Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Lectionary: 690A
Lectionary: 690A
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
God's temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed."
Responsorial
PsalmJUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19
R. (15:9d) You are
the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God,
above all the women on earth;
and blessed be the LORD God,
the creator of heaven and earth.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
R. You are the highest honor of our race.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 1:26-38
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.
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.
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
Meditation: "For with God nothing will be
impossible"
Do you want to live a grace-filled life? The angel
Gabriel salutes Mary as "full of grace". To become the mother of the
Savior, Mary was enriched by God with gifts to enable her to assume this
awesome role. There is a venerable tradition among many Christians, dating back
to the early church, for honoring Mary as the spotless virgin who bore the Son
of God in her womb. A number of early church fathers link Mary's obedience to
this singular grace of God. "Being obedient she became the cause of
salvation for herself and for the whole human race... The knot of Eve's
disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through
her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith" (from Adv. haeres 3.22.4, by Irenaeus,
bishop of Lyons, 130-200 AD).
Faith is the key that unlock's the power of God's
kingdom in our lives
What is the key that can unlock the power and grace of God’s kingdom in our personal lives? Faith and obedience for sure! When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately experienced the consequence of their action - separation from the God who loved them. God in his mercy promised them a Redeemer who would pay the price for their sin and the sin of the world. We see the marvelous unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly.
What is the key that can unlock the power and grace of God’s kingdom in our personal lives? Faith and obedience for sure! When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they immediately experienced the consequence of their action - separation from the God who loved them. God in his mercy promised them a Redeemer who would pay the price for their sin and the sin of the world. We see the marvelous unfolding of God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers. Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even if it seemed difficult or costly.
God gives us the grace to say "yes" to his
will and to his transforming work in our lives
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heart-felt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the grace, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same willingness, obedience, and heart-felt trust as Mary did. When God commands he also gives the grace, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
"Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace,
mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live
a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you
my unqualified "yes" to your will and to your plan for my life."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Mary conceives the Creator of all things, by an anonymous early author from
the Greek church
"Gabriel flew down from the vault of heaven and
came to Nazareth; standing before the virgin Mary, he cried to her, 'Rejoice!
You shall conceive a son more ancient than Adam, the Creator of all things and
Savior of those who cry to you. Rejoice, pure virgin!' Gabriel brought from
heaven good tidings to the Virgin, and he cried out to her, 'Rejoice! You shall
conceive him whom the world cannot contain; he shall be contained within your
womb. You shall bear him who shone forth from the Father before the morning
star!' (Psalm 110:3).
"The co-eternal Word of the Father who has no
beginning, not being parted from the things on high, has now descended here
below, in his boundless love taking pity on fallen humankind. He has assumed
the poverty of Adam, clothing himself in a form strange to him." (excerpt from STICHERA OF THE
ANNUNCIATION)
FEAST OF OUR
LADY OF GUADALUPE (USA)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, LUKE 1:26-38 or LUKE 1:39-47
(Zechariah 2:14-17 or Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm: Luke 1)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, LUKE 1:26-38 or LUKE 1:39-47
(Zechariah 2:14-17 or Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm: Luke 1)
KEY VERSE: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God" (v. 30).
TO KNOW: After centuries of longing for the Messiah, the Archangel Gabriel proclaimed the divine message to Mary (Hebrew, Miryam, "the exalted one"), a young girl who lived in the insignificant village of Nazareth. Mary was told that she would bear the "Son of the Most High" (v. 32) who would inherit the eternal reign promised to King David (2 Sm 7:16). The child was to be named Jesus (Hebrew, Yeshua), a name that implied his mission: "Yahweh saves." Mary was given a sign to prove that "nothing was impossible with God" (v. 37). Her kinswoman Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age. In Mary’s Magnifcat, she praised God's mercy and her faith in God's promise. She was God's handmaid, accepting whatever God desired of her. However, the angel did not tell Mary that her son would suffer and die. Luke says, “Then the angel departed from her” (Lk 1:38c). Mary would have to live in faith, doing God’s will as her son would do, even though it carried them to the cross.
TO LOVE: Can I say with Mary, "Be it done unto me according to your will"?
TO SERVE: Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray that my heart will be open to God's plan for my life.
NOTE: What is the Feast of Our
Lady of Guadalupe?
The Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to a 55 year old man named Juan Diego on December 9, 1531. She sent him to Bishop Zumárraga asking that a chapel be built where she stood. The bishop did not immediately believe the messenger, and he finally told him to ask the lady for a sign. Mary, who said she was the mother of God, told Juan to gather roses, although he knew it was neither the time nor the place for roses, Juan Diego readily agreed. Placing the flowers in his tilma, a long cloak worn by Mexican Indians, he went to the Bishop. As he unfolded his cloak the roses fell to the ground. Juan was startled to see the bishop and his attendants kneeling before him. The life size figure of the Virgin Mother, just as Juan had described her, was glowing on the tilma. Pope Benedict XIV decreed that Our Lady of Guadalupe should be the national patron of Mexico, and made 12 December her feast. Pope John Paul II later named her the Patron of all the Americas.
Wednesday 12
December 2018
Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Isaiah 40:25-31. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10. Matthew 11:28-30.
O bless the Lord, my soul – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10.
Isaiah 40:25-31. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10. Matthew 11:28-30.
O bless the Lord, my soul – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 8, 10.
‘Come to me all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens
and I will give you rest.’
Today’s gospel calls us to trust. At this time of year, we can
feel the weight of work, stress and worry. We may be exhausted and struggling.
Even the strongest among us stumble. Our ever-loving God is offering to
shoulder our load, renew our strength, and empower us to face our daily
challenges.
Dear Lord, help me to entrust my burdens to you so that I may
soar on wings like eagles; run and not grow weary; walk and not feel faint.
Even though I may not have realised it, thank you for carrying me through those
times I needed you the most. Help me find rest for my soul.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Saint of the Day for December 12
 |
| The Virgin of Guadalupe | public domain |
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the
16th century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.
A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the
name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower, and lived in a small village
near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a
nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady.
Juan was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard
beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared, and
within it stood an Indian maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke
to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan
named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where
the lady appeared.
Eventually the bishop told Juan to have the lady give him a
sign. About this same time Juan’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor
Juan to try to avoid the lady. Nevertheless the lady found Juan, assured him
that his uncle would recover, and provided roses for Juan to carry to the
bishop in his cape or tilma.
On December 12, when Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s
presence, the roses fell to the ground, and the bishop sank to his knees. On
the tilma where the roses had been appeared an image of Mary exactly as she had
appeared at the hill of Tepeyac.
Reflection
Mary’s appearance to Juan Diego as one of his people is a
powerful reminder that Mary—and the God who sent her—accept all peoples. In the
context of the sometimes rude and cruel treatment of the Indians by the
Spaniards, the apparition was a rebuke to the Spaniards and an event of vast
significance for the indigenous population. While a number of them had
converted before this incident, they now came in droves. According to a
contemporary chronicler, nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short
time. In these days when we hear so much about God’s preferential option for
the poor, Our Lady of Guadalupe cries out to us that God’s love for and
identification with the poor is an age-old truth that stems from the Gospel
itself.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of:
The Americas
Mexico
Mexico
LECTIO DIVINA: OUR LADY OF
GUADALUPE (LK1: 26-38)
Lectio Divina:
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
1) Opening
prayer
God
of the poor and the humble,
we thank You today for choosing Mary
as the Virgin Mother of Jesus, your Son.
Her faith and willing service
opened the way to Your new world.
Dispose us to seek Your will
and to cooperate with Your plans,
that we too, like Mary,
may give to the world its Savior,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
we thank You today for choosing Mary
as the Virgin Mother of Jesus, your Son.
Her faith and willing service
opened the way to Your new world.
Dispose us to seek Your will
and to cooperate with Your plans,
that we too, like Mary,
may give to the world its Savior,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Luke 1:26-38
In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David;
and the virgin's name was Mary.
He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favor! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favor. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David; He will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and His reign will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.”
Mary said, “You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favor! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favor. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David; He will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and His reign will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.”
Mary said, “You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
3) Reflection
•
The visit of the Angel to Mary reminds us of the visit of God to different
women of the Old Testament: Sarah, mother of Isaac (Gen 18: 9-15), Anne, mother
of Samuel (1 Sam 1: 9-18), the mother of Samson (Jg 13: 2-5). To all of them
was announced the birth of a son with an important mission in the realization
of God’s plan.
• The account begins with the expression “in the sixth month”. It is the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The need of Elizabeth, a woman advanced in age who is expecting her first son with the risk of delivery, is the background of this episode. Elizabeth is mentioned at the beginning (Lk 1: 26) and at the end of the visit of the angel (Lk 1: 36-39).
