THE ROSARY HOUR PODCAST NEWSLETTER | SPECIAL EVENING PRESENTATION
Mexico City | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe | 12 DECEMBER 2023
EVENING POST PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (Tijuana, California)
Thousands of pilgrims made it to the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe today to honour Our Lady and to sing the traditional Mexican birthday song entitled, “Las mañanitas”. In today’s post, former rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe,1 Fr. Elias Mary Mills2, FI, teaches our listeners all about the “why” of this special Feast, posted earlier this morning as an audiocast for our Advent Consecration Journey Day 22 co-led in a spontaneous collaboration by Children’s Rosary and the Rosary Hour Podcast teams. This year marks the 492nd Anniversary of Our Lady’s apparition in 1531.
Praying the Rosary every day for this consecration is a core group of people from around the globe who are praying together to prepare their hearts during advent for the Baby Jesus. Please pray for all those participating and praying together for 33-days from Australia, Portugal, Japan, Ireland, Canada, and the United States of America!
It is not too late to join us in preparing our hearts for the Baby Jesus.
Link to Day 22 of 33 Prayers for the Advent Consecration Journey with Dr. Kaufman’s latest reflection introduction Bishop John Keenan’s Day 22 video:
Here is Dr. Kaufman’s Reflection for Day 22 |
Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. LET US PRAY.
O God, who didst teach the hearts of Thy faithful people by sending them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us
by the same Spirit to have right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen
O Holy Spirit, sweet Guest of my soul, abide in me and grant that I may ever abide in Thee.
One thing we know about seeds is that they need to die in order to bear fruit. Our Lord tells us, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (Jn 12:24).
St. Louis de Montfort states that “we need Mary in order to die to ourselves.”
By our own nature we are weak, inconstant, and prone toward vanity and pride. Our hearts are hard. Yet Our Blessed Mother is constant, unwavering, humble, pure, and full of love. Through Our Lady and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, we can see, to the extent it is possible, our lowliness and dependence on God. For when we see our lowliness and look to Our Lord to supply all we are lacking, this unlocks a torrent of grace that helps to sanctify us.
Indeed, with the help of Our Lady, if we can turn our focus from ourselves and direct all our focus to God, then God can bring fruit through us. St. Thérèse, the Little Flower, through her “little way” provides a beautiful example of dying to oneself each day. She would find little sacrifices throughout the day to give to Our Lord. If there was a person Thérèse would prefer to avoid, she instead offered a big smile to this person or helped them. She began with little things like folding the mantles that the sisters left behind and providing little services to them. The Little Flower took all these as opportunities to choose love even when it was contrary to her natural inclination. In this way, she continued to reject her will and, instead, embraced the will of God, thus dying to herself.
Goal: We need Mary to help us die to ourselves.
TONIGHT PRAY THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
Evening / Night Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe
by: The USCCB3
Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.
Console parents who have lost that gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.
FOOTNOTES
A Nebraska native, Fr. Elias Mary Mills, F.I. discernment to the priesthood and religious life
began before his graduation from Kearney State College where he majored in Mathematics and minored in Computer Science. There he spent two years in formation as a Carmelite, being professed in 1986. As a volunteer with the Conventual Franciscans at Marytown, he learned about St. Maximilian Kolbe and Total Consecration to the Immaculata.
He entered into his seminary formation at Holy Apostles Seminary, here in Cromwell, CT. During this time, he was introduced to the Franciscans of the Immaculate, who had just arrived at Holy Apostles. Fr. Elias would join the F.I. in 1993 and make his Final Profession in September 1999. In December, he was then ordained a Deacon in Castelpetroso, Italy. During the Jubilee Year of 2000, Fr. Elias, as a deacon, served in the sacristy of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Later that year on May 27, Fr. Elias was ordained a priest by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz in Lincoln, Nebraska. In his extensive travels as a missionary priest, Fr. Elias served the Friars’s mission in Western Australia for three years as well as the F.I. Friary here in Griswold and then traveled back to Castelpetroso, Italy. He was then assigned serving nine years as Father Guardian and Retreat Program Director at the Mother of the Redeemer Retreat Center in Bloomington, Indiana. In
December 2016 - August 2021, Fr. Elias served at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin as Rector of the Shrine Church [Click to read more].
Fr. Elias’ passion and love for Our Lady is undaunted, as can be seen and heard in his many
retreat talks and homilies. Ave Maria!
SOURCE: https://www.usccb.org/prayers/prayer-our-lady-guadalupe
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