Bulletin Update

We are looking for someone(s) who would be willing to prepare an update for the weekly bulletin.
Deacon Bill has done this since 2009 and is preparing to move out of the area. Lynne Carroll does the formatting, a group of 5 people proofread the new bulletin and the Knights print the finished product. If you might be interested in helping, please contact Deacon Bill, John Howard or Rosa Montano.

Month of the Holy Name of Jesus

The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Je- sus. After the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit, the an- gel Gabriel appeared to St. Josephand told him that the Child’s nameshould be called Jesus, meaning“God Saves.” According to Jewishlaw, on the 8th day after his birth a male child was to be circumcised, receive his name, and become a fullmember of God’s covenant people.According to the old Roman liturgical calendar, the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus was celebrated on January 1st, eight days after Christmas, the same day that He was given His sacred name. Currently we celebrate the Solemni- ty of the Mother of God on January 1st and honor the Holy Nameof Jesus on January 3rd. For Catholics, Jesus’ sacred name is theobject of a special devotion symbolized by the monogram“IHS,” (sometimes called a Christogram), which is the first threeletters of the Greek spelling of His name.

Prayer Intentions of the Holy Father - January

That young people, especially in Latin America, follow the example of Mary and respond to the call of the Lord to communicate the joy of the Gospel to the world.

Dynamic Catholic

“It is not enough to say ‘I love.’ We must put that love into a living action.”
“Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness.”

“If we pray-we will believe. If we believe-we will love. If we love-we will serve.”

FORMED.org (54063)

GOD made MAN - Go to the Heart of the Incarnation

Fr. Shannon Collins shares about how much God loves you-so much that he became man to save you!

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Deacon Mike LeMan’s upDate for the 2019 LegisLative session

The 2019 session began January 8th. Here’s how to contact your legislators!
Visit https://www.wyoleg.gov/ for contact information for all legislators as well as for current status of bills. During the session check my blog for periodic updates, at http://legislative.dioceseofcheyenne.org/

Reminders for Communicating with legislators:

Recommend Support or Opposition for Pending Legislation:

Online Hotline: During the legislative session, you can recommend support, opposition or leave a comment on legislation using the Online Hotline.

Telephone Hotline: 866.996.8683 or 777.8683 (in Cheyenne). Also use to obtain the status of a bill in process. Available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days the Legislature is in session.

Hearing Impaired:

800.877.9965 (Wyoming Relay Service)

* When emailing legislators, remember to indicate in the subject line that you live in their district, the particular House Bill or Senate File that you are contacting them about, and whether or not you want the bill to pass or fail. For example,

Subject: “I live in House District 1 Please Vote YES on HB#0”
This tells them that you are a constituent, which means more than an email coming from someone they do not represent. This also makes it easy for them to tally “yes” or “no” votes on that particular bill from their inbox. The same information is pertinent if you choose to call your legislator, instead. Also, there is nothing wrong with emailing all of the legislators; just know that it will make a bigger impact on those who represent your district.

* Be polite. We will not always like the way our legislators vote on a particular bill, but he/she might be the final vote needed on the next important bill.

* Be concise. By the end of the session, our legislators will have read hundreds of bills and emails. You might develop the most persuasive essay ever written as to why the legislature should pass or fail a bill, but if it’s more than a few succinct lines, it will not be read. Consider turning your essay into an opinion piece and sending it into the newspaper. Send your legislator the abbreviated summary.

* Know that your effort makes a difference! A few persuasive contacts from constituents can be enough to move a bill up or down. Also, because sessions are so short, they often don’t have time to fully consider all of the implications that will occur if they pass or fail a bill. That means they really do need to hear from you!

* Finally, don’t forget to lift all of our legislators and lobbyists up in prayer

Bulletin Update

We are looking for someone(s) who would be willing to prepare an update for the weekly bulletin. Deacon Bill has done this since 2009 and is preparing to move out of the area. Lynne Carroll does the formatting, a group of 5 people proofread the new bulletin and the Knights print the finished product. If you might be interested in helping, please contact Deacon Bill, John Howard or Rosa Montano.

Following Christ - continuing adult education

Our tentative start date for the Following Christ series is February 12th. We will finish up Priest, Prophet & King in the next two weeks and begin the Pivotal Players studies to maintain our mo- mentum. We have had a remarkable turnout and learned a lot about our Lord and Savior. Come join us!!!!!

