Thursday of the Second Week of Advent
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Zech 2: 14-17; Luke 1: 26-38
Dc. Larry Brockman
“Nothing will be impossible for God”! These are the words from the Angel Gabriel to Mary when Mary asks how the predictions by the angel could happen. Mary went on to accept God’s will for her and all that the Angel foretold happened because when it truly is God’s will, it will happen as impossible as it may seem to us. And Mary has appeared to certain worthy persons throughout the History of Christianity pleading with her human brothers and sisters to believe in her son; to pray, to accept God’s will, and to follow Jesus’ Gospel accordingly.
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531, a humble 57 year old Mexican peasant named Juan Diego experienced one of those appearances from Mary. Mary was acting as a surrogate messenger for her Son Jesus. She told Juan this simple message: “My dear little son, I love you. I desire you to know who I am. I am the ever-virgin Mary, Mother of the true God who gives life and maintains its existence. He created all things. He is in all places. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth.” Then she told Juan to go to the Bishop and report all he had heard and seen. Juan did as Mary asked him to do; and Juan followed in Mary’s footsteps and did God’s will for him. Juan and Mary’s influence on Mexico as a result of that appearance is widely credited with the conversion of Mexico. Indeed, all things are possible for God.
Now we are in the middle of Advent. Advent is the season for us to wait joyfully for the coming the Lord at Christmas. We celebrate Jesus coming each year; and then continue during the rest of the Church year to complete our commemoration of our salvation history.
And so, we already know that Jesus really will come this Christmas- just as he has every Christmas of our lives; we should already be rejoicing, because we know it happened. Jesus lived amongst us as one of us; suffered and died because he did God’s will; and was raised from the dead into eternal life; a life he promised to share with all of us who believe in him, repent; and follow his Gospel. And in that certain knowledge that He will come; know also that he will come with a mission for us- the thing which he wills for each one of us to do- God’s will for you. This is the time to reflect on that and to embrace God’s will for you joyfully just like Mary did in our Gospel and just like Juan Diego did in 1531.
The joy we can experience from that kind of Advent reflection is threefold: first, joy over the reality of Jesus coming; and the promise of the second coming at the last Judgment where all of us who are Faithful will be rewarded with Everlasting Life; second, the joy of knowing that each of us was created for a purpose; for a mission; to do God’s will; just like Mary and Juan Diego; and third, the joy of knowing that we can do it. Because nothing will be impossible for God!
Tags: Three Joys of Advent