Today is one of the great feast days in the Church of the Americas– Our Lady of Guadalupe. God chose to introduce the queen of the western hemisphere as a Mexican princess who show herself, not to a powerful king, but to an illiterate peasant, Juan Diego. In doing this she set up her queen’s throne in the heart of Mexico. From there she would reign over all the countries of South, Central, and North America. So powerful was her visitation that within a few years millions of Mexicans were converted to Christianity, and Mexico became transformed almost instantly from a pagan to a Christian nation.
That all took place in the mid sixteenth century. Today, almost five hundred years later, the enthusiasm for devotion to this great queen is probably more widespread than ever before. When Mary takes over the throne, she never leaves it—never abandons her people. Millions come together today to celebrate the great gift God has given us.
The Church chooses an unusual selection for the Psalm response today. It is written about the great Judith, a Jewish heroine who saved her people from being destroyed by a pagan army (Judith 13:18-19). Upon returning to her city, the people sang:
“Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth. You deed of hope will never be forgotten.”
The widow Judith moved out alone into the enemy camp and maneuvered her way into the king’s tent, where she impaled him. Then, quietly, she returned to her people. While the men of Jerusalem froze with fear, this great woman of faith marched into battle as an army of one. No woman in Israel’s history ever accomplished such a feat. The Psalm response proclaims: “You are the highest honor of our race.”
Mary, a simple virgin and another army of one, allowed God to use her to gain the greatest of all victories: the victory of God over Satan, light over darkness, and good over evil. Her position in the history of salvation surpasses even that of the great Judith. She also receives the “highest honor of our race.”
In the first reading (Zechariah 2: 14- 17), Zion—portrayed as a young woman—is exhorted to rejoice at a new coming of God.
“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…”
Zechariah prophesied a new, glorious visitation of God. A moment would come in which God would not only dwell with daughter Zion, he would live within the womb of Zion’s greatest daughter. And this would be the beginning of a new level of presence of God on earth. Not only Israel, but many nations would join themselves with the Lord. We see the literal fulfillment of this prophecy in the conversion of the Mexican people to the Lord in the sixteenth century. Since then, under the reign of the new daughter Zion, the new princess of Mexico, the new queen of heaven and earth, many other peoples would come under the Lordship of her Son. A simple appearance of this, once humble virgin of Nazareth, set off a tidal wave of evangelization in the western hemisphere that is, even now, mounting in strength.
Mary, the first evangelist—in visiting her cousin Elizabeth—continues, by her surprise appearances, to be God’s greatest preacher of the gospel.
Just as Judith had the courage to say “yes” to the military mission God gave her, so Mary had the courage to say “yes” to the even greater mission God had in store for her. Calmly, boldly, and confidently she ended her conversation with the Angel Gabriel by saying:
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Two lessons I learn today. First, never underestimate the power of our “yes” to God and the work he can accomplish through us when we surrender to his plan for our lives. A simple maiden from an unknown village was used by God to turn the world around and bring two great continents under the reign of God. He wants to do great things through us as well.
Secondlly, if we want to be great among all the people of the earth, all we have to do is to imitate our Hispanic brothers and sisters, and stay as close as we can to Mary. When we immerse ourselves in her presence and call upon her as a child calls upon her mother, we will begin to become like her. She will allow us to join her in the great mission of bringing nations under the Kingship of Jesus.
“Blessed are you, holy virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God” (today’s Alleluia verse).
