Do you believe in miracles? I think most of us do. We must—why else would all those magazines keep offering cover stories—month after month—about the next “miracle diet?”  And why else would we keep buying them?

Obviously, we all know—logically—that the only way to truly lose weight is to expend more calories that we consume. It’s pretty basic math really. And again—logically—we must realize that if any of these miraculous diets actually worked in the long term, there would be no need publish a new version every month. Yet, hope springs eternal. When it comes to finding a way to get skinny without any real effort on our part, we’re all true believers, looking for the next miracle…

I was thinking about miracles this week, because the 12^th of December is the Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe. A national holiday in Mexico that is bigger, for many, than Christmas or Easter, it celebrates the Patroness of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Hundreds of thousands will flock to Mexico City to visit the place where she first appeared. Some pilgrims will walk on their knees on the stone street leading to the Basilica, asking for a miracle or giving thanks for a petition that was granted. Others bring gifts, usually bouquets of flowers, and there will be a big fair with attractions, performances of music and dance, and vendors selling food and crafts. [Read more...]