The Virgin Of Guadalupe
We are now in the third week of Advent. This week the priests wear rose-colored chasubles signifying Joy.
The Annunciation
What a joyous occasion to celebrate the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother Mary! This young Virgin’s “yes” changed the course of humanity. No other woman can be compared to her glorious life. To think that the status of Mary, the mother of our Lord, is imputed is to lack the true knowledge of God, so please allow me to enlighten you about the Mother of God.
Mary’s profound purpose in life is to help guide us to her Son. Whenever my grown children need advice or guidance, they come to me. As a mother I pray with them, but I also continue to intercede on their behalf until I hear from the Lord. All mothers should have Mary as their role model. Who can better teach us than the Mother of God?
She lived a life of servitude to God, she raised her Son, and she watched as He was nailed to the Cross. Through her experience of pain suffered as a mother, we can go to her for comfort. She will lead us to the foot of her Son Jesus’ Cross. There we will find rest.
December 12th
On this day we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our parish is 65 percent Latino, so you know we go all out. It starts with a 5 a.m. Mass and continues with several Masses during the day. This celebration ends with a bang because our Bishop celebrates the 7:00 p.m. Mass. Then Native dancers were followed by Mariachi music. A dinner of tamales, carnitas tacos, beans and rice, and of course Mexican hot chocolate with pan dulce. Over a thousand tamales were served on this festive day.
Though I did attend the 8:30 a.m. Mass, we were celebrating Mike’s birthday so I was unable to participate in the other church festivities. Our family tradition is to dine at Ruth‘s Chris Steak House to celebrate Mike’s birthday. Together with our family and friends, Larry and Helen, we had a wonderful time. Our grandson Will was making his way back home from college and was unable to attend.
Mike is the patriarch of our family. He is a humble servant, always caring for the needs of others. He has never put himself first, and these selfless acts have taught us all how to be better servants.
The Virgin of Guadalupe
I have traveled to Mexico City several times, but only on the third trip did I discover the hidden treasure of my heart: Our Lady of Guadalupe. During this period of my life I was a roaming Catholic, not knowing much about my religion. When Mike and I arrived at the basilica, I honestly was humbled into a state of holiness.
Observing the Mexican people coming from blocks, and some from miles away, crawling on their knees to reach the basilica made me desire what they were experiencing. Why are they doing this? That was my first thought. These humble pilgrims were on their way to complete a mission. Their final steps would bring them to their knees in reverence of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Apparition
It all started with the apparition and Juan Diego. In December of 1531 Juan Diego encountered a lady on a hill behind the present day Basilica. In the conversation the Virgin Mary introduced herself as “The Mother of the True God.” She asked Juan Diego to go to the bishop to request that a church be erected in her honor.
It was not a coincidence that Mary appeared to Juan Diego between December 9th through the 12th because this was during the octave of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Saint Juan Diego
Juan Diego was a 57-year-old widower. When Mary appeared to him she spoke in his Nahuatl, his native Aztec tongue. There was always a prelude of beautiful music when Mary appeared to Juan Diego. Juan Diego’s first encounter with Mary was on Saturday, December 9th. He first heard the heavenly music, followed by “Juanito, Juan Dieguito!” At the sound of her sweet voice, Juan Diego fell to his knees. “Juanito, least of my sons, where art thou going?” she asked. Juan Diego was on his way to study the divine mysteries with his local priest. The place of the meeting was Tepeyac Hill, a few miles outside Mexico City.
The Message
Juan Diego was chosen to carry the message to Bishop-elect Fray Juan de Zumarraga. He was obedient, but the Bishop was not convinced of his story. He asked the Blessed Mother Mary to send someone else, someone well known, respected and esteemed to deliver the message.
On December 11th Juan Diego missed his appointment with the Blessed Mother on Tepeyac Hill because he had to care for his sick uncle, Juan Bernardino. So on the morning of December 12th he walked in haste to find a priest to administer the last rites to his uncle. As he approached Tepeyac Hill he remembered the broken appointment and went around the hill.
Our Lady would not be denied. She assured Juan Diego that his uncle would get well and for him not to worry. Then she instructed him to gather flowers at the top of the hill. There on a frozen, barren hilltop he found and gathered beautiful Castilian roses covered in dew. He came back to the Blessed Virgin, and she arranged them in his tilma with her own hands.
The Roses
At Juan Diego’s arrival, the room where he was to meet the bishop was filled with the heaven-sent bouquet of cascading roses. As the roses fell to the floor, Bishop Zumarraga looked intently at Juan himself, and fell to his knees. When Juan Diego looked down at his tilma, it was the first time he saw the image of exactly how our Lady appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill.
