Much has happened in Luke's family and in our farm situation in the last 5 years! Most wonderful is the addition of our Joy. They are now truly farm kids living and loving the life they are gifted with on the farm as we switched houses about 2 1/2 years ago now.
“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.”
These were the words of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St Juan Diego when she appeared to him in 1531. They are still relevant today as Archbishop (now Cardinal) Burke reminds us in a homily he gave at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe that he helped establish in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Some insights...
“…our late and most beloved Pope (Saint) John Paul II placed the mission of the Church in America, at the beginning of the Third Christian Millennium, under the protection of the Virgin of Guadalupe and commended her to us as the Star to lead us to Christ and, in Christ, to the conversion of our personal lives and the transformation of our world.” ...
(Cardinal) Burke calls this apparition “the mystery of the Visitation as it was experienced on our continent in 1531. The woman clothed with the sun, bearing the Infant Savior, the Anointed, in her womb, appeared to Saint Juan Diego, from December 9 to 12, 1531, in order that a chapel be built in which she might manifest the all-generous and never-failing merciful love of God for us, incarnate in her womb and alive for us in the Church, above all, in the Sacrament of the Real Presence, the Holy Eucharist.”
“…she has desired to remain with us always, in order that the mystery of the Visitation might be always new for us. She has miraculously left her living image on the tilma or mantle of St Juan Diego. In the magnificent basilica built to her honor, in which the tilma of St Juan Diego is enthroned, the Mother of God continues to visit pilgrims and to announce to them the great mystery of God’s all-loving and never-failing mercy.” ...
“… in 1531, she inspired her sons and daughters to abandon the horror of human sacrifice and to respect the inviolable dignity of every man, both the Native American and the European, so now she inspires us to be tireless disciples of the Gospel of Life, working to end the horror of procured abortion and so-called “mercy-killing,” and to promote the respect for the dignity of every human life from the moment of inception to the moment of natural death.”
The glorious thing I discovered about Our Lady of Guadalupe is that she is pregnant with Christ! The high placement of the ribbon, which indicates virginity also is there to reveal that she is with child!
The visitation as Mary pregnant with Jesus comes and our hearts jump for JOY as we join with Elizabeth... "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb... Jesus!"
She converted millions and the horror of human sacrifice ended for the Aztec Indians. Now she comes to us in our ugly mess of a world and we beseech her to end the horror callous end of innocent human life in the womb by abortion!
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.
Last year they were all 5! Patrick will not make it this year, so... We are sad that all will not be gathering this year at our wonderful CCC!
Pat last year with Joy and Evangeline, our two youngest grandchildren. They still are the youngest but only few a few more months! We are expecting 3 new grandchildren in March! Nancy will be having #5, Maria #6 and Bobbi and John having their first! LIFE is a gift and we are called to raise them as LIGHTS for this world of sin and darkness!
If you love Mary there is only one place to be... The True Catholic Church! Jesus, we trust in you. Bless-bless, Barb
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