Reflections on up-coming Feasts of Mary in December

The feasts of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) are coming up next week.

Mary is our model of faithfulness; she shows us how to live “standing in God,” awake to the presence of God in her life and ready to respond to God’s invitations.

• The conception of Mary by Anna as immaculate (free from original sin) is a conclusion derived from the Church's understanding of who Jesus is and Mary's role as Theotokos, Mother of God. Mary Immaculate is the patroness of the United States. Liturgies are Tuesday, 8:30am and 7pm.
• On December 9, 1531, the Aztec convert Juan Diego, in the Valley of Mexico, saw a beautiful dark-skinned woman, bathed in light, who spoke to him in his native language and identified herself as Mary, Mother of Christ. Three days later, when she appeared to him again, and told him to pick some roses (in the middle of winter) to take to the Spanish bishop in Mexico City. When he unfolded his cloak to show the roses to the bishop, Juan Diego found imprinted on the cloak the image of the woman. Our Lady of Guadalupe is honored today as “Madre de los Mexicanos” and also as Patroness of the Americas. A festival of celebration (including prayer and dance) and mass in Spanish begins at 7:00 am on Saturday, December 12.