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Daily Orientations:
I suggest the novena take place within a paraliturgical celebration in order to give more time to the proclamation of the Word, as a way of preparing for the Feast of Guadalupe. But there are circunstances where it could be celebrated within the Eucharist or accompanied by the recitaton fo the rosary.
It is important to bear in mind, that the outlines are intended for those ministering the Word. The themes developed are not homilies but a source from which a homily may be constructed.  It will be up to the homilist to prepare a homily adapting the ideas  to the level of the people and to furnish it with examples of daily life.  Appropriate songs should be chosen for each day bearing in mind the theme of the day. Traditional Guadalupan songs are encouraged, but those that make non-Mexicans feel excluded should be avoided in a multi-cultural environment in a different country. One should not sing Marian songs where liturgically it doesn't correspond. The same is true for any song. One must be aware that  the wordings of the songs are consistent with the moment of the liturgy being celebrated. One should try to incorporate Marian songs that reflect the renewal of Vatican II and the spirit of the Church's journey since then.
Certain days will have short fragments from the  NM read along with the Scripture readings. This could be replaced by an artistic reenactment of the part of the NM that is being meditated on that day. This could be done by children, which would give them a prominent role during the novena. Sometimes a song like the traditional 'Las Apariciones Guadalupanas' could also replace the reading of the NM.

There are other visual and audio elements that could accompany the celebrations. For instance, one could have the presence of  canaries singing on the day in which the theme "flower are song" is addressed (third day of the novena). In order to be sure that the  canaries sing, one should have a hidden recording of the singing canaries played at the appropriate moment.My experience shows that this has a great impact on the people. Normally there are sufficient flowers in the church, but if there isn't, it would be good to ensure that there are that day. One can also make interesting experiences with light effects as is done at the Easter Vigil, with a gradual ilumination of the temple, while something is sung or read in relation to the dawn. The second day of the novena would be an apprapriate day. The largest impact though could take place, however, on the feast of Guadalupe. For instance, before the initial procession, one could begin the clelebration in darkness followed by the lighting up of an image Guadalupe and then a gradual lighting up of the temple. Meanwhile one could heard birds singing, first few and in a low volume and then gradually increasing the volume and the number of birds, coinciding at the same time with the increase of light in the temple.
A banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe could be brought in during the initial procession and placed near the altar.
Presentation of the gifts is a good occasion to do something special when the  Eucharist is celebrated. For example, on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a group dressed up as Aztecs could dance in. The gifts for each day could be brought up by different groups with symbols that identify them: representatives of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America; different states of Mexico or different groups from within the parish. Care must be taken to avoid exclusivity of any represented group and that presupposes careful planning. Bear in mind that the presentation of the gifts is not only the place where groups could be represented. They could be represented for instance in processing in with the Guadalupan banner at the beginning of the Eucharist, in reciting the novena prayer after communion, during the liturgy of the word, and so on.
The prayers of the faithful should reflect the theme of the day.
The novena prayer could be recited after the prayers of the faithful or after communion if the novena takes place in the context of the Eucahrist. Because of the importance people give it, it should be carefully chosen. It should have the ability to combine human warmth while reflecting the depth of the message of the novena. It may also have different sections seperated by a refrain of a known Marian song. I shall attempt to do this in what follows.

Suggested Daily Prayer for the Novena:
 

'Virgencita' of Guadalupe. Mother of God and of all creation. You bought the faith to our ancestors on the mount of Tepeyac through the humble Juan Diego. You managed to reconcile two Nations, leading them to the birth of  'mestizo' people. And so the dawn of a new day shone, and with it, the arrival of the reign of your son Jesus, hope for the whole American Continent. 'Virgen morenita', our 'madrecita' , today we implore you.

'Virgencita' of Guadalupe, many among us find ourselves in new lands. Like you, and like Juan Diego and his people, we experience anxiety, due to social, cultural, economical and political discrimination. Today, millions in the world suffer hunger and  all kinds of hardships. "Mother of the poor,  help us be poor in spirit so as to enrich others. But bring relief to those who suffer from misery in their  bodies, and tear out selfishness from hearts, as this impoverishes.  Today we implore you.

'Virgencita' of Guadalupe, Evangelizer of  the  Americas, you transformed Juan Diego into a messenger of the reign of God. Grant us from your son Jesus, that filled with the Holy Spirit, we may have the courage and the strength to participate in the struggle to build up a new civilization of love, which is your reign that in 'birth pangs' is trying to be born in universal 'mestizaje'. Today we implore you.

The issue addressed: Create awareness of the sad situation of things in the world: tragic abuse of human rights; scandalous differences in the distribution of goods between peoples and nations; an ecology that is on the verge of giving out due to human greed. All creation needs and longs for its salvation through a Savior, but the Savior expects our active participation.

Object: Create awareness that the problems that we encounter today are universal problems and they are serious, but it is important not to lose hope.

Scripture readings:

Rm. 8:18-23; Ps.85; Lk.1:39-55

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Come Immanuel, God's presence among us, our King, our Judge: save us, Lord our God! Alleluia.

Symbols in this context: Our Lady as Mother Earth, National Mother. The stars, moon and sun. The prophecies and astronomical calculations of the Aztecs, and the belief of the Spaniards regarding the arrival of the millennium.

Theme developed:  Humanity aspires to be liberated and saved from the shortcomings of history. Until that liberation arrives, we all groan like a woman in birth pangs, waiting for the arrival of her child. (Rm.8: 18-23).
Before Christ, the people of Israel also aspired for the arrival of a Savior whom they called the Messiah. They longed for him because things were going really badly and they realized that without the intervention of God, nothing would change. Politically they lived under the yoke of the Romans. There was much corruption between the people and they lacked authentic spiritual leaders; 'they were like sheep without a shepherd'(Mt.9: 36; Mk.6:34) As the sun that goes out, God no longer shone in their life. With the sun that goes out, the moon no longer shines; that for them was a symbol of Israel. Their leaders were like stars that were falling and no longer shining: they were no longer good examples for the people. Not everything was lost though. There was a small faithful group called the Anawin. Mary, Joseph, Zachariah, Elizabeth and John the Baptist belonged to this group. They hoped and prepared for the arrival of the Messiah. They were like stars that still were shining.
Christ arrived as the rising sun, to shine in the lives of all people of all time. He inaugurated his reign, leaving a permanent mark on  human history. He established his Church as a historical instrument to foster the reign. It should shine like the moon, reflecting the light of Christ the 'sun'. Its leaders should be like stars. He initiated a historical process in which personally and collectively he calls us to participate. However, we must not confuse the inauguration of the reign with it's  plenitude. That will be at the end of time. Meanwhile, human history advances with its successes and its setbacks, between lights and shadows.
Fifteen centuries later, another continent, the great Aztec empire was in the evening of its existence. As Israel before them, they were in need of salvation. They knew that they were at the end of a stage in their history. They also had become a conquered and oppressed people by the Spaniards. The Spaniards belonged by name, to the reign of Christ, but in practice their way of life was lacking in virtue. As before, though,  there were some good people among the Aztecs who did not identify with the warlike, conquering mentality of their leadership. The idea that their warrior sun god Huitzilopochtli required so many human sacrifices to keep the sun in movement was being seriously questioned (León Portilla-1961/1987: 92-95; 116-128; 173-186).  Influenced by the Texcocans and other neighboring Nahua nations, with whom the Aztecs  shared a common Toltec heritage, they were rediscovering a more transcendent and peaceful God, Ometeotl, who  did not demand human sacrifices and who communicated with humans through 'Flower and Song'. Out of this group would be Juan Diego, who like a special star in the sky, would lead his people a step further into Christianity.
A new age was about to dawn on Mexico which was like that darkened moon under the feet of Guadalupe, awaiting the light of salvation. As one interpretation says, 'Mexico' means the 'naval of the moon', which is where the Virgin is standing. (Maussan, 1991) The reign of Christ was about to make its presence felt on this Continent. In 1531, Halley's comet was seen toward the beginning of the year. Then there was a total solar eclipse in Mexico in March, which lasted more than four minutes. The Mexicas saw in this a sign of their state of spiritual confusion (Maussan-1991). Finally on 12 December, Venus aligned with the sun and our planet. This was also traditionally the feast day of Tonantzin, the mother 'goddess' and the day considered as the winter solstice. This astronomical phenomena happened on this day every one hundred and four years. For the Aztecs this was the sign that an age had ended and that a new one had arrived. For them it meant that Quetzalcóatl, the visible manifestation of Ometeotl, symbolized in the Plumed Serpent, had returned. This is a rich symbol  which expresses a figure that mediates between the divine, symbolized through feathers, and the terrestrial, symbolized through the serpent (Fernández-1992/1995: 66-69).  His arrival was seen as the sun who dissipates the darkness. (Maussan- 1991) As the wise men of old, celestial signs, showed the way to Christ's reign. The stars on the mantle of the Virgin would be another sign of the new era that was taking place (Elizondo-1989: 127).
Many Spaniards for their part, on arriving on this continent, believed that with it the Apocalyptic millennium had arrived. Whatever the case, for Aztecs and Spaniards, a new age had arrived and for both it had an eschatological, mystical flavor to it. In six years that followed, nine million Aztecs would embrace Christianity. (Madsen-1967: 377; Elizondo, 1980; Rodriguez-1994:45)
What about today? How are things in our personal lives, in our neighborhood, in our country and in the world? It doesn't look very encouraging! Statistics show that the chasm between rich and poor is constantly growing. The rich as years go by are getting richer, fewer and more powerful, as the number of poor grow proportionately larger, get poorer and become increasingly powerless. The misery of millions today is  so pitiable that people take desperate actions to escape it even at the risk of losing their lives. Expense in militarism at the service of the powerful is astronomical while resources necessary for health, education, food and housing are out of reach of millions. The huge aggro-businesses, swallow more and more land to produce food for industrialized countries, while those 'at home' go hungry. This is because they lack the money needed to buy food, even if there is an abundance of it at hand. Millions of people find themselves forced to move from the camp to the great cities of their country, or of other countries. The slums of the cities grow larger, and with them, human decadence, fruit of the unjust situation. Children and women are the first victims of misery, as well as, of the bellicose conflicts of today. Even so, ten times more people die of hunger than in warfare. With a humanity groaning in pain, it is our planet, which can no longer cope  with the situation. Our avarice is seriously affecting the air, the water, the productive land, the fauna and the flora. If we carry on at this pace, we will all be losers, because our planet will become inhabitable.
On the national level, many Hispanics, though better off than many of our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, are experiencing poverty, discrimination and oppression. Afro-Americans, Native Americans and other people in society also experience this. There are many homeless and jobless people. Throughout the Americas, the first nations of these lands, the Amerindians, experience discrimination, even today,  from descendants of the immigrants, including from the 'mestizo' population, who carry their blood in their veins.
It seems impossible that the situation could change, and we could be tempted to fall into despair. As Christians, however, we can't afford to lose hope, because in spite of everything, we believe in the victory of Christ, even when all seems the contrary. There are signs of change emerging in all parts. There are exemplary people of influence in the communities. Organized intermediate groups are growing in power, confronting abuses of political and economical power imposed from above. Among them are the groups that struggle for social justice. Undoubtably, the Church has a very important role to play in these dramatic times of our human and global history. Yes, there are stars shining in the sky like the Anawin who prepared the way for the coming of Christ.
We must convince ourselves, that a change is possible, if we work together to change the situation that is within our reach, confident that God and the 'Virgencita' are by our side to help us.
Prayer is necessary but it is  not enough. We must act. As Moses before Pharaoh, as Israel before Egypt, as David before Goliath, as Jesus before the oppressive religious and political powers of his time, as Juan Diego before the Spaniards, as Gandhi before the British empire, as the Filipinos before Marcos' tanks with rosaries in their hands, what seems impossible, for God is possible. We can bring about change with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. The clearest hope of all, of course, is Christ who transformed the tragedy of the cross into an instrument of salvation. If we want, a new beginning could arrive soon.
Let us imagine that we are astronauts in space contemplating our beautiful blue and reddish planet, surrounded by the sun, the moon and the stars. Let us now think of Our Lady of Guadalupe and we will notice similarities. Our love and hope for our planet, the home of our human family is intimately united to her. She is a universal mother. If we harm the planet, we harm her. If we serve her children, we honor her, because she and the planet are seen as one.
Here one could give examples or ask the people to give examples of how they can start sowing the change.

