desire is our holiness. Speak to her this day and invite her to come to you as your merciful mother.My most merciful mother, I love you and invite you to pour forth upon me your love. I turn to you, this day, in my need, and I trust that you will bring me the abundant grace of your Son, Jesus. Mother Mary, O Virgin of Guadalupe, pray for us who turn to you in our need.  Saint Juan Diego, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Our Lady's Messenger on TepeyacOn this Gaudete Sunday, we learn about St. Juan Diego whose feast day we just celebrated on December 9th. Juan Diego initially felt unworthy of his call to tell his bishop of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac Hill. Citlalin reminds us that our calling is never a mistake. Citlalin Ossio is an avid fantasy writer and reader, whose work is heavily inspired by her Catholic faith, her Mexican heritage, and Nintendo's Legend of Zelda. Her fantasy short stories have been featured in various anthologies, and one, She Has No Voice, won second place in the Prose category for Rehumanize International's 2021 Create | Encounter. She is a joyful single living in Texas with her family and enjoys creating art, playing video games, and watching anime and Korean dramas. When she's not writing or spending time with her loved ones, she's on Instagram, or dreaming about raising a panda army.Read more about today's featured podcaster and saint here: https://www.littlewithgreatlove.com/saint-juan-diego/Get your Advent + Christmas free downloads, new Saints for Slackers swag, and Christmas cards here: https://www.littlewithgreatlove.com/shop/This podcast is sponsored by Saint of the Month subscription boxes. Each month offers a journey with one saint, containing weekly gifts that inspire you to do radical things like the saints. It's like Christmas every month! So go subscribe to saintofthemonth.com. Special thanks to slacker co-host, Jeff Sanchez; and musician Rev. Dr. Martin Lohrmann.

ST. JUAN DIEGO l PATRON OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE AMERICA Feast Day: DECEMBER 9 Today's saint is St. Juan Diego, the man to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared and introduced the devotion to her under that title. Juan Diego was born in Cuauhtlatuatzin, Mexico in 1474. At a very young age, his parents died, and he was taken by his uncle and was raised up in the Aztec religion, a religion with mixed beliefs and gods, including a little belief in Christianity. When the Franciscan missionaries arrived in Tepeyac, Mexico, in 1524, he and his wife were the first ones to be baptized. His wife died two years later. Juan was a very committed Christian. He would make sacrifices, walk long roads just to attend the Mass or religious instruction at the Franciscan station. On December 9, 1931, while walking towards the Franciscan monastery, he was interrupted by a beautiful Lady who introduced herself as the “ever-perfect holy Mary, who has the honor to be the mother of the true God.” She asked him to tell the Bishop that a chapel be built on the Tepeyac Hill in place of the pagan temple that was there three years before. Juan Diego told the Lady that he was not an important person and someone else could take his place. But the Lady said, he was the one she wanted. So, Juan Diego went to the Bishop and told him about the Lady, but the Bishop doubted his story and he wanted some proofs before believing his message. On his way home later, the Lady appeared again and Juan Diego told her about the bishop's response. The Lady agreed and said she will surely give him some proofs the next day. But Juan Diego's uncle became very sick, so he stayed at home to care for him. The next day, Juan Diego set out quickly to find a priest for his uncle, and he tried another way, not wanting to meet the Lady since he did not appear for their meeting the previous day. But, the Lady intercepted him and knowing his preoccupations said: “Am I not here, I who am your mother.” The Lady promised him that his uncle will be healed. Then, she asked him to gather flowers from the hill, though it was not season for flowers. And he filled his cloak or his (tilma) with fresh and beautiful flowers. The Lady arranged the flowers in his cloak. She told Juan Diego to present the cloak with flowers as proof of her apparition. When Juan Diego presented the cloak with flowers to the Bishop, to their great surprise, there appeared on the cloak the imprint of the image of the Lady. The cloak remained with the Bishop and when Juan Diego went home, he found his uncle fully healed. He also saw the Virgin Mary and he told them, she wants to be called GUADALUPE. The miracle about the cloak spread all over the place, and miracles immediately happened. A year later, a Chapel stood at the Tepeyac Hill in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Juan Diego moved to a solitary place at the Tepeyac Hill and remained there for 17 years after the apparitions, until his death on December 9, 1548. Many people in that place were converted to Christianity and the Church at Tepeyac Hill became a favorite place of pilgrimages. Juan Diego was beatified on May 6, 1990 and canonized on July 31, 2002. The miraculous cloak is displayed near the altar at Our Lady of Guadalupe's Church. Juan Diego is the patron of indigenous people of the Americas. “St. Juan Diego, help us to remember always the words Mother Mary addressed to you: “Am I not here, your Mother” in our daily struggles in life.”

