Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Lectionary: 690A


Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! 
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you,
and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.

Catholics celebrate the "Visitation of Mary to her kinswoman Elizabeth" whenever we recite the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. When Saint Luke described the incident he created the format for Mary's appearances in the coming centuries, as she visited with people of many languages, classes, and nations, in all parts of the world. 

They are invariably filled with astonishment, wonder, and joy upon her coming. In many languages, each in their own way, they echo Elizabeth's greeting:

Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

The doctrine of her Immaculate Conception, which we celebrated the other day, tells us more than "She alone is worthy to be the Mother of God." It also means that God in his infinite mercy, by her presence, has made the world worthy to receive him. That was more than we could expect or ask. 

We do well to welcome Mary into our homes like Elizabeth, Joseph, and John, the beloved disciple. We do well to invite her to our homes, asking her to live here and make the rooms of our homes worthy to recieve so great a visitor as her Son.

Many people make extra efforts to clean and tidy their homes at the approach of Christmas. BC -- that is, before Covid-19 -- we expected and hoped that Christmas visitors might unexpectedly drop in as they made the rounds of family and friends. Perhaps Mary and Joseph will visit our homes this year. They are the couple who came to town only on business but were delayed by the birth of a child. They need a safe, dry place to stay. If they found a hovel good enough in the first century, perhaps they'll bless our homes and make them worthy.