Annual Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe: December 4th - 12th

Am I not here, who

is your Mother?

~ Words of Our Lady of Guadalupe

to St. Juan Diego, 1531

It's that time of the year again!  Readers are cordially invited to join this ministry in making its annual novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The 9-day prayer will begin on December 4th and will end on December 12th - the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe - on which day, this author recommends for participants to attend Mass as a way of honoring our Holy Mother, as well as, to close-out this novena. +

Memorare to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions.

Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief.  Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, either for the common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided.

Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True God!  Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves in thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises.  We are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow.

Thou hast decided to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and our life.  Placing ourselves beneath thy maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all our necessities we need do nothing more.  O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us.  Amen.

[Mention your prayer petition(s) here]

(Offer an Our Father, a Hail Mary & Glory Be

in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

+ IMPORTANT:  For this novena - any prayer - to be successful, there must be a measure of faith; a belief that God, in his infinite goodness, can answer our prayer.  Without faith, prayer has no power.

To learn more about the incredible

apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe

& her miraculous image, click here.

Saints & Relics Presentation (Family Edition): St. Elizabeth Church, 12-7-2025

Tonight's presentation on Saints and Relics "Family Edition" at St. Elizabeth Church was structured to introduce teenagers to the richness of Catholic tradition, highlighting the lives of holy men and women and the sacred relics associated with them.  This presenter emphasized that our Saints were ordinary people transformed by extraordinary faith, which resonated with the teenagers and kept them attentive throughout.

The youthful audience was engrossed as they listened to vivid stories of holy individuals who faced real life struggles - peer pressure, doubts, fears, illness, etc. ‐ and they found the Saints relatable rather than distant historical figures; ample photos also helped to break up the talk and maintain focus.

The relics on display were from St. Bartolo Longo; St. Bernadette of Lourdes; St. Carlo Acutis;

Ven. Domenica Lazzeri; St. Gianna Beretta Molla; St. John Paul II; Bl. Karl of Austria; Sts. Louis

& Zelie Martin w/St. Therese of Lisieux; St. Padre Pio; and St. Peregrine Laziosi.

The presentation concluded with a moment of prayer, encouraging the teens to internalize what they had learned and to see Saints as intercessors and companions in faith.  They were then invited to approach the relics on display, which gave them a concrete way to grow their budding devotion.  Several lingered, whispering prayers, indicating that the talk had sparked genuine interest and sincere veneration.

I'm thankful to God and for my team of behind-the-scenes prayer warriors whose support greatly helped this speaker to successfully meet my threefold goal of maintaining my audience's attention; engaging their participation; and encouraging veneration by fostering personal connections to Saints and relics.  Many of the youth left not only informed but also inspired, carrying with them a sense of reverence and devotion.

Tonight's veneration of relics at St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea.

December 2025: That Hawaiian Supermoon

"Who is she that comes forth as the morning

rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun,

terrible as an army set in battle array?"

- Song of Solomon 6:10

Lately, wonderful things have been been witnessed in the sky above our islands ... and it involves the moon.  First off, during the past three nights, we've been awed by the sight of a "supermoon".  It's an infrequent natural occurrence during which the moon is at its closest orbit to the earth and appears larger and brighter than an ordinary full moon; it also sometimes takes on an orange to reddish hue, which adds greatly to its already spectacular appearance. 🌕

This author has seen many supermoons in my lifetime, but this time around, it was literally a blessing from above - allow me to elaborate: this past Wednesday, 12-3-2025, as I drove into Kailua to attend the FIAT: Faith In Action Today prayer meeting, I caught sight of the moon and was surprised to see within it a clear image of the face of our Blessed Mother.  I've witnessed a similar manifestation before back in January 2012 but never saw anything like it again until this Wednesday.  Our Lady's features were beautiful and she was smiling, as her face faded and reappeared intermittently.  I was elated, to say the least!

An artistic depiction of what this author

witnessed in the moon

When I got to the meeting, I immediately told other members of the FIAT Group about the moon and several of them went outside to see for themselves.  To my relief, three others also saw the Holy Virgin's face, which affirmed for me that it wasn't just my imagination.  So we whipped out our cellphones to snap pics but none of us succeeded in capturing the mysterious face.  Instead, all we got were images of a blank glowing white sphere against the night sky.

I was somewhat disappointed that we didn't get clear pics to keep as souvenirs of the blessed event ... but things changed when I later got home.  Earlier, during my drive into Kailua, I had filmed the moon briefly out of sheer excitement and, while reviewing the footage, I was shocked to discover that I had unexpectedly captured something remarkable, after all ... but instead of just a face, I filmed a full-figure apparition!  Here's the video ...

ABOVE:  Note the silhouette in the light (circled)

BELOW:  A screen-shot from the video clip (note

the resemblance to the statue next to it)

   

I can't help but see Our Lady of Grace with her arms customarily extended downward in the above clip, to which several friends have agreed.  Why she manifested in the video - or even in the moon - I don't know; she didn't say a word, but my best guess is that she simply wanted to encourage our FIAT Group to prayerfully persevere; to remind our members that she's around, acknowledging our filial devotion to her and to lovingly dispense graces (we often affectionately refer to her as our "MOM").

I've looked at the moon, over and over again last night and tonight, but no face or figure was seen in it.  I'm extremely grateful for what was witnessed and, regardless, the sight of a supermoon is an awesome gift of the natural realm; a reminder of just how great our GOD is who made it all, along with its breathtaking beauty.  Thanks and praises be to HIM!

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

- Psalm 19:1