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“God humbles the soul greatly in order to exalt it greatly afterward”, Saint John of the Cross once wrote. He reformed the Order of Carmel, along with Saint Teresa of Ávila, and is considered one of the most important poets in Spanish literature. His greatest works are: The Ascent of Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Canticle, The Living Flame of Love.
A witness of Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice of her life, she is an example of consistency for those who refuse to submit to the powerful of the moment and prevailing ideologies. She is Lucia, the Saint of light and charity, beloved by boys and girls in many European countries. On the night of 13 December, processions of young people light up the darkness with their candles, passing through towns and cities to remember their peer, who gave her life to remain faithful to the true Light: Christ. This tradition is still very much alive, especially in Northern Europe, and pays homage to Lucia’s great charity. Her name, which comes from the Latin word lux, meaning light, is linked to an act of courage and generosity performed by this young woman. It is said that in order to bring food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs, she placed some candles over her head to illuminate the dark tunnels. Lighting the catacombs in this way, her hands were free to lend assistance.
There is no Latin American who does not know Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is invoked as Empress of the Americas and Patron Saint of Mexico, and is worshipped by indigenous peoples as “Virgen morenita”, young indigenous woman.
Saint Damasus, born around 305, led the Church as Bishop of Rome from October 1, 366, until his death on December 11, 384. He succeeded Pope Liberius, with whom he had shared a period of exile, and he found a community troubled by the presence of numerous heretical groups—Arians, Novatians, Donatists, and Luciferians—who were very active in the capital.
There is a House that is more important than others, a House whose walls witnessed the Annunciation and Mary’s complete openness to God’s will. According to tradition, this House is in Loreto, in the Marian Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto.
The apparition of the Virgin Mary at Guadalupe in Mexico is filled with spiritual and cultural meaning and at its center stands the figure of Saint Juan Diego: a simple man of Indigenous origin who, through his sincere faith, became an instrument of dialogue between different cultures.
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