When Ash Wednesday hits, a couple of things happen: you try to figure out what you’re going to give up for lent, and once you get your ash, you have to deal with weird looks from non-Catholics who have no idea why you’re walking around with charcoal smudge on your forehead.
But the most fun part of Ash Wednesday? Looking in the mirror to see what kind of smudge the priest hooked you up with. Because no two smudges are the same:
So it’s a chill day at work and you’re sitting there scrolling through Twitter…when *gasp* you discover the Pope – yes, that Pope – has a Twitter account. Wait…what?! Is this for real? How did we not know this? Not only does he have a Twitter feed but he’s got like 18 million more followers than you do. Naturally, you start scrolling only to realize the Pope is woke af!
From calling out world leaders for their failure to secure peace in the world or to combat climate change to calling for the protection of the weak and poor among us – the Pope’s Twitter feed is where I go now for some serious feels.
He’s doling out some pretty sage advice.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Okay, Pope Francis. I see you trying to get us all to get along. I feel like this is something my mom has said to me a lot when I was a kid. Like, be nice to your primos y hermanos because they are going to be with you in the future.
His tweets are literally things that our tías have been telling us for years.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
It is like she is writing his tweets or he is getting his inspo from her. I am 100 percent sure my tía told me this just last weekend when we were at dinner.
He basically put Trump on blast for his inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
It is known that the Pope and President Trump have a little feud going on. Mainly Trump has a feud and likes to react to things that the Pope says because he might feel like he is in the wrong, but who knows.
He even took a stand on climate change and put the blame on humanity.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Our family isn’t in the business of discussing this but if they did, it would sound like this. We all know that our family loves to talk about people and how they aren’t behaving. It is their favorite pastime.
He also channels that one prima we all have…
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
You know the one. She’s always telling you to let Jesus into your heart and trying to get you to go to church with her.
And apparently, Mary was the very first social influencer.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
There are so many major influencers out there but if the Pope gets behind you and calls you the most influential woman in history then that’s it – you are.
He knows how to help the gente spread the love.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
When the Pope speaks…people listen.
We can all stand to be reminded of this, am I right?
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
The Pope tries to make peace between all sorts of groups of people and here he is using some of that meta-advice for something simple: listen to your family, friends, partners, co-workers and others. #ListeningSkills
And he throws down for the abuelos.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Love you nana!
Mami has got to be following the Pope on Twitter.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
This is straight out of my mom’s mouth. Pero like how did she know the Pope was on Twitter before me…?
And you know your mom always pulled this out when there’s some family drama.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Of course, she would never admit to having drama in our familia but when others came with chisme about theirs, this is totally the type of advice my mom would give to friends. Think Virginia de la Mora from Casa de las Flores.
This is some heavy advice but oh my god so true!
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Why didn’t I see this Tweet when I needed it most?! My tears irrigate life? Amazing!
Is it just me or is the Pope throwing shade at all the thots on social media?
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
He does not hold back with what he thinks about the people. Honestly, if anyone on this planet should be allowed to judge, it is the man who gave his entire life to the church.
Alright…so maybe the Trump/Pope feud is a real thing?
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
This is definitely some not-so-veiled shade towards the U.S. president and his tendency to lash out at anyone who disagrees with him.
Pretty sure we’re all thinking the same…
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
But like he’s the Pope who leads a community of more than a billion people and can get away with calling out world leaders.
Sometimes you can’t sugarcoat the truth.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
If he isn’t channeling my mom every time she steps into my room…
If this isn’t mis papas trying to inspire me every time I start doubting what I’m doing with my life.
Credit: @Pontifex / Twitter
Mijo, work hard and you can do anything you want to do!
For almost 500 years, Roman Catholics around the world have been celebrating Dec. 12 as the Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe—the day on which the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego in the hills of Tepeyac , Mexico. Although the apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have been shown to Juan Diego four times, the final time was on December 12, 1531.
The festivities at churches around the country in the U.S. start celebrating ‘La Patrona de Mexico’ on Tuesday, December 11, with some putting on a colorful procession a full half day before midnight on December 12.
The holiday is something many Catholics hold near and dear to their hearts.
Honestly el dia de la virgencita is my favorite day of the year! The mañanitas is lit and beautiful
The decorations honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe are as beautiful as the reason for the day of celebration.
If you decided to sleep in this morning and skipped midnight mass, here are some places where you can still attend mass while getting a belly full of tamales:
With Los Angeles having the largest Mexican-American population in the country, you’ll easily find multiple misas to choose from, extending across East LA down to Lynwood.
If you want to treat your mom to some champurrado because you made her late for midnight mass, make it up by heading to Plaza Mexico in Lynwood where a beautiful large mural of La Virgencita is displayed. There you can place flowers if you can’t make the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. mass.
In downtown LA? You can start your day off with a 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. mass if you’re near the Cathedral of our Angels, or if you prefer to wait to go to mass in the evening, Aztec dancers will be performing at 6:30 p.m. with mass honoring the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 7 p.m.
When you have a shrine named after La Virgencita, you know you need to make room for hundreds of worshippers on both Dec. 11 and 12.
Pilgrims from around Chicago and the Midwest travel to Des Plaines, Illinois to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe to pray and sing ‘Las Mañanitas’. In addition to midnight mass, pilgrims can pray at masses spaced throughout the day until 7 p.m. at night.
You know your mom, abuela and tia are going to want to head to misa as soon as work ends.
Join them at the Church of Saint Agnes in midtown Manhattan for live mariachi before and after the mass for La Virgen de Guadalupe on Dec. 12. Mass begins at 6 p.m.
