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The History of Our Lady of Guadalupe [Ecumenical]
HolyArtWorks.com ^
| Friday, December 12, 2003
| Holy Art Works.
Posted on 12/11/2008 5:48:12 PM PST by Salvation
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The History of Our Lady of Guadalupe
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The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego in December of 1531 generated the conversion of Mexico, Central and South America to Catholicism. Indeed, the Blessed Virgin Mary entered the very life stream of Central America and became an inextricable part of Mexican life and a central figure to the history of Mexico itself. To this date the most important religious celebration in Mexico and Central America is December 12, the feast-day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her appearance in the center of the American continents has contributed to the Virgin of Guadalupe being given the title "Mother of the Americas."
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1-3The Setting
It is important to understand the historical background and setting at the time of the apparition to fully appreciate the impact of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
The Aztecs
The Aztecs ruled most of Central America in 1500, and their Empire known as Mesoamerica extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and included the lands of Mexico, Guatamala, Belize, and portions of Honduras and El Salvador. Montezuma (or Moctezuma) the Younger, considered the earthly representative of the sun god Huitzilopochtli, became King of the Aztecs in 1503, and ruled from the capital Tenochtitlan and its sister-city Tlatelolco, both situated on an island in Lake Texcoco, the site of modern Mexico City. The inhabitants of the island were called the Mexica. 4-5
Montezuma demanded heavy tribute from the surrounding Indian tribes, and was poised to conquer the few remaining regions of the dying Mayan civilization.
The city of Tenochtitlan was the center of religious worship for the Aztecs. Since the Mexica believed that the gods required human blood to subsist, the priests sacrificed thousands of living humans a year, generally captured Indians from surrounding tribes, in order to appease the frightful deities. 4-7
Two other gods important to understanding the events of history were Quetzelcoatl, the stone serpent, and Tonantzin, the mother god. Quetzelcoatl was the god who founded the Aztec nation, but left when human sacrifice began, as he was opposed to the terrible ritual; but he vowed to return one day to reclaim his throne and redeem the Aztecs in the year 1-Reed, which occurred every 52 years in the Aztec time cycle.
Tonantzin was depicted as a terrifying figure, with her head comprised of snakes and her garment a mass of writhing serpents; her eyes projected fathomless grief. Tonantzin was worshipped at a stone temple in Tepeyac, about five miles from the capital Tenochtitlan.
Montezuma’s sister, Princess Papantzin, lapsed in a coma in 1509. Upon her recovery, she related a dream that profoundly influenced the superstitious King. In her dream a luminous being with a black cross on his forehead led her to a shore with large ships that would come to their shores to conquer the Aztecs and bring them the true God. It was only ten years later, in the year 1-Reed, a year when Quetzelcoatl could return, that the Conquistadors of Spain arrived on the shores of Mexico.2
Hernando Cortez and the Conquistadors
The discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in 1492 led to the exploration and colonization of the entire Caribbean by the Spaniards. The Conquistadors, much like the Crusaders, were variably in search of fortune, personal glory, and God, and often all three.
The Spaniard Hernando Cortes landed on the Gulf shore of Mexico on Good Friday, April 22, 1519. According to one of his men, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who recorded the events of the expedition, Cortes arrived with 508 soldiers on eleven ships, 100 sailors, 16 horses, a few cannons, crossbows and other pieces of artillery.4 They named the landing site Veracruz, "The True Cross." Their Chaplain, Father Bartolome de Olmedo, perfomed Mass on Easter Sunday. Cortes worked alongside his men to build a fort and left a contingent to protect the new settlement. He then sent one ship back to Spain with a letter that detailed their discovery for King Charles V. In an historic move to strengthen their resolve to conquer the land, Cortes burned his last ten ships in the harbor, cutting off any avenue of retreat.
Three reasons have been given for the conquest of Mexico by this small but formidable force. The arrival of the Spanish conquistadors with their metal breastplates, snorting horses, loud smoking guns, and vicious dogs proved a frightening spectacle to the Indians. Cortes, through the Indian interpreter Dona Marina, cleverly won over outlying Indian tribes, such as the Tlaxcalans, who resented the heavy tribute demanded by the Aztecs. In addition, the Aztecs and others had no immunity to smallpox brought to American shores by the Europeans, and were decimated in a smallpox epidemic that began in 1520. 8
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ROUTE OF CORTEZ IN 1519
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The expedition first arrived in Cempoala, where the heavily taxed tribe pledged their allegiance to Cortes. They continued through Jalapa, and headed towards Tlaxcala. They continued to find evidence of human sacrifice everywhere they went. This only strengthened their determination to stop the diabolic practice. At first the Tlaxcalans resisted the Spaniards. Cortes fought right alongside his men and forever earned their respect. Unable to defeat the Spaniards, the fierce Tlaxcalans finally joined forces with Cortes, and ultimately proved to be most valuable allies.
On the way to Tenochtitlan, Montezuma planned a trap in Cholula for Cortez, but the Spaniards overwhelmed the Chululan tribe, allies of the Mexica, and left 5000 dead. Montezuma recalled the dream of his sister when he learned that a black cross adorned the helmets of the Spaniards. Because he believed that he was the returning god Quetzelcoatl, Montezuma refused to attack Cortes, and actually welcomed him on his arrival into Tenochtitlan 8 November 1519, and housed the Spaniards in the palace of Montezuma’s father.
The Spaniards were appalled at the horrible spectacle of human sacrifice, and Cortez asked Montezuma to stop. But sacrifice of adults and even children continued, and the Spaniards were awakened each morning by the screams of sacrificial victims. Cortez boldly placed Montezuma under house arrest one week after his arrival, and confined him to his palace.
