Divine Office

Dear community,

As we begin a new liturgical year this Advent, we are filled with hope and anticipation — both for the coming of Christ at Christmas and for the mission and growth of DivineOffice.org.

Over the years, your prayers and support have helped us reach hundreds of thousands of faithful around the world, making the Liturgy of the Hours accessible and a true place of prayer for the community. Next year we are taking on new challenges for the greater glory of God.

Plans for the future

We are preparing two major initiatives:

1. Spanish Translation and Audio Recording of the Liturgy of the Hours
   In 2026 we plan to extend the reach of our Divine Office ministry and produce faithful translations and high-quality audio recordings of the full Liturgy of the Hours in Spanish. We don’t strive to be publishers of text, but rather facilitators of Liturgical prayer. Divine Office has already gathered together diverse communities and a growing number of our users speak Spanish as their primary language. We hope that praying in Spanish will be felt both as connecting with one’s cultural and spiritual heritage and a meaningful way to worship and feel part of the public prayer of the Church, Christ’s Mystical Body.
2. Recording the New U.S. Translation
   The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is finalizing a new official English translation of the Liturgy of the Hours. We will make every effort to secure permissions and royalty arrangements in order to prepare for the upcoming translation.

Both of these initiatives will require considerable time, talent, and financial resources. And both will expand our mission to make the official prayer of the Church available in more languages and formats, for a global and growing prayer community.

How you can be part of the effort

We are running an year-end fundraiser now through the Baptism of the Lord. Help us to strengthen our bonds, grow our numbers and prepare for the future.

Your contributions will go directly toward:

• Review of Spanish texts to prepare for recording
• Recording editing and producing Spanish audio
• Platform updates to support multilingual content
• Licensing costs for the new translation

Visit divineoffice.org/contribute to make your one-time or recurring donation.

Every gift helps. Even a small monthly contribution makes a big difference when given faithfully.

Thank You for Being Part of This Community

You are not supporting just a website or an app. You are helping thousands pray daily, many for the first time. It’s with your help that prayer reaches the most vulnerable of us, the homebound, the visually impaired, the lonely, and the many seeking a deeper relationship with God.

Thank you for praying with us.
Thank you for being the hands and heart of Divine Office.
Divine Office Team

December 09

Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Optional Memorial

St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474–1548) was an Indigenous Mexican convert and visionary associated with the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Born in Cuautlitlán (now part of Mexico City) with the name Cuauhtlatoatzin (“the talking eagle”), he belonged to the Chichimeca people. At about fifty, he was baptized by the Franciscan missionary Fr. Peter da Gand.

On December 9, 1531, while on his way to Mass, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, asking that a shrine be built in her honor. When the local bishop asked for proof, the Virgin directed Juan Diego to gather roses blooming miraculously in winter. He carried them in his cloak (tilma), and when he opened it before the bishop on December 12, the flowers fell, revealing the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe imprinted on the fabric.

Juan Diego spent the remainder of his life as a hermit near the chapel that housed the image, devoting himself to prayer, service, and caring for pilgrims. He died in 1548 and was buried in the first chapel of the Virgin.

The miraculous image, which is preserved in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, shows a woman with native features and dress. She is supported by an angel whose wings are reminiscent of one of the major gods of the traditional religion of that area. The moon is beneath her feet and her blue mantle is covered with gold stars. The black girdle about her waist signifies that she is pregnant. Thus, the image graphically depicts the fact that Christ is to be “born” again among the peoples of the New World, and is a message as relevant to the “New World” today as it was during the lifetime of Juan Diego.[1]

Juan Diego was canonized on July 31, 2002 by Pope John Paul II in the Basilica of Santa Maria di Guadalupe, Mexico City and is remembered as a humble messenger whose faith and vision continue to inspire devotion throughout the world.

Beloved Juan Diego,
“the talking eagle”!
Show us the way that leads to the “Dark Virgin” of Tepeyac,
that she may receive us in the depths of her heart,
for she is the loving, compassionate Mother
who guides us to the true God.
Amen.[2]

[1] Saint Juan Diego biography Vatican.va
[2] Homily prayer by Pope John Paul II on the canonization of Juan Diego
Note: Optional Memorials and Commemorations are optional celebrations and, at present, we do not include content specific to these special days. This “About Today” is provided so that you can celebrate this Saint as you worship Christ.