Friday, December 12, 2014

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Our Loving Mother and Miracle Worker


Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!!!!

I love this feast!  
I so love our Our Blessed Mother that I long to share her with everyone -- because her love for us is unimaginable -- and she only desires to "show, exalt and make Jesus manifest" (present) to us! 

In 1999, my family and I were blessed to go on a pilgrimage to Mexico City to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and to be present for .John Paul II's Papal visit.  After years of longing for a baby, just over a year later we were blessed with the miracle of our daughter, Marie, who is named after the Mother who interceded for her birth.  

So, just as I was then... 

I am still moved by God's plan to use His Mother to intercede for us and heal us. 

Through her image, she wrought the amazing miracle of converting the hearts of the entire people of Mexico, which included 6 million souls (some number those converted up to 12 million souls) who had been worshipping and making human sacrifices to their Aztec gods.  In her image, she showed herself to be above the sun and moon gods that they worshipped -- for she was clothed with the sun and the moon was under her feet. While greater than their gods, she was not a god -- for she bowed her head in prayer to her unborn child inside her, manifested by the cord that signaled that she was with Child.  

Astoundingly, it seems as if every detail of God's portrait of Mary is filled with meaning, with some so scientifically inexplicable that even scientists call the image "living"! Click here to download a powerpoint presentation that beautifully explains many of these phenomena. 

In fact, in and through these signs, God, through this amazing portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe, has wrought about immeasurable miracles.  At least 6 million and one! 

And, who could not be moved by Mary's words, words of the Mother of God and our mother?

"Juanito, dearest Juan Diego."
"Listen, Juan, my dearest and youngest son, where are you going?"

"Know, know for sure, my dearest, littlest, and youngest son, that I am the perfect and ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the God of truth through Whom everything lives, the Lord of all things near us, the Lord of heaven and earth. I want very much to have a little house built here for me, in which I will show Him, I will exalt Him and make Him manifest. I will give Him to the people in all my personal love, in my compassion, in my help, in my protection: because I am truly your merciful Mother, yours and all the people who live united in this land and of all the other people of different ancestries, my lovers, who love me, those who seek me, those who trust in me. Here I will hear their weeping, their complaints and heal all their sorrows, hardships and sufferings. And to bring about what my compassionate and merciful concern is trying to achieve, you must go to the residence of the Bishop of Mexico and tell him that I sent you here to show him how strongly I wish him to build me a temple here on the plain; you will report to him exactly all you have seen, admired and what you have heard. Know for sure I will appreciate it very much, be grateful and I will reward you. And you? You will deserve very much the reward I will give you for your fatigue, the work and trouble that my mission will cause you. Now my dearest son, you have heard my breath, my word; go now and put forth your best effort."...

"Listen to me, my youngest and dearest son, know for sure that I do not lack servants and messengers to whom I can give the task of carrying out my words, who will carry out my will. But it is very necessary that you plead my cause and, with your help and through your mediation, that my will be fulfilled. My youngest and dearest son, I urge and firmly order you to go to the bishop again tomorrow. Tell him in my name and make him fully understand my intention that he start work on the chapel I'm requesting. Tell him again that I am the ever Virgin, Holy Mary, the Mother of God, who is sending you."...

"That is fine, my youngest and dearest son; you will return here tomorrow so that you may take the sign he asked for. Then, he will believe and no longer doubt or be suspicious of you; and know, my dear son, I shall reward your care, work and fatigue in my behalf. Go now; tomorrow I shall be here waiting for you."...

"What is happening, dearest and youngest of my sons? Where are you going? Where are you headed?"

"Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that disturbs you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing. Do not let your countenance, your heart be disturbed. Do not fear this sickness of your uncle or any other sickness, nor anything that is sharp or hurtful. Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you. Do not let your uncle's illness worry you, because he will not die now. You may be certain that he is already well."...

"Go up, my dearest son, to the top of the hill, to where you saw me and received my directions and you will find different kinds of flowers. Cut them, gather them, put them all together, then come down here and bring them before me."...

"My youngest and dearest son, these different kinds of flowers are the proof, the sign that you will take to the Bishop. You will tell him from me that he is to see in them my desire, and therefore he is to carry out my wish, my will. And you, who are my messenger, in you I place my absolute trust. I strictly order you not to unfold your tilma or reveal its contents until you are in his presence. You will relate to him everything very carefully: how I sent you to the top of the hill to cut and gather flowers, all you saw and marveled at in order to convince the Governing Priest so that he will then do what lies within his responsibility so that my house of God which I requested will be made, will be built."

May these words of Mary, and these astounding signs, help each of us come to understand how much we are loved by God, Who never ceases to reach out to us in our need through Our Blessed Mother's loving intercession.  

Just as You, O Lord, saved all those who were destined to be sacrificed to the false Aztec idols, may you save us today from our culture of death, which leads us to sacrifice our souls to the idols of pride, pleasure, power and monetary gain. 

Just as you saved the Aztecs in a way we could have never imagined, we trust You are working to save us in ways we don't understand. 

O Lady of Guadalupe, whose miraculous presence is still with us today, pray for us!!!


© Revised 2017 Janet Moore



No comments:

Post a Comment