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.”
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 Psalm JDT 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.
Gospel LK 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.
Or LK 1:39-47
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.”
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"
(Irenaeus, 2nd century). "The knot of Eve's disobedience was united by
Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary
loosened by her faith" (Ireneaus, 2nd century).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 a-ction 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 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."
 “God Is with You” |
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December 12,
2014. Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
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Luke 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.
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I know by faith
that these are some of the most important moments of my day. I freely open my
mind, heart and will for you to do as you please, because I know you can
desire and do only what is good for me. I know that you will give me the
grace to do whatever you ask of me and that you will always accompany me.
That is enough for me.
Petition: Lord, give me the grace to do your holy will.
1. Pleasing God
through the Small, Daily Tasks: The
angel Gabriel finds Mary doing nothing extraordinary, but rather doing
ordinary tasks like washing clothes, sweeping, getting water, doing the same
daily prayer as every devout Jew. But in doing the ordinary she is doing what
is pleasing to God. Her example should be our guide. Work can be an ordinary
means of holiness. Man, as Pope Saint John Paul II said, “not only
transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves
fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a
human being’” (Laborem Exercens, no. 9). We please God when we do our
duties, fulfill our responsibilities, work to meet our basic needs. While we
may not be doing something extraordinary at every moment, we still praise and
glorify God when we undertake the ordinary with love. If an angel were to
come looking for me, would he find me doing my daily tasks lovingly?
2. “Do Not Be
Afraid!” Mary “was greatly
troubled and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” When God presents
us with his plan, we too might be afraid. We may not fully understand what he
has in mind. It can seem that his plan is too great for us. But when God
wants something from us, he shows us that it is not beyond our reach. As with
Mary at the Incarnation, God will make it happen and will provide all the
grace necessary for its completion.
3. “May It Be
Done to Me According to Your Word.” When
Gabriel clarifies Mary’s mission and illustrates that with God all things are
possible, Mary makes an act of faith. Her act of faith is what the Second
Vatican Council terms the ‘obedience of faith’. The obedience of faith “is to
be given to God who reveals, an obedience by which man commits his whole self
freely to God, offering the full submission of intellect and will to God who
reveals, and freely assenting to the truth revealed by Him” (Dei
Verbum, 5). God supplied Mary with his grace and did not abandon her; nor
will he abandon us. When we do what God wants and cooperate with his plan, he
will support us. He will accompany us as we carry out his will and bring his
plan to fulfillment. God’s will is our holiness, and when we do his will we
help God to make us saints.
Conversation with
Mary: Mary, teach me how to do
God’s will as you did, so that I can remain in his company. I want to do his
will, even though at times I know that it may seem difficult or impossible.
Ask your son for the grace of perseverance for me so that I, too, may
cooperate with the Lord, whether he is asking something of me that is
ordinary or extraordinary.
Resolution: In a difficult situation, I will pray a “Hail Mary,”
asking Mary for help in being faithful.
By Father Robert DeCesare, LC |
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, LUKE 1:26-38
(Zechariah 2:14-17; Psalm: Luke 1)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, LUKE 1:26-38
(Zechariah 2:14-17; Psalm: Luke 1)
KEY VERSE: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God" (v 30).
READING: In his gospel, Luke paralleled the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist with that of the birth of Jesus. Gabriel proclaimed the divine message to Mary (Hebrew,Miryam, "the exalted one"), a young girl that 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 her Magnifcat, Mary extolled God's mercy and her faith in God's promise. She was God's handmaid, accepting whatever God desired of her.
REFLECTING: Can I say with Mary, "Be it done unto me according to your will"?
PRAYING: Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray that my heart will be open to God's plan for me.
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 to have a chapel built where she stood. The bishop did not immediately believe the messenger, and he finally told him to ask the lady who said she was the Mother of God for a sign. Juan Diego readily agreed. Mary told Juan to go to gather roses, although he knew it was neither the time nor the place for roses. Gathering the flowers into 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 mantle. Pope Benedict XIV decreed that Our Lady of Guadalupe should be the national patron of Mexico, and made 12 December her feast. John Paul II named her the Patron of all the Americas.
Friday 12 December 2014
Our Lady of Guadalupe. Day
of penance.
Isaiah 48:17-19. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life—Ps 1:1-4, 6. Matthew 11:16-19.
Isaiah 48:17-19. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life—Ps 1:1-4, 6. Matthew 11:16-19.
‘We played the pipes for
you and you wouldn’t dance.’
Children demand conformity
and even in adult life it can seem a safer pathway. Recently, I watched
excerpts from a Senate Committee hearing on housing. One person questioned the
established wisdom of saving money. He kept asking if there was any urgency in
addressing homelessness and the crisis in affordable housing. He asked if the
government knew the magnitude of the problem since it had abolished the
advisory committee.
Another asked what programs
had been cancelled because of savings made. They were youth homelessness, rough
sleepers and women fleeing domestic violence. For their pains, these voices
were ridiculed.
