Message of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Protectress of the unborn
In the Americas, five centuries ago, cruel human sacrificing rituals were performed in the Aztec empire. Between 20,000 and 50,000 were sacrificed a year. The rituals included cannibalism of the victims limbs. Most of them were captives or slaves, and besides men they included women and children. The early Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico were sacrificed.
The climax of these ritual killings came in 1487 for the dedication of the new and richly decorated with serpents temple of Huitzilopochtli, in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), when in a single ceremony that lasted four days and four nights, with the constant beating of giant drums made of snakeskin, the Aztec ruler and demon worshiper Tlacaellel presided the sacrifice of more than 80,000 men.
Our Lady of Guadalupe crushed this serpent in 1531.
Today, the ancient Serpent is certainly achieving big hits in its attack upon human life. Millions of unborn children are killed every year around the globe, in procedures that in some countries are not only legal but also officially supported and financed. In many cases the procedures follow the same rules as the sacrifices to the ancient god Molech: the slain and then cremation of the little children.
The Woman clothed with the sun, in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, will crush this serpent again.
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Mission for Christ, for families and for a Culture of Life continues today:
She is the Patroness of America and Star of the new evangelization
In Mary’s messages to Blessed Juan Diego, she said, “I am your merciful Mother, the merciful Mother of all of you who live united in this land.” Hence, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s influence and presence surpasses the boundaries of Mexico. For many of us, particularly in North America, Our Lady of Guadalupe is still viewed as somehow “belonging” only to the Mexican nation when in reality she came for all of the Americas; the whole continent! Many are familiar with Our Lady’s apparitions in Europe (Lourdes and Fatima) but are less aware that Our Lady came to America in 1531, leaving behind the greatest miraculous image of Our Lady for all the world to see.
Because Mary of Guadalupe had a decisive effect on evangelization in America five centuries ago, she is once again invoked to “guide the church in America (today), obtaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as she once did for the early church, so that the new evangelization may yield a splendid flowering of Christian life.” (Ecclesia in America, 1999 N.11) Consequently, Mary of Guadalupe is invoked as “patroness of all America and star of the first and new evangelization” and is “venerated as queen of all America”. “For the most Blessed Virgin is linked in a special way to the birth of the church in the history…of the peoples of America; through Mary they came to encounter the Lord.” (Ibid)
SPREADING THE GUADALUPAN MESSAGE TODAY
We acknowledge that through Mary, many millions of people on this Continent came to encounter Christ. The apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in 1531 had a deep impact on evangelization in this land. In fact, through her miraculous image, Our Lady evangelized an entire nation! These apparitions carried with them three important messages.The true God, the Lord of near and far, the Master of Heaven and Earth exists. Our Lady confirmed this teaching in her words to Blessed Juan Diego. In her image she also taught her children to embrace the Catholic Faith in the person of Jesus Christ, whom she carries in her womb. Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant, giving to the world the Eucharistic Jesus.
Secondly, Our Lady’s image gave a clear teaching on the respect we must have for life. She came as a pregnant virgin, clothed in a dress of reddish color, representing for the Aztecs earth, blood and life!! She appeared clothed with LIFE and carried the source of LIFE, Jesus Christ, in her womb. After the miraculous events of 1531, human sacrifice in Mexico ceased within a few years. Our Lady of Guadalupe also brings a special message to us today: the sanctity of the family.
Mary, Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son and Spouse of the Holy Spirit is also is our Mother. Her presence and intercession are powerful. “Through Mary, they (the peoples of America) came to encounter the Lord…She in linked in a special way to the birth of the church in history..” (Ecclesia in America, 11) She guides us, obtains the outpouring of Christ’s Spirit for us, brings Unity of heart and mind, Conversion and Faith in Christ to all her children. She asked through Juan Diego, that we have confidence in her as our tender and merciful Mother. Her miraculous image demonstrates to the Americas that she is always united to her Son, Jesus in the mission of Redemption.
Today, in a society steeped in consumerism, materialism and secularism, people are struggling to find a deeper, spiritual meaning to their lives. The messages that Our Lady of Guadalupe imparted to her children in 1531 from Tepeyac Hill in Mexico, need to be made known to the people of this land once again.
In a society that talks more about God rather than to God (prayer), we need to be reminded that God exists and that He sent His Son, Jesus to be our Savior.
In a world that is entangled with practices leading to death such as abortion, euthanasia, genocide, wars etc. we need to hear the message of respect for life in all its stages and the special place families have in God’s design.
In a world that is losing the sense of the supernatural, we need to know that Jesus is our Savior and that He has given us a most precious gift: his own Mother to be ours: to accompany us, to assist us, and to teach us so that we may reach the Eternal House of the Father.
In order for our society to return to God and to embrace CHRIST, the FAMILY and a CULTURE of LIFE, we should not hesitate to invoke Our Lady’s help. Saint John Bosco wrote, “Trust in Mary and expect miracles.” Mother Teresa wrote, “Give Jesus a hand. Ask Mary for help.” At this time in history, the Church is reminded once again to proclaim Jesus Christ among all the nations with renewed vigor in the new evangelization the Holy Father speaks of. As we see the need for a rise in vocations, as we try to establish Adoration in our parishes, as we try to impart the Faith to our children, in essence, as we strive to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, let us not hesitate to trust in the help of Mary, Christ’s Mother and ours.