Thursday, December 9th, 2021

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  Luke 1:30–31Today we celebrate five successive apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, who was an Indian convert to the faith. Early in the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan was traveling to the town of Tlatelolco where he intended to attend a catechism class and the holy Mass. However, on his way, as he passed by the Tepeyac Hill, he was gifted by the vision of a bright light and heavenly music. As he gazed upward with wonder and awe, he heard a beautiful voice calling him. As he moved toward the voice, he saw the glorious Mother of God standing in youthful appearance in heavenly splendor. She said to him, “I am your merciful Mother…” She further revealed to him that she wanted a church built on that spot and that Juan was to go and tell this to the Bishop of Mexico City.Juan did as our Lady asked, but the bishop was reluctant to believe. But once again, the Mother of God appeared to Juan and asked him to return to the bishop with her request. This time the bishop asked for a sign, and Juan reported this to the Mother of God. She said a sign would be provided, but Juan was prevented from receiving that sign, since he needed to attend to his sick uncle.However, after two days, on December 12, 1531, Juan was once again traveling to the church in Tlatelolco to ask the priest to come and attend to his dying uncle. But this time Juan had taken a different route so as to avoid delay from his heavenly visitor. But this time our Blessed Mother came to him and said, “It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear, for your uncle is not going to die. Be assured…he is already well.”As soon as Juan heard this from his heavenly visitor, he was overjoyed and asked for a sign to give to the bishop. The Mother of God directed him to the top of the hill where he would find many flowers that were in bloom completely out of season. Juan did as she said, and upon finding the flowers, he cut them and filled his outer cloak, his tilma, with them so he could bring them to the bishop as the sign requested.Juan then made his way back to Bishop Fray Juan de Zumarraga, the Bishop of Mexico City, to present him with the flowers. To the surprise of all, as he opened his tilma to pour forth the flowers, there appeared on his tilma the image of the very woman who had appeared to him. The image was not painted; rather, every thread of this simple and coarse cloak had changed color to create the beautiful image. That same day, our Blessed Mother had also appeared to Juan’s uncle and miraculously cured him. Though these miraculous events have become embedded into the fabric of the Mexican culture, the message is far more than cultural in significance. “I am your merciful mother,” she said! It is our Blessed Mother’s deepest desire that all of us come to know her as our mother. She wants to walk with us through the joys and sorrows of life as any loving mother would. She wants to teach us, lead us and reveal to us the merciful love of her divine Son.Reflect, today, upon the miraculous actions of the Mother of God. But reflect, especially, upon her motherly love. Her love is a pure mercy, a gift of the deepest care and compassion. Her only desire is our holiness. Speak to her this day and invite her to come to you as your merciful mother.My most merciful mother, I love you and invite you to pour forth upon me your love. I turn to you, this day, in my need, and I trust that you will bring me the abundant grace of your Son, Jesus. Mother Mary, O Virgin of Guadalupe, pray for us who turn to you in our need.  Saint Juan Diego, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

In three days the Catholic Church will mark the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.  Today, however, the church celebrates an important figure in her veneration: Juan Diego, Indian peasant, Mary’s messenger, and first indigenous American saint.  During this program, hosts Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez will unpack the life of this man, his miraculous encounters with the Virgin on Mexico’s Tepeyac Hill, and discuss how Mary can use the meekest of God’s children to build up the kingdom Listen to Talking Saints with Laurie Power and Pete Sanchez on the Talking Catholic channel at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Alexa or at https://talking.catholicstarherald.org/show/talking-saints/

One of the most rewarding events in the history of the Catholic Church was the Battle of Lepanto, which took place in 1571, forty years after Our Lady had appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill (what is now the famous shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City). We, the people of God, have always been blessed and rewarded for the trust we have had in Our Lord Jesus and His Mother Mary. Whenever we have prayed the Rosary, They have granted us the power to overcome the enemy.At about this time, without having any definite information on the progress of the battle, Saint Pope Pius V turned to the entire Christian world and asked them to begin a Rosary Crusade! And the result? Out of the 170 enemy galleys (ships) only 40 escaped! 130 were either sunk or captured. The Christian forces lost 15 galleys and they were able to free 13, 000 Christian slaves.Access all of our media online at one location https://www.patreon.com/bobandpennylord Miracles of the CrossMother MaryPray the RosaryThe WarningSupport the show (https://www.journeysoffaith.com/donate)

Juanita Salazar Lamb describes the four encounters of Juan Diego with Our Lady of Guadalupe on Truth of the Spirit with the episode Intro to Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego Part 1.  The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in 1531 in Mexico on Tepeyac Hill to an Aztec Christian peasant between December 9th and 12th and left behind a sign for all to see, even to this day, with instructions to share it with the Bishop Juan de Zummaraga in Tlatelolco. Included in this series on Our Lady of Guadalupe will be #2 The Codex of the Tilma, #3 the Music of the Tilma, and #4 Conversions through the Sign of the Tilma.   Host is Patti Brunner. Juanita Salazar Lamb graduated with a master’s degree with a thesis topic of “La Virgen de Guadalupe in Chicano Popular Culture: Images in Art and Literature” in 2003.  She has a diploma from the Instituto Superior de Estudios Guadalupanos Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe for the advancement of Guadalupian studies in Mexico City headed by Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, the lead investigator for the canonization of Juan Diego. This became Lamb’s biggest resource with more than 30,000 documents concerning the 2002 canonization of St. Juan Diego.   We recommend you have an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe nearby as you listen.  Or watch the Truth of the Spirit YouTube Channel version for images referenced in this episode.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSs3eAFjuEhVVD68LO3MifQ http://PatriarchMinistries.com  