Questions: Do we share in the salvation that comes from God? Do we respect nature that participates in the hope for salvation? What are the elements of hope in our community? Do we commit ourselves to participate in preparing the way for a fuller arrival of the reign of Christ in our midst?

Prayers of the Faithful for the First Day of the Novena:

  Let us now present to the Lord our petitions, responding: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. That as we experience the tribulations in our daily life, we may not lose hope in a fuller arrival of God's reign in which we will live together forever, with Mary, in God's Love. We pray to the Lord.
2. That through the intercession of Mary, the Holy Spirit may bring forth more prophets among us, who, like Juan Diego, may be like stars in the sky, leading us toward the plenitude of the reign of Christ. We pray to the Lord.
3. That those who oppress and exploit our more vulnerable sisters and brothers, may repent and may adopt the spirit of the reign of Christ. We pray to the Lord.
4. That Our Lady of Guadalupe may help us to be strong in not allowing us to be swallowed by the spirit of the consumer society, and that all people may come to have more respect for our planet and everything that lives on it. We pray to the Lord.
5. That all people may learn to share the riches of the earth, and that the avarice that leads a few, to grab for themselves, most of the worlds' resources, while leaving millions in misery, may end. We pray to the Lord

Let us pray:
Gracious and loving God. As we await your coming in glory, give us hearts filled with the power of your Spirit, so that full or courage and love, we may effectively prepare the way before you. May your mother journey with us along the way as we advance toward the birth of the plenitude of your reign. This we ask through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Object: To convince ourselves that the reign of Christ is already here but that we need to convert ourselves to enter it, and that is a task of a lifetime.

Scripture readings:

Is.9:2-3b.4-7 or Is.60: 1-4.14.19-20 or Rom.13: 11-14; Ps.27; Mt.24:29-30

Alleluia: Alleluia, Alleluia. Come, Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: shine on those lost in the darkness of death! Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva (2:4-16.23):

On a Saturday of December 1531, Juan Diego, was on his way to Tlatelolco, while it was still night. When he  passed by the small hill of Tepeyac, as it was dawning, he heard what seemed like the singing of different precious birds, which came from the top of the hill, toward the west. He halted, wondering what it was he was hearing and whether he was dreaming or was in paradise.
Suddenly, everything was silent and he heard that someone was calling him from on top of the hill saying: " dear Juan, dearest Juan Diego." He, without fear, started up very happily. On reaching the top, he saw a woman, who was standing. She told him to draw near.
Upon reaching her presence, he was utterly amazed by her surpassing beauty: her garments seemed like the sun and emitted rays . . .
Then she spoke to him and said: " Know and take to heart, my most forsaken  son,  that I am the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of The God of Great Truth, Teotl, of The One through Whom we Live, of The Creator of People, of The Owner of that which is Close and Near, of the Lord of Heaven and of Earth."

Theme developed: Guadalupe is the announcement that the reign of Christ has arrived. In Him a new creation has dawned. The plenitude of the reign of Christ will arrive at the end of time.
"A people who walked in the darkness have seen a great light." This phrase of Isaiah resounds for peoples of all times. As we saw yesterday, the people of Israel and all the people of that time experienced the fruit of their sin in their midst. They lived in the 'night ' of their sin. Christ arrives as the Light of the world, as the 'rising sun' to save us. Even the Roman empire with all its oppressive power converts to Christ. As Isaiah says, the rod of the oppressor has been broken (Is.9: 4) and they have come to the light of God (Is.60: 2). Even the date of the 25th. of December, which for the Romans was the feast in honor of the sun god Ra, is replaced by Christ, the 'radiant sun' that reigns throughout the world. The dawn, which is when the sun comes out and when a new day begins, suggests the arrival of a new period, a new creation, a new beginning.
As we have mentioned yesterday, for the Nahuas, 1531 brings an end to Aztec sun (Lafaye-1976: 61), Huitzilopochtli. The Nahuas associated end periods with catastrophic signs. Here the tragedy experienced was the Spanish Conquest.
But with the end of one age, a new one appears. The Nahuas were in the process of rediscovering Ometeotl as their supreme God, symbolized in the sun and linked to human life through Quetzalcóatl. This myth the Nahuas inherited from the Golden Age of the Toltecs. The dawn of 12 December 1531 could be interpreted as the return of Quetzalcóatl whom various Nahua nations were expecting. This meant the arrival of a new creation, modeled on the myth of the creation of the Fifth sun. Expressions like "while it was still night" and "suddenly everything was silent" in the NM, are also found in the mythic stories of Ancient Mexico in the  creation of the Fifth sun. (Siller Acuña-1984/1989: 63), (León Potrilla-1961/1989: 15-19). The Guadalupe event then would be seen as equal in importance to the creation of the world and cosmos (Siller Acuña-1981: 38. cf. Rodriguez:1994). The radically new revelation though is that this new sun symbolizes Christ who will replace Quetzalcoatl.
All this takes place on the hill of Tepeyac on which Tonantzin, mother of Quetzalcóatl, was venerated. On the ruins of her temple appears the virgin Mary, mother of Christ, presenting herself to Juan Diego as the mother of the true God. For the Nahuas, the clothes of important people carry important objects, signs and symbols that tell people, who the person is and what they do. The NM says that Mary's  clothes  seemed like the sun emitting rays, but the word 'sun' in the NM is in diminutive. This would mean that she is not God, but has a lot to do with God and share's God's experience. (Siller Acuña-1984/1989: 65). She symbolizes the ideal of the reign that Christ wants to construct through his Church. As a mother that loves all her children, she invites Amerindians and Spaniards to be reconciled and together to form a new people. There is no room among this new people for corruption, the violence of weapons, oppression or hatred. That is of the past. That is to live still in the night. Now it is necessary to walk in day light and follow the example of our mother who is at the service of her Son Jesus and of his reign. It is a new day, a new age.
Today we also walk in the darkness. Obscurity covers our homes, neighborhood, nation and the entire world. No one should feel excluded. No part of the world should feel that it escapes from the 'obscurity of the night'. However, we are all called to conversion. All of us are called to approach the dawn of a new day that is symbolized in the reddish color of the Virgin's garment. It costs blood, sweat and tears. The redness of blood is a reminder that one does not enter the reign, without dying to an old life of sin, and that is costly and challenging. It is a true 'painful labor of childbearing'.
Here it would be good to invite people to identify the evils that exist in the community, or mention some, depending on the environment. Then awareness is created to the fact that one does not change completely from one day to the next. The important thing is that we have changed radically at heart and that we have entered the process of carrying on changing throughout our life. It is the task of a whole personal life and of a whole human history. The great dawn, the great birth will be at the end of time. Meanwhile, we are in the labor of 'birth pangs'.

