So for the past month I have been seeing glitter, everywhere! No parties, no make-up or shiny clothes, and no Kesha, but lots of glitter. Where is it all coming from and why does it matter? Our Lady of Guadalupe loves glitter.
Let me explain. On February 10th, a Tuesday, I walked into CCM at UMW to prepare for daily mass and then prepare for my weekly bible study later that night. I had just put my backpack down when my FOCUS discipler, Vicki, comes walking in with the biggest smile on her face. She said that she had just gotten back from St. Marys, the local Catholic Church down the road, and had just seen Mary, our dear Mother. At first I was very confused, but then she explained that there was a replica of the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was being shown at the church until 9pm that night. Not only was it being shown, but you can go right up to the tilma and touch it too! Now I have a very special devotion to Mary, so I was really excited that I would be able to go and visit her, especially so close that I could actually touch her, so I decided to go with my friend Katie.
Now for those of you who don't know the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe; in 1531 a man named Juan Diego was a poor Aztec indian who had converted to Catholocism. He was walking to a place known as Tepayac when he then encountered a beautiful woman, who was speaking in his native tongue. She identified herself as the Virgin Mary and asked him to build a church where she was speaking to him. Juan then went to the bishop and told him what had happened, but the bishop wanted the lady to appear to him again before he would say whether he would build thiss church or not. He went back and Mary appeared to him again, saying the same thing. Juan then went back to the bishop who said he would only meet Juan's request if this lady gave him a sign. When Juan finally returned to see Mary, she told him to go to the top of the hill, cut the flowers, and bring them to her, which was amazing since it was freezing outside. He gathered the roses in his tilma, took them back to the Virigin Mary, who then told him to take them to the bishop. Juan then went to the bishop, opened his tilma to drop the roses in front of him, when he found that on his tilma, there was an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The bishop then requested for the church to be built where Juan had meet with Mary.
While the actual tilma is still shown on display today at the orginial site in Guadalupe, Mexico in the church, it is also displayed high above the ground, since many years ago someone had tried to bomb the image. However, there are replicas that will travel around with a group of missionaries to many different churches so that many more people may experience the graces bestowed by the Virgin Mary. The amazing thing of the replica tilma is that it has been approved by the pope and has been shown to perform miracles. Many of the signs that are shown from this replica are; touching the hands of Mary they feel warm, touching her heart you can feel her heart beat, touching the heart of baby Jesus in her womb you can feel his heart beat, shine a light in her eyes and the pupils will dialate, and she will also cry oil. She has performed several miracles, such as recoveries being shortened from major surgeries, and being able to have a child after having been barren for many years. One other thing that the missionaries who travel with her noticed is that she will leave glitter in places. There are different colors, and they have different meanings:
Silver-I show magniminity of my heart. Ask what you want
Gold-I incline toward the weak. I will heal you spiritually, physically, psycologically, and morally.
Blue-i announce that I am nearby. I am with you
Green-These open you to hope in God, acting in His favor.
Red-In time of trial you offer me a sacrifice, remember that I love you.
So after hearing all this from the missionaries when I was in the church, I stood in line waiting my chance to see her, feeling like a child on Christmas morning, where I just can't wait. Finally, I went up, I felt her hands first, but I didn't feel anything. I began to get discouraged, wondering if my mother wasn't there with me. Next, I felt her heart, and there was the strongest heartbeat I have ever felt. I was feeling my Mother's heartbeat, and I almost burst into tears of joy. My Mother was with me, and oh so close she was! I then felt her stomach and sure enough, there was a faint little baby Jesus heartbeat as well. It was so beautiful to be that close to both my Mother and my Savoir.
So after we prayed, Katie and I then went back to CCM to tell everyone of what we saw and experienced. I then sat down with my friends, getting ready to do some work on my bible study, when I found some gold glitter on my hand. I felt so loved, so gratified that she chose to show me glitter already, to show me that she is always with me. I was blessed with the opportunity to go back that same night to see her once again, and this time I brought more people to experience the same love and affection from her as I had earlier that day. This time, I was able to feel the warmth in her hands, like she was taking my hand and holding it, leading me closer to her son.
Since that beautiful that when I got to see my Mother not once, but twice, I have seen glitter in many different places, with all sorts of colors. I even have some of my friends who went with me or know how close I hold Mary to my heart come up to me and share with me how they show or found glitter and what color it was so I can tell them what it means. My favorite time was when my friend Melanie was getting ready to take a very hard test in one of her classes. She asked me to pray for her, so during the time when she was getting ready to take her test, I was walking along campus and said a Hail Mary for her to do well on her test. Later that day she came up to me adn exclaimed that she had gotten to her classroom, sat down at her usual desk to get ready to take her test, and behold there was glitter all over her desk. I asked what time she found this and the time she said was just about the time that I had prayed to Mary for her intercession on Melanie's test. It was a beautiful prayer experience for sure!
Whether you see glitter or not, know that our Blessed Mother is always with us; she loves us very much, and is our most direct way to be closer to her son, Jesus. Ask her to intercede for you, for a son can never refuse his mother, Jesus can never refuse a prayer request from Mary.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Read more about Our Lady of Guadalupe here.
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