Customer Reviews

Guadalupe: Mother of the New Creation

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This book from the greatest American Catholic publishing house Orbis Books, a division of the Maryknoll American Catholic Missionary Society, of which my uncle is a long time member, not only serves as an excellent introduction for the serious academic researcher of this American religious phenomenon, but also ably and consolingly accompanies any already knowledgeable and faithful and practicing Catholic on our long pilgrimage with Our Lady of Guadalupe, la Virgen Morenita, Queen of the Americas.

Twenty five years ago I was privileged while accompanying Mayan Indians fleeing the US supported right wing genocide in their ancient mountain homeland to visit several times the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe near Mexico City. The old and traditional Basilica visited by US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy had sunk into the swampy ancient lake bed which forms the Mexico City region and so the tilma had been removed to a new and larger and modern Basilica nearby, yet we still could visit the old Basilica and observe the votos left by past generations of pilgrims. I was also able a few times to climb Tepeyac to the chapel at the site of the apparition which came so early in the occupation by Europeans of this hemisphere, a generation after Columbus's first voyage. Upon descending from that hilltop I bought a bag of roast chicken at a stand, and following the instructions I had received did not share with a mother and baby who asked some of me, and disaster has followed me ever since. This Thanksgiving I have given two turkeys to poor families in Mexico and hope in this way to make at least partial reparation to Our Lady of the Poor at Guadalupe, for my past selfish and thoughtless failures, particularly that most painful one upon her very doorstep of Tepeyac. I come too late to learn, but we must ever remain on our pilgrimage to total conversion, and not turn aside in despair but ever move forward.

Thus within the first page and a half of this book, I could not read for my tears, as the Reverend Father Elizondo so faithfully recounts his own first trip to Tepeyac with his father as a small child, and his own communion of prayer with the poor masses within that ancient basilica, before the tilma graced by Our Lady. I felt after so many solitary visits there accompanied, understood, in communion of prayer with a profound and a Catholic and a prayerful soul.

And so is this book, a journal of Father Elizondo's pilgrimage and profound research of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Here we find a comprehensive Marian theological treatise of Gudalupe accessible to any reader, and especially useful as we approach the novena of her Feast Day December 12th.

These past years I have been fortunate to join in pre-dawn procession in my parish in Mexico bearing the image of Our Lady Of Guadalupe throughout the small village, praying the Rosary, the major Marian prayer, in union with my fellow parishioners of our Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our patroness, our protectress, our mediatrix, our mother, la Virgen Morena.

This book then recollects my memories and aspirations, informs my knowledge of this theology, and strengthens my resolve on our pilgrimage home.

Father Elizondo remarks at the beginning of this book: "The more I try to comprehend the intrinsic force and energy of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in Tepeyac in 1531, at the very beginning of the Americas, the more I dare to say that I do not know of any other event since the Pentecost that has had such a revolutionary, profound, lasting, far-reaching, healing, and liberating impact on Christianity (p. xi)." This book is the welcome, comprehensive, rich and nutritious fruit of the Reverend Father Elizondo's efforts to comprehend, and here to report his contemplative, serious research.

His concluding thoughts include: "John the Apostle had a vision, which I cited earlier, of this type of newness breaking forth: And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head, a crown of twelve stars. And being with child, she cried out in her travail and was in the anguish of delivery. (Rev. 12:1-2) The conquest was killing off Our Lady's children. The new world order would soon seek to destroy all differences or enslave and exploit the weaker other. The mother of the new world order does not want this. She cries out to let her children be born and demands a caring and loving home for all the children of this earth (p. 134)."

Let this brief passage, built upon the firm foundation of all that precedes in this excellent work of Catholic spirituality, serve to whet your spiritual appetite for the substantial theological feast here within. Truly this book will edify and strengthen you, and let us thus pray in procession together though far apart in the week leading up to her Feast, that one day we may all walk together in her eternal warmth.

Please see as well the many excellent Catholic works by the prolific and the Reverend Father Virgilio Elizondo, including if you can La Morenita: Evangelizer of the Americas (Spanish/English) and his many contributions to the excellent Catholic periodical publication Concilium, including 1492-1992: The Voice of the Victims (Concilium).

I have enjoyed reading this book, and am almost finished. It offers a different perspective than I've heard before regarding Our Lady of Guadelupe. The book begins with the original poem written in the 1500's, then analyzes the meaning of many elements of that account. It brings out many facts about the native people and the newly arrived Spanish, which emphasize the importance of this appearance of Mary for the whole world. It does require a basic knowledge of Catholic Christian faith, and I doubt it would be interesting to non-Christians. It is also a pretty easy read, however, some sections become a bit repetitive.

I am currently in a class with the author. He's a great speaker and writer. The book is very eye opening with it's ideas and concepts. I highly recommend it!

I found this book to be an eye opener for me regarding the history of Christianity's interaction with the peoples of the Americas. I only knew of the history of its discovery, nothing else. The aftermath and its results were traumatic, to say the least. The authors understanding of how the Quadalupe event could heal, and is healing this trauma shows that with the help of God, even historical mistakes can be rectified, and as the title states, a new creation can come forth. I would reccomend this book highly.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Mary or in the Guadalupe apparition. This book gave me so much to think about. The author "unpacks" the significance and symbolism of the apparition and also explains how the book is a call to anyone who wants to consider how best to evangelize and build bridges between cultures. The events of the apparition happened in a specific cultural and religious context, but the lessons apply to all of us today as we work to build a universal Church. One of our primary calls as Christians is to treat others with dignity ... the book reinforces that in a beautiful and unique way. Highly recommended.

This fascinating book shows how the Guadalupe story has functioned as a new Gospel story for the Americas. Elizondo calls the Church to pay attention to the experiences of the poor and oppressed and to learn from their joyful intimate relationships with this God Mother.

What a disapointment! I bought this book for some research I am doing but found its contents to be so unabashedly Catholic party-line that none of it is useful in an academic review. I concede that there is a place for Fr. Elizond's works for the Catholic audience wanting affirmation of their faith, but for my purposes, the experience of buying it makes me realize there is definitely a place for the old fashioned bookstore where you can peruse what you're buying. I wish I could get my money back!

While Mr. Elizondo obviously cares deeply about justice, readers should be aware that certain views expressed in this book are definitely not orthodox Catholic/Christian teaching, especially regarding Mary.