Questions: Are we open to be reborn in God through a sincere conversion, so that the Lord may be born in us? Are we participating in the building up of Christ's reign preparing for his return?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Second Day of the Novena:

Let us present now our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.
1. For the Church, so that is will not obscure the light of Christ ,but instead, be itself a light, promoting constantly the growth of the reign of Christ in the world according to the example of the Virgin. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. For all Christians in the world, so that the Virgin, as image of the reign, may irradiate her love in our midst.  Let us pray to the Lord.
3. For our own spiritual growth, so that we may be open to the rebirth in Christ through a sincere conversion.  Let us pray to the Lord.
4. For all nations, especially their leaders, so that they come to recognize the superiority of the reign of Christ, and that they allow the values of the reign to transform their earthly reigns.  Let us pray to the Lord.
5. For our neighborhood, so the Virgin helps us live united and in harmony knowing how to respect and recognize the richness of the diversities. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
Our God, eternal Light, send us your Spirit so that we may be purified from sin that obscures the light of Christ in us, and so that the values of the reign may grow in us, coming to reflect in this way, the light of Christ, in the example of the virgin Mary. This we ask through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Object: To recognize the role that God occupies in our lives as our Creator and Savior, and consequently, the necessity that we have in never abandoning prayer, especially in times of trial.

Scripture readings:

Is.35:1-6.10; Ps.96 or Ps.33; Lk 10:21-24

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Come, Flower of Jesse's stem, sign of God's love for all God's people: save us without delay! Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva ( 7:17-19.23-24):
 

The lady of Heaven said to Juan Diego: "Go up, my dear son the most forsaken one, to the top of the little hill. There where you saw me and where I gave you orders, you shall find that there are many different flowers; cut them, gather them, bundle them, and bring them immediately to my presence."
Immediately Juan Diego went up the hill and when he reached the top he marveled at the fact that so many kinds of exquisite flowers of Castile had blossomed, before they were due, because in this season the frost was severe. Nor was it a place where they would grow. Then he cut them and put them together in his mantle. He then came down immediately and brought them to the lady of Heaven. She then, upon inspecting them, took them up in her own hands and again replaced them in the fold of his mantle, saying: "My dear son, the most forsaken one, these varied flowers are the proof and the sign that you are to take to the bishop. You will give them in my name that he should see in them what I want and with this he fulfill my will and my desire."

Theme developed: God communicates God's plan of salvation through symbols appropriate to our human nature and we relate to God through the same symbolic language.
From ancient times, God has shown a preference in communicating with the poor, the small, the humble, the ones that society marginalizes as unimportant, and God converts them into messengers of God. God made  a stuttering shepherd Moses a great leader through whom God liberated the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  God converted  the timid youngster Jeremiah into a prophet of God.  God chose Mary, a poor, humble and simple young lady, the greatest among all women, to be the mother of Christ. To people like these, God gives the reign. That is why we should not be surprised that God chose Juan Diego, the 'most forsaken one', the son of a crushed people to the point of extermination.
God's way of communicating with us is of a simple style that the great wise people of this world can't understand. It is a symbolic language that is simple and that reveals profound mysteries. With symbolic language, all creation and salvation history become means of communication. Flowers speak to us of the new life of spring and of the beauty of God. Music and song unite us to God in a special way. The sun speaks to us of a God who shines in our life, filling us with the warmth of God's love. The history of Israel ,with its outstanding people, speaks to us of Christ and his reign. Christ himself who dies on the cross for us is the maximum revelation of God's love for us. The virgin Mary is the best human expression that we have of the maternal love that God has for us. God knows well how most of us feel close to our mother and how we communicate easily with her. As close as this and even more, God wants to be to us.
Aztecs also understood this. For them, the only way to be able to communicate with God was through 'Flower and Song' which meant through a symbolic or poetic language. (Elizondo-1980: 14-15); (León-Portilla-1961/1987:128-146, 178-181). That is why the history of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is loaded with symbolism. God spoke to the people of those days through them, and carries on speaking to us today, on our historical pilgrimage. The narration of Guadalupe begins with the song of birds and finishes with the flowers that fall from the cloak of Juan Diego before the bishop. This was a clear indication for the Aztecs that this story had a divine message of truth.
Let us turn to God prayerfully with the confidence of the simple hearted, and to the Virgin who helps us come closer to God. As Isaiah says, God strengthens us, converting 'the arid desert of our lives' into the joy of 'abundant, colorful, perfumed and beautiful flowers'. Through prayer, the Spirit of God becomes like a spring of living waters that sprout with happiness from the heart. Through prayer, God cures us from the paralysis of a stagnated life, so that we can advance along the road of salvation. God cures our spiritual blindness and deafness so that we can see and hear God better in the trajectory of our life. We must sensitize ourselves to hear God also when things are not doing well and God invites us to react before it is too late.

Questions: Do we recognize the presence of God in the course of our life? Do we value the symbolic language, which even children can understand? Do we pray when things are not doing too well or do we allow ourselves to become blind in desperation? Do we stop praying when everything is going well?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Third Day of the Novena:

Let us now present to the Lord our petitions, responding: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. For our Church, that it may always open itself to the transforming action of the Holy Spirit, and become beautiful and radiant as the Virgin, and be then a sign of God's love in the world. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. For all leaders in the Church so that they may have the serviceable humility of Mary and Juan Diego. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. For all of us, so that we never lack the spirit of prayer, and that with the help of the Spirit, we may be able to discern the salvific action of God in our lives. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. For our parish, so that we may be so transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, that we may be a symbol of unity, in the love of God ,for our neighborhood. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. For all those who are going through a crisis of faith, so that they may not loose hope and may carry on trusting in God who never abandons us. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
Lord God, humble and caring, a friend of the simple and poor of spirit. You taught us, with your example, to pray especially during the most tragic moment of your life, there in the garden of Gethsemani, before suffering for us on the cross. Listen  today to your followers, and may we never fall aside on the road of life. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The issue addressed: To be immigrants in a new country with new cultures. The generational conflicts that emerge in this situation of change.

Object: To help people feel proud of their rich tradition, while being open to integrate the positive of the new. Also, help them to have more understanding and tolerance in the process of change that is present in new generations.

Scripture readings:

 Gal.4:19-27.31; Ps.72; Lk.1:68-79

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all people shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia.

Symbols in this context: Our Lady in front of the sun without blotting it out and standing on the moon without crushing it. Quetzalcóatl and Tonantzín are replaced but not destroyed.