Part 6- It was just a decade after the conquistadores did their deeds when a light came into the darkness at Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City in 1531.   Constant Procession tells of key apparitions of the Virgin Mary since she passed on from the world and how she serves humanity through Christianity. Installments since Podcast 50 are an extended series of additional stories about the history of the Virgin Mary that are not found in the book. Constant Procession; the podcast; is published every Tuesday morning and has links, photos, video and more information for each episode at ConstantProcession.com An e-book copy of the book can be found on the website http://ConstantProcession.com I value feedback through the comments section on my website or better via email at NikosSteves@gmail.com The origin of these podcasts began with my book; Constant Procession. I've read the entire book from cover to cover (Installments 1-49.) Each installment runs about 7 minutes in length. To listen from the beginning

The arrival in Mexico of Hernan Cortez and his soldiers won Mexico for Spain. The appearance a few short years later of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Tepeyac Hill won it for Christ. Cy Kellett: Hello, and welcome again to Catholic Answers Focus. I am your host, Cy Kellett, and we are very grateful that you’re here with us. In honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we consider the real story of how the gospel of Jesus Christ reached the Americas and took root across Mexico. We’ll do our best not to get bogged down in the myths and anxieties of the modern, and may I say somewhat ju…

The arrival in Mexico of Hernan Cortez and his soldiers won Mexico for Spain. The appearance a few short years later of a beautiful lady on Tepeyac Hill won it for Christ. …

An interview with Sofia Boettner, Marketing Director of Grupo La Palapa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We talk about the amazing Luxury Private Beach Resort, La Troza. We also talk about La Palapa, the Vista Grill and El Dorado Restaurants.   Also the 12 Day Celebration and Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the history behind the Holiday   Listen to The Podcast Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico. That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The El Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends! This week, I have a special guest, Sofia Boettner, with Group La Palapa will be talking about their beautiful property, La Troza Beach Resort, south of Puerto Vallarta, actually just north of Playa Las Animas, but before we get to that conversation, let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta this week, November 29, 2017. Last week I promised you I would talk about the Pilgrimage, the 12-day pilgrimage of our Lady de Guadalupe. The one that is going to be celebrated in Puerto Vallarta for 13 days this. Well, in Puerto Vallarta, there is this beautiful church and it serves as an icon. It is part and parcel of the landscape and the center of all the tourist brochures, everyone wants a picture of the church, the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.  And because of its name, and dedication to the Lady of Guadalupe, it has been one of the places in Mexico, besides the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where the faithful make the pilgrimage to honor this occasion, this event that changed Mexico, and entwined Mexico with the Catholic Church. I want to tell you about the history of the church in Puerto Vallarta, the Iglesias de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, but before that, let me give you a little history and let me tell you the story of the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the story of Juan Diego. Just keep in mind that 10 years earlier, Hernando Cortez had just conquered Mexico City and just defeated Montezuma. And in 1523 Franciscan missionaries came ‘a evangelizing the Indian people who were living there. And, they were really good at it too and an Archdiocese of Mexico City was established in 1528. Now Juan Diego and many of his family members were among the early native Indian converts to Catholicism. He was baptized Juan Diego. He was given that name by the church. His name was some other Indian name that I cannot pronounce it I'm not even going to try it. [caption id="attachment_2023" align="alignleft" width="216"] Juan Diego[/caption] Juan Diego was baptized in 1525 along with his wife and his uncle. Now remember that Juan Diego had grown up under Aztec oppression, and the Aztecs were not really nice people. They would cut the hearts out of sacrifices while they were still alive. It was pretty gross this was a bloodthirsty civilization. It was said that over 50,000 human beings were sacrificed having their hearts cut out every year. In fact, just imagine back in 1487, before Cortez arrived when Juan Diego was just 13 years old he would have witnessed all this chaos and bloodthirsty behavior. It must have shocked the Spanish Conquistadores no end. In 1520 Cortes outlawed human sacrifice and he took the two idols out of the pyramids, cleansed the stone of all the blood, and erected a new altar. And then, Cortez along with his soldiers and father Olmedo then climb the stairs of the pyramid with the Holy Cross and images of the Virgin [caption id="attachment_2035" align="alignright" width="254"] Hernando Cortez[/caption] Mary and of Saint Christopher and upon this new altar Father Olmedo held a mass. Right there, in the place where all of those sacrifices had taken place, where all that bloodshed and tragic loss of life took place,  there took place, a Mass. A bloodless, deathless mass was held. But that didn't make the Aztecs very happy in fact it sparked all-out War. Once again Cortez had to subdue his enemy, and in August of 1521 a year later he finally was able to stop that fighting. So, now let's get back to the story of Juan Diego. Juan Diego was headed to mass and on the way to mass he would walk past Tepeyac Hill, on the outskirts of Mexico City.  And this one morning, in the early morning hours of December 9th 1531, this 57 year old Indian peasant was walking along and started to hear beautiful music and he saw a beautiful lady who called out his name. He came forward and she told him who she was. That she was the Virgin Mary the mother of Jesus, and she asked him to go to the bishop and ask the bishop to build a church right there at Tepeyac Hill, to honor her. Bishop Zumarraga was a nice guy, and when Juan Diego came to him he listened and said he would think about it. [caption id="attachment_2034" align="aligncenter" width="673"] Bishop Zumarraga[/caption] He probably didn't believe him of course and sent Juan Diego on his way. When Juan Diego went back past Tepeyac Hill and reported what the bishop had said Mary told him to try again. So the next day, although it was even harder because, well, the bishop made him wait a long, long, time. He told the bishop the story and asked him to build the church. This time the bishop said bring back a sign from Mary, to prove the story. On December 11th Juan Diego, instead of going back, was caring for his really sick uncle and his uncle asked him to bring a priest to hear his confession and to administer his final rites. Then the following day, on December 12th as Juan Diego went out again but he was a little embarrassed, so he avoided Tepeyac Hill because he was embarrassed that he kinda ditched Mother Mary the day before you know, when he was caring for his uncle. But Mary, cut him off at the pass and says hey, don't worry it's okay. It's alright, you don't have to worry your uncle is going to be fine in fact his health has been restored now please just do as I ask. Now as for this sign for the Bishop, go to the top of the hill and pick some flowers. So, Juan Diego went to the top of the hill which was dry and