Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the feastday of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas and the Unborn. The second most visited shrine in the world after the Vatican can be found a few miles north of Mexico City in an area called La Villa de Guadalupe. High on the wall of the circular basilica hangs a nearly 500-year old tilma or cloak, mysteriously imprinted with the image of a dark-skinned woman clad in a star-spangled blue veil. She is Our Lady of Guadalupe. On Saturday, December 9, 1531 Juan Diego, a recently widowed and childless local Indian who was one of the Spanish missionaries first converts, was on his way to Saturday Mass when he heard singing as he approached the base of the hill known as Tepeyac. The singing was very beautiful and Juan decided to investigate. Suddenly to his amazement, he heard a voice saying to him "Juanito, Juan Dieguito" the terms a mother would use to her child.
When he reached the top of the hill, he saw 'a most beautiful lady' with garments that shone like the sun. This beautiful lady told Juan Diego that she was "the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God" and told him that she wanted a church built where she stood. She directed Juan to go to the local bishop, Bishop Zumarraga, and tell him to erect a temple on that plain. Heedless of the obvious difficulties, and of his previous errands, Juan immediately set off for Mexico City to do what the Lady asked.
A simple peasant appearing at the bishop's office was a cause for some skepticism, and Juan had a lengthy wait. Finally Juan was able to tell the bishop what he had seen and what the "Lady from Heaven" had requested. The bishop listened to the request but appeared not to believe the story Juan told him. Juan returned to the site where Our Lady had appeared to him. She was at the same place that evening and Juan told her about his visit to the bishop. She sent him back to try again. She appeared again on Sunday evening to get the bishop's answer. Bishop Zumarraga had not immediately believed the peasant messenger; having cross-questioned him and had him watched, he finally bade him ask a sign of the lady who said she was the mother of the true God. Again Juan met Our Lady and again he related the details of his visit. Mary asked Juan to return the following day and he would be entrusted with a sign for the bishop. Juan did not return the next day, as the Lady requested, he stayed home to nurse his dying uncle instead. A few days later, on December 12, 1531, passing by the hill, Our Lady again appeared to Juan and asked why he had not obeyed her request. Distressed, Juan explained about his uncle and she gently told him, not to worry that his uncle was healed. At that moment, miles away, a beautiful woman appeared to the sick man and bade him get up. He was immediately healed. The Lady then told him to go to the top of the hill where they had first met, to cut the various flowers he found growing there and bring them back to her. Juan did as he was told despite the fact that he didn't expect to find any flowers because the soil was rocky and near frozen in the winter cold. But there were roses in abundance. He gathered as many as he could, put them in his tilma, and brought them back to the Blessed Virgin who handled them before returning them to the tilma. She told Juan to unfold his mantle in the bishop's presence and let the flowers fall. This would be a sufficient sign to convince the bishop of the true identity of the "Lady from Heaven". At Juan's third visit, he was beginning to be considered somewhat of a nuisance. Again he had a lengthy wait. Eventually he was allowed to see the bishop. Juan knelt, relayed all the information Mary had told him, and opened his tilma. The roses spilled out, but the sign to the bishop was actually a "portrait" of Our Lady divinely imprinted on the fabric of Juan's tilma. At the sight of this, the bishop fell to his knees imploring Our Lady for forgiveness for ever doubting her wishes and for not immediately fulfilling her request. At once, he began plans for the temple she had requested and soon the Church in honor of the Queen of Tepeyac was erected on the plain she had specified. Today, millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, & on her feastday, December 12, throngs of pilgrims dance and have festivals in her honor.

Some great sites on Our Lady of Guadalupe:

www.sancta.org

http://www.shjolg.com/

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=456