Interfaith Prayer Service

You are invited to the pre-legislative session Interfaith Prayer Service. This year the Mount Sinai Congregation will be hosting at 2610 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne. The service will begin on January 8, 2019 beginning at 7:00 a.m. There will be a breakfast following the event

Pro-life Weekend

The annual Wyoming Pro-life weekend will begin Friday, January18, with Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Cheyenne at 7:00p.m. On Saturday, January 19, Mass will begin at the Cathedral at 9:00 a.m., followed by a free breakfast in Hartmann Hall. We will gather at the Cheyenne Depot at 11:00 a.m. for presentations and then silently march to the Supreme Court building at noon. Beginning at 12:45 p.m., the KOC Council 801 will begin serving a free lunch at 507 W 28th St, Cheyenne. The Celebrate Life Banquet will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Little America Hotel inCheyenne. This year’s speaker is Brad Stine.Tickets for Banquet are $75 – Single, $125 –Couple, $35 – Child. For tickets and more information please call Rachael at 307-287-6355.

Dynamic Catholic

“The need for Jesus will always be there; we just have to realize it so we can depend fully on him.”
“Ask God what you can do for him today. No matter how many days or years you have wasted, it’s never too late to get started. Today is a new beginning.”

“In a world filled with change, the stability of God is comforting.When faced with unexpected challenges, we can always take ref-uge in him.”

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The Feast of the Epiphany is a time to proudly rejoice in Jesus

There can be a dangerous trap for our faith when we celebrate the Three Kings visiting the baby Jesus. It happens when we think, ‘Jesus must have been special, the Three Kings paid him homage!’ The problem with this thinking is that it creates a division in our minds which puts royalty on one side and Jesus on the other. The reality is that in the stable in Bethlehem it was a case of royalty visiting royalty. When the Magi fell down before Our Lord as a tiny baby and worshipped Him, they were showing their deference to the King of Kings. When they were seeking out baby Jesus, following the star that had guided them from the east, they encountered Herod and made it clear to him that they wanted to adore the Divine Child. The kings, holders of the highest office that an ordinary human person can obtain, were not looking for Jesus so that He would put them on a pedestal, rather they were of the mind to adore Him.

Growing up, I and many of my peers were told the account of the Three Kings as though it were a fairytale based on a historical chain of events. During my adult life I’ve heard many influential people reiterate to me that the events surrounding Our Lord coming into this world were the stuff of fairytale. But dismissing as fantasy or fiction the example set by the Three Kings is an act of self-punishment. I may seem to be exaggerating when I write “self-punishment”, but bear with me.

A fairytale is the stuff of whimsy and magic to distract us from everyday life. Yet the grand spectacle of the Three Kings lowering themselves before the divine infant and offering them their treasures is a crucial example of how we can put our lives right. No matter who we are, we are called to give ourselves to Our Lord.

If we do as the Three Kings and humble ourselves before Our Lord, putting Him first, then it means loving Our Lord is our key priority. When we make ourselves, another person, possessions or money the centre of our attention, we are paying homage to someone or something that will never love us the way Christ does. No one can love us more than Christ.

The Bob Dylan song Gotta Serve Somebody put this in perspective for me. Dylan drawls in his provoking way, “you may be a diplomat with a long string of pearls but you gotta serve someone, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve someone.” You said it, Bob!

Whether we are a street sweeper or a prime minister, or even if we are nobility, we cheat ourselves if we don’t give our will to serving Jesus, as the Three Kings did.

On this day, the Feast of the Epiphany, it is good to keep in mind that the Three Kings rejoiced when they found the baby Jesus. Many of us, myself included, have a lingering reluctance to allow ourselves to show to others our joy at beholding Him. In 2019 you risk being called a religious fanatic by those who think they are more enlightened than people who give their hearts to a child born two thousand years ago. But it is an act of self-giving to orientate our lives to love Jesus above all people and above all things. If we are afraid others will think the less of us, are we not putting our own self-image first?

Mary O’Regan, 6 January 2016

Bulletin Update

We are looking for someone(s) who would be willing to prepare an update for the weekly bulletin. Deacon Bill has done this since 2009 and is preparing to move out of the area. Lynne Carroll does the formatting, a group of 5 people proofread the new bulletin and the Knights print the finished product. If you might be interested in helping, please contact Deacon Bill, John Howard or Rosa Montano.

