Never Outdone in Generosity

Eek! Yet another anonymous painting! I am afraid that there are a lot of artwork that was made in the Americas that were not cited. Yet, I really like this picture, which is of Juan Diego presenting flowers to the bishop, so let’s take a look at it!

I’ve already done a blog about the completely amazing story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so I’ll let you read that, if you’re interested! But, one of the things that amazed me about the story was one of the last parts. The bishop asks for a miracle, so Juan Diego, after meeting Our Lady after he was deliberately avoiding her, follows her lead and goes up to the mountain. There, she helps him collect flowers and rearranges them in his tilma, or a cloak made out of cactus fibers. The flowers are Castilian roses — which were not common in Mexico, let alone in the dead of winter.

Now, that’s pretty cool already. It would probably be considered a miracle that the bishop would definitely scratch his head and wonder about! But then, when Juan Diego shows the cloak, the flowers are not even the biggest surprise! The biggest surprise is Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Artwork from unknown colonial American source. Via IllustratedPrayer.com
Artwork from unknown colonial American source.

So what does this tell us?

Basically? When making miracles, sometimes God and His saints will surprise us beyond all our expectations. In the case of Our Lady of Guadalupe, it was indeed a surprise!

What can I say? You can never out-give God (or His Church, including Our Lady!) in terms of generosity.

Thoughts to Ponder:

  • Look closely at the different facial expressions of the various people in the room. What expression would your face be, if you encountered a miracle?
  • Has God given you any miracles in your own life? What happened?
  • Has there ever been a time when you were completely (but pleasantly!) surprised with the way an outcome turned out?

 

Remember, O most gracious Virgin of Guadalupe, that in your apparitions on Mount Tepeyac you promised to show pity and compassion to all who, loving and trusting you, seek your help and protection. Accordingly, listen now to our supplications and grant us consolation and relief. We are full of hope that, relying on your help, nothing can trouble or affect us. As you have remained with us through your admirable image, so now obtain for us the graces we need. Amen.

Karina Tabone

Karina Tabone is a wife, mother of four, author, blogger, and lover of Christian artwork. She's the author of the Illustrated Rosary series, which pairs every prayer of the Rosary with beautiful religious artwork. She likes also milkshakes, sunshine, and mystery novels. Follow her on Twitter at @illustr_prayer.

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