ADVENT-WAYS TO PUT ON CHRIST CONTINUED

                December 9th is the Feast of St. Juan Diego to whom Mary appeared and sent to the Bishop of Mexico City to request that a church be built as a place of consolation for the people. As a sign that Mary sent him to the Bishop she asked him to fill his cloak with roses to present to the Bishop. When he opened his cloak it was imprinted with the woman's image. His life had been a sign of good news: God calls the poor to preach the gospel to others.

                December 12th  we actually  celebrate the feast of  Our Lady of Guadalupe which recalls the apparitions of Mary to Juan Diego. Mary brought a message of hope and compassion. She brought new dignity to the Aztec people which began the conversion of the Aztec people to Christianity.

                December 13th we celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy. She is patroness of Syracuse and all of Sicily. Her name means light. Her feast day guides us to Christ our light for whose birth we are preparing. She is the patroness of those afflicted with diseases of the eye and associated with festivals of light, especially in Scandinavia. In Hungary children plant wheat seeds in small pots on this day and by Christmas the wheat has sprouted. They then carry its green shoots to church to the manger of the Christ child to make ready the place where our Lord will be born.