Feast of the Holy Family - Parish Pot Luck

Please join us after Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and spend time with our congregation.

Following Christ - continuing adult education

We have completed the Discovering Christ series and are preparing to begin the Following Christ series. This program will begin on January 22nd at 6:00 pm. We have had a remarkable turnout and learned a lot about our Lord and Savior. Come join us!!!!!

Save the Date CCW!!!

Ladies, please save the date for a relaxing good time!
Epiphany Party
Saturday, January 5, 2019, 11:30am

Interfaith Prayer Service

You are invited to the pre-legislative session Interfaith Prayer Service. This year the Mount Sinai Congregation will be hosting at 2610 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne. The service will begin on January 8, 2019 beginning at 7:00 a.m. There be a breakfast following the event

Pro-life Weekend

The annual Wyoming Pro-life weekend will begin Friday, January18, with Holy Hour at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Cheyenne at 7:00p.m. On Saturday, January 19, Mass will begin at the Cathedral at 9:00 a.m., followed by a free breakfast in Hartmann Hall. We will gather at the Cheyenne Depot at 11:00 a.m. for presentations and then silently march to the Supreme Court building at noon. Beginning at 12:45 p.m., the KOC Council 801 will begin serving a free lunch at 507 W 28th St, Cheyenne. The Celebrate Life Banquet will begin at 5:30 p.m. atLittle America Hotel in Cheyenne. This year’sspeaker is Brad Stine. Tickets for Banquet are $75 – Single, $125 – Couple, $35 – Child. For tickets and more information please call Rachael at 307-287-6355.

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Scripture tells us practically nothing about the first years and the boyhood of the Child Jesus. All we know are the facts of the sojourn in Egypt, the return to Nazareth, and the incidents that occurred when the twelve-year-old boy accompanied his parents to Jerusalem. In her liturgy the Church hurries over this period of Christ's life with equal brevity. The general breakdown of the family, however, at the end of the past century and at the beginning of our own, prompted the popes, especially the far-sighted Leo XIII, to pro- mote the observance of this feast with the hope that it might instill into Christian families something of the faithful love and the devoted attachment that characterize the family of Nazareth. The primary purpose of the Church in instituting and promoting this feast is to present the Holy Family as the model and exemplar of all Christian families. 
— Excerpted from With Christ Through the Year, Rev. Bernard Strasser, O.S.B.

Feast of the Holy Family - Day Six in the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord 

Next Sunday is the feast day of the Holy Family, but also every family's feast day, since the Holy Family is the patron and model of all Christian families. The 30th of December should be a huge family feast, since it is devoted entirely to the Holy Family as a model for the Christian family life. As Rev. Edward Sutfin states:  "The children must learn to see in their father the foster-father St. Joseph, and the Blessed Mother as the perfect model for their own mother. The lesson to be learned is both practical and theoretical, in that the children must learn how to obey and to love their parents in thought, word and action, just as Christ was obedient to Mary and Joseph. Helping mother in the kitchen and in the house work, and helping father in his odd jobs about the home thus take on a new significance by being performed in a Christ-like spirit."

Ladies,

You Are Invited to the CCW Epiphany Party

Saturday, January 5th @ 11:30am

Holy Family Parish Hall, 78 Friesian Circle, Thayne

Today "epiphany" carries a range of meanings, including "an intuitive grasp of reality," "an illuminating discovery, realization, disclosure, or insight," or simply "a revealing scene or moment."
Another definition of an epiphany is "a moment of sudden or great revelation that usually changes you in some way."

After the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, it will be nice to gather for a relaxing time of merriment!
This gathering will be a time to reboot, renew, rejuvenate as we head into the New Year 2019! Let’s change for the better in some way! 

We ask that you bring an hors d’oeuvre to share, and a fun, white elephant*gift! The CCW will provide the rest!

Please RSVP by January 3rdRosa Montano 307.690.4426montano_rosa1@hotmail.com

*White Elephant Gift suggested amount: $15-$20*

Feast of the Holy Family - Parish Pot Luck

Main Dishes Are Covered By Holy Family - Volunteers needed to cook the ham

Parish Potluck Alpha Breakdown:
Sides: A thru K ** Salads: L thru R ** Dessert: S thru Z

Save the Date CCW!!!

