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.
Today’s Gospel reading from Luke tells the story of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In it, we see Mary betrothed to Joseph, who is of the house of David. The angel Gabriel was sent. Although the passage doesn’t say, who but God would have sent Gabriel to Mary. Therefore, everything the angel told Mary was “God sent.” When Mary was troubled at his appearance, he said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” In a similar way, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego near Mexico City who was traveling outside a town on his way to a catechism class and Mass. Mary told him in his native Nahuatl language, “For I am your merciful Mother, to you and to all mankind who love me and trust in me and invoke my help.” Our Lady asked Juan to build a shrine in that same spot. When Juan visited the Archbishop to tell him, he didn’t believe him. So when Our Lady appeared to Juan again, she asked him to pick some flowers. It was winter. Nonetheless, Juan found many flowers of a type he had never seen. The Virgin placed them in Juan’s tilma. When Juan returned to the Archbishop, he presented the tilma. The flowers, Castilian flowers not found in Mexico, fell out. The tilma had been imprinted with a miraculous image of the Virgin. From that moment, within the span of seven years, eight million natives converted to Christianity.
God, help me understand through today’s liturgy of the word and through the actions of Our Lady of Guadalupe that you care for your people, for the health of body and soul, and that you want us to know peace in your presence. Mary said to Juan Diego concerning his dying uncle: “Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain.” I want to have that kind of trust as I face the trials of the day.
Lord, I know you are near. When I find myself becoming afraid of the tasks of this day, let me remember the words of the angel Gabriel and Our Lady of Guadalupe: “Do not be afraid.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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