Los Angeles, Calif., Dec 11, 2012 / 04:16 am
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles is describing Advent as "a season of Mary" and a time for Catholics to "turn to Mary in a new way."
"We have to take Mary into our homes. Into our lives. We need to love her and learn from her as our mother. She was a perfect daughter of God, so we can learn from her how to act as God's sons and daughters," the archbishop said in his Dec. 7 column for The Tidings newspaper.
Two major Marian holy days are celebrated in December: the Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which honors Mary being conceived without sin, and the Dec. 12 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which commemorates the appearance of Mary to St. Juan Diego in 16th-century Mexico.
"In my mind, there is a deep connection between these two feast days," Archbishop Gomez said.