Montezuma presented many gifts of gold, silver, and jewels to Cortez, but would not stop the demonic rituals. Finally, Cortes climbed the stairs of the main temple, had the priests remove the Aztec gods, and placed a Cross and image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Father Olmedo said Holy Mass.
The Aztec rituals stopped for three months.
War was about to begin.
Soon afterwards, Cortes had to leave the city for political reasons, and placed Pedro de Alvarado in charge of Tenochtitlan. During the festival of the sun god Huitzilopochtli in the spring of 1520, Alvarado decided to surround the Aztecs during their ritual ceremony in the temples, and slaughtered the unarmed celebrants. Outraged at this violation, the Mexica rose up in arms. Montezuma's brother Cuitlahuac assumed leadership and fiercely attacked the Spaniards. Montezuma died in the battle. Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan to find the city in open warfare. The Spaniards and Tlaxcalans were soundly defeated and driven from the city on the Night of Sorrow, June 30, 1520.
However, Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan in May of 1521 with a massive army of native Indians, mostly Tlaxcalans. They were surprised to find half the population had died of a smallpox epidemic, including King Cuitlahuac. The new leader Cuauhtemoc fought Cortes for 93 days, but had to surrender the city on August 13, 1521. The once glorious city of Tenochtitlan was destroyed, and with it, the Aztec practice of human sacrifice. The conquest of Mesoamerica was complete.
The Early Church in New Spain
Cortes’ first action as conqueror was to place the region under the Spanish crown and demolish the temples of sacrifice and build Catholic churches in their place, such as the Church Santiago de Tlatelolco on the site of the Temple of the sun god in present-day Mexico City.
Cortez did call for missionaries to convert the native Indians, and shortly after the Conquest, the Franciscan Peter Ghent from Belgium arrived in New Spain in August of 1523. He become known as Fray Pedro de Gante, and adopted the ways of the Indians and lived a life of poverty among the natives. He learned Nahuatl, the native Aztec language, and soon appreciated that communication with the natives was through images, music, and poetry. He first began to educate the young, and the natives soon learned to trust him and listen to the Christian message.
In August of 1524, twelve Franciscan missionaries arrived, including Father Toribio Paredes de Benevente, who affectionally became known as Motolinia or “poor one” by the natives for his self-sacrificing ways. Many of the others attempted conversion by formal catechetical methods through translators. But they found the natives highly resistant to Christianity, the religion of the Conquistadors, who had killed thousands of Indians, raped their women, and destroyed Tenochtitlan.
The Dominicans, including Father Bartolome de las Casas of the West Indies, the first priest ordained in the New World, and the Jesuits arrived considerably later.
In 1528 Charles V of Spain sent a group of five administrators known as the First Audience to govern Mexico. The First Audience was headed by Don Nune de Guzman, who quickly proved cruel and ruthless in his treatment of the native population. He forced the native population either to abandon their villages or be reduced to slavery, branded them on the faces, and sold them in exchange for cattle.
To offset the First Audience, Charles V appointed Fray Juan Zumarraga as the first Bishop of Mexico City and Protector of the Indians in December of 1528. He accomplished much in his 25 years as Bishop, which included the establishment of the first grammar school, library, printing press, and the first college, Colegio de la Santa Cruz at Tlatelolco. However, he spent much of his first year in Mexico objecting to the ruthless treatment of the Indians by de Guzman, who by then had sold 15,000 Indians into slavery. The First Audience applied strict censorship, and forbade both Indians and Spaniards from bringing complaints to the Bishop. The Bishop countered with stern sermons against their use of military force, torture, and the imprisonment of Indians.
Finally, in 1529, some Indians managed to smuggle a protest to Bishop Zumarraga concerning the heavy taxes and slave conditions in nearby Puebla. The Franciscan Father Antonio Ortiz delivered a spirited sermon on the Feast of the Pentocost on the subject, and was arrested while preaching from the altar by de Guzman’s men and thrown into jail. Bishop Zumarraga managed to send a message hidden in a crucifix back to Spain, and de Guzman was recalled. A Second Audience was appointed which proved judicial to the Indians, but did not arrive in Mexico until 1531.
However, the Conquistadors and the First Audience had done grave damage to their relationship with the native population. The Indians were fed up with Spanish occupation, and resentment had reached a flash point. Isolated outbreaks of fights with the Spaniards had become inevitable, and Bishop Zumarraga feared a general insurrection. Such was the setting when the event of Tepeyac took place.
THE APPARITION
Sources
The following account of the five apparitions in three days is based on the oldest written record of the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Nican Mopohua, written in Nahuatl about 1540 by Don Antonio Valeriano, one of the first Aztec Indians educated by the Franciscans at the Bishop’s Colegio de la Santa Cruz.1-3 An illustration of the apparition event with the signature of Don Antonio Valeriano and the date 1548 was recently uncovered in a private collection in 1995, now referred to as the Codex 1548. The Codex 1548 has been scientifically studied and determined to be genuine, and substantiates the historical basis of the apparition of Guadalupe. 1
The Jesuit Father Miguel Sanchez published the first Spanish work on Guadalupe, Imagen de la Virgen Maria Madre de Dios de Guadalupe in 1648. Brother Luis Lasso de la Vega published in Nahuatl the Nican Mopohua and other documents in a collection known as Huey Tlamahuezoltica in 1649. The theologian Luis Becerra Tanco published his work on the tradition of Guadalupe in 1675. Finally, the Jesuit professor of theology Francisco de Florencia produced his account of the apparition in 1688. These four writers have been important in the preservation of the tradition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.1-3
The tradition of the event is of prime importance. The precipitous conversion of over 8 million Aztec Indians to Catholicism in seven years is highly indicative of the miracle of Guadalupe. It has been pointed out that “great historical movements do not result from non-events.” 9
The Miracle of Tepeyac
The Aztec Indian Cuauhtlatoatzin (or Cuauhtlatohuac), which means “the one who speaks like an eagle,” was born in 1474. He married a girl named Malitzin, and they lived with an uncle near Lake Texcoco. The three were among the few to be baptized in the early days, most likely by Father Toribio in 1525, and given the names Juan Diego and Maria Lucia, and the uncle Juan Bernardino. Maria Lucia was childless, and died a premature death in 1529.
