The Mother of the True God Speaks: "Know for certain that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God … here I will show and offer all my love, my compassion, my help and protection to the people. I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear their weeping and their sorrows … their necessities and misfortunes … Listen and let it penetrate your heart … Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?"
Words of the Blessed Virgin spoken to Juan Diego in December 1531 at Guadalupe, Mexico.
Our Lady appeared to a humble Indian man who would walk for hours to be able to attend Holy Mass. He felt so unworthy of the task she gave him but he drew up his courage and went to the bishop. The bishop did not believe him Our Lady gave evidence, not only of the roses n winter but of her very image on the cactus tilma of St. Juan Diego. That image is still fresh and vibrant after almost 500 years. Through that image, somewhere about 10 million were converted to Catholicism in a decade at the time when a great deal of Europe was losing the faith.
Our Lady of Guadalupe asked for a chapel to be built. Always she wishes to bring souls to her Son, Jesus. A chapel for the offering of the holy Sacriice of the Mass was needed; a place where the Eucharistica Lord would be worshiped and adored. Our Lady always asks for such a thing in her true apparitions.
Three years ago, I had the great privilege of attending holy Mass at the great basilica in Mexico City on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. That year my diocese cancelled the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (which cannot be cancelled but it was). My heart was sad but I was able to go where Our Lady is loved and honored.
At midnight of Dec. 11th/12th I was invited to attend Mass with a bishop at a Catholic TV station. We were present at this Mass and outside we could here the fireworks going off for it was now the Feast of The Virgin! It turned out that my hostess and her mother were much involved with activities at the Basilica and we had excellent seats for the main Mass with the Cardinal.
Outside the Basilica, people had been coming for days. The music and the dancing to honor Our Lady never stopped! There were hundreds of thousands, perhaps over a million souls there that day. Inside th Basilica there must have been a million roses. A friend translated the homily as fast as the Spanish was spoken. Tears were on the cheeks of many people that day including mine.
At the offertory the people came in with native dress and music: it was the offering of a whole people, a whole culture, a whole country to Jesus through Mary. A man came in dressed like St. Juan Diego and went up to the Cardinal. He let down his cloak and roses spilled out. And then he held up his tilma for all to see and the whole Basilica seemed to erupt with joy. I can feel the Godbumps on my arms as I write this. It was a stupendous moment.
Later that day I was able to attend the opening of a perpetual adoration chapel at a parish and I thought that was a perfect ending to that glorious day.
Our Lady asked us to consider: Is she not here who is OUR Mother? Is she not our patroness?We can to to her in all our needs and she will present them to her Son. We are indeed in the crossing of her arms and she enfolds us with her Motherly love.
Ave Maria!