Theme developed: Maturity in the light of the gospel requires that we know how to grow in our interior. That requires that we retain what is good from the old while rejecting the bad; also, to assimilate the good of what is new, while rejecting what is bad. We will now explain this in more detail.
When Christ communicates his message to the people of Israel, one thing that the Jews found hardest was to accept the challenge that they become one with the Greeks, the Samaritans, and the Romans, who had different customs and cultures. Jesus insisted, however, that he came for the whole world, and for that reason, it was necessary to adjust, so that all may feel welcomed. The covenant that God established with Moses and his ancestors, was necessary to form the people of Israel, but that was only the preparation for the coming of Christ, who wanted to open salvation for all nations. That is why the old was imperfect in comparison with what Christ was bringing. Christ replaces Moses; the covenant on Mount Sinai, sealed with the blood of animals, is replaced once and for forever by the covenant on Mt. Calvary, sealed with the blood of Christ. Or, as St. Paul says symbolically, the 'woman of slavery is replaced by the woman of freedom.'
Something similar happened with the Aztecs as well as with other original nations of the American continent. They had their religion, but all human religions need purification from negative elements through Christ, who as the gospel of today says, is the light to guide all nations that walk in the darkness and in the shadows of death. As history advances, it is through the Holy Spirit that Christ is helping us understand more and more, the message of salvation.
Let us look at this more closely symbolically represented in Guadalupe. As we have said, the new sun is Christ who dawns on the hill of Tepeyac bringing salvation to the American Continent. On the ruins of the temple dedicated to Tonantzin a new temple will be constructed in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The Aztecs knew that the destruction of the old temple meant the end of the period of their deities. Everything became clear to them when they saw the image of Guadalupe. The Virgin, without destroying Quetzalcoatl represented by the sun, replaces him putting herself in front of him. However, she is not the center of the universe. The one hidden in her womb is at the center of the image. That means that he is now considered to be the center of the Universe. The pregnancy is indicated by the 'naviogli' flower at the center of the image, over the womb. (Rodriguez-1994: 29. cf. Parent Martinez: 1986). As the 'naviogli' flower is a symbol of the sun god, the symbolic connection of Christ in the womb can be made with the flower and with the sun, thus presenting Christ as the new sun. The black sash around her waist is also a sign of pregnancy, but this speaks more to the Spanish world. The Virgin is also standing on the moon without crushing it. In this same context, the moon would  symbolize the moon goddess Meztli (Fernández-1992/1995: 124); the Virgin presents herself as superior to Meztli (Elizondo-1989: 127-128).The superiority of the new is also evident. The Aztec gods, for instance, would be represented as sitting and with masks on, imposing their power on their subjects, instilling fear. Consequently, this would lead to  spiritual slavery, just as many Jews had become slaves of the law. Both Aztec and Spanish royalty also attended their subjects sitting.
The Virgin, on the contrary, appears without a mask, and standing close to Diego. In the icon, her head is inclined. This shows her simplicity, her humility, her loving concern as a loving mother.  For the Spaniards, also, the sitting posture was one that indicated power of the authoritarian style. The Virgin's relations with Juan Diego are tender, close and dignifying as is shown by the Nahuatl suffix to his name, 'tzin'. In Spanish, this usually is translated as a diminutive. 'Diego' becomes 'Diegüito' just as the people call the Virgin, 'Virgencita'. This loving, trusting relationship created inner freedom. It restored the dignity to the Amerindians lost under colonial domination. No longer will they have to summit themselves to the traumatic experience of human sacrifices. The new sacrifice will be to consecrate oneself to God in love, sacrificing oneself in service one for another in the example of Christ.
It is important to note that Guadalupe becomes a meeting point in which Aztecs and Spaniards could find themselves spiritually and culturally. Juan Diego's uncle told the Spaniards that the Virgin had called herself 'Tlecuauhtlacupeuh'. This sounded like 'Guadalupe', which was their patroness in Estremadura, Spain, from where many colonists came. It was also a period when the devotion to Guadalupe in Estremadura was at its peak. (Rodriguez-1994: 45. cf. Escalada 1965:13)
How does all this affect us today? The Hispanics in the United States of America find themselves in a period of transition. Truly the whole world is going through the process of a fundamental change in its history. The Second Vatican Council urged us to change, and to adapt to our present historical times. Hispanics in the United States  have to adjust to a new country. It is their children, though, who are going to manage it better. This does not mean, that one has to reject the old. On the contrary, there is  great richness in what we inherit. But if we don't actualize ourselves, that richness  will be lost in future generations. Hispanics need to make an evaluation of the traditional in the light of what is new. Not everything new is good, and fidelity to the gospel urges us to reject firmly what is bad. One example is materialism and consumerism. But not all traditional tendencies are good either. Authoritarianism and 'machismo' are some examples of traditions to be let go. The unbridled freedom, common in the new melieu in which the Hispanics live, is not good either. The sense of family, of being a people, of hospitality, on the other hand, are traditional treasures. Our sisters and brothers of the United States would gain a lot from these values, if they incorporated them more into their culture. We would gain also from incorporating from our sisters and brothers of the United States a civic sense to what is appropriate  public use of things.
Changes evidently bring generational conflicts, but through a calm mature dialogue of exchange and mutual respect there will be growth for the different generations. Neither authoritarianism of parents, nor irresponsible freedom of children, is going to lead to the solution of problems. An authority that knows how to listen and dialogue with youth, and a search for responsible freedom among youth  will reach unsuspected new roads for both generations.
Even the way in which we celebrate our liturgy and Guadalupe requires that  we make adequate adjustments. We can't celebrate Guadalupe as if we are still in Mexico. We are celebrating Guadalupe with those who are not born in Mexico and we must make adjustments so that they do not feel left out but included. If not, the feast of Guadalupe with its valuable message runs the danger of disappearing in futures generations, or being reduced to a mere cultural event of folklore.

Questions: Do we accept the changes in our life in new situations that our Christian faith challenges us to do? Do we try to maintain a mature dialogue between parents and children during the process of change?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Fourth Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.
1. So that we may know how to be open to the Holy Spirit when we are inspired to make the necessary changes in our life, in accordance with the period of history and country we are called to live in. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that there may be more understanding between parents and children in these times of change, and that the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin, may bring reconciliation among those families that have broken family bonds, or who live in serious internal tensions. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that the people in the United States may be open to enrich themselves with traditional Hispanic values that sprout from the spirit of the gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that the Virgin of Guadalupe, may inspire the Church to find the most adequate ways of transmitting the message of salvation, by respectfully incarnating it into the different cultures of the world. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that all people in all the cultures of the world accept to be transformed by the salvific Word of Christ that renews all things. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
God, lover of the diverse nations, as we advance in human history and while life takes us through different directions, give us free hearts, full of your Holy Spirit, so that we may know how to adapt ourselves to new situations of life, without betraying the values of the gospel. This we ask through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Object: Create the awareness of the absolute priority of the reign of Christ over the temporal powers of this world. Create in this way an attitude of subordinating personal and national interests to the interests of Christ.

Scripture readings:

Isa.2:1-5; Ps.122; Jn.2:13-23

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Come, Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom: free the prisoners of darkness! Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva ( 2:14.23-26):

When Juan Diego reached the top of the hill, he saw a woman, who was standing. She told him to draw near.
Upon reaching her presence, he was utterly amazed by her surpassing beauty: her garments seemed like the sun and emitted rays . . .
Then she spoke to him and said: " Know and take to heart, my most forsaken  son, that I am the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of The God of Great Truth, Teotl, of The One through Whom we Live, of The Creator of People, of The Owner of that which is Close and Together, of the Lord of Heaven and of Earth."
I deeply want a temple built for me here, so that in it I may show and bestow all my love, compassion, aid, and protection; for I am indeed your merciful mother; yours, and all your fellow-dwellers in this land and my other loved ones who plead with me and confide in me. I  will hear their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, pains, and afflictions."

Theme developed:The reign of God should emerge and transform history from within, defeating tyrannical, corrupt and oppressive governments, and allow governments of justice, truth, freedom, love and peace to appear.
Many peoples of all times have had the custom of constructing temples in elevated places. The top of a mountain seems closer to heaven. If one is on top, one has a beautiful view, and one can see the world below better; the things we value most we put on high. That is how the things of God should be. They should be in a prominent place in our lives. From God's perspective we see much better the things of life. With the help of God we can understand the meaning of life, of suffering, and of death.
The most important religious occurrences in the Bible happen on mountains. The ten commandments were given on Mt. Sinai. Christ gave us the beatitudes on a hill; he was transfigured on another; died on Mt. Calvary, and ascended into heaven on Mt. Olivet. Jerusalem itself and its temple are constructed on a hill. Many hills are not high, but they are all elevations. The temples themselves as centers of important cities have had their importance. Political and economic powers have been prominent and often served the interests of the individuals in power rather than the interest of God and of the people.
All the nations of Mesoamerica had this sense for high places. That is why the pyramids were built as places of prayer and religious rituals. They were considered temples. That is why the hill of Tepeyac was a place of worship and this was dedicated to Tonantzin. But her temple was destroyed. Would it not be a symbolic reflection of the words of Christ: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up again?" Christ has come to plant his reign. The temples that should be destroyed are those that serve the selfish interests of a few, at the expense of the majority of the people. It is not that God wants to take away temporal powers, but that they be transformed from within, in such a way that the values of the reign are always first. If the reign was truly at the center of people's interests, then all structures and powers would generate kindness, justice, freedom, truth, mutual love. With a new temple on Tepeyac, this becomes a place to generate new hearts so that there may be a new civilization based on love. But the temple at Tepeyac was to be a place among the poor Mexicas and not at the centers of domineering power as at Tlatelolco in the center of the city (Siller Acuna-1981/1989-77)(Elizondo-1980: 73; 117). Tepeyac  reminds us that God's power emerges from simplicity and generosity of life, found mostly among the poor.
The civilization of love Christ has established forever and for all places. Christ formed the Church to form this new and eternal civilization, commonly called the reign of God. That is why personal, family and national interests are relative before those of the reign of Christ. Christ teaches us that if we love others more than him, we are not worthy of him. If a government, for example, asks me to commit an injustice, my loyalty is first to Christ, before that to a government. Therefore, I must not commit an injustice even if I am punished for not doing so. If a family pressures one of its members to commit an act against the will of God, this member must obey God even if s/he is disinherited by the family. These are extreme examples but they illustrate better the point I'm trying to make. To follow Christ in everything can lead to great sacrifices. One also must remain firm before all that society offers that is contrary to the gospel. Consumerism, materialistic ambitions, hunger for power, drugs and unbridled freedom in all its forms, must be firmly rejected. Then yes, destroying the temples of this world, we will let Christ build in us a new temple, from the sacrifice of the cross. Because it is from sacrificial love, in fidelity to God ,and in service to others, that the new temple is built.

