Created For Love; Our Lady of Guadalupe (UPDATED)

IMPORTANT SUMMARY

THIS TALK IS ON ICONOGRAPHY, THE HISTORY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE IN SPAIN, HOW FATIMA IS CONNECTED, HOW GOD PROVIDENTIALLY CHOSE OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE TO BE THE INTERCESSOR OF THE REMNANT CHURCH, WHICH WOULD BE IN THE AMERICA'S, AND HOW SHE IS GATHERING AN ARMY THAT ARE CONSECRATED TO HER FOR THE PURPOSE OF HEALING, RESTORING, SPIRITUAL BATTLE AND CATECHESIS THROUGH LOVE TO FUFILL GODS UNIQUE PLAN OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD.  SHE IS CO-REDEMPTRIX IN THAT SHE HAS AND IS COOPERATING ("CO" MEANS WITH) GOD FOR THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD.  WE TOO ARE CALLED TO COOPERATE BY BRINGING CHRIST TO OTHERS.  

I had an encounter with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that changed the way I understood who and what Mary is, how God loves the world and our place in this plan of Divine Providence.

(click link to hear audio: "OLG message to Church of 21st Century")
OLGuadalupe Message to the Church of the 21st Century! (AUDIO TALK WHERE I SHARE ON SPIRITUAL BATTLE, SPECIFICALLY SEXUAL ABUSE)

I was in Philadelphia at the Theology of The Body Institute and was invited to dinner with a couple, Ryan and Lisa, who lived nearby. At dinner we visited and shared our journey as parents of large families, homeschooling and more. I liked them both instantly. All at once, Lisa asked me if I ever looked closely at the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I had to confess that I did not, after all I have always thought that this image was just a picture of the blessed mother as she appeared in Mexico, nothing more, nothing less. Boy was I in for a huge awakening.

She left the room and returned with a votive candle, you know the ones that have images on them? This one had an image pasted on the outside of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She proceeded tell me that one day when she was looking at the image, she discerned what looked like a line on the inner gown that was comparable to that found on a pregnant woman's belly called a linea nigra. This is darkening of the skin due to changes in hormones, that spans from the bellybutton to the pelvic area and is quite common to women who are expecting.

As I looked at the inner robe, I experienced a profound insight to the image that took my breath away. Not only did I see what she was seeing, but I saw even more. I saw how the entire inner robe looked like a torso, but not any torso. It looked to me that of the torso of Christ. Right down the center of the torso is the line which is in the very fabric of the Tilma itself. This is thought by many experts to be the exact center of the original image, as it has been cut to fit frames over the years, thus changing the shape.

If I followed the line, indeed, there is a dark area of where the bellybutton would be, the line going down, then leads to a shadowed area that looks like two thighs coming together in the pubic area. As I followed the darkened line up from the bellybutton, I saw that just to the right of it, where the heart shaped flower is (and where one would expect a heart to be inside of a body), I saw the punctured heart of Christ, there is even a curved line like that of the flow of water and blood coming from the the heart and curving into the the folds just under the 4 petaled Jasmine flower that is a glyph of truth and for the one true God.

I was flabbergasted. Right in front of me, I was seeing the torso of Christ, whose arms extended upwards and become her arms, as if symbolically they were conveying that they are united in purpose ending with her pinkies crossed in the St. Anthony cross. I also noticed how only four of her fingers show on each hand just like the shroud of Turin does of the crucified Christ, another Holy image said to be a miraculous image. I have since taken both images and overlapped them and discovered other beautiful coincidences.

