As Catholics we have so many feast days to  celebrate. Last week we celebrated St. Nicholas, St. Ambrose, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Juan Diego. Some of us Catholics take these feast days to heart. I’m one of those.

December 12th is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe; it is also my husband Mike’s birthday. Our Lady (the Blessed Mother) apparitions have been going on for centuries. This particular apparition in Mexico City took place in December 1531 when the Aztecs’ King Montezuma II ruled over the land. Daily human sacrifices were terrifying and up to as many as 25,000 lives were murdered yearly in the name of their Aztec gods . So the Lord sent His precious Mother to intervene.

The Dream

The Lord gives me dreams; some of these dreams are prophetic. I recently had a dream about a friend’s business dealing. In the dream I was instructed to warn my friend about a business deal. I did not want to impose on my friend so I prayed about it for a few days. My conscience would not let me rest, so I finally informed them about the dream. The dream was entrusted to me and it was my responsibility to share it. What they decide to do with the information is their decision.

When you remember a dream in detail, it’s because it has an important message. Montezuma’s sister had a dream that would change the course of history.  In 1509 Princess Papantzin had a prophetic dream. She was thought to be dead and was placed in a tomb. She was not dead but in a coma. It was during this time that she had a vivid dream about an angel visiting her. The angel led her to the seashore. As she was standing looking toward the sea, she saw several ships appear. On the sails were black crosses, which were the same as the cross on the angel’s forehead. The angel told Papantzin that these ships were bringing  men to conquer her nation and bring the knowledge of the True God to Mexico. In great detail, the princess was told that she would be the first to be baptized to wash away her sins. Papantzin wasted no time in sharing the dream with her brother Montezuma. It took over ten years before the Spanish victory led to the fall of the Aztec Empire .

The Spaniards

There are good and bad Christians, and this holds true for the conquistadors. Hernan Cortes and the men who fought with him were religious. They understood who God was, but Catholic doctrine was unknown to them. Hernan Cortes came to convert the pagan country to Christianity, and history tells of the brutal behavior of some of his men. But what was unbelievably appalling to the conquistadors  were the human sacrifices taking place by the Aztecs. Cortes tore down many pagan altars and put crucifixes and statues of Mary to replace all the idols. Many of the indigenous Aztecs were converted, including Juan Diego.

Being Used of God

Juan Diego was middle class of this highly civilized nation. Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) was the world’s largest city of its time. His Aztec citizenship gave him the right to vote. He was educated because under the empire it was compulsory for boys to attend school until they were old enough to have a trade. Juan Diego was a business man who farmed and made furniture and mats from reeds.

Before being used of God we must be trained; it was no different for Juan Diego. Along with his wife and uncle, Juan Diego and Princess Papantzin were some of the first converts to the Catholic faith. Juan Diego received religious instruction from the traveling missionaries. He walked 14 miles to attend Mass and receive communion. On December 8th, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, he had his first encounter with the Blessed Mother. Perhaps some of you do not fully know the story of the Miracle of Guadalupe. Juan Diego was on his way to Mass when he heard the most beautiful voice calling him in his native tongue. Our Lady instructed Juan Diego to go before Fray Juan de  Zumarraga, the Arch Bishop of Mexico City, and have him erect a church in Her honor.

At first the Arch Bishop was not convinced, so Juan Diego felt it was out of his hands. Again the Lady appeared to him on December 12th, but this time She gave him instructions to go to the top of Tepeyac hill and pick Castilian roses. This was an unusual request because these roses were native to Spain, and the weather in Mexico was too cold at this time to produce roses. Juan Diego was obedient to the Lady and did as instructed. He gathered the roses and wrapped them in his tilma. Tilmas were usually made of ayate (cactus), which was a coarse fabric of threads from the maguey plant and vegetable fiber. The interesting fact about this fiber is that it naturally decays after 20 years.

When Juan Diego arrived to see the Arch Bishop, he had the roses wrapped in his tilma; when he released his hands from his garment, beautiful Castilian roses fell to the ground. But it was what was image of Our Lady of Guadalupe imprinted on his tilma that brought them to their knees. This same tilma is still housed in Mexico City and is in the same condition as when it was first worn by St. Juan Diego. Juan Diego was 50 years old when the Lady appeared to him. At that age he was considered old, yet he was used to convert an entire continent. How much will the Lord use us? This Advent season is the perfect time to go into prayer and ask the Lord how you are to be used of God.

Roses 

Roses are synonymous with The Blessed Mother. Twice in my life I have experienced the special scent of roses: once after sharing a message at a service with a lay group and once after serving the homeless on Skid Row. Out of nowhere came the strong, sweet smell of roses that filled the air around us. All who were present knew that Our Lady was well pleased with the work well done. It is for this reason that our home is always filled with roses, mostly from my backyard.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for Your beautiful Mother. May all mothers follow her example. In our quest for answers, guide us to understand the love You have for Your Mother. May we all honor Her as You did. I pray for all who have a strained relationship with their mothers. Lord, teach them to honor their mothers as You did Yours. It is never too late to mend a relationship. Call your mothers!