Questions: Do we cling to the things of this world forgetting that we are pilgrims, or do we fight with all our strength so that the reign of God may be visible more and more in our life and in the world that surrounds us?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Fifth Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.
1. So that in the midst of an environment which often reflects the contrary of what Christ wants, we may know how to opt firmly for him and his reign, even if this  leads to persecution or even death. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that the Spirit may help us and that the Virgin may inspire us so that we may construct a true community of love in this corner of our city. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that the corruption of drugs, the moral corruption, the violence in the streets and in  homes, the abuse and abandonment of children and the elderly, and racial discriminations may end. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that the Virgin of Guadalupe inspire the Church to be always faithful to the gospel and may it recognize those things that need to be purified when they do not conform to the message of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that the Spirit of God uphold in power all those prophetic voices of our time that try to build up a civilization of love, in the midst of opposition at the service of interests alien to the gospel. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
All powerful God, infuse in us the power of your love, so that we may know how to opt firmly for the values of the reign, even when this means having to carry a cross because of it. Give us your courage of being willing to die if necessary for the truth. And may we have the strength of the Virgin who supported Christ at the foot of the cross when he died for us. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The issue addressed: To enliven hope in the future as being in God's hands, rather than being crushed by the negative aspects of our time.
Object: To enkindle the hope in the future with the assurance that we are in the providential hands of God.

Scripture readings:

From the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Gen.3:9-15.20; Eph.1:3-6.11-12; Ps.98; Lk.1:26-38

Symbols in this context: Our Lady, (standing, without a mask, her way of looking with her head slightly inclined, speaking on the same level as Juan Diego); her blue-green mantle (the royal color of the 'gods', and of Ometeotl, the origin of all the natural forces in the universe; also meaning the power that unifies the tensions existent in the world). The meaning of the stars on the mantle (the beginning of a new age); the sun and moon in this context.

Theme developed: The Holy Spirit forges the reign of God through the people of God, who are the Church, and who's plenitude is expressed in Our Lady.
History is full of situations, in which everything seemed lost, and that everything was about to come to an end, due to sin reigning in humanity. Who would believe that a Moses could take out the enslaved Israelites from Egypt, or that David, the shepherd boy could defeat the giant Goliath with all his armor on, or that Judith could defeat an army alone backed up by prayer, fasting and faith in God. Who would believe that Christ would rise after the apparent victory of his enemies? Who would believe that the Aztec people, practically exterminated, would survive after the apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Symbolically, how is it possible that roses grow in the middle of winter on the hill of Tepeyac, or that the image of the Virgin remain imprinted on the 'tilma' (cloak) of Juan Diego? How could it remain intact after four centuries, despite the material of the 'tilma' being made from the 'maguey' (cactus)  fiber, which is not supposed to last very long?
If we look at the world situation, with its serious social, economic and ecological problems, it seems that there is no hope for the future. The scarcity of religious and priestly vocations in many parts of the world and the internal problems of the Church don't look hopeful either. But we must believe that the Lord from the cross has triumphed, and that the Virgin with all her beauty and splendor is a triumphant sign of the plenitude of God reign in the future. What looks impossible today, will be transformed by the powerful hand of God, into the reality of future salvation. Even the negative can be changed by God. Was not the crucifixion of Jesus, which was the most horrendous thing that could be done to the Anointed of God,  transformed into the instrument of salvation and victory?
Let us think of the impossible situations in our lives. There is always a door open where another is closed, or what seems a closed door today, may in fact be a veiled open door to the future. Let us remember this interesting saying: "If today you believe what you don't understand, tomorrow you will understand what today you believe." Let us therefore carry on walking in hope, as we keep  the image of Guadalupe with its many symbols before our minds, reminding us of what the plenitude of the reign is like. We are that darkened moon, a people in sin, accompanied by Mary, who as a loving mother anguishes with her people. We see Christ, who rises as the sun of salvation, dissipating the darkness of sin. He lifts the people up from the low position he finds them in, and makes them a holy people, with Mary as their most perfect expression. We are one with her. We see there the bride of Christ clothed in the colors of the royalty of the Nahua's gods. For them, the clothing, with signs and symbols, corresponded to the gods, and to important people. They showed who they were and what they represented. (Siller Acuña-1981/1989: 65). The stars spoke to the Nahuas of a new age. In the light of the biblical tradition, we might visualize them as the outstanding figures in Christ's reign, shining on that royal mantle of the Virgin, who symbolizes the reign. It is  like the lights on a Christmas tree. At Christmas we will celebrate the arrival of the reign. The attitudes expected of those who belong to the reign are also expressed in the image. We remember the posture of Mary who is standing and unmasked; this  brings her close to her people. She, though important, empowers people with her loving presence, giving them a sense of worth. She is there among the poor, the oppressed, which shows where the preferential option of God's revelation is found, and through whom God mediates salvation. "Her presence is the new power of the powerless to triumph over the violence of the powerful." (Elizondo-1978: 135) It is a power that brings opposing and conflicting forces together to form one people: this is symbolized in the blue-green mantle as understood by the Mexicas. (Elizondo-1989: 129).
Our Lady of Guadalupe stands out clearly, then, as an ideal for the Church of Christ fully expressed in her (Puebla-1979: #282). Through 'her' (Mary/Church), Christ is gradually bringing about  the reign. For a person of faith therefore, there is no reason to be absorbed in pessimism due to the sinfulness present in our world. We ought to be confident that the 'dark moon will be transformed into a radiant beautiful bride'. An example or two could be given, where a sinful situation is transformed into a vehicle of salvation. The crucifixion of Jesus though, which leads to resurrection, will always be the beacon to enlighten any sinful experience transformed by the grace of God.

Questions: Do we keep alive in us the future hope for the  plenitude of the reign of Christ, or do we allow ourselves to get depressed or to fall into despair?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Sixth Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.
1. So that the Holy Spirit may hold us firm in hope when things are not doing too well, and when all solutions to problems seem impossible. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that all those who live in critical situations may be rescued by the Lord and may be led to find solutions to their problems. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that God through the intercession of the Virgin touch the hearts of the most hardened sinners so that they may be converted to the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that the Church may be more and more like the Virgin in its way of thinking, speaking and acting. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that our deceased brothers and sisters find in God forgiveness for their sins and the gift of the resurrection to life everlasting. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
Good and compassionate God, hear the prayers that today we present to you, and through the intercession of the Immaculate virgin Mary, may we keep alive in our lives, faith, hope and charity, even when all things are not going too well. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Object:  To have a  Christian approach to the realities of suffering and of death which set us free and strengthen the sense of sacrificial love.

Scripture readings:
 

 Col.1: 24-29; Ps.126; Jn. 12: 24-26

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Behold, the king will come, the Lord of earth, and he will set us free. Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva ( 2:27-29):

The Virgin said to Juan Diego: "...go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico and tell him how I sent you to declare to him what I very much desire, that here on the plain, he build me a temple: and you will tell him exactly what you have seen and wondered at, and what you have heard. Be sure that I will reward you well, and make you happy. You deserve very much to be rewarded for the work and the fatigue that you will encounter because of what I have entrusted to you. Look, my son, the most forsaken, you have heard my words; do all that you should."

