back to calendar   « » 

December 12, 2009
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Read

Read about sacred sites in Mexico that are home to many works of art inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Daily Readings

Pray

Pray the “Hail Mary” along with these elementary students representing our Church’s cultural diversity.

Reflect

Pope Benedict XVI , Mary, 30
My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord
In the Gospel we heard the Magnificat, that great poem inspired by the Holy Spirit that came from Mary’s lips, indeed, from Mary’s heart. This marvelous canticle mirrors the entire soul, the entire personality of Mary. We can say that this hymn of hers is a portrait of Mary, a true icon in which we can see her exactly as she is. . . . It begins with the word “Magnificat”: my soul “magnifies” the Lord, that is, “proclaims the greatness” of the Lord. Mary wanted God to be great in the world, great in her life and present among us all. She was not afraid that God might be a “rival” in our life, that with his greatness he might encroach on our freedom, our vital space. She knew that if God is great, we too are great. Our life is not oppressed but raised and expanded: it is precisely then that it becomes great in the splendor of God. . . . Only if God is great is humankind also great. With Mary, we must begin to understand that this is so.

Homily on the Solemnity of the Assumption
August 15, 2005

Act

Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe by preparing a Mexican-style special breakfast of hot chocolate and pan dulce. Place some flowers (roses are traditional, but any flower is fine) before the family’s statue of Mary