Gospel Reflection for The 12th day of December in the year of Our Lord, 2024
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Today is a major feast and celebration for us in the Americas. The Gospel is one we have discussed before:
Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? 35 And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: 37 Because no word shall be impossible with God. 38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Today's responsoral Psalm is taken from the book of Judith:
You are the highest honor of our race.
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.
Your deed of hope will never be forgotten
by those who tell of the might of God.
This passage has traditionally been seen as a foreshadowing of our Lady saving all peoples by giving birth to our Lord. Likewise, the first reading:
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.
The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,
and he will again choose Jerusalem.
Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!
For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
Is it not incredible to think that when the so called Protestant “reformation” caused millions of people in Europe to lose faith in the Catholic Church, of which the blessed Virgin Mary is mother, she appeared to a poor peasant in Mexico named Juan Diego? Although he was illiterate and uneducated, the most humble of people, she gave to him the gift through which hundreds of millions would be saved. Through her message, the roses and her image, both miracles, an entire continent became Catholic! Although North America, the US and Canada, were founded as Protestant nations, Our Lady of Guadalupe is also Our Lady of the Americas. She continues to convert hearts and minds here, today.
Although we are not obligated to believe all messages given to such special people when Our Lady has appeared, I think one is very much worth considering today. She has stated that before the end of the world, she will lead Muslims and others to convert to Christianity. I believe this is true, because that is exactly what she does. She shows us Jesus and just as at the Wedding Feast, she says, “Do whatever He tells you.” When Jesus gave us his mother on the Cross, He gave her to all of mankind. She prays for people of other religions with the same dedication she prayed for Saint Juan Diego and for all of us. Is it any wonder she inspires us with such hope and devotion?
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings January-June, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK3M1WDZ
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His new podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic
ADVENT SPECIAL: Email me at Judson@judsoncarroll.com to receive one free .pdf of any of my books! You can check them all out on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/stores/Judson-Carroll/author/B09Q7NVDP7?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
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