AN ENCOUNTER WITH GUADALUPE
MOTHER OF GOD AND OUR MOTHER

I was born in a German family and was raised as a Lutheran. Although my mother was always a believer, I lost my faith being a teenager. I never prayed to God again and even laughed at people who practiced their faith.  In 1985 things changed drastically. At the very beginning of that year I started to feel the urging need to search God. I was living on my own and I went to the nearest church, a Catholic church. I learned there that every Thursday a prayer meeting was held there. I had already started to pray by myself every night and I decided to join the group.

The day came and I entered the church hesitantly. However I was met by a smiling priest who said: "Come on in! Welcome! We were waiting for you!"  I immediately felt sorry for him, for I thought he was mistaken, thinking I was someone else. I loved the prayer and to my surprise, once it ended, the priest, Fr. Anselmo, came to me and told me that he expected me next day at 7 pm. Again I thought he must have a memory problem, but I decided to accept his invitation. The next day, when I entered the church I said to myself: "If this priest wants to confess me, I will leave immediately."  But he didn't confess me, he told me all about his life and how God¹s mercy had prevented him from leaving the priesthood after a very confusing experience.

He touched me so deeply with his testimony, that I decided to make a confession myself right there. Fr. Anselmo asked me how did I refer to God. I told him that I talked to God and that was it. "But don't you speak with Jesus first or invoke the Holy Spirit?"  
Well no, Father, I don't need intermediaries I go directly to the Father."   He said something which I didn't quite understand at that time.  "Jesus is so loving and merciful, that He has lent you His Father for a while.  But there will come a time when you will have to walk the path to meet the Father - first you will get to know the Mother of God who will take you to her Son Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit, Jesus will present you again to His Father." 

I thought, this priest must be crazy. Why should I go all this way, if I already talk directly to

the Father? And what's most, the Father hears my prayers and answers them.  Some months later, in May, I was living through a very difficult situation.  I prayed and prayed to the Father, but He didn¹t answer me.  It was as if He didn't hear me at all. A Catholic friend told me that she would take me to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, that the Blessed Mother of God always hears the pleas of her children and that She would help me out.  We went there and that was my first encounter with the Mother of the True God for Whom we live.

This experience was very deep for me.  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the image of Guadalupe. I hardly could say anything to her, but I finally shared my troubles with the Blessed Mother.  And She heard me, because some days later the problem was solved.  I was so full of joy and gratitude, that I went to the Basilica again in order to present Our Lady with some roses and thank her for hearing me.  I felt such a strong attachment to her, that I went there almost every day for about four or five months after work.

Then one day, I had another trouble, a very big one.  And I was suffering much.  I went to the Basilica and asked Our Blessed Mother to help me, but to no avail. Again I felt Heaven was closed to my pleas. My friend told me this time, that she would take me to see a very special image of Jesus, an image called The Jesus of Wonders, which is venerated in the state of Puebla.  A lady had a replica in her home and we went there. I greeted Jesus and told Him:  "Jesus I really don't know you.  I've always spoken to your Father directly and lately to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  But neither of Them seems to listen to me anymore. Could you help me out of this trouble?²"  And He did, almost immediately.

This is how I began to lead a so to say more spiritual life, going to the Thursday prayer meeting, visiting Our Lady of Guadalupe almost daily at the Basilica and speaking everyday with Jesus, reading the Bible and praying with it.

In September 19,1985, Mexico City was almost torn down by a terrible earthquake. Most of down-town buildings were destroyed. There were a lot of people under the debris. I went to the parish church I used to go and asked Fr. Anselmo if there was anything I could do to help.  He directed me to a group of faithful from the parish who were preparing food for the homeless, collecting clothes etc. and also bringing food for the workers who were trying to rescue people under the buildings.

