HOMILY FOR FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE , TUESDAY 2ND WEEK IN ADVENT (YEAR B)
THEME: A Model of Respect for Authority
BY: Fr. Anthony O. Ezeaputa, MA.
Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is also the feast day of our parish, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Catholic Church, Peña Blanca. Happy feast day, dear brothers and sisters. May Our Lady of Guadalupe continue to pray for us.
The devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe started with her appearance before Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico City in 1531. This devotion is a powerful symbol of respect for the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, as well as love and hope for the most vulnerable members of society.
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On December 9, 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him. She asked him to go to the bishop and to request, in her name, that a shrine be built at Tepeyac.
As is customary in the Catholic Church, the bishop expressed reservations regarding Juan Diego’s request and asked for “proof” to confirm that the apparition was true. So, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac in obedience to his bishop to request proof.
The Blessed Mother told him to climb the hill and pick the flowers that he would find in bloom. He obeyed, and although it was winter, he found roses flowering. He gathered the flowers and took them to Our Lady.
She carefully placed them in his mantle and told him to take them to the bishop as “proof.” When he went to the bishop, he opened his mantle, and the flowers fell to the ground, and there remained, impressed, an image of the Blessed Mother, the apparition at Tepeyac.
Mary obeyed the request of Juan Diego’s bishop. She demonstrates that even the most exalted person must submit to authority. The Virgin of Guadalupe is a model of respect for the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
The Pope and bishops in communion with him have received a special charism to guide the Catholic Church along the path of faith. We are obliged to show due regard for their decisions.
In addition, devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe serves as a reminder that those whom society considers unimportant are God’s priority. This is what Mary exemplifies in her choice of Juan Diego, a peasant, to deliver her message to the bishop.
As we celebrate this feast, let us ask for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. May she help us to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to respect the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and to love the most vulnerable of our society. May Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us.
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