Theme developed: Redemptive suffering has meaning. Suffering that comes because of individual and collective struggle, for a better world, and in conformity to the plan of God, will not be in vain.
When the Israelites were in Egypt, they suffered a lot in their slavery. But God transformed this unjust situation in their favor, to forge their hearts, just as the fire purifies the metals. When they passed through the trial of living in the desert during  many years, a time in which God considered sufficient to form God's people, again it was through human sacrifice and suffering that God brought maturity to the people. Both the human injustices and the environmental inclemency failed to break their spirits, but they were converted into instruments of purification, human growth and of formation of a holy people.
The poor people of Israel in times of Christ had similar traits of suffering. The Roman empire with its taxes, plus the taxes of King Herod, and those for the cult, reached between 60 and 70 percent on the earnings of the people, which led to a desperate situation for many. Many men, to survive from misery, when they were not able to find jobs, would take to assaulting and robbing travelers along solitary roads, while many women got into prostitution, to get something to feed their children (Schreiter-1994: Part II, C.1). In the midst of this situation, some small faithful people called the Anawin, matured through suffering, were the ideal human environment to embrace the Savior of the world. We know of the sufferings endured by the holy family: the anxious situation over the mysterious pregnancy of Mary, the lack of hospitality in Bethlehem, the persecution and slaughter of innocents caused by Herod because of Jesus, the exile to Egypt, the persecution, the civil and religious trial and condemnation on the cross in the presence of Mary his mother. It is the life of Jesus that opens for us the deepest sense of Christian suffering and death. He teaches us how one can convert the fruits of sin into victory of God over evil. The sinners in crucifying Jesus, thought they had a victory, but he managed to obtain the victory instead, because he willingly accepted to die out of love for us. For him, suffering and dying were the consequences of a life committed to the truth, and a gift to us. That bothered those who preferred to walk in the  shadows. Jesus gambled his life for the sake of the truth and paid the consequence for it. He compares for us true love with a grain of wheat that has to die in order to live. The seed has to come out of its selfish enclosure and open in consecration to God (vertical love) and in service toward others (horizontal love). These two dimensions of love are symbolized in the cross. The characteristic of Christian love is the sacrifice implied in the consecration and service, and in the price that one pays for the commitment taken. The author of the letter to the Colossians even finds meaning in suffering on account of the Gospel. He says that it is  a reason to rejoice, because in this way, it permits us to "complete what is lacking to the sufferings of Christ, for the good of his body, which is the Church." (Col.1: 24)
In the light of this, we can understand, that the suffering that the Aztecs endured under the persecution of the Spaniards was not in vain. God converted it into a preparation of their hearts to receive the message of salvation from Tepeyac through God's prophet Juan Diego. Juan Diego himself went through a test 'of fire'. It must have been difficult for him to be an Indian who had accepted the religion of the invading people. Many Aztecs must have thought him to be a traitor, while many Spaniards must have looked upon him as an uncivilized 'savage'. The Virgin herself put him to the test when she asked him to go to the Spanish bishop to construct a temple. One has to imagine the situation. Not only does he risks ridicule by saying that he spoke with the Virgin, but  the fact that he was an Indian was going to make it even more difficult to have his experience believed. Being a recent convert would have made matters even worse.
Symbolically, the sacrificial dimension of life is symbolized in the cross that the Virgin of Guadalupe carries, and in the pangs of labor that accompanies a new birth. If we want to advance, mature, be born into the reign of Christ, we have to pass though the 'pangs of birth'. This reality is also symbolized in the reddish garment. The  Aztecs immediately could make this association with the blood that was shed through human sacrifices offered to Huitzilopopchtli, the god who gave and preserved life (Elizondo-1989: 126). But God now wanted to replace those inappropriate sacrifices for the sacrifice of love that has a lot of meaning in relation to a life that is gifted to others. It is a sacrifice united with that of the sacrifice of Christ, for the salvation of the world. The cross on the icon reminds us of that.
None of us are alone when it comes to suffering we find in our life. Being immigrant, being Hispanic in a country where the majority are not, and being poor, brings much suffering. Family and community life brings its trials and difficulties as well. The question though, is to ask ourselves whether we are capable not only of  finding Christian meaning in our sufferings, but even of rejoicing on the occasion that we have to take part in Christ's salvific action for the world (Col.1: 24). It is important though, that we bear in mind that part of that suffering should be fruit of the struggle against the causes of suffering as in the case of injustice. It is not passive suffering, where I just let things happen to me, but active suffering, consequence of a life committed to the truth of the Kingdom of Christ. Sometimes one cannot avoid injustices done to one or others, but at least we should try to do something so that they don't happen in the future.
Consider now what might be a good example of what would be a healthy way of suffering in a Christian sense, and what would be a negative way.

Questions: Are we willing to 'break' ourselves for others in the following of Christ, accepting our quota of the cross of Christ? Are we willing to assume joyfully the sufferings that may come to us, as participants, of the Paschal Mystery of Christ?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Seventh Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. So that the Holy Spirit transforms our interior, in such a way that not only may we find Christian sense to suffering, but that we may possess the inner joy and peace which only God can give us. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that the suffering taken onto ourselves may not be used as an excuse to take a passive stance in life, but may be the consequence of our struggle for a better world. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that those who suffer exceptionally in these moments may receive relief from God in their pain, and so that pain will find redemptive value. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that the whole Church may know how to take on its role in committing itself fully for Christ and his reign specially for the most needy, without dishonest alliances with the powers of this world. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that our brothers and sisters who are near death may repent from their sins and may deliver themselves confidently into the loving arms of God. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
Humble and compassionate God, hear the prayers that today we present to you. May we all have the courage of Juan Diego to place total confidence in providence, committing ourselves to your reign even when it brings us suffering. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The issue addressed: The need for mutual forgiveness, healing, support and encouragement.

Object: To bring spiritual relief, interior peace and renewed confidence to afflicted, suffered and depressed hearts.

Scripture readings:

Ez.34: 11-16. 28-31; Ps.34 or Ps.147; Lk.6:20-26

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Come, Lord, bring us your peace; let us rejoice before you with a perfect heart. Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva (7:5-6.11-15):

Juan Diego bowed himself before the Lady; he greeted her and said: "O my dearest Lady, the most forsaken one, I hope you are happy. How are you this morning? I am going to cause you affliction. You know, my Lady, that a poor servant of yours is very ill, my uncle. He is afflicted with the pestilence and is about to die."
After hearing Juan Diego's address, the most merciful Virgin responded: "Listen and understand, my son the most forsaken one. There is nothing to worry or be frightened about, nor should your heart be perturbed. Do not fear that sickness, or any other or any anxiety. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my all encompassing shadow? Am I not the source of your life? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, where the arms cross? Who else do you need? Let nothing afflict or make you bitter: do not be upset over the illness of your uncle. He will not die now from what he has now. Be assured that I will heal him." (And it was indeed just then that his uncle did heal, as was later known).

Theme developed: God is moved to compassion when confronted with our weakness', afflictions and problems. These may be personal, or concerning our life in relation to our family, our society or our work place.
One of the most common ways to approach God is seeking help. Often, we do this through Mary who, as a good mother, listens attentively to our prayers. How often a person turns to their mother when s/he needs help, or may approach her so that she intercedes for him/her before their father? Though it is not necessary when we approach God, often we feel more comfortable to approach God through Mary.
People have always turned to God for help and consolation. Many psalms, like the one we just heard today, show this. We see how Christ responds with mercy to human misery. We even see Jesus moved to tears, when he foresees  the future destruction of Jerusalem, or when he hears that his friend Lazarus had died. Never does he remain indifferent before a cry for mercy. He cures the blind, the deaf, the paralyzed, the sick, and gives back joy and peace to the afflicted and anguished heart. Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd (Jn.10), who leads his sheep to pasture, and to the quiet waters (Ps.23). He knows every one by name, and even gives his life for them. He rescues the one that goes astray. He heals those who get hurt (Ez.34). Shrines of all the world are full of offerings that people leave in thanksgiving to God for some favor received. More than anything, people regain peace and inner strength to face the struggles of life, even when external circumstances may not change for many.
This same maternal love of God reaches us though God's mother in Guadalupe, in the words we heard directed to Juan Diego, and, in the following passage:
"I deeply want a temple built here for me, so that in it, I may show and bestow all my love, compassion, aid, and protection. For I am indeed your merciful mother; yours, and all your fellow-dwellers in this land, and my other loved ones, who plead with me and confide in me: that I may hear in it their grief, and mend all their miseries, pains, and afflictions." (NM 2: 2-26)
Juan Diego and his people  had a lot to endure in those times. God, through the Virgin, mercifully rescued the people from extermination. How often, a standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe has gone before the Mexican people as they confronted the oppressive leadership which generated so much suffering? The beatitudes that we hear in the Gospel are proof of how God reaches out in defense of the oppressed poor, and condemns the malice of the rich who oppress the poor. The Virgin of Guadalupe offers us the Son of her womb, as the best remedy for our ills. The folded hands for the Aztecs were a sign of offering.  Westerners who see these hands of one in prayer, we see her as interceding to God for our happiness. Psychologists tell us that blue and green are colors which help people become calm. They are peaceful colors. Red stimulates and revitalizes one. It helps move people to action in love. The rays of light bring us joy.
All of us know that God is our refuge.  I am sure that each of us can tell of the marvels that God has done for them in their life. However, it is important that each person learns to be responsible before the needs of others. Christ calls all of us to be merciful. That is part of being Christian. Perhaps we will not produce an outstanding miracle, but God can do wonders through us, especially in bringing relief to hearts that anguish, are disorientated, lonely and desperate. How many people around you feel rejected, abandoned, alone? If you want happiness and peace for your own heart, start by concerning yourselves for other, and you will notice the difference in your life.

Questions: Do we support each other on the painful journey of life, sharing our compassion, forgiveness, encouragement? As we expect from God, do we offer ourselves to others?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Eighth Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. So that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, forgive us our sins, heal the wounds opened by our sins, and strengthen us, so that we may walk in the spirit of the reign of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that, inspired by the maternal love of Mary, and the compassionate heart of Jesus, we may feel impelled to reach out to encounter other people in their pain. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that all may find in the Church, a precinct of compassionate love, and that our leaders, may have the attitude of the Good Shepherd. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that the powers of this world may place human and communitarian interests in first place, especially those who most need support from others. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that our sisters and brothers who have not had the occasion of encountering a God rich in compassion, may finally experience God's presence in their lives. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
Compassionate God, and full of love, hear the prayers that today we present to you. We thank you for the times that you have shown us your merciful love experienced in different ways. May all of us have a heart so compassionate that others may see in us the love you have for us, as has been taught to us through our mother Mary. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The issue addressed:  Many Cathlics believe that the evangelization of the world is the task of priests and sisters. That creates a passive attitude in many laity.
Object: Create the need to be an active members in the Church and not just be  passive observers.