Lord, I continue to lift up Bobbie and Amy for a miracle healing. Amen

For the first time in years we were able to get away for the weekend. Spending the weekend with our best friends is one of the best medicines. Speaking of medicines, the last dose of prescriptions did not kill the problem with the bacteria  in my gut. So now another two weeks of antibiotics.

The Drugs

This entire experience with this disorder has been wrecking me. The fact that I need to set an alarm four times a day is daunting. And to add to these medical woes, my doctor told me that I’m pre- diabetic. This I can, and will, take control of. My doctor also asked me if I was given steroids while I was in the hospital when I had COVID and that this could be the cause of the high sugar levels in my blood. I was pumped with steroids for the five-day hospital stay. So for this reason I ordered these test strips to measure my blood. Amazon has the whole world at its finger tips, so I quickly found a supplier. Without checking where the strips were coming from, I aggressively pressed “place order.” I waited for a couple of weeks, which turned into a month by the time the strips finally arrived. They did not work! The strips came all the way from India. I was so upset because if I want a refund I needed to pay postage. Amazon did not give a hoot about my $35 rant so I tossed the test strips in the trash.  My doctor called in an oder for a new set-up for testing my blood sugar.

Over the weekend I had to have help with measuring my blood level. Larry decided that he would take on the role of teaching me on how to use the device. After about ten attempts of pricking my finger with no blood results, I pulled my hand away from Larry and told him that I needed to read the instructions. I always read those really long explanations from the drug manufacturers because I want to understand the side effects.  After carefully reading how to use the device, I was able to test my blood; the first day it was 160, but the next day it came down to 142. I’m exercising more and learning to eat better in oder to eradicate this problem, and I’m praying about this as well. So far I have also lost over ten pounds.

Our Friends

Mike and I were both in our thirties  when we met our best friends, Larry and Helen.  Mike and Larry were in the tortilla industry; they were competitors, but destiny would change all that. TIA (tortilla industry association) is an organization that brings tortilla manufacturers together, and that’s when we met Larry and Helen. TIA was having a semi-formal event, and, of course, I had nothing to wear.  I was in an awkward fashion stage; my choice of designers was between Gunny Sack and Laura Ashley. I heard that Gunny Sack had opened an outlet in Montclair, a city about 45 minutes from my home.  I drove to the shop in Montclair,  and I will never forget the black glittery dress with a full tulle bottom that I purchased from Gunny Sack. It was an ugly dress from the beginning, but I did not realize it until the day of the event. The dress was so tight that I had to get a girdle, and this undergarment fastened with the old-school hook and eye. Needless to say, this was going make for an interesting evening.  Honestly I have never been so fashionably uncomfortable in my life. My new shoes were too tight as well.  When I was introduced to Helen, I was tugging at my dress and felt that this stupid undergarment was partly unhooked.  Helen was wearing a beautiful suit, her heels matched perfectly, her hair and make-up looked like a professional had just put her together. After our greeting, I mentioned how very uncomfortable I was. Helen gave me an empathetic look, and turned to talk to Larry; that was our first encounter. My first impression of Helen was that of a sophisticated woman who wore boa, low-heeled slippers around the house.  You can guess what her first impression of me was.

Early on in this relationship I was stripped of making any decisions. I once made arrangements for a two-night stay at a boutique hotel  in Florence, Italy. I chose this place because it was once a monastery and, by the description, it sounded charming. This hotel was scary and, compared to the places that Larry and Helen are accustomed to, it was far from charming. The paint was peeling off the walls and the T.V. belonged in the Smithsonian. Our room was no better; the people next to us were so loud that Mike had to go to the front desk to complain. I could not sleep so I asked Mike to knock on the door and tell them to keep it down. When Mike got back, his face was white, almost as if he had seen a ghost. “What happened to you?” I asked. Mike could barely describe the trauma he had just experienced. It turned out that this huge, Middle Eastern man answered the door buck naked! We checked out the following morning, and Larry made arrangements for us to stay in a beautiful hotel facing the Ponte Vecchio. Because of that little incident I am not allowed to participate in any traveling arrangements; this includes choosing restaurants as well, Oh, one more thing, I’m never allowed to drive either!

The Reunion

After our visit with Larry and Helen we drove to Temecula to meet with Mario, Armando, Tony and Lupe, Mario’s wife.  These men have been in our circle for years; they all worked for Mike when we had our tortilla factory. To be able to keep these acquaintances is to understand how our old company respected the work ethic of these men. It has been over 20 years since we had seen them, but the love we share with them is the same. Not one of them missed a beat, and the old tortilla stories were filled with laughter. We shared about how it felt to be treated with dignity and to be appreciated for a job well done. This type of camaraderie is quickly fading away with all the impersonal, out-of-touch  behavior of large companies. I was part of this group, and I loved and appreciated working with these wonderful men.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank you for all the wonderful relationships and friendships we have encountered. We are so very blessed to have crossed paths with each of our friends. I ask that you continue to bless and encourage them with Your unfailing love. Lord, may we always remember to call on You for all of our needs. I lift up the special prayer intentions for Amy and Bobbie, Lord heal them. Amen.

