Fr. Scott A. Haynes
American culture is increasingly pagan. So, we must counter the culture of death with the culture of life. To do this we look to the image of Guadalupe. In the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Virgin Mary wears a black belt around her waist – for the Aztecs people, this was an indication of pregnancy. As far as I know, this is the only image of Our Lady that depicts the pregnancy of the Virgin Mother of God.
The Aztec natives viewed the roses that fell from Juan Diego's tilma as a sign of new life, and so the Pro-life movement has adopted the rose as a symbol of respect for human life because the rose is so much like ourselves –beautiful but fragile.
As we labor to open minds and hearts to embrace the beauty of life, from conception 'till natural death, we must pray all the more for the overturning of those hearts and minds not fully embracing God's gift of life. Let us pray that all Americans will come to truly believe that every child in the womb has a God-given right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”