The Conversions
Within a decade after Mary’s apparition, 10 million indigenous Mexicans had converted to Christianity. This stopped the practice of human sacrifices, where as many as 250 thousand people were sacrificed annually.
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s first miracle was the healing of Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino.
My Prayer
Dear Lord, we are all guilty of not understanding what our true calling is. May Juan Diego be an example to us all; a humble, Aztec peasant was hand picked by Your Mother with a message of conversion. Holy Mother of God, continue to guide us to Your most precious Son Jesus. Amen.
A Time For Peace
On the second week of Advent we light a candle for peace. This is referred to the Bethlehem candle.Traditions
Nothing brings more joy to my heart than Christmas traditions. Advent is a time of great reflection. We must look deep within our souls and ask the Lord to show us what we need to get rid of. No time is better than now to purify our hearts to welcome our beautiful New Born King Jesus. Welcome Him and allow Him to guide you through this beautiful season of Advent.
Waiting
In our hearts is a tiny beat that waits on what we are hoping for. Hope is a time set aside for prayer because what we hope for has not yet come to fruition. It’s a mysterious holding pattern that draws us closer to the Lord. We trust in Him to always answer our prayers. Although God knows the desires of our hearts, they’re not always aligned to the plan He has for us. Why does God make us wait? That’s the $64,000 question, and to those who understand how the Lord operates, we go deeper into prayer. To the impatient it’s the reverse; they take the matter into their own hands and then wonder what went wrong. We must have a clear understanding of patience to trust God while we are hoping.
James 5:7-8 New Catholic Bible
We all know that patience is a virtue, but do we put it into practice? I am the first to admit that patience does not come naturally for me. I move to the beat of my own drum, especially when something that I’m hoping for is taking too long. At times my impatience has caused me pain. This pain is brought on by my going ahead of what I was waiting for. A clear example of this is getting too involved in the lives of others.
Wait For God’s Direction
When I heard that someone was not following God’s direction, I wrote her a letter. This was an old-fashioned letter that needed a stamp for postage. The snail mail can’t be erased, and I know that it will be read over and over again. Though I prayed about it, I knew as soon as I placed the letter in the mailbox a great conviction came over me.
The Lord taught me a lesson on patience and to wait before I react. Regardless of the mishap, the person on the receiving end disconnected with me spiritually. Now I pray that as the dust settles, in some way this will all blow over and soon be forgotten. My hope is, God willing, that we can re-establish our spiritual bond.
Hebrews 11:1 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
Hope
You can feel the invisible force of the wind, but you can’t touch it. Hope is like this wind. Without faith you cannot have hope and love; they are the three cords that are bound together.
1 Corinthians 13:13 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
We have all experienced an illness or watched one of our loved ones going through a horrific bout with cancer. The hope in their hearts is to get well and resume a normal life. The oncologists hope for a cure to mitigate the spread of the disease. While the patients wait, their hearts are filled with hope. We come alongside them in prayer, hoping for the best and believing God for their miracle. Through their trials comes great growth because within themselves all they can do is rely on God.
Relying On God
When we have no place to go in our afflictions, we can either get angry with God or we can call out to Him. Social Media has evolved and many who are suffering with cancer are sharing their journey on their posts. We can get attached to their heartfelt pleas for help, but we can also come to the realization that some of these people will live while others will not. In my experience of following a few of these cancer patients, the ones who have a clear connection with God have peace. Those who have not established a relationship with the Lord have hope but lack faith. I pray for all who come across my feed. My prayer is for them to draw closer to the Lord and to trust Him for all their needs.
Peace
If you have peace you can endure any stormy trial. Peace will guide your troubled heart to a place of rest. Peace can only be obtained through surrendering all your burdens to the Lord. Trust Him to see you through the darkness.
Romans 15:13 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Dear Lord, through all the discouragement of this crazy world, may we, Your children, have hope in the future. To all those who have lost a loved one, please know that they are now resting in His arms. May those who are battling illness or cancer place their trust in You for a complete healing. Lord, touch the hearts of those confused women who are contemplating an abortion.
Dear Jesus, touch our hearts to welcome You not only during Advent but always. May this Bethlehem candle bring you the peace we all hope for. Amen.
The Unwelcome Baby
In My Mother’s womb I knew all along,
That it was to the world that I belong.
I kicked and I stretched until it was time for my birth.