Upon leaving the couples home that evening, they gave me a book about the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to read. I stayed up most of the night reading it. I am sure some of you are shaking your heads at me saying, “You didn't know that it was a codex or a language in picture form to the Nahuatl Indians?” Nope, but I did now and I was beginning to get a whole lot more. As I read through the Handbook of Our Lady of Guadalupe I began to decipher the codex with the lens of Theology of The Body. Something was happening, I started seeing a message related to our own times. I began to see a new purpose revealed within the image and it was a message to the world that we were created for love. This message was filled with divine mercy and it's grace that was literally emanating off of the picture as I gazed at Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The glyphs within the image, spoke a language in codex form to the Nahuatl Indians. This message signaled an end to human sacrifices and that a new civilization had arrived (the shape of the heart conveyed hill or mountain, the “stems” of the flower were a glyph for river or water and together they revealed civilization) for in this image was revealed that she was bringing the one true God, which was greater than any of their gods (she blotted out the sun, thus the rays coming from behind her).

The glyph of the face of the “wise man” which can be seen within the 9 large heart shaped flowers spoke another truth to me. Since I believed that the curved line emanating from the heart shaped flower glyph was that of the font of Divine Mercy, (after all it came from the heart just like the Divine Mercy image and it also originated from the belly of Our Lady where the incarnate Christ was inside of her womb) the rest of the revelation came to me in a tidal wave of thought.

What if the face of the wise man was John Paul II who not only canonized St. Faustina, thus giving the message of divine mercy to the world, but what if this “new civilization” was about making our hearts right, untwisting them, putting a “person” or face into our own hearts so that we would not objectify others as he wrote about in Love and Responsibility and in Theology of The Body.

Even her name, “Guadalupe” she shares with the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, traditions says was carved by St. Joseph and painted by St. Luke. The Icon is titled “The Queen Of Mercy” because she protected those who sought her intercession.

The Divine Providence alone begs the question...Why was OL Guadalupe the Icon in Spain, the icon that in the 5th Century saved St. Gregory Great, in the 7th Century saved Bishop Leander in Spain, preserved the faith there and upon it's discovery after Mary appeared to a farmer, a church was built there in which later St. Isabela would consecrate her reign and Columbus, Cortez and Bishop Zummaraga would all visit this same church and consecrate their lives and their work to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Why? Unless the preservation of the faith is some how tied to Mary through this particular title and this particular Icon.

In the image from Spain, she is a mother, holding the Christ child. In the image in Mexico, she is a mother expectant with the God incarnate. The mercy of God, the reason for Him becoming man. Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke these words to Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill “Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am 1 not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.” She is the source of our joy. She also called herself our merciful mother. What is in the hallow of her mantle? Christ's mercy, God's love demonstrated in the incarnation. No wonder we are told to place ourselves within the hallow of her mantle because this is where the trinity is.

More miraculous findings have been revealed within the past century. For instanct, in her eyes, using high powered microscopes and computers images of St. Juan Diego, the Bishop and others have been found in her eyes. It is an interesting side note that her eyes display a triple reflection (Samson-Purkinje effect) characteristic that is found in a living eye. In one of her eyes a discovery of a man and woman with several children are found, representing a family. I find the images of the family strangely reminiscent of the themes of JP2's pontiff. If the family is seen in Mary's eyes, this reveals much to us about the future of the “church” since Mary is the mother of our church and we are her church.

"The family is the domestic church". The meaning of this traditional Christian idea is that the home is the Church in miniature. The Church is the sacrament of God’s love. She is a communion of faith and life. She is a mother and teacher. She is at the service of the whole human family as it goes forward towards its ultimate destiny. In the same way the family is a community of life and love. It educates and leads its members to their full human maturity and it serves the good of all along the road of life The family is the "first and vital cell of society". In its own way it is a living image and historical representation of the mystery of the Church. The future of the world and of the Church, therefore, passes through the family.” Homily of Pope John Paul II November 30, 1986.

John Paul II brought us these messages in Theology of The Body and Love and Responsibility. Within them, he desired to share with us the relationship of God, which is the trinity (father, son and Holy Spirit). The trinity reveals profound theological truths to us about who God is. We are called to “know” God. Just as scripture says “and Mary knew not man” this knowing is one of intimacy and relationship and is how God desires to “know” us (union and communion).

