December 12, 2016

Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12, 2016:  Our Lady of Guadalupe

See 16 connections with today?
Legend at bottom

    Listen
    For gospel
    Magnificat settings (since end of gospel is the start of the Magnificat)
    Pope Francis homily
    Mary teaches us to look on our brothers and sisters with her loving eyes.  We must learn from her faith to be salt and light in our lives and society.  Sad to say, society is ever more marked by division and distrust; it boasts of its scientific and technological advances but is blind and insensitive to all who get lost on the way.
    America has grown accustomed to seeing thousands on the street, begging and sleeping wherever they can, feeling there's no space for them on the "train of life."  We need to say with Elizabeth, "Blessed are you because you believed," and learn from our Mother's receptive and servile faith.
    Celebrating Mary is remembering our Mother; we're not and never will be orphans.  Where Mother is, brothers and sisters may quarrel, but unity will prevail.  Celebrating her memory celebrates that we're also called to go towards others with the same vision, mercy, and gestures.
    Read
    • Zec 2:14-17  Rejoice!  I'm coming to dwell among you.  Many shall join themselves to the Lord and be his people.  Silence!  The Lord stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
    • Jdt 13:18bcde, 19  "You're the highest honor of our race."  Blessed are you, daughter, above all women, and blessed be Creator God.  Those who tell God's might won't forget your deed of hope.
    • Lk 1:26-38  Gabriel / Mary:  “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you.  Don't be afraid; you'll bear a son and name him Jesus; he'll be called Son of the Most High.  God will give him David's throne; he'll rule forever.”  “How?” “The Holy Spirit and God's power.  The child will be God's Son.  'Barren' Elizabeth has also conceived; nothing is impossible for God.”  “I'm the Lord's handmaid; may it be done.”
    • Lk 1:39-47  Mary traveled to Zechariah's house.  When Elizabeth heard Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, Spirit-filled, cried, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  How can my Lord's mother come to me?  When I heard you, my son leaped.  Blessed are you who believed what God told you.”  Mary:  “My soul proclaims God's greatness.”
    Reflect
      • Creighton:  The proclamation of our faith has to be inculturated, resonating with the local culture. That requires some 'exculturation,' distancing from the culture we're familiar with.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is an inculturated image of an Aztec (not European) woman, but the name Guadalupe shows the hierarchy's lack of inculturation. The bishop, who only knew the old Spanish shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. corrected Juan Diego's "Coatlaxopeuh" ("she crushes the serpent," pron. 'Quatlasupe') response to 'Guadalupe,' and the name stuck.  Now people who hear it think of the Aztec, not the Spaniard....
        In his homily, Fr. Chris referred to this meme
      • One Bread, One Body:  "The most amazing woman":   Mary, mother of God, has a critical part in God's plan of salvation. Jesus wants us to love his mother, our adoptive mother.  Jesus worked through his mother at a place to be called Guadalupe, where Mary showed herself as the great evangelizer, leading 8 million to commit their lives to Jesus in  seven years.  She also ended the killing of children as sacrificial offerings.  May the Lord continue to work through her to protect life and lead people to new life in Christ.
      • Passionist:  Today we reflect upon the significance of Mary's presence in our midst.  As she appeared in the midst of the Mexican people, and, earlier, in the midst of the disciples, she joined them in praying for the coming of Spirit and so made possible the missionary outburst at Pentecost.  The Spirit of the new evangelization and what urges me to look to Mary, is the interplay of justice and tenderness, of contemplation and concern for others.  We seek to make our hearts homes for others as Mary did in accepting motherhood.  Catholicism was just taking root among the indigenous people of Mexico; it had the challenge of combatting genocide.  How does Mary “birth Jesus into the world” through us?
        Our Lady of Guadalupe/ Loyd
      • DailyScripture.net:  "All hold John was a prophet":  When we fear disapproval or rejection, we're tempted to avoid confrontation.  Jesus told his disciples the truth would make them free:  free to think and act rightly, not yield to deception and evil.  The Israelites met resistance and opposition when they entered the promised land.  Balak had Balaam, prophet of Baal, put a curse on them to scare them away through fear, but instead Balaam prophesied blessing and protection to them, yielding to the Spirit of truth rather than of falsehood; he even prophesied a star would announce the coming of the Messiah, who would establish a kingdom of peace.  When John the Baptist preached, religious leaders and rulers resisted his word and persecuted him.  Jesus similarly met resistance, opposition, and hostility.  The leaders' view of religion didn't match God's word because their hearts were set on personal gain rather than submission to God's plan.  They questioned him to discredit his claim to Messiahship.  The coming of God's kingdom on earth leads to conflict:  allegiance to God's will vs. mine, God's justice or the world's way....
      Dress legend
      • 'Sun' and 'feet' pins:  Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet (1st reading)
        • 'Dove' pin:  The Holy Spirit will come upon Mary; Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit (gospel)
        • 'Magnificat' pin (gospel)
        • 'Our Lady of Guadalupe' pin (feast)
        • 'Star' tie pin:  Woman clothed with the sun with crown of stars; dragon's tail swept stars away (1st reading)
        • 'Crown' tie bar:  Crown of stars on sun-clothed woman, diadems on dragon's heads (1st reading)
        • 'Angel' pin:  Gabriel came to Mary (gospel)
        • 'Jubilee year' pin:  Mary rejoices in God (gospel)
        • White and blue shirt:  White for today's feast, blue for Our Lady
        • Purple in tie and suspenders:  Advent season
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