Jesus, you also asked the
difficult questions and challenged the complacency of those in power. Give me
too the courage to speak out.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Firm Ground
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It’s a great gift: sensing keenly that amidst darkness, change,
and uncertainty, the only firm ground we can stand on is God. The God we meet
in Advent calls us into a future greater than we can ever imagine.
December
12
Our Lady of Guadalupe
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.
He 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 a young Native
American 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 Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same
time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to
avoid the lady. The lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle
would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or
tilma.
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 Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of
Mary exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12,
1531.
Comment:
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 Native Americans. 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.
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 Native Americans. 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.
Quote:
Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me...” (from an ancient chronicle).
Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me...” (from an ancient chronicle).
Patron Saint of:
Americas
Mexico
Americas
Mexico
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 11,16-19
Lectio:
Friday, December 12, 2014
2nd Week of Advent.jpg)
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
too often we are deaf to your voice
and to the presence of your Son
among us, his people.
Inspire us by your prophets and your Spirit
that now is the right moment to change
and to commit ourselves
to the kind of life and to the justice
demanded by the kingdom.
Help us to make people see
that your Son is alive among us
and that he is our Lord for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 16-19
'What comparison can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:
We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn't dance;
we sang dirges, and you wouldn't be mourners.
'For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He is possessed."
The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."
Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.'
3) Reflection
• The leaders, the wise, are not always pleased when someone criticizes or challenges them. That happened in the time of Jesus and happens today also, both in society and in the Church. John the Baptist, saw, criticized, and was not accepted. They said: “He is possessed by the devil!” Jesus, saw, criticized and was not accepted. They said: “He has lost his head!”, “Crazy!” (Mk 3, 21). “He is possessed by the devil!” (Mk 3, 22), “He is a Samaritan!” (Jn 8, 48), “He is not from God!” (Jn 9, 16). The same thing happens today. There are some persons who hold on to what has always been taught and they do not accept another way of explaining or of living faith. Then they invent reasons and pretexts so as not to adhere: “It is Marxism!”, “It is against God’s Law!”, “It is disobedience to tradition and to the teaching of the Church” and they complain for the lack of coherence of the people. They always invent some pretext so as not to accept the message of God which Jesus announced. In fact, it is relatively easy to find arguments and pretexts to refute those who think in a way different from ours.
• Jesus reacts and renders public their incoherence. They considered themselves wise, but they were like children who wish to amuse the people on the square and they rebel when people do not move according to the music that they play. Or those who consider themselves wise without really having anything truly wise. They only accepted those who had the same ideas as they had. And thus, they themselves, because of their incoherent attitude, condemned themselves.
4) Personal questions
• Up to what point am I coherent with my faith?
• Do I have a critical conscience regarding the social and ecclesiastical system which, some times, invents reasons and pretexts to legitimize the situation and to prevent any change?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on his law day and night. (Ps 1)
Lord our God,
too often we are deaf to your voice
and to the presence of your Son
among us, his people.
Inspire us by your prophets and your Spirit
that now is the right moment to change
and to commit ourselves
to the kind of life and to the justice
demanded by the kingdom.
Help us to make people see
that your Son is alive among us
and that he is our Lord for ever.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 11, 16-19
'What comparison can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:
We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn't dance;
we sang dirges, and you wouldn't be mourners.
'For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He is possessed."
The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, "Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners."
Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.'
3) Reflection
• The leaders, the wise, are not always pleased when someone criticizes or challenges them. That happened in the time of Jesus and happens today also, both in society and in the Church. John the Baptist, saw, criticized, and was not accepted. They said: “He is possessed by the devil!” Jesus, saw, criticized and was not accepted. They said: “He has lost his head!”, “Crazy!” (Mk 3, 21). “He is possessed by the devil!” (Mk 3, 22), “He is a Samaritan!” (Jn 8, 48), “He is not from God!” (Jn 9, 16). The same thing happens today. There are some persons who hold on to what has always been taught and they do not accept another way of explaining or of living faith. Then they invent reasons and pretexts so as not to adhere: “It is Marxism!”, “It is against God’s Law!”, “It is disobedience to tradition and to the teaching of the Church” and they complain for the lack of coherence of the people. They always invent some pretext so as not to accept the message of God which Jesus announced. In fact, it is relatively easy to find arguments and pretexts to refute those who think in a way different from ours.
• Jesus reacts and renders public their incoherence. They considered themselves wise, but they were like children who wish to amuse the people on the square and they rebel when people do not move according to the music that they play. Or those who consider themselves wise without really having anything truly wise. They only accepted those who had the same ideas as they had. And thus, they themselves, because of their incoherent attitude, condemned themselves.
4) Personal questions
• Up to what point am I coherent with my faith?
• Do I have a critical conscience regarding the social and ecclesiastical system which, some times, invents reasons and pretexts to legitimize the situation and to prevent any change?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the Lord
and meditates on his law day and night. (Ps 1)
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