Our Lady of Guadalupe

On December 12 we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Senora de Gduadalupe). This day is a remembrance of the day that Mary appeared to Juan Diego whose feast day we celebrated early this week on December 9th. This happened in Mexico.

Mary left a picture of herself on his cloak and is shown shining with the light of the sun, moon and stars. Mary has a cinto, or sash worn by pregnant women, wrapped around her. This honors her pregnancy with Jesus.

On this day in Mexico, which always falls during Advent, the people are called from their homes early in the morning (around 4:30AM)and they gather in the darkness of this December morning outside the churches. They offer up a morning serenade (mananitas) to Mary. Then the church doors are opened and everyone enters to celebrate Mass.

After Mass there is an elaborate breakfast. Pastries, sweet Mexican chocolate, hot bread and menudo, (a hot tripe soup, that has garlic added and is thickened with hominy; it also has ancho and pasilla peppers which gives it a spicy dimension. The menudo is topped with sliced radishes, cilantro, oregano, chopped onion and lime juice. What a breakfast that is!

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of all peoples of the Western Hemisphere. On this day honoring Mary offer up a prayer to her. And you could toast her with a cup of hot chocolate with maybe a touch of cinnamon added.