at st. anthony claret parish in fresno, the novena to our lady of guadalupe and especially the celebrations on december 12th are a special time of the advent season. mary brings God’s joy consolation and hope to millions of people; many honor guadalupe in special ways on this day.
it is impossible to overstate the importance of guadalupe–especially in mexican culture.
the last time that i served the guadalupe masses in fresno was 2017. all night long-from the 7:00pm mass on the 11th til the first mananitas at 3:00am– people would come by to drop off flowers andask mary to pray for them. i had to sleep with earplugs because all night long the bandas would come to offer their songs to honor mary. it is very difficult to get some shut eye when tubas and trumpets blare at full blast! at 5:00am is the first mass to celebrate the feast. and the music and gritos are festive and heartfelt!
afterwards, is the pan dulce and champurrado or atole. and more singing. all day long, people come by to offer flowers and their personal prayers.
i miss it all
today, i just quietly ask for mary’s intercession in my personal prayer. i did have the chance to celebrate the guadalupe mass at st. john the baptist in covington yesterday. it was low key but prayerful. but is was very different from the pre-covid days.
just another canged life experience where we can confidently curse, “damn you, covid!”
let us pray;
hail mary full of grace the Lord is with you. blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb , jesus. holy mary mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. amen
Art and Sol Podcast ... Random Musings 
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