Scripture readings:

 Is.11:1-10; Ps.1  or 1 Sam.2 ; Lk. 4:14-21

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Raise your voice and tell the good news: The Lord our God will go before him. Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva ( 4 :1-4a.5-15):

Juan Diego returned and went directly to the summit of the little hill, and met the Lady of Heaven, who was waiting for him  in the same place where he saw her for the first time. Upon seeing her, he prostrated before her and said: "My Lady, the most forsaken of my relatives, I went where you sent me to tell your message. Although I entered with difficulty into the place where the Lord of the priests is, I saw him and revealed to him your message in the manner that you had requested of me. He received me kindly and he listened to me with attention; but when he responded, it appeared that he must have thought that it was my invention that you wanted a temple built here, and that perhaps it wasn't your command. Thus I earnestly beg you, my Queen, that it be one of the principle ones, those who are known, respected and esteemed, that you send to take your message, so it might be believed. Because I am a farmer from around there, I am rope, I am a ladder, I am the excrement of the people, I am a leaf. They send me. They have to carry me on their back. And you, my dear Lady, my most forsaken Maiden,  you send me to a place where I do not walk and where I do not stand. Forgive me that I cause you great grief, that I disappoint you and fall under your anger, my Queen."
The Holy Virgin responded: "Listen to me my son, the most forsaken. Understand that many are my servants and messengers that I can send, to take my message, and to do my will; but it is very vital that you yourself ask and help, and that with your mediation, my will be fulfilled. Much do I ask of you, my son, the most forsaken and with energy I command you, that you go again tomorrow, to see the bishop. On my behalf, let him know completely my will: that he has to make the temple, that I ask for. And once more tell him, that I in person, the ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, send you."
Juan Diego responded: "My dear Lady, I will not cause you affliction; I will go willingly to fulfill your will; in no way will I leave it aside nor will the task be difficult. I shall go to do your will, though I may not be listened to with a good disposition. And even if I am listened to, I may not be believed."

Theme developed: As prophets, we should be  brave in urging others to live according to the standards of the reign of Christ, especially those in authority, who have responsibility over people.
From of old, God has singled out the humble and the simple, and converted them into messengers of salvation. King David and Moses, two of the most important people in the history of salvation, were humble shepherds. Moses also had a speech impediment. Jesus, the Son of God, could have chosen to be born as an important person, such as a king, a high priest, or a doctor of the law. He  preferred, though, to appear in history as a laborer, from a family among the simple folk, and to live in a place called Nazareth, a locality of no value to Israel. The readings of today, speak about the simplicity of Jesus, and of his mission of liberation among the people.
Are we to be surprised then, that the Virgin of Guadalupe chooses Juan Diego as her preferred messenger? The fact that she spoke to the bishop through the Indian Juan Diego, and not directly, is part of the message to the Church and to the people: God chooses the humble to confuse the powerful. The ways of God are different than mere human speculations. Juan Diego even insists before the Virgin to get a more credible messenger, someone important in society. He felt that he was nobody, and it would be difficult for them to believe him. But the Virgin insists that he be the messenger. Juan Diego is part of the message that God wants to give to the people. God is identified with the oppressed poor, and has lifted up a prophetic voice from among her children. It is not that God wants to annul authority, but to remind everyone that what really counts in the reign is sanctity, through a life of simplicity and of humble loving service. It was because of oppressive authority that Juan Diego felt as he did: led around on a leash, used as a ladder, treated as repugnant excrement (Acuña Siller-1991: 41), left as a stray leaf dropped from the tree. It was the Virgin who helped Juan Diego restore his dignity when she insisted that he go and confront the bishop as God's prophet. For authority to have meaning in the Church and in society it has to be marked by that sense of simple and humble service. We are also reminded that the Church belongs to everyone, and that everyone has to put their 'grain of sand' in the construction of the reign. Perhaps one could say with Moses and with Juan Diego: 'Who am I? They are not going to heed me!' Even if it happens often, as happened with Moses and Juan Diego, in the end an impact is made in salvation history, because this comes from God. It is not easy to be God's messenger, especially when we meet resistance.
Juan Diego was a prophet of God. His Nahuatl name was 'Cuauhtlatoátzin', which means the one who speaks like the eagle (Acuña Siller-1991: 39). It is not difficult, therefore, for the Mexicas to see Juan Diego represented in the icon of Guadalupe as an angel. The feathers, like those of Quetzalcoatl, are a symbol of the divine. Messengers were often decorated with feathers. Juan Diego symbolized in the angel is supporting and carrying the Virgin; he is her servant and messenger. (El Heraldo-1994: 1) The angel's feathers of 'quetzal', egret and 'guacamaya',  were then of the most valued birds.  This showed that this was an exceptional messenger.
Today, more than ever, every Christian needs to take her/his place as a messenger of Christ. The world needs the message urgently, starting with this country. It needs re-evangelizing. Because of its influence in the world, the corruption in this country has serious repercussions on a world level. We cannot remain indifferent. Everyone should ask themselves what each can do, within one's reach, to bring about the reign. Priests and sisters cannot and should not do it all on their own. The nature of Church presupposes communion and participation. That is what the Latin American bishops reminded us at Puebla some years back. The age of ecclesiastical authoritarianism and of the passive collectivity must end. Christian maturity demands that we be active members of the Church. We are no longer babies to be spoon fed. We cannot only  'eat on our own, but we can prepare food for others to eat'. That means that as baptized Christians, members of Christ, we move into the maturity of our confirmation through  which we are called to be builders of the reign. God will always call some for very specialized tasks, but everyone has the responsibility in the Church to fend for her, and to ensure that the reign of Christ emerges within the human family.

Questions: Do we dare proclaim the gospel by word and deed, even when we risk being made fun of, criticized, slandered, or persecuted? Do we detect some leaders among us who can help us along the journey?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Ninth Day of the Novena:

Let us now present our petitions to the Lord responding: Lord, hear our prayer.

1. So that the Virgin inspires many lay people from among the poor and humble people, to occupy their place in the Church as an active presence in the construction of the reign of God. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. So that the Holy Spirit, may fill us with a missionary conscience of Church and urge us on to take the message of salvation, every one according to their vocation in life, and according to their real possibilities. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. So that the hierarchy of the Church be open to listen to the Holy Spirit, who transmits the wisdom of the Gospel through the poor, especially in the witness of their lives. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. So that all of us may be sensitive to receive the message of salvation through unexpected and surprising ways, as often happens from the mouths of children. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. So that governments of the world listen to the voice of God who is crying out in the lives of millions of people of our time, urging us to urgent replies at national and international levels. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
O God, you sent your Son, as a messenger of justice and peace to the world. Help each of us to occupy our place in the missionary task of the Church, which begins at home and in our neighborhood. May Our Lady of Guadalupe encourage and sustain us in the struggle, as she did for Juan Diego. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

The issue addressed: A ghetto mentality as opposed to being participants of the diversity within a universal spirit.

Object: To create awareness and firmly motivate an attitude of giving value to one's individual culture, and to be participant in the historical process by contributing to the universal spirit from one's diversity.

Scripture readings:

Rev.11:15-12:2; Ps.67; Lk.1:39-47

Alleluia: Alleluia. Alleluia. Come, King of all nations, source of your Church's unity and faith: save all people, your own creation! Alleluia.

Adapted reading from the Nican Mopohva (8:27.28):

In front of the bishop, Juan Diego unwrapped his white 'tilma', since he had the flowers in his lap; and so a variety of roses scattered on the floor. Suddenly, there appeared on the 'tilma', the precious image of the ever Virgin Holy MARY, Mother of God Teotl. This is the image that is kept today in her temple at Tepeyac, which is named Guadalupe.

