Today is Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
A verse of Scripture we read at today’s Mass says, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD” (Zec 2:14).
Imagine Mary, young and heavily pregnant, embarking on the 90-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The path was long and difficult, marked by rugged terrain and uncertainty. Mary endured the discomfort of travel, likely riding on a donkey, as she carried the Savior of the world.
Yet Mary’s heart was steadfast. The angel’s words at the Annunciation, “The Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28), must have echoed in her mind, a constant reassurance of God’s presence on the journey. The prophecy of Zechariah would also have resonated in her heart: “See, I am coming to dwell among you.” For Mary, this was not merely a prophecy; it was a living reality. God was literally dwelling within her, and every step of her journey brought her closer to the fulfillment of that promise.
Mary’s trust in the will of God
The words of Zechariah, “Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!” capture the deep joy that Mary must have carried even amid the challenges of her journey. This joy was not dependent on her circumstances but on her intimate union with God. She was living in perfect conformity to the Father’s will. She knew that her child was the fulfillment of the promises made to Israel — that through him, God was indeed coming to dwell among his people.
Today we should think of Mary’s humility and perseverance in connection with her message to St. Juan Diego. When Juan Diego hesitated to fulfill her request due to his own feelings of inadequacy, she encouraged him with tender words: “Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your mother?” These words echo that first lesson of Bethlehem. Mary taught then and teaches us now to trust in God’s providence, even in moments of difficulty, knowing that her maternal care extends to each of us as well.
Let us pray,
O God, Father of mercies, who placed your people under the singular protection of your Son’s most holy Mother, grant that all who invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe may seek with ever more lively faith the progress of peoples in the ways of justice and of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
