In 1531, on a cold December day, a lady from heaven appeared to humble Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill, just northwest of present-day Mexico City. She identified herself as the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. The lady requested that a church be built on that site. The local bishop did not believe Juan Diego, so he asked him to bring him a sign that this was indeed the Blessed Mother. Mary sent Juan Diego to the top of the hill to collect roses to give to the bishop as a miraculous sign, since roses did not normally grow there in winter. Juan Diego collected the roses in his tilma, a poncho made from cactus fibers. When Juan Diego unfurled his poncho to give the roses to the bishop, an image of Our Lady was revealed to the world, miraculously printed on the poncho, an image that still appears on it today as it is on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, even though the cactus fibers from which it is made should have decayed in a short period of time.
Scientists have tested the image of apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared so long ago to validate its authenticity. The image defies any scientific explanation. Over the centuries, Our Lady of Guadalupe has touched the hearts of the faithful throughout the world. Many miracles and cures have been attributed to her healing power. Up to 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City each year. Pope John Paul II visited her shrine on 4 different occasions. On his visit there in 1999, he declared December 12 to be a liturgical feast for the Americas in our Church's calendar. It is very appropriate for us to honor Mary today in the midst of Advent, our time of preparation for the birth of our Savior. Along with the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which we celebrated earlier this week, these feasts shows how important the Mother of our Savior is in the history of salvation. Just as Elizabeth called Mary blessed among women, we proclaim Mary blessed as well as we honor her in a special way on this feast day today.
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