Day: December 12, 2022

December 12, 2022 Reflection – Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12, 2022 Dear Family of Mary! Today we honor Our Lady of Guadalupe! She came in 1531 to Juan Diego, a simple man who lived in Mexico. His conversations with Our Lady have been recorded and they reflect the wonderful motherly relationship she had with Juan Diego. Below is a good summary of the events surrounding this apparition: As a good and solicitous mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary protects her children. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is observed in the United States of America on December 12th, commemorating as a third class feast the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in December 1531 and the subsequent miracle of her image being impressed upon his tilma (a rough cloak woven from vegetable fibers). This miraculous image spoke to the Aztecs in their symbolic—or glyphic—language on many levels. But primarily the imagery showed who the Lady of Tepeyac was and her power exemplified by being “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” This important symbolism was further confirmed by the name she gave to Juan Diego’s in his Nahuatl tongue, “Coatlaxopeuh”—rendered in Spanish as “Guadalupe”—meaning “the one who crushes the serpent”—here not just in reference the Devil, but a specific Aztecan deity. The results of this singular miracle was nothing less than miraculous itself as the native Indians of Mexico began to convert to the One, True Catholic Faith by the millions. Previously these varied peoples had suffered under the scourge of the Aztec religion, one of the bloodiest forms of paganism known to mankind (for example, the human sacrifice of over 10,000 in a single day to dedicate a new temple). Remarking on the tilma’s imagery, Our Lady radiates peace and serenity with her consoling demeanor and posture, yet with a calm strength she overwhelms the violent and bloodthirsty gods of the Aztecs, vividly demonstrated by her blocking out the sun god and standing upon the moon god, the pagan religion’s two most powerful deities. The solicitude expressed on the face of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the souls of all Americans (whether they reside in the regions of the North, Central or South)—thus the appropriateness of her title as “Empress of the Americas” is perhaps even more profoundly comprehended when we consider her consoling words to Juan Diego summarized as: “Trust in me: I am your mother”. Below is a link to the full article: Our Lady of Guadalupe Summary I find that the explanation of Our Lady’s power against Satan and his demons, represented by the Sun God and the Moon God, to be very moving. In our day, Our Lady in Medjugorje continues this battle against the ancient enemy, saving and converting millions, and freeing us from the enemy’s power. She is a powerful exorcist, according to Fr. Gabriel Amorth! Here is a litany to Our Lady of Guadalupe!! Let’s pray: Litany of Our Lady of Guadalupe A novena litany, with Ecclesiastical Approval by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God our Heavenly Father, Creator through whom we live, have mercy on us. God the Son, the One who owns what is near and beyond, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy of us. Holy Mary of Guadalupe, pray for us.* Holy Mary, Mother of America, Holy Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, Holy Mary, Perfect and Ever Virgin, Holy Mary, Mother of the True God, Holy Mary, Mother worthy of honor and veneration, Holy Mary, Mother most merciful, Holy Mary, Mother of those who love you and have confidence in you, Holy Mary, Mother of those who cry to you and search for you, Holy Mary, Mother who cures all our pains, miseries, and sorrows, Holy Mary, Mother who remedies and alleviates our sufferings, Holy Mary, Mother who keeps us within her compassionate and merciful gaze, Holy Mary, Mother who shows us her help, love and compassion, Holy Mary, Mother who chooses those who are humble and simple, Holy Mary, Mother who graciously repays all who serve her, Holy Mary, Mother who has us under her shadow and protection, Holy Mary, Mother who carries us in her embrace, Holy Mary, Fountain of our joy, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let Us Pray Almighty and Eternal God, your message of mercy, entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, invites all your children to place all their trust in you. Through the intercession of the mother of your Son, may your message of Merciful Love inflame our hearts that we may be faithful heralds and instruments of this Divine Mercy to the world. (Mention your intentions) We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Cathy Nolan (c)Mary TV.tv