JP2 desired to reveal that each one of us are called to this union and communion. JP2 also worked tirelessly to share the dignity of all life and our call to love freely, fully, faithfully and fruitfully. This is how we would know, love and serve God so that we could enter into union and communion with God not only in Heaven but right now on earth. I believe all of these truths are revealed in this image.
The Devil Is Out To Destroy The Family

http://wcr.ab.ca/WCRThisWeek/Stories/tabid/61/entryid/357/Default.aspx

I have begun to read every book that I can on the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have come to see many things in the glyphs, in the codex, in the icon like image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. What is the most important thing that I believe is revealed in the image? I would have to say the most important image I see is overwhelming symbols of the trinity.

God the father (creator and giver of life, expressed in her receptivity of motherhood) so loved the world that He humbled Himself and became Man (incarnation of Christ in her womb). God the son, (revealed through sash signifying pregnancy as well as the torso of Christ seen in the inner robe)so loved the father that He gave Himself as a gift back to the Father(the flowing blood and water from the pierced “heart” comes out of the “mouth” of the glyph of the wise man found inside of the heart) the flow of blood and water cascades down the 3 folds (symbolic of the one true triune God?) just under the 4 petaled jasmine flower (truth, God) showing us that the Father received the gift of the son. This love was so complete and full that it became life-giving (the three folds as well as the fact that her pregnancy is a result of being overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit).

Identical twins result from the splitting of a single embryo, one flesh becomes two sharing the same DNA. In this image we see that Christ takes his humanity from Mary's flesh alone (no biological father) and in doing so, gains the hands and feet in which to give himself as a sacrifice to mankind. Archbishop Fulton Sheen says that “since a woman played so great a role in the fall of man, would not woman then play such a great role in the salvation of man?”

Interestingly, the constellation of Gemini, the twins, is located on his torso indicating this profound truth that God made the body that made His body. They are flesh of the same flesh, united in purpose conveying union of purpose and love as well as communion since not only does every participle of her DNA exist within Christ but she is also carrying his infant form within her womb, giving him the blood and water in which to give Him life. He then reciprocates by giving us his blood and water in which to bring us all, through his mercy into the next world.

Eve, was brought into the world through the gift of himself and through the flesh of Adam she came to be. Now the New Adam, through the self-donation and gift of the New Eve, will receive His flesh from the flesh of Mary. So it would seem that God really does make all things new. In the beginning, Eve in her no, of her own free will, took, with her no to God and in doing so she brought the fruit (knowledge of Good and Evil) of death into her body and subsequently brought death to all of her offspring.
All is made new when the New Eve, Mary, of her own free will, gives herself as a gift and in doings so brings into her body the fruit of life and of all knowledge, into her body and subsequently brought life to all mankind. Mary is the ark, she is the first tabernacle and we see her her standing on the moon as if it were a patent, suspended by an angel that venerates her.

I found many “secrets” that at first I thought were secrets, but now I have found that there are Saints and mystics that have been saying this stuff for the past 2,000 years!  In fact, I am encountering many people who are being drawn to Icons and Iconography right now.  They are drawn to Our Lady of Guadalupe like never before and there are people that are being drawn to find ways to use art to communicate truths of the Christian faith to the people of the world that are so lost and broken right now and falling under the weight of their own weaknesses that they are thirsty, desperately thirsty and desire hope and desire to encounter a living God!

THIS TALK IS ON ICONOGRAPHY, THE HISTORY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE IN SPAIN, HOW FATIMA IS CONNECTED, HOW GOD PROVIDENTIALLY CHOSE OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE TO BE THE INTERCESSOR OF THE REMNANT CHURCH, WHICH WOULD BE IN THE AMERICA'S, AND HOW SHE IS GATHERING AN ARMY THAT ARE CONSECRATED TO HER FOR THE PURPOSE OF HEALING, RESTORING, SPIRITUAL BATTLE AND CATECHESIS THROUGH LOVE TO FUFILL GODS UNIQUE PLAN OF SALVATION OF THE WORLD.

Indeed we are created for love. I hope your Christmas season is filled with the revelation that God is with us and He came to be with us physically in the flesh of mankind so that we might participate in the salvation of mankind through our gift of self. It is in our yes, that we are able to bring Christ to others.  Caryll Houselander taught me that.   In the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, God reveals that there are no lengths in which He would not go to reveal His love to the world.

