December
9
"O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life" (The Gospel of Life, 105).
Reflection: When Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego (whose feast is today), the Aztecs were practicing human sacrifice. They thought God was against them, and in despair, took life to appease him.
Mary's image brought the message that God was with them -- so much, in fact, that he became a child, carried in Mary's womb. This gave them hope, and they stopped their human sacrifice and became Christian.
Prayer: Saint Juan Diego, pray for us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us. Amen.