Project BLACK MAMBA: Our Lady of Guadalupe

Advent | The Long Road Back
Tuesday, 12 December was the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (apparitions, 9-12 December 1531): Madonna-link ūna, Madonna-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:

The Virgin of Guadalupe is considered the Patroness of Mexico & the Continental Americas; she is also venerated by Naive Americans, on the account of the devotion calling for the conversion of the Americas. Replicas of the tilma can be found in thousands of churches throughout the world, & numerous parishes bear her name. Due to a claim that her black girdle indicates pregnancy on the image, the Blessed Virgin Mary, under this title is popularly invoked as Patroness of the Unborn & a common image for the Pro-Life movement.

Video, procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe & reflection by Bishop Robert Barron: Word on Fire.

Video reflection by Matthew Leonard of Scott Hahn's St. Paul Center: Journey through Scripture.

Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Book of Zechariah, chapter two, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
or, the Book of Revelation, chapter eleven, verse nineteen(a) & chapter twelve, verses one thru six(a) & ten(a/b);
The Book of Judith, chapter thirteen, verses eighteen(b/c/d/e) & nineteen;
or, the Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses forty-six & forty-seven;
(Optional*) The Letter to the Galatians, chapter four, verses four thru seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thirty-eight;
or, the Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses thirty-nine thru forty-seven.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today we celebrate the great feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What followed the apparition of Mary at Tepeyac is one of the most astounding chapters in the history of Christian evangelism.

Though Franciscan missionaries had been laboring in Mexico for twenty years, they had made little progress. But within ten years of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, practically the entire Mexican people, nine million strong, had converted to Christianity. La Morena had proved a more effective evangelist than St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Patrick, and St. Francis Xavier combined! And with that great national conversion, the Aztec practice of human sacrifice came to an end. She had done battle with fallen spirits and had won a culture-changing victory for the God of love.

The challenge for us who honor her today is to join the same fight. We must announce to our culture today the truth of the God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ, the God of nonviolence and forgiving love. And we ought, like La Morena, to be bearers of Jesus to a world that needs him more than ever.

Video reflection by Deacon Miguel Santos: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

*The optional Second Reading was read at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church (Flint), from their bilingual Missalette, but is not even listed as an option in the monolingual Missalette used at Saint Matthew Catholic Church (Flint). At Our Lady of Guadalupe, the First Reading was in Spanish, the Psalm (the Magnificat) was sung in alternating Spanish & English, the Second Reading was in English, the Gospel was in Spanish, & the homily was delivered twice, first in Spanish & then in English.

'Twas also the festival of Saint Finnian of Clonard, Abbot (circa 470-552; also spelt Fionnán, etc.; Latinized as Vennianus, etc.), founder of Clonard Abbey: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Abbey & Wikipedia-link Abbots.

'Twas also the festival of Blessed Pius Bartosik, Priest & Martyr, O.F.M. Conv. (1909-1941, A.K.A. Ludwik Bartosik), martyred in the reign of the Führer Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link CVIII.

Saint Quote o' That Day
From "Heroes' Words" in 54-Day Basic Training in Holiness by Father Richard Heilman:

"Moreover, Christians are born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God willing, the triumph: 'Have confidence; I have overcome the world' (John, 16:33)."
—Pope Leo XIII