Soon the world would know the true meaning of My worth.
But it was not to be.
Not then, and still not now.
Who do you worship,
And to Whom do you bow?
I ask this of many, but few will comply.
They tell Me to wait, and I ask why?
It started with Me, and it continues today.
Will you open your hearts and allow Me to stay?
© Lynda Ciriza
The Little Town Of Bethlehem
This is the first week of Advent. This lit candle, typically purple to signify royalty and penitence, symbolizes Christ’s coming, reminding us that the hope of salvation is the birth of our Lord.
Bethlehem
When we travel to Israel we always make sure to visit Bethlehem. Visiting Bethlehem has changed since the early 2000’s, when the wall that separates the West Bank was erected. Many tourists do not cross the border due to security issues. Believe it or not, some tourists visit Bethlehem because of the graffiti artwork on the wall. There are plenty of political messages because this wall, which is still under construction, is over 400 miles long.
The most profound graffiti messages are found in larger cities like Bethlehem. The Walled Off Hotel is now a popular tourist site. Its popularity is due to its location in front of the graffiti artwork of Banksy, an artist and political activist who also happens to own the hotel.
The Wall
Depending upon who you ask, the wall is either a hindrance or a blessing. I know for a fact that it has hurt the economy of the Palestinians and separated families. To the Jews it has almost completely stopped the suicide bombings. It’s a paradoxical situation, yet still no peace.
The Security
At the security checkpoint, if our tour guide is Jewish, he/she can only bring us to the border. A Christian Palestinian guide must take over the tour in a different bus. Before we cross the border, we must have our passports in hand because several Israeli soldiers with really huge rifles get on the bus to make sure we are who we say we are.
The Israeli Army
There is no shortage of the visible Israeli soldiers; they are at almost every point. Most of them are in their early twenties. Men serve for three years and young women are required to serve their country for two years. You will not see any Israeli police or Israeli army personnel in Bethlehem (unless it’s a raid), and as many times as I have been there, I have never witnessed any Jewish authorities in this area.
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The young and beautiful Israeli army
The Little Town
We visit Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, because the Church of the Nativity is the home of the “Original Nativity.” This church was built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus. The Church of the Nativity is one the oldest functioning Christian churches in the world. It is by far one of the most interesting sites, and a must see while visiting the Holy Land.
As you pass through the small opening to the main church, even I have to crouch to enter into this passage. This doorway was made small in order to prevent large animals from entering the church.
The Passage
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The Door to The Church of The Nativity
There is always a long wait to go down the narrow marble steps to reach the star where Jesus was born. Usually you encounter rude foreigners who push their way through to get there sooner. I sometimes fall into this category because one of my biggest pet peeves is someone cutting ahead of the line. I stand by this principle; the only exception I make occurs when a person cutting ahead suffers from unbearable body odor.
The Church Of The Nativity
As a pilgrim, I experience the Church of the Nativity not only as holy, but with great reverence. Though we are only permitted to stay and pray a short period, we cherish these few minutes. If you are blessed, there is an area where you can sit and pray to the left of the Star, but it is rarely available. The last time I visited, I sat on the only bench and prayed until we were asked to leave.
The Exodus
In 1950, Bethlehem, along with the surrounding villages, was 86% Christian. Now the population across the West Bank, Christians represent less than 12%. (According to an article from the National Catholic Register December 19, 2016)
Saint Francis
St. Francis of Assisi was the first to introduce the Nativity scene to the world.
St. Francis had a special devotion to the Child Jesus. He was inspired after visiting the Holy Land and seeing the humble stable, a Bethlehem cave. On Christmas Eve in the year 1223, with permission from Pope Honorius III, St. Francis set up a manger in the village of Grecio, Italy, with hay and two live animals. There St. Francis preached about “the Babe of Bethlehem.” St. Francis was so overwhelmed with emotion that he could not say “Jesus.” So the first Nativity did not have Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, or wise men either, just an ox and an ass.
My Nativities
I love all Nativities, and in our home they are everywhere. I have some from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Spain, Bethlehem, and, of course, Costco.
As we gaze upon the Nativity let us be mindful of Christmas, so that we can draw closer to the real gifts God has set aside for us. We all have special gifts because we serve a benevolent Father. This Christmas, ask Him for your special gift.
My Prayer
May this Advent fill our hearts with great joy and anticipation in welcoming You. Lord, You are the Master of us all, bring us good tidings and peace. Lord, comfort the broken hearted and fill their hearts with hope. Amen.