I love that the Catholic Church dedicates two months of every year to celebrate Mary, the mother of God during October and May. Mary’s faith is referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC), many times. Mary completely submitted her will and obedience to the Lord God when the angel visited her; she had faith in the words of God spoken to her. The readings today speak of faith for those who hear the Word of God and observe it.
Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Aparecida. In 1717 three men were tasked with providing the fish for a big celebration in Guaratinguetá, Brazil. Though it was not the time of year for the fish to run in the local river, Domingos Garcia, Felipe Pedroso, and João Alves cast their nets for several hours with no luck. As they prepared to go home, João decided to cast his net one more time and brought up a wooden carving of a woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary with her head missing. He cast his net again in the river and this time found the head of the statue tangled in the net. João cast his net a third time and his net was overwhelmed with fish. His companions cast their nets and they too caught an abundance of fish.
These men are wonderful examples of being a disciple of Christ; doesn’t their story remind you of Jesus calling the first apostles? The Catechism says, “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it.” (CCC 1816) Many miracles have been recorded over the past 300 years as a testament of the faith of the people in that region who heard the word of God and believed in the graces He bestowed through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Aparecida was declared the Patroness of Brazil in 1931 by Pope Pius XI. Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Francis have each visited the cathedral on their trips to Brazil.
Lord, increase my faith to see the miracles happening all around me. Mary, mother of Word Incarnate, thank you for your witness to the wonders of God throughout the world. Amen.
Me encanta que la Iglesia Católica dedique dos meses de cada año a celebrar a María, la madre de Dios, durante octubre y mayo. La fe de María se menciona muchas veces en el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica (CIC). María sometió completamente su voluntad y obediencia al Señor Dios cuando el ángel la visitó y tuvo fe en las palabras que Dios le dijo. Las lecturas de hoy hablan de la fe para quienes escuchan la Palabra de Dios y la observan.
Hoy celebramos la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Aparecida. En 1717, tres hombres recibieron la tarea de proporcionar los peces para una gran celebración en Guaratinguetá, Brasil. Aunque no era la época del año para que los peces corrieran por el río local, Domingos García, Felipe Pedroso y João Alves lanzaron sus redes durante varias horas sin suerte. Mientras se preparaban para volver a casa, João decidió lanzar su red una vez más y sacó una escultura de madera de una mujer, la Santísima Virgen María, sin la cabeza. Juan echó la red de nuevo al río y esta vez encontró la cabeza de la estatua enredada en la red. Juan echó la red por tercera vez y la red se llenó de peces. Sus compañeros echaron las redes y también pescaron una gran cantidad de peces.
Estos hombres son ejemplos maravillosos de ser un discípulo de Cristo; ¿no te recuerda de la historia cuando Jesús llamó a los primeros apóstoles? El Catecismo dice: “ El discípulo de Cristo no debe sólo guardar la fe y vivir de ella sino también profesarla, testimoniarla con firmeza y difundirla” (CIC 1816). Se han registrado muchos milagros en los últimos 300 años como testimonio de la fe de la gente de esa región que escuchó la palabra de Dios y creyó en las gracias que Él concedió a través de la Santísima Virgen María. Nuestra Señora de Aparecida fue declarada Patrona de Brasil en 1931 por el Papa Pío XI. El Papa San Juan Pablo II y el Papa Francisco han visitado la catedral en sus viajes a Brasil.
Señor, aumenta mi fe para ver los milagros que suceden a mi alrededor. María, Madre del Verbo Encarnado, gracias por tu testimonio de las maravillas de Dios en todo el mundo. Amén.
Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation.
Feature Image Credit: freepik.com/free-vector/our-lady-aparecida-hand-drawn_9878474.htm
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works full time at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on 
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