Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according saint Luke 1, 39-47
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
1. Juan Diego. Mary didn’t appear to the Cardinal, nor to the Bishop of Mexico. She appeared to a simple peasant who got up every day to go to work, who had a sick relative, who struggled every day and even felt that he was part of that divided society, between Spaniards and indigenous people. That Juan Diego might be you, a working person, with plenty of worries in a society that troubles you. Mary’s apparition to Juan Diego teaches us that God looks for simple hearts and that His work is shown in those who we least imagine, so much so that not even the bishop believed Juan Diego. This must lead us to value every single person who walks alongside us, because God works in whom He wants and when He wants.
2. Tenderness. What moves me most about this devotion is the tenderness with which Mary treats Juan Diego. It’s that tenderness that heals and gives confidence. Nowadays we live in a world that lacks tenderness; we have become hard people; we live in a heartless society and even the Church seems insensitive many times. Ask yourself if you are being very hard on those around you, ask yourself if you are showing tender gestures towards those who are with you. May Mary help us to be more tender and closer to all those around us.
3. The cloak. Mary appears pregnant when she comes to Juan Diego. In her womb there’s a tiny baby that has a heart that beats strong. Mary carries the greatest thing in the world: God Himself. Her eyes show a tender look, to such a degree that the image of Juan Diego’s face remains in her pupils, because Mary looks at you as your Mother, and for her you are unique, you are her son or her daughter. Her countenance is typical of the indigenous people Juan Diego belonged to because Mary comes close to the culture of her people, because she walks along with us, and she comforts us along the way. Mary takes care of us.
Long live Mary! Long live Mexico! Long live Latin America! Long live a world with more tenderness and less hate!
Remember that something good is on the way! God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