5 Themes of Theology of The Body I would like explained further

I have been thinking a lot about areas of Theology of The Body that I would like to understand on a deeper level. There are many. However, some of the areas are important to the extent that if there is confusion, the entire body of work can be misunderstood. Here are just five areas that I would love to see explained further, with subtopics I would like explained in context if they do relate at all.

1. Sex as a Noun
a) Redemption of the Body
8:23 Romans
b) As a truth expressing “The Beginning” the Ontological man and (TOB 46:6) Called in that truth, what does the body reveal?
c)Spousal Meaning of the Body
who man is
who woman is
who they are reciprocally one for the other in the work of creation
1) Freedom occurs to concupiscence of heart
(Freedom of that spiriutal state and power that derive from
mastery over the concupiscence of the flesh.
2) (TOB 46:6) Spousal in regard to the last sentence in TOB 46:5, “the
supreme value, which is love, dignity of person, expressed through
reciprocal relations of man and woman.
2. Sex as a Verb
3. Lust
1. Relate desire inside of this
2. Discuss the ramifications of Lust and concupiscence being translated from the original text.
4. Theology of Concupiscence
1. Three Fold Concupiscence, we need a solid language
1. Define all three
1. Nietzschean hermeneutics, concupiscence of the heart
2. Marxist Hermeneutics, Concupiscence of the eyes
3. Freudian hermeneutics, Concupiscence of the flesh
1. Is this carnal concupiscence?
2. Relate “Remedy or Relief of Concupiscence to this to further clarify lust
and mature purity.
3. Is “Pride of Life” saying that the trinity and it's truth is replace with
the me, myself and I trinity?
4. Unfold scripture John 2:15-16 and Romans 8:23 in light of this clarification
of language.
5. Does the quote “The words of Christ testify that the original power (and thus also the grace) of the mystery of creation becomes fro each one of them the power (that is the grace) of the mystery of redemption. Mean that the cross provides the power and grace to redeem the body in such a fullness that we can be healed in one or more areas of the 3 fold concupiscence? Can we be freed from one or more of the 3 forms of concupiscence if indeed we can say that there are 3?
1. If God is a trinity and a relationship are we as well a trinity of body, soul, and intellect/free will? Would it make sense that there would be concupiscence in these three separate areas, of the body, the soul (heart) the intellect/will (our eyes and what we choose to put into it? Perhaps we are not giving credence to the fact that only through continence (motivated by love) can allow us to heal the concupiscence of the eyes which are the window to the soul and in looking away we do not allow into our souls/hearts the opportunity to lust. So it is not only continence but also it is freedom and healing that must in union be embraced so that we can be healed in these areas?
5. Mature Purity
To include discussion of (46;6) “a vision of man's possibilities”. Important that precisely in his heart he does not feel himself irrevocably accused and given up tot he concupiscence of the flesh but that in the same heart he feels himself called with energy.” (Is energy here referring to the power and grace available to us through the redemption of Christ on the cross or what is he referring to here?