Ladies, please save the date for a relaxing good time! Epiphany Party Saturday, January 5, 2019, 11:30a

Interfaith Prayer Service

You are invited to the pre-legislative session Interfaith Prayer Service. This year the Mount Sinai Congregation will be hosting at 2610 Pioneer Avenue, Cheyenne. The service will begin on January 8, 2019 beginning at 7:00 a.m.   There be a breakfast following the event.

FORMED.org(54063)

Celebrate the wonder and joy of Christmas with Brother Francis! O Holy Night is a wonderful reminder of who we celebrate during the Christmas season!

Dynamic Catholic

“Just as God is patient with you and your failures, so too does God desire that you will be patient with your difficult neighbor, your rebellious child, or your opinionated cowork-er.”

“As we grow in love, we grow in holiness. As we grow inholiness, we begin to become the very people that Godintends us to be.”
“.God always wants our future to be bigger than our past.Not equal to our past, but bigger, better, brighter, and moresignificant.”

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Years ago, this time of year was marked as the Season of Advent, the Season of Christmas, and the Season of Epiphany. Advent started on the Sunday after Christ the King. The Christmas Season begins on the 25th of December and lasts until January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany. Epiphany then lasted until February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Blessing of Candles (CandleMas). Over time the focus on the Seasons has changed, but the glory and honor remains the same.

The song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. To fit the number scheme, when you reach number 9, representing the Fruits of the Holy Ghost, the originator combined 6 to make 3, taking the 6 fruits that were similar: the fruit in each parenthesis is the that was not named separately. There are actually Twelve Fruits of the Holy Ghost.

The "True Love" one hears in the song is not a smitten boy or girlfriend but Jesus Christ, because truly Love was born on Christmas Day. The partridge in the pear tree also represents Him because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators.

According to Ann Ball in her book, HANDBOOK OF CATHOLIC SACRAMENTALS:

The two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
The three French hens stood for faith, hope, and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The five golden rings rerepresented the first five books of the Old Testament, which describe man's fall into sin and the great love of God in sending a Savior.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-----Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-----Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience [Forbearance], Goodness [Kindness], Mildness, Fidelity, Modesty, Continency [Chastity].
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful Apostles.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.
Original Source: Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP, Nebraska

Printed with permission from Catholic Tradition.

From the Bishop

The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has released a list of members in their Missouri and New Orleans Provinces credibly accused of having abused a minor. The list includes two men that served at St. Stephens Mission, St. Stephen. They are:

• Paul C. Pilgram, SJ was assigned at St. Stephens Mission (1964- 1966). He was restricted from ministry with minors in 1991 and removed from ministry in 2003. He currently lives under supervision.

• Anthony J. Short, SJ was assigned at St. Stephens Mission (1974-1977 and 1981-1986). He was removed from ministry in 2008. He currently lives in a skilled nursing facility under supervision.

Anyone who has experienced abuse as a minor by a Jesuit is urged to contact the Coordinator of Pastoral Support and Outreach, Carol Brescia, at 314-915-7168 or UCSOutreach@jesuits.org.
As always, you should contact your local law enforcement agency or the Department of Family Services if you suspect abuse of a minor. If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, or an employee or volunteer of a parish or the Diocese of Cheyenne, and would like to report or discuss this, contact Patti Loehrer, Chancellor of the Diocese of Cheyenne, at 307-638-1530 or at ploerer@dioceseofcheyenne.org.
 

Penance Service

Priests from around our deanery will be at Holy Family tomor-row (Monday the 17th at 6:30 pm) for an Advent Penance Service. Don’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of the
Sacrament of   Reconciliation

Religious Education

This morning is the last meeting for CCD before the Christmas break. CCD will resume at 9:15 am on January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany. Adult religious education will conclude the Discovering Christ program on the 18th of December. Classes will resume on January 8th with the next segment of Priest, Prophet & King. These Tuesday evening Bible Study classes have been educational, fun, and interesting. They begin at 6:00 pm and are over before 8:00. We will be starting the Following Christ series in January. Plan on visiting and learning what this program is about.

Feast of the Holy Family - Parish Pot Luck

Main Dishes Are Covered By Holy Family - Volunteers needed to cook the ham

The Potluck breakdown is as follows:

Sides: A thru K ** Salads: L thru R ** Dessert: S thru Z

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Turning Pink with Joy on Gaudete Sunday

Why is one candle not like all the others?

Advent and its counterpart, Lent, are seasons of penitence. On the Advent wreath, the three purple candles mark the preparation Christians undergo while awaiting the arrival of Christ on Earth.