Matthew 5:16  New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Last Saturday I was decorating a small Christmas tree in our downstairs bathroom. As  I turned on the lights to the mini tree all the ornaments took on a new look. The light caused this change because it brought out the beauty of the brilliant colors of the simple bulbs. I was asking God, “What should I write about this week?  Lord, help me.” Then as I was mopping the floor He gave me the idea about being a light to others.

This week has been a bit of a struggle; I’m on antibiotics due to a stomach bacteria in my gut. I have no fear in this condition, but it still weighs on me. When I drove to Costco to pick-up the prescription it was not ready. The sales clerk told me that order was not filled because the cost for the medicine was $900! I would never pay this amount. With a shocked look on my face, the lady proceeded to inform me that  they were going to work on getting the price down. “Okay, but I’m not willing to pay anything over $75!” I answered.  A half an hour later, the prescription was broken down into three different drugs at a cost of $49. How can you trust Big Pharma? How do you get from $900 to $49?

Retirement

My husband Mike retired and, even though he has been working from home because of COVID, we keep bumping heads about the smallest things. His main grievances against me are that I have way too many emails and  I save too many photos on my phone. I know people who have over 20,000 emails and over 5,000 photos on their phones and it hasn’t stopped the world from spinning off its axis. It bothers me that Mike is so organized, all household cords are meticulously wound up. This drives me crazy! Needless to say, his retirement is  going to take some adjusting.

I feel responsible for causing him any heartache because I was not taking into consideration that retirement is a drastic change in his life. When two of  the men who worked under him came to pick up the company car, I saw great sadness in their eyes. Of course Mike had the car washed and gassed up before turning it in, because this is who Mike is. When the men left, I came inside and started to cry. “Why are you crying?” He asked. “I don’t know, I’m sad.” I answered. It had finally hit me of how Mike was feeling. He was the best boss; he always took care of his workers. Mike was the light in that company because he is a scrupulous and empathetic man. When things were not right he called them out. When we have this type of boldness, we understand that it is the Holy Spirit guiding us.

The Light

There is a special spiritual light that comes from God’s illumination. Through His Holy Spirit we receive this light. We are to shine His love on others. You cannot do this unless you are moved by the spirit of God. When the headstrong Israelites were wandering through the desert, God’s light was always with them. They did not make the spiritual connection because all their murmuring caused them to remain in the wilderness. They were spiritually wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. Yet for 40 years God provided for them, even though they could not enter in because of their unbelief.

These past couple of weeks I have had several unpleasant encounters by being combative and at times a little difficult. When poorly trained cashiers meet impatient customers like me, the outcome is not pleasant. Sometimes I forget to be that light and cast darkness in the situation by attempting to prove my point.  After I repeat the story to others, the Lord benevolently shows me that the customer may be always right but that I must be gracious in my protest. When companies are understaffed and overworked, the last thing they want to hear is fault-finding from an irate customer.

Sunday morning after Mass we went out for breakfast at a local eatery.  As I passed through the front door a stench of raw eggs silently slapped my face, but I kept the gagging to myself. “Be the light, be the light,” I told myself. When the milk was delivered to our table, again the egg smell hit my nostrils as I took the first sip. I held my tongue, and got through the meal without a complaint.

Advent

Advent is a time to reflect on the birth of Christ at Christmas. We are reminded to pray and fast during this holy season. Advent is referred to as “little Lent” because we should be looking inward and drawing closer to God through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We wait for our Messiah with great anticipation for His Second Coming. Our hearts should be filled with a giving spirit, giving of your time to help others. We participate in giving by prayer and fasting, we donate to those who are  going through financial challenges. We make special efforts to visit those who are homebound,  and we visit prisoners.

We are all made in the image of God. We all have imperfections. I was talking to my brother George the other day and he asked me if I was dyslexic. I’ve known this about myself for years, the fact that I still count on my fingers, or transpose numbers and letters has always been a huge challenge. I learned to cope by using other tools like memorizing things or repeating what I read over and over again. Because of my dyslexia I have a photographic memory. My brother shared with me that over 48% of the prison population suffers from dyslexia. This made a lot of sense to me because when you have a learning disability, frustration and anger can play a huge role in your formative years. If you can’t read, you can’t function in today’s society and in many cases these young men who suffer from this disorder fall into the cracks and many end up in jail.

In December of 2019 the First Step Act was passed by Congress This law was introduced by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy. Before becoming a senator he was a physician working in three different prison clinics. This is when he made the connection with dyslexia and prisons. This new law will evaluate prisoners with learning disabilities and teach them to read and overcome problems related to dyslexia.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank you for all that you have bestowed on us. Help us to draw closer to You during Advent. May we be used to shine Your light on others, and especially during Advent. We seek to be in Your Holy Presence; we remove our sandals as we stand on Your holy ground. Use us as Your light to lead others out of darkness. Amen.