Juan Diego was a widower at age 55, and turned his life to God. It was his custom to attend Mass and catechism lessons at the Church in Tlatelolco. At daybreak, on Saturday, December 9, 1531, Juan Diego began his journey to Church. As he passed a hill named Tepeyac, on which once stood a temple to the Aztec mother god Tonantzin, he heard songbirds burst into harmony. Music and songbirds presaged something divine for the Aztec. The music stopped as suddenly as it had begun. A beautiful girl with tan complexion and bathed in the golden beams of the sun called him by name in Nahuatl, his native language, “Juan Diego!”
The girl said: “Dear little son, I love you.
I want you to know who I am.
I am the Virgin Mary, Mother of the one true God, of Him who gives life.
He is Lord and Creator of heaven and of earth.
I desire that there be built a temple at this place where I want to manifest Him, make him known, give Him to all people through my love, my compassion, my help, and my protection.
I truly am your merciful Mother, your Mother and the Mother of all who dwell in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me, of those who cry to me, and of those who seek and place their trust in me.
Here I shall listen to their weeping and their sorrows.
I shall take them all to my heart, and I shall cure their many sufferings, afflictions, and sorrows.
So run now to Tenochtitlan and tell the Lord Bishop all that you have seen and heard.”
Juan Diego went to the palace of the Franciscan Don Fray Juan de Zumarraga, and after rude treatment by the servants, was granted an audience with the Bishop. The Bishop was cordial but hesitant on the first visit and said that he would consider the request of the Lady and politely invited Juan Diego to come visit again.
Dismayed, Juan returned to the hill and found Mary waiting for him. He asked her to send someone more suitable to deliver her message “for I am a nobody.”
She said on this second visit, “Listen, little son. There are many I could send. But you are the one I have chosen for this task. So, tomorrow morning, go back to the Bishop. Tell him it is the ever holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God who sends you, and repeat to him my great desire for a church in this place.”
So, Sunday morning Juan Diego called again on the Bishop for the second time. Again with much difficulty, he was finally granted an audience. The Bishop was surprised to see him and told him to ask for a sign from the Lady.
Juan Diego reported this to the Virgin, and she told him to return the following morning for the sign. However, when Juan Diego returned home he found his uncle Juan Bernardino gravely ill. Instead of going back to Tepeyac, he stayed home with his dying uncle on Monday.
Juan Diego woke up early Tuesday morning, December 12th, to bring a priest from the Church of Santiago at Tlatelolco, so that his uncle might receive the last blessing. Juan had to pass Tepeyac hill to get to the priest. Instead of the usual route by the west side of the hill, he went around the east side to avoid the Lady. Guess who descended the hill on the east side to intercept his route!
The Virgin said, “Least of my sons, what is the matter?”
Juan was embarrassed. “My Lady, why are you up so early? Are you well? Forgive me. My uncle is dying and desires me to find a priest for the Sacraments. It was no empty promise I made to you yesterday morning. But my uncle fell ill.”
Mary said, “My little son. Do not be distressed and afraid.
Am I not here who am your Mother?
Are you not under my shadow and protection?
Am I not the fountain of your joy?
Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the cradle of my arms?
Your uncle will not die at this time. This very moment his health is restored. There is no reason now for your errand, so you can peacefully attend to mine. Go up to the top of the hill; cut the flowers that are growing there and bring them to me.”
Flowers in December? Impossible, thought Juan Diego. But he was obedient, and sure enough found beautiful Castilian roses on the hilltop. As he cut them, he decided the best way to protect them against the cold was to cradle them in his tilma - a long, cloth cape worn by the Aztecs, and often looped up as a carryall. He ran back to Mary and she rearranged the roses and tied the lower corners of the tilma behind his neck so that nothing would spill, and said, “You see, little son, this is the sign I am sending to the Bishop. Tell him that now he has his sign, he should build the temple I desire in this place. Do not let anyone but him see what you are carrying. Hold both sides until you are in his presence and tell him how I intercepted you on your way to fetch a priest to give the Last Sacraments to your uncle, how I assured you he was perfectly healed and sent you up to cut these roses, and myself arranged them like this. Remember, little son, that you are my trusted ambassador, and this time the Bishop will believe all that you tell him.” This fourth apparition was the last known time Juan Diego ever saw the Virgin Mary.
Juan called for the third time on the Bishop and explained all that had passed. Then Juan put up both hands and untied the corners of crude cloth behind his neck. The looped-up fold of the tilma fell; the flowers he thought were the precious sign tumbled out on the floor.
The Bishop rose from his chair and fell on his knees in adoration before the tilma, as well as everyone else in the room. For on the tilma was the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary just as described by Juan Diego.
