Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(Zechariah 1:14-17; Luke 1:39-47)
When Pope Francis travels abroad, he usually goes to the
poorest countries or spends much time in the poorest parts of the country he is
visiting. Last week he went to Myanmar and
Bangladesh, two of the most problematic nations on earth. Next month when he visits Peru, Francis will
travel to the remote Amazon region where the indigenous are struggling for
survival. He evidently chooses to visit
marginalized populations for the same reason that the Lord goes to Jerusalem in
today’s first reading.
Zion or Jerusalem at the time of the prophet Zechariah is
a shadow of what it was in the days of David and Solomon. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians and
now is trying to rebuild itself without much success. But God is coming to aid the effort. He will make the city once again a place of
international significance. People from
all over the world will travel there to give praise to the same God.
We can understand the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a
similar way. She is God’s special envoy
dispatched to the indigenous of Mexico. They
have been defeated by the Spanish and find themselves being diminished by
plague and subjugation. Mary’s semblance as well as her dress is much like
their own. They can feel the pride of blessing
with her gracious presence. Undoubtedly they
feel much like Elizabeth in the gospel proclaiming, “’And how does this happen
to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” Mary’s response provides the reason. God takes pity on the poor and lifts up the
lowly.