But, unlike dour Lent, Advent is usually a happy season, full of food, parties, shopping, music and lights. In the retail world, Christmas begins right after Halloween and then kicks into overdrive on the day after Thanksgiving. Many people mirror this, barely putting away the leftover turkey before putting up every Christmas decoration they own.

While this calendar is fine for secular society, it has nothing to do with the Child at the heart of the season. He won’t be here untilChristmas Eve, and all the early bird sales in the world won’t speed that up.   That’s why it’s traditional (though not required) to refrain from putting the Christ Child into a Catholic church’s Nativity scene mangeruntil the appointed moment.

So, why do we need a reminder to rejoice on the Third Sunday of Advent, called Gaudete Sunday (Latin for “rejoice”) – in 2013, on Dec.15 – by lighting a rose-colored candle on our wreaths and having priests wear rose-colored vestments at Mass?

Because the happiness that comes from fun and friends and a full belly is not the same thing as Christian joy.

During a Mass in May at Casa Santa Maria in Rome, Pope Francis talked about the difference between happiness and joy:

“To be happy is good, yet joy is something more. It’s another thing, something which does not depend on external motivations, or on passing issues: it is more profound. It is a gift.  “To be ‘happy at all moments, at all cost,’ can at the end turn into superficiality and shallowness. This leaves us without Christian wisdom, which makes us dumb, naïve, right? All is joy ... no. Joy is something else; it is a gift from the Lord.”   If joy is a gift from the Lord, then the Lord Himself is our first and greatest gift, and the only one that will never tarnish or break or fade. Gaudete – said “Gow-DAY-tay” – Sunday reminds us that the gift has not yet arrived, but it’s very near. It takes its name from the first word of the Introit, “Gaudete in Domino Semper,” which is Latin for the introduction of Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

And it’s not just a Catholic thing.

Advent wreaths are common in the Western church, including among Episcopalians, Lutherans and other mainline Christian denominations, which sometimes substitute a blue candle for the rose one (blue, though, is not a Catholic liturgical color, even though the Virgin is often portrayed in blue robes).  To continue with Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lordis near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Thenthe peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

So even though you may be having happy times during Advent, Gaudete Sunday is a moment to stop and reflect on the source of true joy. And if the Advent season has brought causes for stress and sorrow into your life, then lighting the rose candle is an opportunity to take heart and refocus on what the Mass of Christ is all about.

Perhaps you’ll have the same revelation that came upon the pinched and petulant title character of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” as he stood atop Mount Crumpit with all the Who’s Christmas goodies piled high on a sleigh,ready to be dumped.  But up from Whoville, divested of all its festive finery and fine food, came not howls of anguish nor shouts of anger but the sound of sweet singing.

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow ** Stood puzzling and puzzling, ‘How could it be so?  ‘It came without ribbons! It came without tags! ** ‘It came without packages, boxes or bags!’  And he puzzled three hours, ‘till his puzzler was sore. ** Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store.  Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more"

We are in need of singers and musicians for Mass on December 12th, Our Lady of Guadalupe and for help at the youth Mass on Christmas Eve at 4:00 pm.
Please don’t be bashful or afraid to help.

Spanish Mass

Father Phil is interested in learning if there is popular support for a Spanish language Mass one Sunday per month. Please give him your input and preference on times so that he may evaluate the interest and commitment.

Notes from Polly, our music leader

Thank you Laurie Arnold, our regular cantor, and special guest accompanist Cecily Crook for preparing the beautiful arrangement of the Ave Maria that formed our prayers today. We are grateful for your generosity in sharing your talents with our community.

Lectors & Extraordinary Ministers

Through the remainder of Advent and Christmas, we will use our regular rotation of Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers. If you will not be in town or have conflicts, please email Deacon Bill to minimize mistakes in the bulletin.

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The Council of Catholic Women Invite You To Celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe Wednesday, December 12th
Mass @ 6:00p
Followed by a Gathering After Mass

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Guadalupe, Mexico (1531) Patroness of the Americas
Feast Day in the USA - December 12th

The opening of the New World brought with it both fortune-seekers and religious preachers desiring to convert the native populations to the Christian faith. One of the converts was a poor Aztec Indian named Juan Diego. On one of his trips to the chapel, Juan was walking through the Tepayac hill country in central Mexico. Near Tepayac Hill he encountered a beautiful woman surrounded by a ball of light as bright as the sun. Speaking in his native tongue, the beautiful lady identified herself:

"My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. He created all things. He is in all places. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth. I desire a church in this place where your people may experience my compassion. All those who sincerely ask my help in their work and in their sorrows will know my Mother's Heart in this place. Here I will see their tears; I will console them and they will be at peace. So run now to Tenochtitlan and tell the Bishop all that you have seen and heard."

