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Greetings!

Not a good joke, I know. But today, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, is a great day to think about Jesus and Mary-- and about one of the greatest spiritual battles ever fought.

Jesus is the "New Adam." In St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, we read: "For as by a man (Adam) came death by a man (Jesus) has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Cor 15:21-22)

And Mary is the "New Eve." Adam sinned, along with his wife. And Jesus saves us with his Mother. (Read more here: http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Faith/0506-96/article9.html)

Right after Adam's sin, God said to the devil: "I will put enmity (make you enemies) between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heal." (Genesis 3:15)

Throughout history, we read of God's chosen-both men and women, representing Jesus and Mary-crushing the heads of God's enemies.  (Read more here: http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9709chap.asp.)

That's what happened in 1531, when Mary brought the battle to the Americas. Using Biblical imagery from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St Juan Diego and opened an offensive to free the Americas from Satan's power-- and to bring America's peoples to Christ. (You can read more about the great conversion brought about by our Lady here: http://www.sancta.org/intro.html.)

So today, by all means, let us continue to think of Mary as our sweet Mother. But let us also celebrate one of her leading roles in one of the greatest victories in the greatest war of all-- Christ's spiritual war to save us from the enemy and bring us to heaven!

And that is no joke.

God bless,
Pavel