Feast Day: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Thanks to Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda, we were able to add this beautiful Marian image to our "shrinky dink" Marian plaque collection. Didn't she come out lovely?

We love the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- but not half as much as our chaplain here at St. Athanasius. Fr. Z. -- who BamBam "hired" as our official chaplain -- is very devoted to this Marian image, both for her pro-life, protector of the unborn status and her "Mother of the Americas" appellation. Our Lady of Guadalupe is an amazing story of evangelizing the Aztecs through this lovely apparition in Mexico back in the late 1500s and the ensuing miracle through St. Juan Diego where not only did he bring roses to the Bishop in December, he had this beautiful image of Mary engraved in his tilma! What a wondrous thing that must have been. I've never seen the original; our chaplain has been to Mexico City many times and participated in concelebrating Mass with Pope John Paul the Great in the Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe!

And Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to respond to our prayers to her. I've just sent a book off to a publisher which I had put under her patronage -- and sent off to said publisher this morning! What better way to celebrate her feast? Please keep the book in your prayers as we move toward a Spring publication date.

With all this, I figured I owed Our Lady a great dinner so I tried to pull out the stops a bit: tonight we had bean/cheese burritos, cheese quesadillas, rice and for dessert: flan! A great meal to finish off our day of learning and loving and living the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, intercede for the Church, protect the Holy Father, help all who invoke you in their necessities. Since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most holy Son the Grace of a firm faith and sure hope amid the bitterness of life, as well as an ardent love and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.

Collect for Today:
O God of power and mercy, You blessed the Americas at Tepeyac with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. May her prayers help all men and women to accept each other as brothers and sisters. Through Your justice present in our hearts, may Your peace reign in the world. 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.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!