While Juan Diego was calling on the Bishop, Juan Bernardino, the dying uncle, suddenly found his room filled with a soft light. A luminous young woman filled with love was standing there and told him he would get well. During this fifth apparition, she told him that she had sent his nephew, Juan Diego, to the Bishop with an image of herself and said, “Call me and call my image Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
The impact
The news of the appearance of the Indian mother who left her imprint on the tilma spread like wildfire! Three points were appreciated by the native population. First, the lady was Indian, spoke Nahuatl, the Aztec language, and appeared to an Indian, not a Spaniard! Second, Juan Diego explained that she appeared at Tepeyac, the place of Tonantzin, the mother god, sending a clear message that the Virgin Mary was the mother of the true God, and that the Christian religion was to replace the Aztec religion. And third, the Indians, who learned through pictures and symbols, understood the image of the tilma, which revealed the beautiful message of Christianity: the true God sacrificed himself for mankind, instead of the horrendous life they had endured sacrificing humans to appease the frightful gods! It is no wonder that over the next seven years, from 1531 to 1538, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism! 1-3, 7, 9-11
The Image on the Tilma
The imprint of Mary on the tilma is striking, and the symbolism was primarily directed to Juan Diego and the Aztecs. The description that follows is that related by Father Elizondo,7 who references earlier writings. Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer. Her pale red dress is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature.
Most important are the two crosses and the black maternity band that were present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture is found an Indian cross, the center of the cosmic order to the Indian. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind.
In summary, the image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own!
To the Christian one cannot help but identify Our Lady of Guadalupe with the Woman of the Apocalypse. This interpretation was first recorded by Father Miguel Sanchez in 1648.
"A great sign appeared in the sky,
a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon at her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Revelation 12:1 12
The tilma itself was made of ayate, a coarse fabric made of cactus fibre, a cape worn by the Indians of the time. The cape measures 5.5 x 4.6 feet, and is made in two parts sewn by a vertical seam made with thread of the same material. The natural life of the fiber is roughly 30 years, yet the tilma and the image remain intact after 470 years, in spite of moisture, handling, and candles! 1-2
The Immediate Aftermath
Bishop Zumarraga was overwhelmed by the miracle of the tilma, and this time extended his hospitality to Juan Diego and invited him to spend the night. He gently removed the tilma and placed it in his private chapel, where all prayed in thanksgiving for the miracle.
The following day, they set out for Tepeyac, and Juan Diego showed Bishop Zumarraga where Mary had appeared. The Bishop directed that a small chapel be erected at the site. The enthusiasm from the event produced so many volunteers that a chapel in Tepeyac was constructed by Christmas Day.
Juan Diego then asked leave of the Bishop that he might see his uncle. The Bishop insisted that Juan Diego be escorted back to his home and then returned to his palace. Juan Diego and Juan Bernardino were joyfully reunited, and both recounted to each other the miraculous events. Juan Diego brought his uncle back to the Bishop’s residence to show him the tilma, and they stayed as guests of the Bishop until Christmas. The convergence of the curious multitude led the Bishop to move the tilma to the Cathedral so that all could marvel and pray.
On December 26, 1531, a solemn procession with the Bishop, Juan Diego, Franciscan priests, and the faithful brought the tilma from the Cathedral to the Chapel at Tepeyac. Thousands attended the procession. In the excitement, some Indians shot arrows into the air, and one mortally wounded a man in the procession. A priest tended to the wound, and prayers were said to the Virgin, and the man was reported to have been miraculously healed. This only added to the fervor of the procession.
Juan Diego lived in a hermitage built for him next to the chapel at Tepeyac, and showed the tilma and explained the apparition and its Christian significance over and over to pilgrims who visited the shrine. He died peacefully on May 30, 1548 and was buried at Tepeyac. Bishop Zumarrage died only three days after Juan Diego.
The miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe led to a tidal wave of conversions. The few missionaries that initially were met with resistance became overwhelmed with baptisms, preaching, and instruction in the faith. An early missionary, the Franciscan Father Toribio de Benavente, recorded in his Historia de los Indios, published in 1541, that “I have to affirm that at the convent of Quecholac, another priest and myself baptized 14,200 souls in five days. We even placed the oil of catechumens and Holy Chrism on all of them.” 2
Recent Developments
The Virgin of Guadalupe is literally intertwined with both the history of the Catholic Church in the new world and of Mexico itself. To mention a few events, the great floods of 1629 claimed 30,000 lives and threatened the destruction of the valley of Mexico, until the waters abated when the image was taken in solemn procession from Tepayac to Mexico City. A horrible plague in the early 1700s claimed the lives of 700,000 people, and, once the Virgin of Guadalupe was declared the Patroness of Mexico on 27 April 1737, the disease dissipated. But before that, as Mexico became mestizo, the union of the creoles, Spanish born in Mexico, and the Indians, the dark Virgin became the symbol of the people, and they love her as one of their own. 6
On November 24, 1921, during a period of government persecution, a powerful bomb hidden in flowers exploded directly underneath the tilma during High Mass, and destroyed stone and marble in the sanctuary and shattered the stained-glass windows of the Basilica. When the smoke cleared, the congregation was amazed to find that the tilma remained untouched, and the thin protective glass covering was not even cracked, nor was anyone hurt.
Scientific studies of the tilma have been undertaken through the years, which have only served to confirm its supernatural nature. The tilma remains just as vibrant as ever, having never faded. Famous Mexican artists such as Miguel Cabrera (1695-1768) determined that it is impossible for the rough surface of the tilma to support any form of painting. One of the unusual characteristics of the tilma is that up close the features are unremarkable, but the tone and depth emerge beyond six or seven feet and the image becomes more radiant and photogenic.
