Word to the Wise
Monday, December 12, 2022 - Dec. 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe
[Zech 2:14-17, or Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab and Luke 1:26-38, or Luke 1:39-47,800]"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.." [Luke]
It can be a challenge to Marian piety to have two big feast days of Mary within four days. We just celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th and now we have the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th. When I was a pastor in San Antonio, the latter feast had much bigger attendance at Mass than the former (which is a Holy Day of Obligation). When I once asked a Hispanic student at Tulane how our student center should celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he responded, "I'm from Nicaragua. She's not OUR Lady!" (They apparently celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception, or so he told me!)
There can be little question that Our Lady of Guadalupe is THE Lady of the majority of Mexican Catholics and probably of many other Catholics of HIspanic origin in our country. The emphasis in this feast is on her maternal care rather than her status at her conception. Maternal care seems to strike a more intimate note! She is depicted, after all, as being pregnant in the traditional image given to St. Juan Diego.
In places where this celebration is emphasized, it begins early in the morning and goes on all day. It is a vivid example of how much she means to so many people of Hispanic origin. It is also a recognition of how she "glorifies the Lord." AMEN