From a homily of mine for today’s feastday:
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is about the conflict between two worlds, or better between two diametrically opposed visions of the world. When the Immaculate Virgin appeared to St. Juan Diego and spoke the gentlest words of encouragement to him, She was standing, quite literally, on top of the shrine of the mother goddess of the Aztecs. That image of the Woman Clothed with the Sun, standing on Tepeyac Hill upon the ruined idolatrous shrine is little snapshot of the whole of history: I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel (Genesis 3:15).
There can be only one ultimate outcome of the struggle between the two visions of the world. The kingdom of darkness will fall and the kingdom of light will prevail. But the outcome remains in play as regards the individual destiny of each person. We have a choice. In fact, we must choose. There is no standing on the side lines in this conflict.
Why would we choose not to be on the winning side, on the side of right, of godliness and virtue? The tragedy and incongruity of human history is that many do in fact choose ultimately to lose their life forever. But the Virgin of Guadalupe has the strongest objections to our being lost.
Mary Victrix 
So we want to be on the winning side, and so we should. But do we realize what the cost really is? And how easy it is to slip into fighting for the other side without even realizing it?? Our Lady of Guadalupe does! Better to be “in Her protection” and in the “folding of Her arms” because we do not know and cannot understand the awesome power of the enemy. She will protect Her children, and what we can be certain of is that she has already won! So to give yourself to Her is the only way to be truly safe. Ave Maria!!!
So let me ask a Marian question here. I believe Our Lady has surely brought me much farther in understanding her role in this modern Church, thanks mostly to the Friary and books they have loaned me. But I’ll admit to still feeling uneasy about some things. One loaned book I am reading, “My Ideal Jesus Son of Mary” by Fr. Emil Neubert, SM quotes, “Follow My example and trust in My Mother. Have confidence — She is all-powerful.”
Now, I was under the impression that only the one true God was given those adjectives … all-powerful, all-knowing, etc etc. This doesn’t sit well with me … any thoughts?
On the other note, I found this teaching on OLO Guadalupe to be fascinating. I printed off the PDF to Father’s homily and am in the midst of reading it. Her role in crushing Satan’s head and in leaving visible images for people who NEED this visual display (I am surely one) makes sense to me … still just trying to tie up loose ends, I suppose.
Jen,
It is precisely that paradox that helps with understanding this. Our Lady is perfectly humble and absolutely non-resistant to the awesome power of God which thereby makes it possible for God to act perfectly through Her. She is a perfect conduit for God’s power and grace to the extent that God willed that ALL graces pass through Her to be distributed by Her immaculate hands. Now that is POWER! But none is Hers – all is Gods. Yes she is only a creature, but she is the pinnacle of creation and was made by His grace to be the “wire” through which we are attached to the power of God.
Hope this makes some sense. Father will correct me if I have got it wrong.
Jen,
St. Maximilian called the Blessed Mother the Omnipotent Pray-er. Only God is all-powerful in an absolute sense because all power comes from Him alone. We might say that Our Lady is relatively all-powerful, such wise that this adjective is attributed to Her in so far as God wills to exercise his mercy and give His grace though Her and at Her pleasure.
I say relatively all-powerful because Her power is dependent on God and wholly dictated by his plan and design. Nor can she do that which is metaphysically impossible for a creature. She cannot, of course create from nothing, for example.
Also consider that when I say She has power to distribute God’s grace according to Her pleasure, we must also take into account Her fulness of Grace and oneness of will with God. She is the Mother of God and He has chosen to use Her as His instrument of grace.
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