Vatican
City, 11 December 2013 (VIS) – Tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, patroness of all America and therefore, in his greetings
in Spanish during today's general audience, the Pope addressed all
brothers and sisters from the Continent, considering the Virgin of
Tepeyac.
“When
Our Lady appeared to Saint Juan Diego, her face was that of a woman
of mixed blood, a mestiza, and her garments bore many symbols of the
native culture. Like Jesus, Mary is close to all her sons and
daughters; as a concerned mother, she accompanies them on their way
through life. She shares all the joys and hopes, the sorrows and
troubles of God’s People, which is made up of men and women of
every race and nation.
“When
the image of the Virgin appeared on the tilma of Juan Diego, it was
the prophecy of an embrace: Mary’s embrace of all the peoples of
the vast expanses of America – the peoples who already lived there,
and those who were yet to come. Mary’s embrace showed what America
– North and South – is called to be: a land where different
peoples come together; a land prepared to accept human life at every
stage, from the mother’s womb to old age; a land which welcomes
immigrants, and the poor and the marginalized, in every age. A land
of generosity.
“That
is the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe”, concluded the Pope, “and
it is also my message, the message of the Church. I ask all the
people of the Americas to open wide their arms, like the Virgin, with
love and tenderness. I pray for all of you, dear brothers and
sisters, and I ask you to pray for me! May the joy of the Gospel
always abide in your hearts. May the Lord bless you, and may Our Lady
be ever at your side.
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