The astonishing discovery that reflections of people in Mary’s eyes, perhaps Juan Diego and Bishop Zumarraga or the interpreter Juan Gonzalez, were confirmed by two scientists in 1956. This phenomenon is seen only with human eyes, not in a painting.10
Studies by infra-red photography in May of 1979 were undertaken by Philip C. Callahan, a research biophysicist at the University of Florida. He ruled out brush strokes, overpainting, varnish, sizing, or even preliminary drawings by an artist in the body of the image. Damage from the 1629 flood was apparent at the edges of the tilma. He concluded that the original image on the tilma has qualities of color and uses the weave of the cloth in such a way that the image could not be the work of human hands.10
How did Our Lady identify herself? Bishop Zumarraga understood the Spanish name Guadalupe, a Marian shrine in Spain. But Mary spoke Nahuatl to Juan Diego, and some writers suggest that she may have said “Coatlalupej,” or one “ who treads on the snake.”2, 11 On the other hand, Juan Gonzalez, the interpreter present for conversations between Juan Diego, his uncle, and the Bishop, was reported to be fluent in both Nahuatl and Spanish, so any misinterpretation would seem unlikely.4 Either may be possible, as Mary is our Mother [John 19:25-27] everywhere, both in Europe and the New World.
The tilma of Juan Diego is the only known divine image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that exists on our planet!
Seven million people from the Americas visit the Virgin of Guadalupe every year, especially on December 12, the annual celebration of the miracle. If one visits Mexico City, one can plainly see who has the heart of the people. One finds the Virgin of Guadalupe pictured everywhere in Mexico City, in the airport, taxis, bakeries, even on streetcorners. Our Lady has been the factor that has preserved the Aztec Indians from the cultural disintegration observed with other Indian populations such as in North America.3
Popes through the ages have recognized Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Pope John XXIII was the first to call the Virgin Mother of the Americas on October 12, 1961. John Paul II was the first Pope to visit the Guadalupe shrine on January 27, 1979. On January 23, 1999, Pope John Paul II, referring to all of the Americas as one single continent, called the Virgin of Guadalupe the Mother of America.
Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego a Saint on July 31, 2002. Juan Diego certainly deserves sainthood, as he was both humble and obedient to the request of Our Lady. The Catholic Church remains firmly entrenched in Mexico, Central and South America, which today are at least 90% Catholic. The Catholic Church of the United States with 60 million Catholics can attribute much of our recent growth to the Hispanic population of North America.
Friday, December 12, 2003
La Basilica de la Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
I write this from Mexico City during the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Mexico Herald reports that a crowd of 5 million has come to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. 22 of us led by Van and Pat and our host Felipe join the celebration in Tepeyac, now La Villa, Mexico City. The square in front of the Basilica is filled with families waiting to attend Mass and to see the tilma of St. Juan Diego.
The beautiful new Basilica, which holds 10,000 people, was completed in 1976.
The old basilica, built in 1709, still stands, though beset with structural problems.
I am struck by the faith of the Mexican people. Some are walking on their knees, some circle in native dances. Some have traveled for three days and have camped out in front of the Church.
They line up in front of the escalators that go underneath the tilma behind the main altar. They pray and cry in front of the beautiful relic of the Virgin that visited their land 472 years ago. I look up and am struck by the natural beauty and colors of the Virgin’s dress. How can the tilma be so bright but so old?! The paintings in the nearby museum are only 150 years old but are dark and faded.
The Mass of the Roses blends all of the Mexican cultures - Indian, Criollio, and Mestizo. The music is interspersed with the beat of native drums and dancing. The crucified Jesus hangs alone on his cross above the main altar, which is elevated on a platform. Behind the altar to the right is the tilma of the Virgin, underneath a large cross on the wall. The aroma of roses fills the air. Love and tears fill the faces of the people.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, please pray for us.
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READING
1 Testoni, Manuela. Our Lady of Guadalupe - History and Meaning of the Apparitions . St. Paul - Alba House, Staten Island, New York, 2001.
2 Johnston, Francis. The Wonders of Guadalupe, or El Milagro de Guadalupe . Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford, Illinois, 1981; update (in Spanish), 1996.
3 Demarest D, Taylor C. The Dark Virgin - The Book of Our Lady of Guadalupe . Coley Taylor Publishers, Freeport, Maine, 1956.
4 Carroll, Warren H. Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Conquest of Darkness. Christendom Press, Front Royal, Virginia, 1983 and 2002.
5 Boone, Elizabeth. The Aztec World. St. Remy Press and the Smithsonian Institution Books, Washington, D. C., 1994.
6 Krauze, Enrique. Mexico - Biography of Power . Harper-Collins Publishers, New York, 1997.
7 Elizondo, Father Virgilio. La Morenita - Evangelizer of the Americas . Mexican American Cultural Center, San Antonio, Texas, 1980.
8 Berkin C, Miller CL, Cherny RW, Gormly JL. Making America - A History of the United States , Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1999.
9 Schreck, Alan. Historical Foundations, Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio, 2003.
Compact History of the Catholic Church . Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1987.
10 Rengers, Christopher OFM Cap. Mary of the Americas . St. Paul - Alba House, Staten Island, New York, 1989.
11 Eliot EC. Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Delaney JJ (ed): A Woman Clothed with the Sun. Image Doubleday, New York, 1961.
12 The Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible. Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1971.
TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholiclist; saints
1
posted on
12/11/2008 5:48:13 PM PST
by
Salvation
To: All
A shorter version of the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe with numerous links.
 Our Lady of Guadalupe
 Mesoamerica, the New World, 1521: The capital city of the Aztec empire falls under the Spanish forces. Less than 20 years later, 9 million of the inhabitants of the land, who professed for centuries a polytheistic and human sacrificing religion, are converted to Christianity. What happened in those times that produced such an incredible and historically unprecedented conversion? In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a humble Native American at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City.
She identified herself as the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth.
She made a request for a church to be built on the site, and submitted her wish to the local Bishop. When the Bishop hesitated, and requested her for a sign, the Mother of God obeyed without delay or question to the Church's local Bishop, and sent her native messenger to the top of the hill in mid-December to gather an assorment of roses for the Bishop.
After complying to the Bishop's request for a sign, She also left for us an image of herself imprinted miraculously on the native's tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 476 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin.
It apparently even reflects in Her eyes what was in front of her in 1531.
Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, as well as the story of the apparitions, are described in the "Nican Mopohua", a 16th century document written in the native Nahuatl language.
There is reason to believe that at Tepeyac Mary came in her glorified body, and her actual physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma, which makes this apparition very special.
An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Her. Yearly, between 18 - 20 million pilgrims visit the Basilica, making it Christianity's most visited sanctuary.
Altogether 25 popes have officially honored Our Lady of Guadalupe. His Holiness John Paul II visited her Sanctuary four times: on his first apostolic trip outside Rome as Pope in 1979, and again in 1990, 1999 and 2002.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th. In 1999, Pope John Paul II, in his homily from the Solemn Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, during his third visit to the sanctuary, declared the date of December the 12th as a Liturgical Holy Day for the whole continent.
During the same visit Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born. |
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"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
(Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)
2
posted on
12/11/2008 5:50:54 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...
Saint of the Day Ping!
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Saint of the Day Ping List.
3
posted on
12/11/2008 6:27:38 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
4
posted on
12/11/2008 6:31:36 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
5
posted on
12/11/2008 6:35:36 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
To: All
Vultus Christi
Again this year, I want to present this beautiful Akathist to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. It is the work of Dr. Alexander Roman.
Akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe
1
Kontakion 1
To Thee, our great and constant Intercessor before the Throne of Almighty God, do we,
Thy children, offer this hymn of praise, glorifying Thy wondrous Image revealed to Thy
humble servant, Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, as we sing of Thy enduring heavenly
Protection of all who keep festival, joyfully exclaiming with arms uplifted: Rejoice, O
Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Ikos 1
The peoples of Mesoamerica saw a most Divine Light when they gazed upon Thy sacred
and miraculous image inscribed by the Finger of God upon the tilma of Juan Diego.
They recognized in it their salvation at last and liberation from the darkness of
enslavement to the cunning Serpent of old and they cried with grateful love amidst tears:
Rejoice, Most Immaculate Messenger from on High!
Rejoice, Great Sign that appeared in Heaven and in our midst!
Rejoice, Woman shining with the Brightness of Thy Son and our Lord!
Rejoice, Lady crushing the Serpent of old beneath thy feet!
Rejoice, Victor over evil!
Rejoice, Queen of Heaven and Earth!
Rejoice, unfailing Intercessor for those lost in darkness!
Rejoice, Star of the Sea bringing us to the harbor of safety!
Rejoice, Defender of children!
Rejoice, Protector of such as are of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Rejoice, Standing with the moon at Thy feet!
Rejoice, with hands enfolded in prayer to God on our behalf!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
2
Kontakion 2
Thy servant, Juan Diego, first saw Thee in Thy appearance on a hill. Thou didst
command him to witness to Thy desire to have a temple raised there to bring salvation to his people. Overjoyed by this Thy maternal condescension on earth toward us all, Thy
servant ran into the city, crying: Alleluia!
Ikos 2
Thy servant has truly imitated the Beloved Disciple, John, for he likewise took Thee as
his Mother to the home of his heart at the command of our Crucified Lord. Asking Thee
for the grace to do likewise, we sing:
Rejoice, Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, Rock Unhewn!
Rejoice, Densely wooded Mount Thaeman!
Rejoice, for Thou dost call everyone to the Mountain!
Rejoice, for like Elias of old, Thou comest to destroy idols!
Rejoice, for Thy Image is our bridge over dangerous waters to Heaven!
Rejoice, Mother of Christ!
Rejoice, Mother of His Church!
Rejoice, for we became Thy children underneath Thy Son's Cross!
Rejoice, Mother of the Foundation Stone!
Rejoice, Rock Unquarried!
Rejoice, Hilltop leading to the Heavenly Kingdom!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother Clothed with the Sun!
3
Ikos 3
God has kept His secrets from the wise and powerful of the world, choosing, instead, to
reveal them to His humble servants and to children. Thou didst appear on earth to the
rejected as the Mother of the Sign that was rejected and accepted not by His own.
Marveling in wonder at God's Divine Providence, we sing:
Rejoice, Mother Who ponders God's secrets in Thy maternal heart!
Rejoice, Virgin Who received God's Word in Thy Womb without knowing man!
Rejoice, Ark of the New Covenant!
Rejoice, Helper of the afflicted!
Rejoice, Guardian of those without any to care for them!
Rejoice, Quick help of those who suffer!
Rejoice, Mother of Divine surprises!
Rejoice, Lady of Compassion!
Rejoice, our Joy above every joy!
Rejoice, pierced with a Sword of sorrow!
Rejoice, the cause of our freedom in Christ!
Rejoice, Lady whom all peoples call 'Blessed!'
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 4
Returning again and again to Thee, Thy servant, Juan, knew not what to say or do to
fulfill Thy request. Thou then didst command him to bring fresh, beautiful roses from the parched mountain to the bishop as a miraculous sign of Thy appearance on earth. Lifting the aromatic flowers into his tilma, Juan cried: Alleluia!
4
Ikos 4
Thou art truly all-wondrous in Thy miraculous power, O Lady-Theotokos, as through
Thee new life is born from dead earth. By Thy holy and constant intercessions, bring us
whose sins have deadened our souls to the fertile fields of faith and good works, making us live once more unto God, as we sing:
Rejoice, Rose of Sharon!
Rejoice, Lily of the Valley!
Rejoice, Flower of Carmel!
Rejoice, Aromatic Jonquil of Heavenly Delight!
Rejoice, new Staff of Aaron, budding with the Divine Flower!
Rejoice, Lady's Mantle bearing the droplets of Heavenly Grace!
Rejoice, Myrtle of constancy!
Rejoice, Fragrance of Incorruption!
