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Day 3 - Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for a New Culture of Life

Day 3 Novena Reflection

On May 6, 1990, St John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to proclaim Juan Diego as "Blessed."

He said of this humble, simple and holy man:

"The Virgin chose him from among the most humble as the one to receive that loving and gracious manifestation of hers which is the Guadalupe apparition. Her maternal face and her blessed image which she left us as a priceless gift is a permanent remembrance of this."

On May 12, 1992, he dedicated a chapel to Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome below the main altar and near the tomb of St. Peter.

It was on that day that he called Our Lady the "Star of Evangelization and consequently the symbol of unity..."

He prayed,

"Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe,... always defend the gift of life, make truth and justice reign; promote industriousness and the Christian sharing of resources. May there be a joyous fulfillment of the civilization of love in the great family of the children of God. Amen."

On July 31, 2002, he returned to Mexico City to canonize Juan Diego, enrolling him in the canon of the Saints.

During his homily he asked:

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

"What was Juan Diego like? Why did God look upon him? The Book of Sirach, as we have heard, teaches us that God alone "is mighty; he is glorified by the humble" (cf. Sir 3:20).

The Pope continued: "Saint Paul's words, also proclaimed at this celebration, shed light on the divine way of bringing about salvation: "God chose what is low and despised in the world ... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1 Cor 1:28,29).

The Bishops of Mexico refer to the encounter St Juan Diego had with Our Lady as "the Guadalupe Event". They said in 2002, and I quote:

"It meant the beginning of evangelization with a vitality that surpassed all expectations. Christ's message, through his Mother, took up the central elements of the indigenous culture, purified them and gave them the definitive sense of salvation."

They continued, "Consequently Guadalupe and Juan Diego have a deep ecclesial and missionary meaning and are a model of perfectly inculturated evangelization."

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us.

Novena Prayer Asking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Beloved Father, through the life, death and resurrection of your only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, we have become your adopted sons and daughters.

Through Baptism we are now members of His Body, the Church, which is Your family.

Before your Son and our Savior gave up the last drop of His Sacred blood - and breathed his last breath - to set us free from sin and death -

He turned to His Beloved Mother at the foot of the Cross.

And said
'Woman, behold your son.'
Then he said to the disciple whom he loved with a special affection, John, and said,
'Behold your mother'" (John 19: 26-27).

The Mother of Jesus is the Mother of His Church - and our Mother.

And Now Dear Father, in the name of Jesus, and under the maternal care of Mary, His Mother, under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we ask for the end of the culture of death.

We ask for the spread of a new culture of life in the Americas.

We pray for the new evangelization of the Church and the conversion of the Americas to Jesus Christ and His Church.

And here, I present my own personal intention:

PAUSE FOR YOUR PRAYER INTENTION