covered with snow and cactus, and he actually found some beautiful roses that were not familiar to Juan Diego as they weren’t even native to Mexico and actually native to Spain. Juan Diego gathered the roses up in his sash he was wearing a like a poncho. They call it a tilma. Anyway, he brought the Roses back in his Poncho, in his tilma and Mary arranged them, and then rewrapped them up again handed it to him and said now take these back to the bishop. Tell him I want my Church. And so Juan Diego went back and waited even longer this time and finally when he had a chance and another audience with the bishop. He repeated the message and opened his tilma, and out spilled these roses. The bishop not only saw the flowers but also saw the image of Mary, Our Lady de Guadalupe which had been emblazoned upon the tilma upon this guy's poncho. [caption id="attachment_2036" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Lady of Guadalupe[/caption] Bishop Zumarraga fell to his knees and he asked for forgiveness for ever doubting Juan Diego, and then he took the tilma and he laid it on the altar of his chapel. By Christmas of that year an adobe structure was built on top of Tepeyac Hill in honor of our Blessed Mother Our Lady of Guadalupe and it was dedicated in December 26th, 1531 which is the feast of Saint Stephen the Martyr. When Juan Diego saw his uncle next, his uncle had indeed recovered, and told the story of how the virgin had appeared before him and made him well. So, December 9th marks the feast day of Saint Juan Diego and December 12th the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This event was very important in bringing more and more people, more and more of the Indians into the Catholic faith and it was the Tipping Point right then in the history of Catholicism and Mexico. [embed]https://youtu.be/h3srGgIMPX8[/embed] In Mexico City at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the faithful come from all over Mexico to make the pilgrimage to see the 400-year-old tilma, with the figure of the Virgin Mary, the Lady of Guadalupe emblazoned on it. They crawl on their knees to the basilica. At least some of them do. I have a video that shows how it’s celebrated in Mexico City, but to tell you a little about how it’s celebrated in Puerto Vallarta, I called my buddy Dee, from Poland Ohio, and Dee is as much of a Vallarta nut as I am. We met on the Trip Advisor Puerto Vallarta Forum page so we have never met in person, but following her adventures in Vallarta, I know that Dee is a believer and she loves this event, so I asked her to come on and tell us what happens during the 12 day Pilgrimage in Puerto Vallarta. So lets go to Poland Ohio and Talk with Dee. [caption id="attachment_1974" align="aligncenter" width="576"] Inglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe[/caption] Now La Iglesias de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta’s history started in the early twentieth century, The foundations of the church were started in 1903, but at the time there was already a small chapel there dedicated to Virgin Guadalupe. In 1915 father Francisco Ayala arrived and he suggested that a bigger temple than the one that had been designed, be built instead.. When Father Francisco Ayala arrived to the port in 1915, he suggested remodeling the building to resemble the design of the original Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The church was then officially promoted from a chapel to a parish. [embed]https://youtu.be/M5Ka_igVRp0[/embed] Construction stopped in 1926 during the Cristero War and resumed years after in 1929. Now I have to tell you about this War the Cristero War. I mean, I had never heard of it. Check this out…. It seems that the revolutionaries who took over after the Spanish were ousted were very distrustful of the clergy. They wrote in their constitutions limits and restrictions on the Catholic Church and religious freedoms. Most of the presidents, post-independence and revolution ignored these laws and limits, but The Plutarco Elías Calles administration (1924–28) felt its revolutionary initiatives and legal basis to pursue them were being challenged by the Catholic Church. To destroy the Church's influence over the Mexican people, anti-clerical laws were instituted, beginning a ten-year religious conflict that resulted in the death of thousands of armed civilians. On the opposing side was an armed professional military sponsored by the government. Calles’ Mexico has been characterized by some as an atheist state, and his program as being one to eradicate religion in Mexico. Calles applied the anti-clerical laws stringently throughout the country and added his own anti-clerical legislation. In June 1926 he signed the "Law for Reforming the Penal Code", known unofficially as the "Calles Law." This provided specific penalties for priests and individuals who violated the provisions of the 1917 Constitution. For instance, wearing clerical garb in public (i.e., outside Church buildings) earned a fine of 500 pesos ($250 U.S. per the historical exchange rate); a priest who criticized the government could be imprisoned for five years.  Some states enacted oppressive measures. Chihuahua enacted a law permitting only a single priest to serve the entire Catholic congregation of the state. To help enforce the law, Calles seized church property, expelled all foreign priests and closed the monasteries, convents and religious schools. The effects of the war on the Church were profound. Between 1926–34 at least 40 priests were killed. There were 4,500 priests serving the people before the rebellion, but by 1934 there were only 334 licensed by the government to serve 15 million people. The rest had been eliminated by emigration, expulsion and assassination. By 1935, 17 Mexican states had no priests at all. The rebellion eventually ended by diplomatic means brokered by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Dwight Whitney Morrow, with financial relief and logistical assistance provided by the Knights of Columbus. On June 27, 1929, church bells rang in Mexico for the first time in almost three years. The war had claimed the lives of some 90,000 people: 56,882 on the federal side, 30,000 Cristeros, and numerous civilians and Cristeros who were killed in anti-clerical raids after the war ended. the Calles Law remained on After the resolution of hostilities, but no organized federal attempts to enforce it took place. Nonetheless, in several localities, officials continued persecution of Catholic priests based on their interpretation of the law. In 1992 the Mexican government amended the constitution by granting all religious groups legal status, conceding them limited property rights and lifting restrictions on the number of priests in the country. So how about that? Did you know about that war? Well I hadn’t. So back to the Inglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. By 1940 the entire building was finished, except the two towers. It wasn’t until 1963 that the symbol, the crown, that has given the city its identity and blessed it, was finally added. The original crown on the church was damaged by weather and erosion and was restored in 1981. On October 9th, 1995 it fell off and was destroyed by a strong earthquake in Colima. It was replaced with a temporary fiberglass model and since then has been replaced with a crown sculptured by the famous Jaliscan Artist, Carlos Terres. http://www.dermandar.com/p/bNyXHQ Church of the Lady of Guadalupe Facebook Page Website for