Beloved, below is a wonderful video on Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of God, Queen and Empress of the Americas. I received the entire message this morning from Saint Andrew’s Academy and thought I would send it to you in its entirety. Saint Andrew’s is one Academy that I believe needs to be known and supported. However, it is Our Lady of Guadalupe that is the subject of this email. Her shrine in Mexico City is the most visited shrine of Our Lady in the world, and the tilma, which normally would have disintegrated within 20 to 30 years of its beginning in 1521, is still fresh as the day the image first appeared, an image which, still today, baffles the most skilled of scientists.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of our Benedictine community, Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope. It is a bit of a miraculous story of how She simply “moved in” to our priory, and how She continues to watch over us with a Mother’s love.

May Our dear Lady bless you and your loved ones and lead you ever into deeper union with Her Divine Son, Whose birth we await this Advent!

Our love and prayers,
Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B.

Dear Mother Miriam,

As we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas, I would like to share a short video explaining some of the incredible symbolism found in the tilma of Juan Diego. Our boys were amazed after watching the following video this morning, and I am sure you will appreciate it as well.

Not only was the image miraculously imprinted on the garment of the humble Indian farmer, but every detail is impregnated with symbolism and meaning. The image also manifests phenomena that cannot be explained by science.

Our Lady’s eyes reflect light in the same three-dimensional proportions of a spherical human eye. The arrangement of the stars on Mary’s mantle is the exact arrangement of the constellations above Mexico on December 12th, 1531 – the day she appeared. The constellation surrounding Mary’s head is the corona constellation – indicating her queenship. The constellation above her womb is the constellation Leo – symbolizing Christ, who was the “Lion of Judah.” Her head is inclined at the exact angle the Earth is inclined toward the sun, and when the flowers and stars are changed to musical notes, they produce a perfect musical harmony.

Our Lady reveled herself as the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was a native word in Aztec that meant “the one who crushes the serpent.” May our powerful and loving Heavenly Mother, Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of all Graces, guide and protect us as we battle against the forces of darkness.

Vouchsafe that we may praise thee, O sacred Virgin. Give us strength against thy enemies. Pax Christi!

Ben Strong

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