December 12, 2005
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
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She was a compromise between a statue and an icon.
A number of people have asked why Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of our Community. According to one of our founding friars, the statement above was in fact a major part of how they came to adopt our Lady under this title as our patroness! Divine Providence was evidently at work amidst a very human discussion however, as it has become more and more clear over time just how appropriate it is for our Community to be under the patronage of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Pope John Paul II made his first trip outside of Italy to Mexico City where he gave the title “the Star of the New Evangelization” to Our Lady of Guadalupe. What could be more appropriate for an American-born community that has evangelization as a major part of its mission than to look to this Star to guide us?
She is particularly honored in pro-life circles under this title since the image shows her to be with child (represented by the black sash), and she is revealed as more powerful than the serpent god to whom the Aztecs were sacrificing their children. We often carry her image to abortion sites where we pray and counsel and experience her intercession. Even in England the brothers find her becoming more and more popular under this title because of her association with the culture of life (even though someone there did remark to me that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to join in the celebration of “an American Mary!”)
Perhaps less known is the fact that she was working hand-in-hand with a small group of reformed Franciscans after her appearance in 1531 to bring approximately 8 million Aztecs into the Church in the following decade. Mexico City was a new diocese served at that time only by missionary Franciscans of the Observant Reform, including Bishop Zumarraga. Not that she has to be exclusively partial to working with Franciscans, but we are grateful that she still seems willing to show us her maternal care. All of our Friars and Sisters in the New York area are celebrating at the friary in Newark today and we will remember you, our “web-family” in our prayers together. Could I ask you to particularly remember to Our Lady a new-born premature baby named “John Paul,” the son of one of our Associates. He is being DNA tested for Down Syndrome and the results will be made known today. Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, ruega por nosotros!
Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR
www.franciscanfriars.com
comments: fromthefriars@
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