Rejoice, new Moses that calls forth water from the desert rock!
Rejoice, Holy Cloud that nourishes the earth with the rain of Divine Grace!
Rejoice, Planter of the Seed of the Word Incarnate in our souls!
Rejoice, Gardener Who cultivates it to fruition in our lives!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 5
Thy humble servant went with joy and great anticipation to the palace of the bishop with the roses Thou didst give him as evidence of Thy appearance. Believing the flowers to be the final signal to all affirming Thy coming on earth, Juan unfurled his tilma. Upon
seeing the greater miracle of Thy image not made by human hands, all cried: Alleluia!
Ikos 5
The bishop joined with everyone in kneeling prayerfully before Thy miraculous Icon,
bowing to God's revelation of His salvation of the Americas through His Most Holy
Mother. Spellbound in wonder and amazement at Thy great love for those for whom Thy
Son died for on the Precious and Life-giving Cross, they all sang:
Rejoice, Icon revealing Thy Son and Lord Jesus Christ!
Rejoice, Image reflecting His Heavenly Glory!
Rejoice, Sign from Heaven, bringing us the Abundant Life!
Rejoice, our Mantle of Protection!
Rejoice, covering us with an outpouring of Grace!
Rejoice, Who appears to us when we know neither the day nor the hour!
Rejoice, for Thou didst call us to the Kingdom of God suddenly!
Rejoice, Who imprints the image of Thy Son on those who honour Thee!
Rejoice, Robe of salvation!
Rejoice, Armour of Christ!
Rejoice, Witness to the Divine Incarnation!
Rejoice, Holy Garment without seam!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 6
Acknowledging finally Thy appearance on earth through Thy holy image, those who
gazed in wonder at it saw it to signify the vision of the Beloved Disciple, John, in the
Apocalypse. They understood, at long last, that Thou came to call all to salvation and
free many from the darkness of pagan error. Praising God and Thee for these and many
other manifest mercies, they sang: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
God consecrated Thee to His service from Thy conception in the womb of Thy holy
mother, Anne. We honour Thee as the true Temple of the Holy Trinity and the Fount
through which Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, pours out His Mercy upon the world and
joyfully exclaim:
Rejoice, Holy Daughter of God the Father!
Rejoice, Precious Mother of God the Son!
Rejoice, Sanctified Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, Cause of joy to Thy parents, Joachim and Anne!
Rejoice, conceived in holiness in the womb of Thy mother!
Rejoice, Vessel prepared by God to receive His Word!
Rejoice, Sacred Jar of the living Manna!
Rejoice, Most Holy and Immaculate Mother of God!
Rejoice, Candlestick bearing the Light that enlightens all!
Rejoice, She in Whom God was pleased to dwell!
Rejoice, for the Lord is truly with Thee!
Rejoice, for blessed art Thou amongst all women!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 7
Constant preaching and missions could not sway the people from sacrificing their
children to demons and paying tribute to the cunning Serpent of old. In Thy image of
Guadalupe, Thou didst reveal Thyself as "She who crushes the serpent," removing from
the earth the curse received through the spilled blood of innocent children. As the former slaves of the Serpent now flock in large numbers to become the servants of Thy Son through Thee, inspired by Thy image, we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
Thou art the great Sign that appeared in Heaven, O Mother of God of Guadalupe, that
crushes the Serpent beneath Thy feet, delivering us from his enmity. Deliver us now
from all evil by Thine intercession as we sing to Thee:
Rejoice, Terror of demons!
Rejoice, Vanquisher of the evil one!
Rejoice, Destroyer of all his wiles!
Rejoice, bringing to nought his pride!
Rejoice, turning us firmly toward the Light that comes from the East!
Rejoice, Enlightenment of our darkness!
Rejoice, enrobed with the brightness of Thy Son!
Rejoice, crowned with the stars of Thy virtues!
Rejoice, with the moon at Thy feet!
Rejoice, Holy of Holies!
Rejoice, Unfading Bloom!
Rejoice, Life-giving Spring!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 8
Thy sacred image of Guadalupe manifests many miraculous signs and wonders to this
day, O Holy Mother of God. Even Thy eyes reflect Thy love for families kneeling in
prayer and asking Thy benevolent assistance. Pondering how Thou dost keep us all in
Thy motherly heart, praying for our needs and coming to our aid, we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
The tilma of Juan Diego, Thy sainted servant, is like unto the Mantle of Divine Protection which Thou didst extend over Thy children at Constantinople and many other places, protecting them from the enemies of their lives and salvation. We honour it as Thy very special token to us of Thy loving care and concern for us and sing joyfully:
Rejoice, Heavenly Cover against which the darts of the evil one rebound!
Rejoice, Putting on us the Lord Jesus Christ, leaving no provision for the flesh!
Rejoice, Cloak of salvation!
Rejoice, Protection against dominions and principalities!
Rejoice, warding off the invisible armies of those whose name is "Legion!"
Rejoice, Defeat of the spiritual Tartarus!
Rejoice, Joy of all who run to Thy Mantle!
Rejoice, Salvation of all who die under it!
Rejoice, Invincible Ally in our spiritual struggles!
Rejoice, Banner of Love flying above the Divine Banqueting House!
Rejoice, Signal of Grace!
Rejoice, Fortress of Divine strength!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 9
Beginning with Juan Bernardino, the uncle of Thy servant, Juan Diego, Thy miraculous
image of Guadalupe has become an inexhaustible source of healings. No one seeking
Thy assistance or invoking Thine aid is turned away empty-handed, O Mother of
Guadalupe, as limbs are restored, sight is regained and illness is banished from the bodies of Thy children. Most of all, spiritual health is restored to our souls through Thy allpowerful intercession as we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Thy children come with tears to Thy Shrine at Guadalupe, O Mother of God, and return
home in the joy of being fed with the Divine Sheaves of Holy Communion and a greater
union with God through Thee and Thy miraculous image. Inspired by these wonders of
Divine Grace, we loudly exclaim:
Rejoice, Equal to the Apostles, bringing the world to Christ!
