Christ the Cornerstone

During Advent, we rejoice with Mary, our mother in faith

Today, Friday, Dec. 9, is the memorial of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, the native Mexican who was privileged to encounter Mary, the mother of God and our mother, speaking his language and clothed in the dress of his own people, the Chichimeca Indians.

Juan Diego was sent by Mary to the local bishop with a request that a chapel be built on Tepeyac Hill just outside of what is now Mexico City. After the bishop refused to believe Juan Diego’s story, and demanded proof, Mary provided him with two signs: roses, which were out of season, and a cloak embedded with her image.

The miraculous image embedded in Juan Diego’s cloak can be seen today in what is now the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most popular Marian shrine in the world with more than 6 million pilgrims annually. Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast we celebrate on Dec. 12, is the patron saint of the Americas.

Millions of Catholics and members of other Christian denominations in south, central and north America look to Our Lady of Guadalupe for protection from all the evils that threaten us, including illness and disease, poverty, violence, and political, economic and social unrest. “Be not afraid. Am I not here, your mother?” are the words of comfort and encouragement that Mary addressed to St. Juan Diego—and to all of us today regardless of our circumstances.

Just yesterday, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This great Marian feast joyfully reminds us that, by the grace of God, Mary was born without the stain of original sin. She alone among us, the descendants of Adam and Eve, came into the world without the “gravitational pull” of selfishness and the innate tendency to choose what is not good for us. Mary was singularly blessed for a very particular reason: She was destined to become the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Mary was not coerced. She was asked to accept freely God’s invitation, but because she was not burdened by sin, Mary was completely free to say “Yes!” to the challenging and painful role of being the first Christian disciple. As a result, she was the first follower of Jesus to deny herself and walk in her Son’s footsteps on the Way of the Cross.

We Catholics in the United States look to the Immaculate Conception as our patroness. We seek her protection and care as we work to build a better nation for all who come here seeking freedom, justice and equality. We acknowledge that we have a long way to go before our vision of freedom and justice for all is fully realized. That’s why we look to Mary Immaculate to help us in our journey toward establishing the “more perfect union” that the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, written 235 years ago, calls us to establish for the benefit of all.

Of course, as Catholics, we believe that it is the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist that makes possible the unity (communion) that we all long for. Authentic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary always leads us to the gift of her divine Son’s presence in the Eucharist.

This weekend, we will celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, which invites us to rejoice in the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the “lowly handmaiden” (Lk 1:48) who has found favor with God, Mary rejoices in her Son’s Incarnation. She maintains this joyful spirit during his childhood, his public ministry, his passion, death and resurrection, and through her presence in the life of the Church after Pentecost.

Even as she is forced to stand at the foot of cross, the Mother of Sorrows who is overwhelmed by grief, Mary never loses hope. She never abandons the joy that has possessed her heart since the archangel Gabriel first greeted her with the words of rejoicing: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, ... and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus” (Lk 1:28, 30, 31).

In the first reading for the Third Sunday of Advent (Is 35:1-6a, 10), the prophet Isaiah proclaims: “Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come, and he will save us” (Is 35:4).

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a living reflection of this prophecy. She is strong and unafraid, and her whole life—from her Immaculate Conception to her equally miraculous Assumption into heaven—assures us that our God has come, is here now, and will come again.

As we continue our Advent journey, let’s look to Immaculate Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, for reassurance, hope and rejoicing. †