As we stand before this sacred image of Our Lady, in the presence of our Mother, we tell her very simply and with all our heart that we love her with all our heart and soul.
And we consecrate ourselves and our families once again today to our Blessed Mother.
Today we bring with us many prayers, and many burdens. We bring to our Mother all the troubles of our hearts.
Many of our brothers and sisters, our friends and family, neighbors and fellow parishioners, are burdened with fear and anxiety caused by the new immigration enforcement efforts in our country.
Today we lay all our cares at the feet of Our Lady. And if we open our hearts today, if we fix our eyes on Our Lady’s, we will hear her tender words to St. Juan Diego:
“Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?”
In this sacred image that Mary left for us, we can see that she is carrying Jesus in her womb, under her praying hands, his heart is beating beneath her heart.
And today, under her shadow, under her gaze, wrapped in her mantle and embraced in her arms, we celebrate the beautiful mystery: that the most holy Mother of God is our Mother, too.
She tells us today in that beautiful reading from Sirach: “I am the mother of fair love, of reverence, of knowledge, and of holy hope.”
Today we come to our mother and we tell her that we love her and we ask her to fill us with her wisdom, and to instruct us in her ways.
Mary consecrated her whole life to Jesus. We heard the beautiful words of her consecration in the Gospel today:
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.”
This is how our Mother teaches us to live: as servants of her Son. At the wedding feast at Cana, she told the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” This is her simple teaching for you and me. And this is how she lived: pondering his words in her heart, watching his example in wonder and awe.
This is the secret of the rosary, that beautiful prayer of love that we make to our Mother.
The rosary’s mysteries are the scenes that Mary witnessed in the life of her Son. She invites her children to ponder these mysteries day after day, year after year, gazing on her Son through her eyes.
This is how we should pray the rosary. And this is how we should live. In wonder and love, never taking our eyes off of Jesus!
It’s important that we always remember that Mary lived an ordinary life, a life that was a lot like ours. Her days were filled with family and work and daily chores and responsibilities.
And we can be like her. We can serve Jesus in our everyday work, doing everything out of love for him and out of love for those around us, serving our children and spouses, our family and relatives, our friends and neighbors.
Living this way, we can bring Jesus into the world, and lead souls to him. Just as Mary did.
When we love in all the little things of life, we become an example to those around us; our happiness and hope attracts people. When we live this way, people want to know where our happiness comes from, and how we can be so generous, and so loving.
And of course, we can tell them: We can love because we know that we are loved, we can love because we have found Jesus.
Let’s ask for that grace today. Let us love as Mary loves.
Our Mother promises us today, in that beautiful first reading: “Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, whoever serves me will never fail.”
So we trust in Mary, we trust in our Mother with a deep and filial love.
May she teach us her ways of sacrifice and silence, humility and hiddenness. May she help us to become like little children, loving Jesus with the simplicity of a child’s heart.
We entrust all the troubles of our hearts, and every fear and uncertainty to our Mother!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of Fairest Love, be a Mother to us always! Protect us in the mantle of your love! Show us the path to walk, lead us always to your Son!