Healing The Whole Person

Perhaps one of the main reasons for an increase in depression, over-exhaustion and feelings of inadequacy or loneliness comes from the fact that we do not accept ourselves as we are. Perhaps we are unable to embrace our greatness (being made in the image and likeness of God and with a purpose) because we are broken and need inner healing. We place so many demands on ourselves and others that we end up complicating our lives rather than simplifying it. Why do we do this? Because we do not feel good enough or worthy to be loved as we are so, we delude ourselves and others, wasting so much of the energy we have, on a facade. We do this because we are wounded.
Because many of us have been wounded, we can fail to see the beauty in who we are and try to become what we think others will accept us as or what we “should” be so that others will not reject us (rejection wounds). In other words, we “should” all over ourselves. This depletes a tremendous amount of energy. Energy that could otherwise be spent fulfilling our purpose. Sometimes we just stuff down our pain, pushing it deeper and deeper in a jar and turn the lid on extra tight so it stays there. We then forget about it but, the effects are still there.
Then there are some people, who know who they are and embrace it. They embrace their weaknesses and limitations which becomes a new strength by simplifying their lives and allowing them to grow in humility. These people radiate energy and when you are in their presence you feel it like rays of sunshine on your face on a a clear summer day. Have you ever met someone like this? When they look at you, you fee as if they are really seeing you and it is without any judgment, prejudice or fear. This is what it feels like being in the presence of Dr. Bob Schuchts who presented Sexual Healing and Redemption at the Theology of The Body.
I certainly know what it is like to be deeply wounded. I realize now that I have consistently sabotaged my own happiness and relationships because of them. Something I am determined to heal.
Many of us are afraid to face those things within ourselves, maybe because when we have done so on our own or with a counselor, it just seemed to create more pain without any healing. However, when we make our healing Christ centered, true healing begins.
Over the past year I have been growing in courage. I attribute a course taught at The Theology of The Body Institute last summer called “Sexual Healing and Redemption”. More specifically, I believe it was the teachings of Dr. Bob Schuchts, who teaches a concept of Inner Healing. The premise is that the “whole” person must be healed. That we may see repetitive sins in our lives but unless we deal with the root of the wound, we can not find true healing. Are you angry? The root of anger is in control. Why do we want to control (this may be passive or aggressive control)? Because rooted in the control is abandonment wounds.
I learned that the 7 deadly sins are often “rooted” in a wound. When we make promises to ourselves, like “I can not count on anyone but myself” (pride), we bind ourselves up with that promise to a particular sin. It is a proclamation binding us in our own free will. Unless we bring Christ to that place and submit it to Him (God will not interfere with our free will) we may not experience freedom. When we bring Christ into that wound and submit our will to Him, He can then heal the abandonment wound. Only then can we begin to experience freedom from the anger that seems to consume us. Dr. Bob is all about the roots (I am seeing a commercial for hair dye called Inner Healing with Dr. Bob's holding a box saying “It's all about the roots!).
Many of us are suffering with the effects of an abusive childhood or our own destructive decisions. We can function somewhat normally through prayer, participation in the sacraments or even by seeking out counseling however, unless inner healing takes place, then we are only functioning better for a period of time. Dr. Bob Schuchts explained very beautifully, using the concepts of Theology of The Body to explain how to do this through this contemplative prayer like therapy that focuses on Jesus entering into the counseling and illuminating what hurts need to be healed. Then Christ Himself is asked to provide the healing as an experienced therapist guides you through it. An example of how successful this kind of therapy is can be demonstrated by considering AA and it's 12 step program. It was based on the St. Ignatius contemplative prayer style. Until God is allowed into our wounds, we do not find healing.
This also reminds me of the book “Unbound”by Neal Lozano, in which the focus is prayer and asking Jesus to reveal the source of our sin. We ask to know the place where we may have opened the door to the enemy. We give the enemy a foot hold when we say things like “I can not trust anyone!” or “Things will never change” with our own words we end up cursing ourselves and we are bound.
Dr. Bob Schuchts and his Inner Healing concepts have brought me a tool box by which Jesus and I have begun to heal my soul and my spirit (something he explains have separate functions) and through this healing I am more able to live through this body and physically bring Christ to others. Inner Healing is giving me the ability to Embrace my Own Greatness. By this I mean that God has given us all gifts and charisms to accomplish His will in and through us. With inner healing, I am more capable of doing this.
God often uses the simplest of ingredients, water, oil and wheat etc. He can work with us in our own brokenness however, He desires for us to be whole. If you are suffering and need Inner Healing then I would suggest you check out the Theology of The Body Healing Center. I can not tell enough people how amazing this healing is. When we become more whole then we are more capable of bringing Christ to others. Listen for yourself at www.OnlyPeople.net and click on Dr. Bob Schuchts talk “Healing the Whole Person”. Dr. Bob Schuchts will be at the Theology of The Body Congress this summer.