Last Summer I went to
see our Mother. I went to Guadalupe to see the Mother of the Lord Jesus and our
Mother. I went to Guadalupe to pray for you. I went to Guadalupe to pray for me
and for my priesthood. I went to pray at Guadalupe because I knew in the early
days of June that our beloved Bishop was entrusting to me and to our parish a
new priest. I went to Guadalupe to pray for you, and for him, and for me. Last
Summer I went see our Mother at Guadalupe.
Today, we come to see
our Mother. We come to our parish Church where Christ is preached and the
Sacraments are celebrated. We come to this holy ground on this holy day to
honor our Holy Mother. We come to celebrate her for every generation calls her
blessed. We come to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, the Mother of Jesus
Christ, because through her we meet Him. Through the Virgin Mother Mary, we
receive the Lord Jesus. Through the Virgin Mother the Church, we receive the
gift of the Lord Jesus. We receive his Word. We receive his Body and Blood. We
receive the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of the All Powerful Father.
We receive Mercy.
The Virgin of Guadalupe
looked upon Juan Diego with the eyes of mercy. She loved and honored him, even
though the world did not love and honor him. She embraced and celebrated his
culture, even though the world did not. The Virgin of Guadalupe welcomed Juan
Diego onto the land where she stood. She looked upon him with eyes of mercy.
And she spoke words of
mercy. The Virgin of Guadalupe spoke to Juan Diego with the invitation of
mercy. She asked for a chapel to be built. The Virgin of Guadalupe asked for a
place where mercy could be announced. In a land where violence had prevailed,
the Virgin wanted mercy to be proclaimed. She looked at Juan Diego with eyes of
mercy. She spoke to Juan Diego with words of mercy.
And the Virgin of
Guadalupe opened the Door of Mercy. With the flowers that she gave to Juan
Diego and her own image, the Virgin of Guadalupe opened the door of Mercy for
the heart of the bishop. When the bishop saw the image, he knew the message was
true. When the bishop saw the image, his heart was opened in love for his
people. When the bishop saw the image, he received the gift of mercy.
Today we come to see
the Virgin and she looks at us with eyes of mercy. She looks at each of us with
the tender compassion of a mother. She looks at each of us and wants to bring
us closer to her. She looks at each of us with the eyes of mercy. She speaks to
each of us the word of mercy. She tells us that we are loved. She tells us that
we are welcomed. She recognizes each of us as her beloved child and calls each
of us by name.
The Virgin of Guadalupe
opens the door of mercy for us. She invites us to worship her Son. She invites
us to seek his mercy. The Virgin of Guadalupe opens the door of mercy for each
of us so that each of us can know the mercy of God.
The Virgin of Guadalupe
of looks at us with eyes of mercy. She speaks to us the words of mercy. She
opens for us the door of mercy. My brothers and sisters, let us go and see our
Mother.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