• The angel says: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favor, the Lord is with you”!. Similar words were also said to Moses (Ex 3: 12), to Jeremiah (Jer 1: 8), to Gideon (Jg 6: 12) and to other people with an important mission in God’s plan. Mary is surprised at the greeting and tries to understand the significance of these words. She is realistic and wants to understand. She does not accept just any invitation.
• The angel answers: “Do not be afraid!” Just as it happened in the visit of the angel to Zechariah, the first greeting of God is always: “Do not be afraid!”. The angel recalls the promises of the past which will be fulfilled thanks to the son who will be born and who is to receive the name of Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and in Him will be realized the Kingdom of God. This is the explanation of the angel in such a way that Mary is not afraid.
• Mary is aware of the mission which she is about to receive, but she continues to be realistic. She does not allow herself to be drawn by the greatness of the offer, and observes her condition. She analyses the offer according to certain criteria which she has available. Humanly speaking, it was not possible: “But how can this come about, I have no knowledge of man?”
• The angel explains that the Holy Spirit, present in God’s Word since the creation (Genesis 1: 2), is capable of things which seem impossible. This is why, the Holy One who will be born of Mary will be called Son of God. The miracle repeats itself up until today. When the Word of God is accepted by the poor, something new happens, thanks to the will of the Holy Spirit! Something new and surprising, such as a son born of a virgin or a son born to a woman of advanced age, like Elizabeth, whom everyone said was barren and could not have children! And the angel adds: “See, your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God”.
• The response of the angel clarifies everything for Mary, and she surrenders: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word”. Mary uses for herself the title of Servant, Handmaid of the Lord. This title of Isaiah, which represents the mission of the people not as a privilege, but rather as a service to the other people (Is 42:1-9, 49:3-6). Later Jesus will define his mission as a service: “I have not come to be served, but to serve!” (Mt 20:28). He learned this from His mother!
• The account begins with the expression “in the sixth month”. It is the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The need of Elizabeth, a woman advanced in age who is expecting her first son with the risk of delivery, is the background of this episode. Elizabeth is mentioned at the beginning (Lk 1: 26) and at the end of the visit of the angel (Lk 1: 36-39).
• The angel says: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favor, the Lord is with you”!. Similar words were also said to Moses (Ex 3: 12), to Jeremiah (Jer 1: 8), to Gideon (Jg 6: 12) and to other people with an important mission in God’s plan. Mary is surprised at the greeting and tries to understand the significance of these words. She is realistic and wants to understand. She does not accept just any invitation.
• The angel answers: “Do not be afraid!” Just as it happened in the visit of the angel to Zechariah, the first greeting of God is always: “Do not be afraid!”. The angel recalls the promises of the past which will be fulfilled thanks to the son who will be born and who is to receive the name of Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and in Him will be realized the Kingdom of God. This is the explanation of the angel in such a way that Mary is not afraid.
• Mary is aware of the mission which she is about to receive, but she continues to be realistic. She does not allow herself to be drawn by the greatness of the offer, and observes her condition. She analyses the offer according to certain criteria which she has available. Humanly speaking, it was not possible: “But how can this come about, I have no knowledge of man?”
• The angel explains that the Holy Spirit, present in God’s Word since the creation (Genesis 1: 2), is capable of things which seem impossible. This is why, the Holy One who will be born of Mary will be called Son of God. The miracle repeats itself up until today. When the Word of God is accepted by the poor, something new happens, thanks to the will of the Holy Spirit! Something new and surprising, such as a son born of a virgin or a son born to a woman of advanced age, like Elizabeth, whom everyone said was barren and could not have children! And the angel adds: “See, your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God”.
• The response of the angel clarifies everything for Mary, and she surrenders: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word”. Mary uses for herself the title of Servant, Handmaid of the Lord. This title of Isaiah, which represents the mission of the people not as a privilege, but rather as a service to the other people (Is 42:1-9, 49:3-6). Later Jesus will define his mission as a service: “I have not come to be served, but to serve!” (Mt 20:28). He learned this from His mother!
4) Personal questions
•
What struck you the most in the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary?
• Jesus praises his mother when He says: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28). How does Mary relate to the Word of God during the visit of the Angel?
• Jesus praises his mother when He says: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28). How does Mary relate to the Word of God during the visit of the Angel?
5) Concluding Prayer
To
Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live there;
it is He who laid its foundations on the seas,
on the flowing waters fixed it firm. (Ps 24,1-2)
the world and all who live there;
it is He who laid its foundations on the seas,
on the flowing waters fixed it firm. (Ps 24,1-2)
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