Do you believe in miracles? 
Here’s one that occurred on our continent that will boost your faith and increase your hope: the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her feast day is December 12th. It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to a peasant named Juan Diego in 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico. She left her colorful image on Juan Diego’s tilma (or cloak), along with roses which were miraculously growing in that region of Mexico and in addition, it was the middle of winter. Imagine! That tilma is still on display today at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Over 20 million pilgrims visit the basilica each year.
A few amazing facts about the tilma: The image has been proven to have not been painted by human hands. The image and fabric have lasted intact for nearly 500 years (it should have disintegrated within only 15-20 years). Her eyes, when examined by a microscope, have images of those present at the unveiling: Juan Diego and the bishop.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas, unborn children, and the New Evangelization.
Another beautiful fact is that the image portrays Mary pregnant, indicated by the black sash around her waist.
Millions upon millions of conversions of Aztecs happened as a result of this miracle, thus ending the widespread practice of child sacrifice.
If you’re not able to make the trip to see the image, here are a few ways your family can celebrate this beautiful feast day:
- Pray the family rosary, or a decade together
- Light a candle beside an image or statue of Mary
- Read to your kids about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Make a Mexican dinner such as tacos, guacamole, frijoles negroes, or flan
- Print a coloring page of Mary for your kids to color
- Watch a Youtube video called “The Amazing and Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe”
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas, unborn children, and the New Evangelization. Celebrating this feast day is part of our Catholic culture and wouldn’t it be great if our kids could pass it on to their future families?
Written by: By Molly Scherr