The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“I have great hopes in your love for Christ and for men. There is a great deal to be done. Let us set out with renewed enthusiasm; united with Christ, under the motherly gaze of the Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe the sweet mother of priests and religious.” (Pope John Paul II)

"The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

"And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”

"But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

"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. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

"But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”

"And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

"Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

"Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her." (Luke 1: 25 - 38).

Monday 12th December 2022 of the 3rd Week of Advent is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Church honors the Mother of the Redeemer with the title of Lady, Mother, Queen, Virgin, etc. Different titles to honor and show our love and devotion to the Holy Mother of God. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe started in 1531 long before the United States of America. Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a young Aztec man. She was dressed as a simple pregnant Mexican woman. She left an imprint of herself on the tilma of Juan Diego. This Tilma is intact and is venerated today by pilgrims from all over the world.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the preeminent titles of Mary because of the significance of the event in Guadalupe, Mexico in 1531 and its continued relevance to the faith of Christians in the Americas because Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the the Americas not just Mexico. The Blessed Virgin Mary's apparition to St Juan Diego on December 12, 1531 set off a series of events, conversions, miracles and the building of a great Church which has since become a Basilica. It is estimated that annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Guadalupe is about 10 million.

In our key Scripture for today, the Archangel Gabriel gave Mary a testimony of God's marvelous miracle for Elizabeth in order to confirm Mary's faith. I love to hear stories of miracles. They build my faith. You too should cherish miracle stories. Better still, don't hide the wonderful things God is doing for you. Expect a miracle every day and share the story.

Mary said to Gabriel after she heard of Elizabeth big miracle, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 36 - 38).

If you like to learn more about the Blessed Virgin Mary through her Litany, click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2020/12/litany-of-blessed-virgin-mary.html?m=1

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com