La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta   Okay enough already, let’s get on with the show and get to our guest. [caption id="attachment_2010" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] La Troza, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] When I was hiking from Boca de Tomatlan to Las Animas, I passed by a beautiful place. Located in a little covelet is what looked like a mini resort. I sent an email to La Troza, Beach Resort and low and behold, I got an answer from someone I already knew. It was Sofia Boettner, with Group La Palapa. Sofia [caption id="attachment_2025" align="alignright" width="225"] Sofia Boettner[/caption] was my first contact with La Palapa. When I was looking for a theme song for the show, I actually had two theme songs chosen for the show, and I sent out emails to La Palapa and Alberto Perez, and the other email to…I’m not going to tell let’s just say it was another very famous restaurant here in Vallarta who has an incredible harp player and singer. I’ll leave it at that. You can all guess. At any rate, I heard back from Sofia right away about the song Samba de Puerto Vallarta, and she said that Mr. Perez said sure, I could use it as long as I gave credit to the artist, Him, and to his restaurant. So as you know, before each episode of the show I give a shout out to the Grupo La Palapa. With that said, I hope all you listeners know that the people I interview and the tour venues and hotels and restaurants and artists and authors, I bring to the show because I like them and I want you to know about them. I don’t receive anything from them. No money, no food, no booze, no accommodations, nada! I refuse. I always insist on paying my own way so just keep that in mind as you listen to the show. Ask anyone I have had on the show. I have no agenda other than to bring you interesting guests interviews. [caption id="attachment_2013" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Troza, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Listen to The Podcast So getting back to Sofia, Let’s get to the interview and to a table at La Palapa, toes in the sand at the water’s edge with Sofia Boettner, of Grupo La Palapa, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico … [caption id="attachment_2015" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Troza, What a View[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2011" align="alignright" width="300"] Pool at La Troza at Night[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_2010" align="alignnone" width="300"] La Troza, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2014" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Troza, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption]   Well, that should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. [caption id="attachment_2002" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_2004" align="alignnone" width="1000"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2003" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Next week stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and [caption id="attachment_1999" align="aligncenter" width="744"] El Dorado, Puerto Vallarta[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2000" align="alignleft" width="743"] El Dorado, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Places Sofia Talked About   Favorite food Panchos Takos, Puerto Vallarta Café de Artistas, Puerto Vallarta Salud Súper Food - quinoa bowls Lamara, Puerto Vallarta Ocho Tostadas, Puerto Vallarta Marisqueria Los Lirios  [caption id="attachment_2019" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] The Vista Grill, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Advice Stay close to town to get a local experience History Culture Mexican experience Don’t stay in a huge resort Get to know south of the bay Boca Yelapa Las Animas [caption id="attachment_2038" align="alignright" width="300"] Sofia Boettner, Marketing Director for Grupo La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] Favorite Getaway Day Trip - Casitas Maraika  Overnight -  Yelapa  Condos, airbnb   Social Media Grupo La Palapa Facebook La Troza Beach Resort Facebook Page La Palapa Puerto Vallarta Facebook Page Vista Grill on The Beach in Puerto Vallarta Facebook Page El Dorado Beach Club Facebook Page Twitter La Palapa Twitter La Troza Twitter Vista Grill Twitter Links for Grupo La Palapa Link for La Troza Resort Link for La Palapa Link for El Dorado Link for Vista Grill [caption id="attachment_2021" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] The Vista Grill, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] more.  Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your. [caption id="attachment_2020" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] The Vista Grill, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes. [caption id="attachment_2017" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Vista Grill on The Beach Romantic Dinner[/caption]   And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven't been to my website, you really need to have a look there.  I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven't already all-right? All right. [caption id="attachment_2022" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Vista Grill on The Beach, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico[/caption] So, thanks to Sofia Boettner of Grupo La Palapa,  I think she was fabulous. This is a fantastic group. I have some great pictures in the show notes of this episode of the show at puertovallartatravelshow.com. Thanks to JR for your answers and thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!

Summary of today's show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry consider the headlines of the week, including Pope Benedict's first tweets on Twitter; the Roman symposium marking the 15th anniversary of the Ecclesia in America synod; the Supreme Court taking up two cases on same-sex marriage; concerns over a possible elimination of the charitable tax deduction; and Christmas gift giving that makes a real impact. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Gregory Tracy, managing editor of the Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Fr. Roger Landry, pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Fall River Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Papal tweets; Ecclesia in America; Supreme Court consider same-sex marriage; charitable deductions; Christmas gift giving 1st segment: Scot welcomed everyone to the show and talked with Susan Abbott about the visit of her children and grandchildren over the week, including a massive family portrait. Scot said he was able to go to part of the God of This City tour in Wakefield last night. The photos are available at . Tonight, they will be continuing at Immaculate Conception Parish in Stoughton, 7-9pm, and at Cathedral of the Holy Cross tomorrow, 7-10pm. 2nd segment: Scot and Susan welcomed Gregory Tracy and Fr. Roger Landry back to the show. Scot said this week Pope Benedict launched his new Twitter feed and as opf this morning he has 1.6 million followers already. Fr. Roger said the questions the pope responded to where about what Fr. Roger expected. He's not surprised that Pope Benedict is so good at being profound in 140 characters because this was already his nature. He hopes that this doesn't become so routine that we take these tweets for granted. Scot read one of the questions and response: “How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?” “We can be certain that a believer is never alone. God is the solid rock upon which we build our lives and his love is always faithful” Susan said she isn't surprised either and there's a lot to meditate on. Another pair was: “Any suggestions on how to be more prayerful when we are so busy with the demands of work, families and the world?” “Offer everything you do to the Lord, ask his help in all the circumstances of daily life and remember that he is always beside you” Greg said this is another great pearl of wisdom and he often finds himself struggling to work in some prayer time. He admits he didn't think Twitter would be a great medium for the Pope. He used to be able to find 150 words in the speeches of Pope John Paul II that is one coherent thought, but it was difficult to find that in Pope Benedict's writings. Scot said he was interviewed by Ira Kantor of the Boston Herald yesterday and he was asked why the Holy Father isn't following back the people following him. Scot said it's too difficult to follow everyone and the hashtag #askpontifex is the answer to the dialogue. Scot said the reporter also asked if Cardinal Seán would be communicating directly with the Pope on Twitter. Scot said the Church has developed lines of communications over the centuries and this type of communication isn't necessary. Fr. Roger said the launch of the initiative on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is significant, that invoking Mary who brought to the world, Pope Benedict wanted to do the same thing. And because she is patroness of the Americas and the Americas is where Twitter was born and is especially active. Scot pointed out that you don't have to have a Twitter account to read the Pope's tweets. Just go to the webpage linked above. Also going on in Rome this week was a symposium to discuss the 15th anniversary of the post-synodal exhortation Ecclesia in America. Scot said Cardinal Sean gave a speech in Spanish that has been reviewed as being fabulous. Greg said the synod was an effort to bring unity of effort in the Churches throughout the Western Hemisphere, which are dealing with many similar issues. Scot said the eyes of the Church worldwide often look to where we are as the Church in the Americas. He said he was astounded to learn that the apparition of Guadalupe occurred at exactly the center of the Americas on Tepeyac Hill outside Mexico City. Susan said the Holy Father's comments were insightful as he started with an encounter with the living Christ and formation with fidelity to the truths of the Church. She notices in document after document is the emphasis on love. When you take a step back, you see such hateful dialogue and conflict and the Pope is calling us back to love. Fr. Roger described his front-row seat as a seminarian in Rome for the Synod for the Americas that this was the anniversary of. He said that Pope John Paul II insisted that Our Lady of Guadalupe is patroness of America, not the Americas, to emphasize that unity. He said the recommendations of the synod and document have been virtually unimplemented and so this symposium is an attempt to look at them again to revisit them. Fr. Roger said he hopes that Cardinal Seán's speech is posted on his blog in both Spanish and English to show Cardinal Seán's facility with the language and the passion with with he preaches and speaks in Spanish. Scot said Cardinal Seán says that he never said a Mass in English until he was made a bishop. Greg said the speech was 45 minutes long so it might be difficult to get into the blog. He noted that the language in which you're speaking affects the way you say it and the passion with which you preach. Scot said Cardinal Seán is so good with Spanish that the keyboard on his own computer is a Spanish keyboard. 3rd segment: Scot said the Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases related to same-sex marriage. One case challenges the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act. The other case is a challenge to Proposition 8 in California. Both cases allege that the laws have unconstitutional bans on marriage between of the same sex. Greg recounted the history of the Defense of Marriage Act and how it was a response to concerns about the full faith and credit clause of the constitution. He noted it only concerns federal law in relation to marriage, not state law. The Obama administration recently said it won't defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. He said the Supreme Court may decided to rule on the full constitutionality of same-sex marriage, which is an all or nothing situation, which is a bit unnerving. Scot said this decision could be as big as the Obamacare decision last June. Fr. Roger said the two cases cover both state and federal levels and he said he can't believe that the Court would agree with the Obama administration that bans are unconstitutional discrimination against gay and lesbians, but he also doesn't think they will say that same-sex marriage itself is unconstitutional. Instead they will leave it to the states to pass laws through referendum or the legislative process to define marriage. He thinks the decision will be tight. Greg agreed with Fr. Roger's assessment. The current Court has generally been ruling in terms of strict constructionism. Scot said many charitable organizations are making their case in Washington DC this month as we face the fiscal cliff that their futures are in peril if it results in the loss of charitable deductions. Many charities are struggling today, especially smaller church organizations that rely on small donations. There are also two articles in the Pilot this week about some of the year-end appeals that occur in the Archdiocese. Joe D'Arrigo talked about the Christmas collection as the primary source for the care of our retired priests. Scot focused on Christmas gifts that make an impact. We often spend money on things we end up not even liking. He talked about how much he dislikes the tradition of Yankee Swap in his family and how a gift to anonymous homeless man from his parish's giving tree prompted him to consider the true gift of giving gifts that make an impact. He also included an appeal for the Pilot, for people to support the newspaper because subscriptions and advertising no longer support the cost of running the newspaper. Susan said the column shows we sometimes sell kids short, that they are not necessarily consumed with getting more things, but that they can be motivated on their own to want to sacrifice for another. Scot said Fr. Roger wrote this week that we should “give the Giver” meaning Jesus. Fr. Roger said in this Year of Faith, that should affect the gifts we give at Christmas. Especially for kids, we often give them gifts that foment their idolatries instead of getting them gifts that emphasize Christ in their life. He made specific suggestions in the column on the gifts that would be appropriate. Scot read a list of the ten prayers for the Year of Faith offered by Bishop Ricken of Green Bay. The Nicene Creed. The Lord's Prayer. The Hail Mary. The Glory Be. The Magnificat. The Canticle of Zechariah. The Memorare. The Acts of Contrition, Faith, Hope and Love. The Angel prayers. Prayer for the New Evangelization. Fr. Roger would have added the rosary and substituted the Athanasian creed instead of the Nicene creed. Scot asked for listeners to submit their own top 10 lists of prayers with the reason why to LIVE@thegoodcatholiclife.com for consideration in a later show.