Theme developed: The historical challenge is a universal 'mestisaje'. The Hispanic people have rights and duties in the United States of America Guadalupe represents a Mexican responsibility before all the American Continent(s).
In all times, human beings have gathered within different ethnic groups, with unique customs and cultural beliefs. The tendency has been, though, that each group has looked with distrust at other groups due to lack of sufficient social contact. One tends to distrust the unknown. The principal task of Christ is to come to remedy this tower of Babel, which we have constructed for ourselves. Our pride leads us to think that our culture is  the best. Ours is neither better nor worse just different. We do not have the right in making others be like ourselves. Christ did not come to annul differences, but that we might enrich ourselves mutually, from the differences of each. Unity is not uniformity, but the enrichment of the diversity  that God places in each of us. These differences should not contradict each other but complement each other. Dissonance does not come from God  but from the evil spirit that is reflected in our pride. Christ and the early Church made the effort of reconciling the differences between Jews, Greeks, Romans and Samaritans. Those who felt marginalized, as were the lepers and public sinners in society, Christ reintegrated into society.
The fundamental message of Guadalupe is not an exception. God, through the Virgin with her maternal influence, has come to reunite diverse daughters and sons into one people. The blue-green mantle could speak to the Aztecs of this power that operates through Mary to unify the opposing tensions at work in the world (Elizondo-1989: 129). The 'mestizo' Mexican, is a sign of this union which God has left as a witness of the reign, in the Americas that are one: America, a continent formed by many nations and not just countries, from Alaska down to Tierra del Fuego.
I believe that the Virgin of Guadalupe, with the Mexican people, are  symbols of this union. The Virgin, because of her holiness, mirrors the reign in its perfection. Both Aztecs, with the other Meso-american nations, and Spaniards could identify her as one of them. That is true all over the world. In Velankani, India, the Virgin is dressed in a 'sari', the typical garment of Indian women, and she speaks to Hindu children in Tamil, the local language of Velankani, in the state of Tamil Nadu. In Lourdes, France, she speaks to a girl in French. In Mexico, she speaks to Juan Diego in Nahuatl. Her desire to be a mother to all is reflected in her image, especially in the face.
They say that the eyes are the window of the soul. The Aztecs also gave great importance to the face, especially to the eyes. What is there so special in the eyes of the Virgin of Guadalupe? I would say they are the most  extraordinary aspect of the whole image. The first surprising thing is to notice that they are a light color, while the color of her face could be identified as Amerindian or Mediterranean, while her hair seems more Amerindian. The most striking thing, though, is found in the eyes. With the help of computer technology in recent years, specialists of our contemporary society have discovered with surprise, something which for me has an important symbolic meaning. Reflected in the eyes are twelve people, of different ethnic origins, people of both sexes, and of all ages. Apart from Juan Diego, among other people are: the elderly Spanish bishop Zumárraga and his Spanish interpreter. Also seen is María, an African slave that lived in the house of the bishop. There is also a young Indian couple with a child and a baby on the back of the mother, who has refined features as if of noble Aztec background (Maussan-1991). How appropriate for a mother who loves all human beings as her daughters and sons, who mirrors the maternal and paternal love which God has for us all!
Hispanics of the United States, the message of Guadalupe is clear. I think that God, through the Virgin, missions you as she did Juan Diego, to bring reconciliation between the different ethnic groups of this land. Here is a wonderful opportunity to form a global, universal 'mestizo' family, on which I think the future of our life on the planet depends. We are becoming a global family, but it is our duty that there be a respectful integration of all ethnic groups. This is a challenge, and an urgent task, because the danger of global uniformity, without respect for the differences, is already becoming a reality. One must not hold on to hispanicity, as if it were the only thing of worth, which is a danger for the older generations. Neither should one reject it with shame, which is a danger more for the younger generations. These are human temptations in an insecure environment where one does not feel accepted by the dominant society. One has to resist firmly these two extremes.
The Virgin sends you as her missionaries. You have a unique richness to contribute to this society. Do not be disillusioned by those who reject you. You have Juan Diego as a model who did not hold back before difficulties in making himself  believed. As with Juan Diego, the Virgin gives us a little 'push', so that we may be courageous in being her messengers. 'Animo' Hispanic people! The Lord and the 'Guadalupana' are with you! 'Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!' Long live the Virgin of Guadalupe!

Questions: Do we have a heart sufficiently broad enough to embrace under the banner of Guadalupe, all ethnic groups especially those that surround us, including those from whom we have experienced some discrimination?

Prayers of the Faithful for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Feeling united with all the Hispanic people, and united with all the Church extended throughout the world, let us present now our intentions. To each response we will say: listen, Lord, to you people.

1. For all the Church who admire and exult Mary as the most splendid fruit of redemption, so that we will always be aware of our missionary vocation, and may always irradiate the Light of Christ, as the moon that reflects the light of the sun. Let us pray to the Lord.
2. For the Holy Father, the bishops, the priests and all the leaders and prophets in the Church, so that, with their example and word, they may be in the Church and in the world, like stars shining in the sky, just like Juan Diego, the smallest of all Mary's children. Let us pray to the Lord.
3. For the union of all Christians, that we may find better ways of overcoming our differences, so that we may work together in the construction of the reign of Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.
4. For our community in this part of our city, that the Virgin may help us to overcome prejudices, discriminations, hatreds and violence between different ethnic groups, between gangs, and even in the heart of our families. Let us pray to the Lord.
5. For our youth and our children; for the elderly and sick; for the most weak, defenseless and the poor: so that they may find in our Church, in the example of Mary's maternal love, a home of welcoming love. Let us pray to the Lord.

Let us pray:
In union with Mary, mother of the Church, we ask you Lord, full of Love, that your reign, may extend throughout the world. May it penetrate and transform all cultures, and one day, may there truly  be a civilization of love. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In preparing this novena, I have been immensely enriched. I have come to appreciate at a deeper level the religious experience and heritage of Guadalupe embodied in the Mexican people. I feel that I have now a ministerial tool which can guide me and others at this crucial time of year for the people to whom I minister. I'm also aware that Guadalupe is not just a yearly event, but a spirituality which pervades the life of the people, as is expressed in the presence of the image of Guadalupe in homes, vehicles and public places.
Bringing Jews, Romans and Greeks together through the first Christian wave in the first century was an important stage in salvation history. Juan Diego, a humble Aztec, a true servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, was instrumental in the 'birthing' of a new age in the sixteenth century. As a symbol of all the oppressed people of the first nations of this continent, he played a key role in bringing two different continents together at another fundamental juncture of salvation history. The 'mestizo' people who emerge from Guadalupe, amid all their human limitations, are for me a sign of hope for the future of our planet.
Today we are at the dawn of a new age: a global community is painfully trying to be born, in communion with our planet. A new layer of meaning is observable in Our Lady of Guadalupe if we see her as representing  mother nature. Not only is the unity of humanity at stake, but the survival of our planet, and us within it. Clothed with the stars, with the blues and reds of our planet, surrounded by the sun and the moon, our mother calls us to harmony among us, with nature and with God who created us. All creation, and humanity as a whole, as different nations merge in 'mestisaje', at all levels of existence, is gradually arriving at its plenitude. The message of salvation emerges. It is still being spoken through the lives of the Juan Diego's of today. They are the poor and marginalized of the Americas and of our world. In the simplicity of their life, their sense of community, their respect for nature, they are like a voice crying out in the wilderness. But few are willing to hear. Even many 'mestizos' who carry Amerindian blood in their veins block out that dimension of their being to be more acceptable in the dominant society. But the new age has dawned. The voice of God shouts out all the louder as we live in the tension between what has arrived and the glory to come in the Parousia. The groaning and pangs of birth are still going on, as the Spirit tries to move us from within to forge the new creation that has arrived through Christ. We live in a constant advent. Our Lady of Guadalupe remains the woman in waiting, emerging from the suffering, marginalized poor, who wait patiently in their struggle for liberation. All creation suffers, and humanity within it,  especially the poorest as they are exploited and stripped of their dignity, and as nature gets depleted, because of people's greed. But the Spirit carries on groaning from within, trying to make all aware, trying to open everyone's eyes as they live submerged in the slavery of materialism and consumerism, with the 'deafening' effects on their inner selves.There will be conscious-provoking experiences like Chiapas in southern Mexico, and the cry of the poor everywhere will remind everyone, that things must change if we want Christ to be born truly among us. He can only be there where his body is, where there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free person, male nor female, but only one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). Until then, we will witness Our Lady of Guadalupe as a woman who is waiting, suffering with her people, in pangs of birth, waiting to give birth to her child, when we can all allow ourselves to be truly one in Christ. Meanwhile, Guadalupe, surrounded by a 'mestizo' Mexico, made up of a marriage of several nations, will carry on being a witness for the rest of  humanity that it is possible to be one, even amid all ones limitations.
It is my hope that this novena will help the Hispanic community find meaning in their present life situation in the United States, and help them feel empowered to move confidently forward with courage, determination and joy, as agents in God's plan, and in the building up God's reign.

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Introduction: Christopher Gibson, C.P. is an Anglo-Argentine. He was born in 1948 and was raised in Argentina and in the United States of America.  He is a member of  the Passionist religious congregation and was ordained to the priesthood in 1975.
Studies: He did primary and secondary studies in the United States and in Argentina. In Argentina he studied simultaneously under Argentine and British educational systems. He did four years of Humanities and Philosophy under the Jesuits in Argentina; two years of teacher training in a praxis-theory-praxis method; Theology in a pontifical diocesan seminary and with the Jesuits. In India, in the 1980's, he got a diploma for a three-year summer course under the supervision of the Institute for Formators (Gregorian University) in Rome.
Ministry: He has been mainly in youth ministry in Argentina, Uruguay, India and Tanzania, through 'Pastoral Juvenil' in schools/parishes and as  director in the promotion/formation of young men in his own religious congregation. He has preached many itinerant missions including among Amerindians of Argentina. He has been Superior/consulter in his religious community. He published a book of  liturgical/catechetical celebrations for children in 1979 called "Celebraciones para la Initiación Cristiana de los Niños" (Buenos Aires, Argentina: editorial Claretiana); the songs he composed for each celebration  were published on tape under the group "Pueblo de Dios" to which he belonged. This group was founded by Fr. Osvaldo Catena,  the main reformer of liturgical music in Argentina even before Vatican II.