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This Advent season I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like, but I've been updating my blog's Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter accounts with all the activities we have been doing during Advent.  We are continuing to read our Advent read-aloud books by unwrapping one Christmas book each evening under our Advent tree.  We are also enjoying the Advent storybook as a family, Ishtar's Odyssey.

There are many wonderful feast days in the Catholic Church that we celebrate as a family leading up to the celebration of our Savior's birth.  On December 12 each year we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The more I learn about this feast day, its story and its miracles, the more in awe I am of our incredible Creator and Catholic faith.
The peasant man who received the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on his tilma is named St. Juan Diego and his feast day is celebrated on December 9.   More about him and St. Juan Diego resources on my post from the archives.  We enjoy watching the CCC of America video, Juan Diego-Messenger of Guadalupe.  Below is a summary from CCC of America about this video and Juan Diego's true story.


JUAN DIEGO - MESSENGER OF GUADALUPE
In 1531 Juan Diego found himself between two worlds…that of the Spanish conquerors and that of his own Aztec heritage. Because of his love for his people and his strong faith, Juan Diego turned to Jesus and His Mother, Mary for help in uniting his people. The answer to Juan Diego’s prayers has become one of the greatest events in the history of the Americas.
JUAN DIEGO, MESSENGER OF GUADALUPE is the true story of how the Blessed Mother chose a hero for a key role in a beautiful miracle that would united diverse peoples and change the course of history.
In the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City the miracle of the tilma of Juan Diego may still be seen, just as it was seen by the bishop in 1531.

To learn more about this miraculous event that happened in December 1531, there are many resources to use. One DVD that I discovered last year is Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message DVD .  Watching this DVD is a great way to start learning more about Our Lady of Guadalupe.   Be sure to check out my review that I posted about the film.

This poster is a brief summary of a long list of miracles about the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared on St. Juan Diego's tilma. 


From the Catholic Company's post they list some of the many facts about the Our Lady of Guadalupe image itself:   

* The image is proven to not be painted by human hands.

* The image and fabric have miraculously lasted in its original condition for nearly 500 years.

* The weak cactus fiber, of which the tilma was made, should have decomposed several years later.

* No natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on the image.

* The image itself is iridescent, which cannot be produced by hand.

* Mary stands on a crescent moon, the same crescent moon in the sky on the day of her apparition.

* Mary’s mantel is a constellation map, the same constellations in the sky as on the day of her apparition.

* These constellations tell the story of the Gospel with the arrangements of Leo in the womb of Virgo.

* On her rose garment is a topographic map of the geographic location of her apparition.

* On Mary’s neck is a small black cross, identifying her with the Catholic missionary priests.

* Over her womb on her dress is a four-petal flower, the Aztec symbol of life and deity.

* In the image Mary is “clothed with the sun” with “the moon at her feet” as described in Revelation 12:1.

* A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image through a stethoscope over the womb.

* The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes.

* The eyes, when examined through a microscope, reflect the images of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop.

In the morning on Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day, I decorated our kitchen table as a way to celebrate this special and festive feast day.
 

Some years we watch: 
Guadalupe: The Miracle and the Message DVD
Juan Diego-Messenger of Guadalupe DVD 

We also read:
Our Lady of Guadalupe 
The Lady of Guadalupe
On my wish list is a new book titled Guadalupe Mysteries: Deciphering the Code


Our "Wandering Wisemen" from our Playmobil Nativity set rested from traveling to see Baby Jesus eventually to admire the miraculous image.

I lit 2 of our Our Lady of Guadalupe candles. 

We also love our Our Lady of Guadalupe Shining Light Doll 


I also placed the star from the Star from Afar set on our table next to a vase of a dozen red roses as the star travels also to guide the Wise Men to meet Baby Jesus.

On our Advent tree we place the Our Lady of Guadalupe ball ornament and the ornament I made from Catholic Inspired.


Our church along with so many churches around our nation and world are decorated so beautifully for this feast day in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   We went to morning Mass this year at 8:30 AM as a way to celebrate this feast day and to admire all the roses that filled the altar.  Each year there is also a 5:00 AM celebration called Mananitas.  One year I hope to make it to this very early and lively celebration!



In the evening we ate a Mexican meal, tacos, at home! 
It was a blessed day and I just love learning more about Our Lady of Guadalupe!

And one more thing...Since Christmas is so close, maybe you are thinking of doing some baking for family and friends?  Be sure to check out my guest post on Heather's blog at Life of a Homeschool Mom where I wrote my post Yummy {and quick} Christmas Treats for the Letter "Y" in the 4th Annual ABCs of Homeschooling Through the Holidays series.....