Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of unborn children

 

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Feast Day: 12 December

Patroness of the Americas, of Mexico, of Unborn Children and Secondary Patroness of the Philippines

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Opening Prayer of the Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe 

12 December

O God, Father of mercies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son’s most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of people in the way of justice and of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.

Readings for the Mass.

Gospel for the Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Luke 1:39-47)

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

The Visitation

El Greco [Web Gallery of Art]

I never fail to be moved, delighted and inspired by this 'Dance of Life' between St Elizabeth pregnant with John the Baptist and Mary pregnant with Jesus.

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is most appropriate for Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. As the video above tells us, Mary is pregnant in the image. The sacrifice of humans was practised by the Aztecs in Mexico out of sense of indebtedness to their gods. Today in most Western countries it has become a 'human right' to kill children in the womb. This has led to millions of deaths each year. There has been a catastrophic fall in birth rates in many countries in Europe and east Asia. Be fertile and multiply (Genesis 1:28) is ignored.

Advent is a preparation to celebrate the gift of life. The apparitions in Guadalupe were a celebration of life, symbolised by the roses that our Lady gave to St Juan Diego in the middle of winter.

It is noteworthy that in all the apparitions that the Church has recognised, such as Lourdes, Fatima, Knock, Beauraing, Banneux and Guadalupe, Our Blessed Mother appeared to persons considered unimportant in society., just as Mary and Joseph were when they arrived in Bethlehem, captured in the painting below where one can hardly notice St Joseph leading the donkey with Mary on it.

The Census at Bethlehem

Pieter Bruegel the Elder [Web Gallery of Art]

A Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

 

Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.

Console parents who have lost that gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.

Teach us to cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.

Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.

We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.

Hymn to the Virgin of Guadalupe

Words and music by Juan Pablo Rojas

Produced by Canto Catolico, Chile

¡Viva La Virgen de Guadalupe!