December 12, 2023
On a December morning in 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to an Aztec convert to Christianity who was walking to Mass. She gave him a message that is as meaningful today as it was 500 years ago.
Speaking in his native tongue, she told Juan Diego: “My son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-Virgin Mary and mother of the true God, who gives life and maintains its existence. … Here I will show and offer all my love, my compassion, my help and my protection. I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. I will hear their weeping and their sorrows … their necessities and misfortunes.”
That message is a powerful one for those who grieve, and it’s important to remember the Blessed Mother always keeps her promises.
She asked for a church to be built in her honor on Tepeyac Hill, near what is now Mexico City. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most popular Catholic pilgrimage site in the world, visited by more than 20 million people a year.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is recognized as patroness of the Americas, Mexico and the pro-life movement. The tilma of cactus fibers with the imprint of “La Virgen Morena” — the brown-skinned Madonna — is displayed in the basilica and revered by millions worldwide.
***
Sign Up for Healing Journey Messages
Receive a daily message to your email address.