Rejoice, Ladder leading us up to the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, Chalice in which we find the Bread of Life!
Rejoice, Censor that contains the Divine Coal!
Rejoice, Altar bearing the Creator of all!
Rejoice, Garment which clothes us in Grace!
Rejoice, Converter of souls!
Rejoice, Cause of our repentance!
Rejoice, imparting the grace of sanctification to all!
Rejoice, inspirer of prayer!
Rejoice, Tablet through which God inscribes His law on our hearts!
Rejoice, bringing us health of body and soul!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 10
Thou didst protect the children of old who were sacrificed to the cunning Serpent. Thou
didst dry up the streams of their blood and tears over the earth as Thou didst cast the
Serpent into hell from whence he came. We ask you, Most Holy Mother of Guadalupe,
to protect the children of our time from a similar fate - through the sin of being killed in their mother's wombs through abortion. As Thou are a Mother to all Thy children, we
sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
Thy image at Guadalupe, O Most Holy Mother, reveals Thee as the fulfillment of the
ancient prophecy that a Virgin shall be found to be with Child. Knowing each child to
bear the image of God, Thou art a sure defender of those whose angels are ever before the Face of God the Father as we sing to Thee:
Rejoice, Protector of the helpless little ones!
Rejoice, Defender of children in the wombs of their mothers!
Rejoice, for of such is the Kingdom of God!
Rejoice, for Thou dost not suffer the little ones to come to Thy Son!
Rejoice, for thousands of children were martyred by Herod to save Thy Son!
Rejoice, for Thou art surrounded by their souls as with a precious Crown!
Rejoice, for Thou art the support of mothers everywhere!
Rejoice, for Thou art their mainstay and hope!
Rejoice, for Thou nourishes them and their children on the Milk of Thy Grace!
Rejoice, for unto us a Son is born!
Rejoice, for His Name is Emmanuel!
Rejoice, for God is with us in a little Child!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 11
The peoples of Mexico and all the Americas wonder in amazement at God's lovingkindness in sending us the image not made by human hands of His Most Holy Mother to be with us in our suffering and need. The Church, in the Name of Christ Crucified, also commands us to take our Mother home with us, in that holy image, to be our Guide and sure Protection as Thy faithful servants. And we lovingly obey, as we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
Thy image has become a true well-spring of blessings to us all, Mother of Guadalupe.
You fill with joy each one of us who approaches in faith and the fear of the Lord, giving
us all that is to our benefit, as we joyfully proclaim:
Rejoice, Unquenchable Source of Miracles!
Rejoice, Motherly intercession that the Son will not refuse!
Rejoice, telling us to do all that Thy Son, in the Gospel, tells us!
Rejoice, filling the empty jars of our souls with the Wine of Joy!
Rejoice, leading us to the Cross to which is fastened the Divine Cluster!
Rejoice, Unploughed Field in which grew the Heavenly Wheat!
Rejoice, Protector of Mexico!
Rejoice, Defender of the Native peoples!
Rejoice, Patron of all the Americas!
Rejoice, our Hope!
Rejoice, our Expectation!
Rejoice, our Eternal Guide!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 12
Thousands flock in pilgrimage to Thy holy Shrine at Guadalupe, O All-Holy Mother of
God! We are constantly in a great pilgrimage, travelling to our home that is Heaven and
the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Be Thou unto us our Leader
who guides us with Thine all-powerful intercession before the Throne of Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, as we sing: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
Thou art the Mother of Light and the Source of our Enlightenment through the Grace and
Mercies of Thy Son, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, O Most Holy Mother. As
we continually gaze at Thy miraculous image of Guadalupe, we are lost in love and
wonder at how much God truly loves us in having given us such a great and exalted
Mother Who is His own. Humbled by these thoughts, we sing:
Rejoice, Mother of Christ!
Rejoice, Mother of God Incarnate!
Rejoice, Mother of the true Light that enlightens us all!
Rejoice, Intercessor most powerful!
Rejoice, Joy of all Joys!
Rejoice, Quick to hear!
Rejoice, Keeper of the Gates!
Rejoice, our Heavenly Protection!
Rejoice, Lady of Mount Zion!
Rejoice, Beacon on the Mountain!
Rejoice, Ray of Light emanating from the Sun!
Rejoice, our beloved Mother!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!
Kontakion 13
Most Holy Mother of God, Thou didst reveal Thy miraculous image to Thy humble
servant, St. Juan Diego, at Tepeyac to bring the Light of Thy Son to the peoples of
Mesoamerica enslaved by the Serpent of old. Be our sure protection and guide
throughout our lives, pouring on us the Divine Grace of Thy Son through Thy
intercession, until we reach the place from whence Thou didst come to us, the Heavenly
Kingdom of Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, as we sing: Alleluia! (3 times).
(Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are repeated here).
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos of Guadalupe
O Theotokos of Guadalupe, accept this humble hymn of praise from us Thy servants in
honour of Thy miraculous image not made by human hands. Cover us with the Mantle of Thy Protection and guide with the prayers of Thy all-powerful intercession. Deliver us from the wiles of the Serpent of old, and break his hold on nations and individuals in our time. Lead us to Thy Son as the Divine Ladder, the flaming Bush unconsumed by fire
and the Ark of the New Covenant. Most Holy Mother of God intercede for us and save
us by Thy prayers. Amen.
6
posted on
12/12/2008 7:00:05 PM PST
by
Salvation
( †With God all things are possible.†)
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