the most amazing woman
"Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: 'Blest are you among women and blest is the Fruit of your womb. But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' " —Luke 1:41-43
I, Father Al Lauer, am the founder of a religious community, the Brothers and Fathers of Pentecost. One of our principal patrons is Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Presentation Ministries publishes One Bread, One Body. Presentation Ministries' retreat house, called the Paul Jansen Discipleship Center, has a chapel named after Our Lady of Guadalupe. Presentation Ministries is a network of over thirty small Christian communities. One of our communities is named after Our Lady of Guadalupe. Why did the Holy Spirit lead us to so emphasize Our Lady of Guadalupe?
Mary is the mother of God. Therefore, she has a very important part in God's plan of salvation. When Jesus hung on the cross, He gave His disciples Mary to be our mother (Jn 19:26-27). Jesus wants us to love His mother, who is our adoptive mother.
Jesus especially worked through His mother at a place that would later be called Guadalupe. There Mary showed herself to be the great evangelizer. In seven years, she led eight million people to commit their lives to her Son Jesus. Also, Our Lady made one of the greatest stands for life ever. She put an end to killing thousands of children as sacrificial offerings.
Today in our secular humanistic culture of death, we need the Lord to continue to work through Our Lady of Guadalupe to protect life and lead millions of people to new life in Christ. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to teach me more about Mary's part in Your plan.
Promise: "See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord." —Zec 2:14
Praise: Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke to one obedient man. Now half the Catholic Church's living members are in the New World.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert A. Stricker, June 23, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, June 26, 2003