One day, the lady of the house where we were working asked me to take sandwiches for the workers of the National Medical Center, two ladies were going to drive me there. Once we were in the car, one of them said that we should pray the Rosary, asking Our Blessed Mother to protect us.  The other lady agreed and they started to pray it.  I had never prayed a Rosary in my life before, and I felt ashamed in front of these women.  So I asked Our Lady: "Virgin of Guadalupe, I don¹t know how to pray the Rosary.  But I don't want these ladies to know, you see they seem very pious.  Please, show me how to pray it!"  When my turn came to pray a mystery, I prayed it so well that these ladies asked me to join their prayer group every Friday because they had never heard a Rosary prayed like I did.

From then on I prayed the Rosary every day and continued with what I thought was a perfect spiritual life. I started to ministry in a Marian apostolate and even felt that I was already a Catholic. And then I started to live the most terrible attacks from the Evil One.  I was desperate and as I wasn¹t able to speak with Fr. Anselmo, I went to see the priest who was in charge of the apostolate. He made me a few questions and then told me, that I had to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, in order to be protected against Satan¹s attacks. I called Fr. Anselmo and he made the arrangements with the Bishop who allowed him to confirm me after baptizing me "under condition."  I was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church on November 2nd, 1985, in the Feast of the Blessed Souls. The date will tell you exactly in what terrible condition my soul was. Our Lord really saved me from the tomb, from eternal death!  He surely is the Good Pastor who leaves the 99 sheep in order to search for the one who¹s lost!

From then on my life changed radically. I started to go to Mass every day, continued with my prayers daily and the prayer meetings. I also tried to learn everything I could from our beloved Catholic Church.  Things haven't been easy.  I've lived through terrible deserts, times when I thought that Jesus, Mary, the Father and the Holy Spirit were on vacation because I really felt estranged from Them.   But God has been very good to me and He has given me the strength to persevere.

Four years ago I lived a very beautiful experience with Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I received an e-mail from Miami, asking me to help some people of El Salvador who lived in Brisbane, Australia, and who were building a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Canugra Mountains. They wanted a replica of the Blessed Tilma in order to preside the shrine. I made all the arrangements, St. Joseph even helped us with the money as these people didn¹t have enough.  A friend of my prayer group said to me: "Helga, you must take the image to the Basilica and touch with it the Blessed Tilma."  "But how am I going to make this?"  "Just call the Rector of the Basilica and ask him.² I did it and that was really my day. He said to me that the camerin - the little room behind the image of Guadalupe- was to be opened next Friday and that I was lucky, because this was done only once a year a month before Our Lady¹s feast. That I should go there at eight o¹clock and this way I would be able to touch the Blessed Tilma with the image we were going to send to Australia.

When I was in front of the image and touched her, I really couldn't believe it. Our Lady of Guadalupe is alive! Yes, She isn¹t only an image but Our Lady herself!  Let me explain it to you.  When I touched the Blessed Tilma, I didn't feel the glass nor the cloth. I felt as if I was touching a person, a real person, blood and flesh!  And it was so beautiful to embrace the Mother of God, my dearly beloved Mother of Guadalupe.  I even felt her warmth!  This lasted only five minutes, but for me it was like an eternity. I had the chance to admire the beautiful colors of her robe, the sky, her dress.  And her face!  What a beautiful face, with those wonderful eyes!  In the place where She folds her hands in prayer, you can really sense a strong heat, it's almost as if you were feeling her Heart beating in ardent love of her children!

I'm aware that this was a real privilege, something that happens only once in a lifetime and not everybody will have this opportunity.  I'm really not worthy of it, I continue being a sinner, a very miserable sinner.  But I want to share this testimony in order for other people to really believe in Mary's words, in her love, in her presence, in her care. So if anyone of you who will read this testimony is living through a difficult time, please remember our Blessed Mother's words at Guadalupe.  She is saying them to you right now in your heart:

"Listen and keep in your heart, my youngest son, that there is nothing for you to fear, nothing to afflict you.  Let neither your face nor your heart be worried, do not fear this nor any other illness, nor anything pounding nor afflicting.  Am I not here, I who am your Mother?  Are you not in my shadow, under my protection?  Am I not the fountain of your joy?  Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in my crossed arms?  Is there anything else you need?"