Juan, age 57, and who had never been to Tenochtitlan, nonetheless immediately responded to Mary's request. He went to the palace of the Bishop-elect Fray Juan de Zumarraga and requested to meet immediately with the bishop. The bishop's servants, who were suspicious of the rural peasant, kept him waiting for hours. The bishop- elect told Juan that he would consider the request of the Lady and told him he could visit him again if he so desired. Juan was disappointed by the bishop's response and felt himself unworthy to persuade someone as important as a bishop. He returned to the hill where he had first met Mary and found her there waiting for him. Imploring her to send someone else, she responded:

"My little son, there are many I could send. But you are the one I have chosen." She then told him to return the next day to the bishop and repeat the request. On Sunday, after again waiting for hours, Juan met with the bishop who, on re-hearing his story, asked him to ask the Lady to provide a sign as a proof of who she was. Juan dutifully returned to the hill and told Mary, who was again waiting for him there, of the bishop's request. Mary responded:

"My little son, am I not your Mother? Do not fear. The Bishop shall have his sign. Come back to this place tomorrow. Only peace, my little son." Unfortunately, Juan was not able to return to the hill the next day. His uncle had become mortally ill and Juan stayed with him to care for him. After two days, with his uncle near death, Juan left his side to find a priest. Juan had to pass Tepayac Hill to get to the priest. As he was passing, he found Mary waiting for him. She spoke:

"Do not be distressed, my littlest son. Am I not here with you who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Your uncle will not die at this time. There is no reason for you to engage a priest, for his health is restored at this moment. He is quite well. Go to the top of the hill and cut the flowers that are growing there. Bring them then to me." While it was freezing on the hillside, Juan obeyed Mary's instructions and went to the top of the hill where he found a full bloom of Castilian roses. Removing his tilma, a poncho-like cape made of cactus fiber, he cut the roses and carried them back to Mary. She rearranged the roses and told him:

"My little son, this is the sign I am sending to the Bishop. Tell him that with this sign I request his greatest efforts to complete the church I desire in this place. Show these flowers to no one else but the Bishop. You are my trusted ambassador. This time the Bishop will believe all you tell him." At the palace, Juan once again came before the bishop and several of his advisors. He told the bishop his story and opened the tilma letting the flowers fall out. But it wasn't the beautiful roses that caused the bishop and his advisors to fall to their knees; for there, on the tilma, was a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary precisely as Juan had described her. The next day, after showing the Tilma at the Cathedral, Juan took the bishop to the spot where he first met Mary. He then returned to his village where he met his uncle who was completely cured. His uncle told him he had met a young woman, surrounded by a soft light, who told him that she had just sent his nephew to Tenochtitlan with a picture of herself. She told his uncle:

"Call me and call my image Santa Maria de Guadalupe".

It's believed that the word Guadalupe was actually a Spanish mis-translation of the local Aztec dialect. The word that Mary probably used was Coatlallope which means "one who treads on snakes"! Within six years of this apparition, six million Aztecs had converted to Catholicism. The tilma shows Mary as the God-bearer - she is pregnant with her Divine Son. Since the time the tilma was first impressed with a picture of the Mother of God, it has been subject to a variety of environmental hazards including smoke from fires and candles, water from floods and torrential downpours and, in 1921, a bomb which was planted by anti-clerical forces on an altar under it. There was also a cast-iron cross next to the tilma and when the bomb exploded, the cross was twisted out of shape, the marble altar rail was heavily damaged and the tilma was...untouched! Indeed, no one was injured in the Church despite the damage that occurred to a large part of the altar structure.

In 1977, the tilma was examined using infrared photography and digital enhancement techniques. Unlike any painting, the tilma shows no sketching or any sign of outline drawn to permit an artist to produce a painting. Further, the very method used to create the image is still unknown. The image is inexplicable in its longevity and method of production. It can be seen today in a large cathedral built to house up to ten thousand worshipers. It is, by far, the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere.

~https://www.catholic.org/about/guadalupe.php

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