3rd SUNDAY OF ADVENT Rejoice: CELEBRATION OF OUR LADY
OF GUADALUPE
Our Blessed mother under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe is
the patroness of Mexico and all the Americas. She appeared to
the indigenous man, Cuauhtlatoatzin,KWA-TA-LA-TUA-ZIN
baptized Juan Diego.
Her appearance was as an indigenous maiden, a native
American woman -not a European Hildalga.
Our Lady asked Juan Diego to tell the bishop to ‘build a shrine
to her’. A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to
a specific person or for a specific reason.
The reason for this shrine was the conversion of Mexico. The
reason for this shrine was the evangelization of the Americas.
The reason for this shrine is that God has looked upon the
lowly, the small, the campesino and done great things, holy is
his name!
The reason for this shrine to the indigenous maiden of Tepeyac
is that God’s mercy is from age to age. God lifts up the lowly
and fills the hungry with good things. God remembers his
mercy and for this reason --then and today-- let your soul
proclaim the greatness of the Lord! Let your spirit rejoice in
God your savior!
In Luke’s Gospel the people ask John, what must we do?
What must we do to prepare for the messiah? What must we
do to prepare for hope in the midst of hopelessness?
What must we do to prepare for light in the midst of darkness?
What must we do to prepare for life in the midst of acts of
terror and death? In the midst of racism, sexism, and fear of the
refugee and immigrant, what must we do?
The little brown woman of Tepeyac Mexico answers our
questions? “Build me a Church.”
A Church is a definite community of the Christian faithful
entrusted to the pastoral care of a pastor under the authority
of the Diocesan bishop. A church is a people not a building!
Acts: 2:42-47.
A church community is built on the rock of faith proclaimed by
St. Peter, Matthew 16:15-19.
A church is an assembly of people on the move with spiritual
and corporal acts of mercy gathered around the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts, 4:32-35
Our Lady of Guadalupe answers our question, ‘What are we to
do? Build my church.” Build the people of God. Build a
community of God. Build St. Josephine Bakhita Church.
During these last weeks of Advent and the coming season of
Christmas, let us build St. Josephine Bakhita Church.
Where there are divisions of race, language, legal status, let us
build bridges of compassion.
Where there are domestic conflicts, sibling conflicts, ethnic
conflicts, let us construct rooms for reconciliation.
Where there is fear of an unknown future where all of us might
become homeless strangers in a strange land, let each of us
become temples of a holy spirit where faith casts out fear.
The brown maiden of Tepeyac is our mother. She asks us to
Build her a church in which the Christ Child may be born.
Build her a church upon the rock of St. Peter’s faith.
When we build such a church –such a people- the guns of hell,
the policies of hell, the glamor of hell, the minions of hell and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against us!
Do you believe in God?
This is the faith of the gathered people of God in action with
spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
We are proud to profess faith in Christ Jesus the Lord!