Our Lady of Guadalupe is universally recognizable. Her beautiful praying posture, starry jade mantle, and dazzling sun rays can be seen in many unlikely places. However, many do not know that Our Lady of Guadalupe is widely recognized as the Patroness of the Unborn.
Why? Because from her first appearance until now, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s image has communicated symbols of life, motherhood, and divine care.
The Virgin is depicted wearing a black maternity sash, a traditional Aztec symbol of pregnancy, with a four-petaled flower over her womb. In Aztec culture, this flower represents the cosmos and is associated with the highest divinity—and so it shows her to be the Mother of the true Creator of the cosmos.
She stands atop a crescent moon, which signifies her victory over darkness. Rays of light emanate around her that underscore her role both as the conqueror of the old Aztec gods and as the Mother of the one, life-giving God.
This week, we need the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe more than ever! In the United States, in addition to welcoming a new administration, it is also the week of the annual March for Life.
Let us ask Our Lady of Guadalupe for her intercession on these events. May her maternal love guide this new administration and our country to a deeper recognition of the dignity of life, from conception to natural death. Her message, as relevant now as it was nearly 500 years ago, invites us to see the image of God in every person, from conception onward.
Make the message of Guadalupe an essential part of your morning routine with Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexican Mocha Coffee. This medium roast coffee is crafted from single-origin Mexican beans and embodies the warmth of traditional Mexican hot chocolate. Our Lady’s loving image is portrayed beautifully on the bag, reminding you to begin your day with her intercession. Available today from The Catholic Company!