The Holy Father sets an example for us in asking Mother Mary for her powerful aid as he writes, “I entrust this responsibility of the whole Church to the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer. She, the Mother of Fairest Love, will be for Christians…of the Third Millennium, the Star which safely guides their steps to the Lord. May the unassuming Young Woman of Nazareth, who two thousand years ago offered to the world the Incarnate Word, lead the men and women of the new millennium towards the One who is “the true light that enlightens every man”. (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 1994 N.59)
If the Holy Father entrusts the whole Church to Mary’s care, then let us follow his example. On this continent, let us offer unceasing prayer in all of our needs, asking the Mother of America, Our Lady of Guadalupe, to pray for us!
Questions and Answers
Why is the Virgin of Guadalupe so important to the Americas?
“The appearance of Mary to the native Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in 1531 had a decisive effect on evangelization in the Americas. Its influence greatly overflows the boundaries of Mexico, spreading to the whole continent….Consequently, not only in Central and South America, but in North America as well, the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated as queen of all America.” (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in American, 1999)What is the Church’s primary vocation?
“Evangelization constitutes the way and the vocation of the Church, her most profound identity. She exists to evangelize…To evangelize means to announce the Good News. And the Good News which the Christian communicates to the world is that God, who alone is Lord, is merciful to all his creatures, loves man with limitless love and has sought to intervene in his history by means of his Son Jesus Christ, who died and rose for us, to free us from sin and from all its consequences and to make us sharers in his divine life.”(L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican City, May 14, 1990, p.10)Why is the Virgin of Guadalupe called the Star of the New Evangelization?
Our Lady of Guadalupe, who appeared at the start of the evangelization process of America, is being called upon by Pope John Paul II to be the guiding star of the New Evangelization. “Indeed, the most Blessed Virgin is linked in a special way to the birth of the church in the history…of the peoples of America; through Mary they came to encounter the Lord.” …Throughout the continent, from the time of the first evangelization, the presence of the Mother of God has been strongly felt, thanks to the efforts of the missionaries. In their preaching, the Gospel was proclaimed by presenting the Virgin Mary as its highest realization. From the beginning, invoked as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, by her motherly and merciful figure, was a great sign of the closeness of the Father and of Jesus Christ, with whom she invites us to enter into communion. …With the passage of time, pastors and faithful alike have grown increasingly conscious of the role of the Virgin Mary in the evangelization of America. In the prayer composed for the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops, holy Mary of Guadalupe is invoked as “patroness of all America and Star of the first and new evangelization.” (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, 1999)Should devotion to Our Lady be encouraged?
Yes. The Holy Father writes in such a way to teach that true devotion to Our Lady is an essential part of the Faith. “It is to her as Mother and Model that the Church must look in order to understand in its completeness the meaning of her own mission.” (Redemptoris Mater, 1987) Furthermore the Holy Father acknowledges that “we encounter Jesus through Mary” and that “Mary is the sure path to our meeting with Christ. Devotion to the Mother of the Lord, when it is genuine, is always an impetus to a life guided by the spirit and values of the Gospel.” (Ecclesia in AmericaHow significant is the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe?
In 1754, Pope Benedict XIV issued a Bull approving Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of Mexico and in considering the miraculous image imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma, he quoted Psalm 147: “To no other nation has such a wonder been done.”The image is miraculous and the colors of the image are made of materials that modern science cannot identify. The eyes of Our Lady contain the imprint of many of the people that were present in the room at the time of the miracle. The image has sustained itself for almost 500 years, showing no signs of fading or need for restoration. The tilma itself, made of fibers from the maguey plant, should have disintegrated after 40 or 50 years. Then in 1981 Pope John Paul II said, “…the light of the Gospel of Christ will shine out over the whole world by means of the miraculous image of His Mother.” (L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican City, Jan 25 1982 page 11)
What about the value of visiting the Marian Centres like the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe as pilgrims?
These special places of pilgrimages (are) where the People of God seek to meet the Mother of God in order to find, within the radius of the maternal presence of her “who believed” a strengthening of their own faith. (Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 1987).What is Our Lady of Guadalupe’s role today?
1 “I ask her to “visit” as if on a peregrinano Mariae (pilgrimage of Mary), as “a pilgrim of faith” each and every diocese, parish, ecclesial community and family in America, repeating to her children what she said at Cana; “Do whatever he tells you!” (Jn 2:5). May she cross this continent, bringing it “life, sweetness and hope’! May she enliven and protect the work of the new evangelization, so that Christians may live their faith with consistency and fervor, and that those who have abandoned it may return. May she promote the unity of the Church, reuniting as in a new Pentecost those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who need to be renewed by the Spirit.” Angelus Address of February 11, 1996, Caracas Venezuela, taken from L’Osservatore Romano.2 And in Ecclesia in America John Paul II writes, “It is my heartfelt hope that she whose intercession was responsible for strenghtening the faith of the first disciples, will by her maternal intercession guide the church in America, obtaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as she once did for the early church, so that the new evangelization may yield a splendid flowering of Christian life.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