Summary of today's show: The celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a holiday that brings all of Mexico to its collective knees in prayer and devotion, but as Fr. Paco Anzoategui tells Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor, this apparition of Our Lady is not just for Mexicans, but for all of the Americas. Our Lady of Guadalupe is Patroness of all the Americas, North, Central and South; of the unborn; and of the New Evangelization as her appearance in Mexico in 1531 initiated an explosion of the faith, unprecedented for its speed and breadth. Fr. Paco calls all Catholics, wherever they're from, to get to know and love Our Lady under this title in a special way and understand her message for us today. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Fr. Paco Anzoategui Links from today's show: Today's topics: Our Lady of Guadalupe 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed everyone to the show. He said today's topic is one of the biggest gatherings in the life of the Catholic Church in the Americas, the gatherings connected to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In Chicago, more than 200,000 people gather to celebrate. Fr. Chris said he knows the basic story, but he's excited to get into the details and why she's patroness of the unborn and the New Evangelization. Fr. Chris noted that in Rome they've been having a Congress on the Church in the Americas. He noted that it includes North, Central, and South America and half of the Church are in the Americas. Scot noted that this past weekend at St. John's Seminary was the Festival of Lessons and Carols. Fr. Chris said it was a beautiful celebration of music from the Americas, in which all the hymns and carols were chosen from those that originated in the Americas. 2nd segment: Scot said God has often called unlikely people to great missions. It was true with St. Peter, many of the saints, and for St. Juan Diego. This is a great lesson for all of us as we are all called to do our part in the New Evangelization. When the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill, he was a simple, humble, 57-year-old widower known for walking with his head down and shuffling his feet. He was an Aztec Indian who had been baptized only seven years before by the Franciscan missionaries. Every Saturday and Sunday he would walk 15 miles each way to Mass. As he was journeying one cold Saturday morning, he heard a voice calling from the top of a hill, “Juanito,” “Dieguito,” “Come here!” He scaled the rocky slope, where at the top he saw the Blessed Virgin Mary arrayed in splendor. Our Lady announced she was on a mission of mercy and wanted him to be her messenger to the bishop of Mexico City to ask him to build a church on Tepeyac Hill. Obeying simply and immediately, Juan Diego headed in his simple peasant's outfit to the bishop's residence, where he was forced to wait for hours in an outdoor courtyard. Eventually the bishop received him, treated him with kindness, but was skeptical regarding the message. Juan Diego left feeling like a complete failure. Returning to Our Lady on Tepeyac Hill, he said that he had struck out. “I beg you, Noble Lady,” he implored, “to entrust this message to someone of importance, someone well-known and respected, so that your wish will be accomplished. For I am only a lowly peasant and you, my Lady, have sent me to a place where I have no standing. Forgive me if I have disappointed you for having failed in my mission.” The Virgin smiled tenderly on him and said, “Listen to me, my dearest son, and understand that I have many servants and messengers whom I could charge with the delivery of my message. But it is altogether necessary that you should be the one to undertake this mission and that it be through your mediation and assistance that my wish should be accomplished. I urge you to go to the Bishop again tomorrow. Tell him in my name and make him fully understand my disposition, that he should undertake the erection of the teocalli (temple) for which I ask. And repeat to him that it is I in person, the ever Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who send you.” With trepidation, Juan Diego went again. The bishop's overprotective staff greeted him with exasperation. He was told the bishop was busy with more important matters. He told them he was willing to wait — and did, for several hours in the frigid outdoor courtyard. When he finally met the bishop again, he repeated, with fervor and tears, the message of Our Lady entrusted to him. The bishop asked some questions. Though moved by Juan Diego's sincerity, he wasn't going to build a church in a desolate spot on the basis of one native's unsubstantiated word. To test the message, the bishop asked him for a special secret sign from Our Lady. Juan Diego left at once to ask for the sign. Arriving back at Tepeyac, the Virgin told him to return the following day to receive the sign to bring the bishop. That sign turned out to be Castillian roses, which had not yet been introduced to Mexico, growing on the top of a stony hill in frigid December temperatures. Juan Diego was instructed to bring them back to the bishop in his tilma (a tilma is a cloak or apron). When he returned to the bishop, as he opened up his tilma, the bishop saw the roses from his native Castille, the sign he was seeking. He and everyone else also saw something even more miraculous: some of the roses had melted into the tilma and produced the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe: our Lady, dressed like a pregnant Aztec princess, was giving witness that she was ready to give birth to Christ among the Mexican people and on our continent. The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested. Until that moment, there had been relatively few conversions among the Mexican people, who associated Christianity more with the conquistadors than the Franciscans. But in the decade after the appearance of the Blessed Mother as one of them, over ten million Mexicans were baptized. Juan Diego's tilma has been the subject of much research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus and vegetable fibers, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although nearly 500 years have passed the tilma is still in great condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531. Juan Diego thought there were others who would have been more fitting ambassadors to bring such an important message from so important a person, but the Blessed Mother chose him and she helped him fulfill the mission. She will also help each of us fulfill our part in her Son's plan of salvation. Scot now welcomed Fr. Paco back to the show. He said he loves to talk about this topic, Our Lady of Guadalupe and her work in the New Evangelization. He said he wouldn't be here without her. Scot noted that Fr. Paco grew up with a devotion to Guadalupe, while Scot grew up with a more general devotion to Our Lady. Fr. Paco said in Mexico this apparition marks the beginning of Mexico and the feast is a general holiday. In his own life, at eight years old, Fr. Paco suffered medical problems in his legs, unable to walk without falling and feeling excruciating pain. His parents took him to hospitals in Mexico and while there they went to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe where he prayed for healing. Little by little the pain went away until eventually he had no pain. He attributes this as a miracle of Our Lady. Later in high school, in his gratitude he responded to the call to the priesthood, kneeling before the image of Our Lady in his parish and consecrating himself to her care. Fr. Paco said at the time of the appearance