Cardinal Burke Reflects on Our Lady of Guadalupe, Urges Faithful to Embrace Holiness Amidst Challenges

In a recent Mass coinciding with the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12, Cardinal Raymond Burke, recently in the spotlight due to reports of Pope Francis withdrawing his salary and Vatican apartment, delivered a profound reflection on the state of the world and the Church. Drawing insights from Catholic News Agency and ACI Prensa, the cardinal emphasized the enduring relevance of Our Lady of Guadalupe's messages to the contemporary challenges faced by the Church.

Photo credit: CardinalBurke.com

Highlights

By Catholic Online (California Network)
12/14/2023 (11 months ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Cardinal Burke, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Church challenges, Holiness, Catholic faith, Daily prayer

At the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Cardinal Burke recalled the historical context of the apparitions in 1531 when the missionary Church in Mexico grappled with violent conflicts and diabolical practices. He underscored how Our Lady of Guadalupe showed the way to order and peace through teaching the truth, constant prayer, and offering love to God in sacred worship.

Addressing the challenges confronting the Church today, Cardinal Burke highlighted the attacks on human life, marriage, and the family, noting a cultural resistance to recognizing God and obeying His commandments. Expressing concern about calls for doctrinal changes to accommodate the culture, the cardinal asserted that the Church's path remains unchanged: adherence to the deposit of faith, daily prayer, worship, and a holy life.

Cardinal Burke criticized those advocating for a paradigm shift or an ill-defined Synodal Way, emphasizing that conversion to Christ is necessary for membership in Christ's mystical body. Drawing from the parable of the wedding feast, he cautioned against forgetting the essential need for a 'wedding garment'â€"the conversion of hearts to Christ.

Emphasizing the enduring path of the Church, Cardinal Burke stated that holiness, rooted in the Catholic faith and expressed through daily life, is the way forward. Rejecting the notion of a magical formula for salvation, he reiterated that Jesus Christ, alive in the Church, is the path to freedom and happiness.

Connecting the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Christ, Cardinal Burke urged believers to embrace holiness and allow themselves to be clothed with Christ in their daily lives. He reminded the faithful that the cause of eternal joy is Christ, fulfilling humanity's deepest desire to know, love, and serve God.