December 12
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Saturday, week 2 of Advent
Canada : Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe (Canada)
Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most cherished Marian titles in the Catholic Church, especially in the Americas. The devotion centers around the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St Juan Diego, an Indigenous convert, on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City in December 1531. According to well-attested tradition, Mary appeared several times to Juan Diego, speaking to him in his native language and asking that a church be built in her honor on that place. As a sign for the local bishop, Mary imprinted her image onto Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak), an event regarded by many as miraculous.
The image itself carries rich symbolism, blending Christian and indigenous motifs, and has become a profound sign of maternal care, unity, and evangelization. Our Lady of Guadalupe quickly became a symbol of faith and hope for the people of Mexico and the wider continent, encouraging millions to embrace Christianity. The Church sees in her a model of tender motherhood and an advocate for the most vulnerable. In 1999, St John Paul II declared Our Lady of Guadalupe Patroness of the Americas.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is marked with great devotion, pilgrimages, and celebrations, especially among people of Mexican heritage. It is an invitation for all the faithful to deepen their trust in the maternal intercession of Mary and to remember the Church’s mission to honor and uphold the dignity of all peoples.
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Questions about Our Lady of Guadalupe (Novus Ordo Missae)
Local variations
- Canada — Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe (Canada)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingSi 48, 1-4.9-11
In those days,
the prophet Elijah arose like a fire,
his word blazed like a torch.
He brought famine upon Israel,
and in his zeal, reduced their numbers.
By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,
and three times he brought down fire.
How awesome you were, Elijah, in your wonders!
Who could boast of being your equal?
You who were taken up in a whirlwind of fire
by a chariot with fiery horses;
you who have been prepared for the end of time,
as it is written,
to calm anger before it breaks out,
to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons
and to restore the tribes of Jacob...
happy are those who see you,
happy are those who, in love, have fallen asleep;
we too shall possess true life.
– The word of the Lord.
Psalm79 (80), 2ac.3bc, 15-16a, 18-19
Shepherd of Israel, listen,
shine forth above the Cherubim!
Rouse your might
and come to save us.
God of hosts, return!
Look down from heaven and see:
visit this vine, protect it,
the one your powerful hand has planted.
Let your hand support your chosen one,
the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.
Never again shall we turn away from you:
give us life and we will call on your name!
GospelMt 17, 10-13
As they were coming down the mountain,
the disciples questioned Jesus:
“Why then do the scribes say
that Elijah must come first?”
Jesus replied to them:
“Elijah will indeed come
and restore all things.
But I tell you:
Elijah has already come;
instead of recognizing him,
they did whatever they pleased to him.
And likewise, the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org