in 1531, there was no Mexico, no United States, or any other countries. And Tepeyac Hill where she appeared outside Mexico City is the exact center of the Americas. Thus she came not just for Mexico, but for all of the Americas. She said she wanted to be mother of everyone in the New World. Fr. Paco noted the difficulty of conversions to Christianity before she came because of the native peoples' experience of the conquistadores as foreign invaders, but Our Lady came to them in their own clothes, wearing their clothes, and speaking their language and they could relate to her and accept her message. Jesus came as one of us so we could relate to Him and so Our Lady came to us like her Son did. Fr. Paco said the conversion of 10 million Mexicans in one year was due to this understanding of her message. Scot noted that 10 million people at the time would be virtually the entire population of Mexico. Scot said she literally gave birth to the evangelization effort in the Americas. In her apparition she appeared pregnant. Fr. Paco said she brought Christ to this New World. He noted that in the image she appears to be bowing her head, as if she were bowing to Christ in her womb. The black sash around her waist shows she is pregnant and she appears not for herself but to bring Christ to the New World. Fr. Paco said Pope John Paul II's first apostolic trip was to Mexico and upon landing he went right to the Basilica. He said the work of evangelization in the Americas began on that spot. He also noted the role of Juan Diego who dedicated himself to telling the story again and again and becoming a role model for all the catechists who taught the people. Fr. Chris noted John Paul's devotion to Our Lady, and how he turned to her at the time he was shot in St. Peter's Square. Scot said John Paul went to Mexico five times and Mexicans call him the first Mexican Pope. He loved the Mexican people and that was reciprocated. Fr. Paco recalled the Holy Father's first visit and how he was glued to the TV with his whole family and the whole country was electrified by it. There was a connection between the Pope and the people who revered him. Pope John Paul canonized Juan Diego and the Mexican martyrs because he valued the faithfulness and devotion of the many Mexicans who had never been acknowledged in the calendar of saints. Speaking of the story of Juan Diego, Fr. Paco noted that roses do not grow in December. He said of the tilma that it was made of cactus fiber that would have disintegrated after a couple decades at most. It was clothing for poor people. This one has last for 600 years. There have also been studies of the image she left on the tilma. Many scientists have concluded that the image is not printed or painted, but is almost floating over the tilma. When they look at the tilma from behind, the colors do not go through. And they haven't been able to match the colors even after trying all kinds of materials to duplicate them. Our Lady of Guadalupe is like the eucharist, a gift from heaven. She isn't painted on there, but will remain for us until the end of time. Fr. Paco said at the time of apparition, Juan Diego was torn because his last remaining relative was dying and had asked for a priest. So he didn't want to have the Lady ask him to do something else so he tried to go another way to avoid the apparition. She appeared to him of course and so she told him not to worry, that she would take care of his relative. He believed Mary and all his worries disappeared. The uncle was restored to health and he became a messenger too. Fr. Chris asked Scot about his visits to the Shrine. Scot said the area has become very built up over the centuries. his first impression was how many people were praying in forms of self-mortification, praying the rosary while walking on their knees. He also noted the many signs of thanksgiving for miracles received, like thousands of crutches or notes of thanks. He also remembers the comparison in size between the old and new basilicas. The old basilica was smaller than he thought and looks like many older churches. The new basilica is huge like a 40-year-old Catholic version of a sports stadium, trying to seat as many people who want to come to the basilica. Fr. Paco said the beautiful thing about the basilica is that no matter what door you enter through, you see the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe right in the center. It's the most visited basilica in the world after St. Peter's. Fr. Paco said the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe now goes well beyond Mexico throughout the Americas. Fr. Chris asked about cultural elements of the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Fr. Paco said it is a holiday and that's significant because many years ago the Mexican government was very anti-Catholic, yet on this feast they couldn't stop people from celebrating this day. He said the tradition is to dress the children as Juan Diego and Our Lady then go to a local church. He recommends that anyone who wants to go to Mexico for the feast not to go to the basilica, but to go a local parish. Instead go to the basilica after the feast. In the new basilica you can get very close to the tilma and see the front and back. Scot said at other times, the crowds are so much smaller you can spend time there. Scot said you can't help wonder at God leaving us this sign and wonderful image in which Our Lady looked like one of us. She took on the culture of the people at that time. God descends and His Blessed Mother descended to be like one of us to demonstrate she understands our problems and will take them to Her Son. Fr. Paco said when Our Lady appears she also teaches the native people that their old ways of worshipping their old gods through human sacrifice should end. She is seen as standing on the moon and in front of the sun, which were their gods. This is why the bishops have declared her as the Patroness of the Unborn, because she ended the human sacrifice, in which people were not treated in their full human dignity. She's also standing on the snake, which was also one of the Aztec gods. The natives began to understand you don't have to sacrifice people to appease God because God sacrificed himself for us. the Bishops in the United States went to Mexico City and received an authentic replica of the tilma and that image travels throughout the US promoting respect for life. Fr. Chris asked for a preview of Fr. Paco's homily tomorrow. Fr. Paco said he notes the wave of violence in Mexico and how the Mexican bishops are going to ask the people to embrace Our Lady's message for the end of violence. He noted that musicians gather the night before the feast in various places for what's called mañanitas, songs and prayers. This will occur in the archdiocese at Holy Cross Cathedral tonight. He said during the Advent season we have two significant Marian celebrations, including Immaculate Conception. God is telling us that Mary is a true role model for us as a true disciple of Jesus. Mary helps us to prepare for Christ by listening more attentively to the Word of God and reflect on it, not being distracted by the commercialism. Fr. Paco said all the apparitions of Our Lady are important, but for us who live in the Americas, we should understand that Guadalupe came to us at the beginnings of our country and knowing her we will come to know how we are called to be united in this land and become a continent of hope for the entire Church. Scot said Pope John Paul had a greatdevotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and if a Pole could have that devotion, then he as someone from this continent should have greater devotion to her.