Dear Pilgrims, we gather here today as witnesses to the flame of faith you have carried with devotion, honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her tender presence was not merely a miraculous moment almost five centuries ago, but a divine spark that continues to light the hearts of many, who are prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive Christ, her divine Son. She comes to us still saying, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?”
As Pope Francis points out, her words “take on new meaning. This ‘being’ of the Virgin, this ‘being there’ is to remain permanently imprinted on those poor garments that emanate virtues gathered in a world that seems incapable of producing them. Virtues that fill our poverty in the simplicity of small acts of love that illuminate our ‘tilma’, without us realizing it, with the image of a Church that carries Christ in her womb.”
Jesus challenges us, saying, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words… the Son of Man will be ashamed of…” (Mk 8:38). Are we truly prepared to meet Jesus face to face? Are we afraid of the final day or do we look forward to our ultimate encounter with Him? If we live each day acknowledging Christ through our actions, especially in how we care for the least of our brothers and sisters, then we are already preparing ourselves for that final encounter.
The Eucharist is a foretaste of heaven – a moment when Christ is truly with us, though hidden beneath the veil of the assembly of God’s people, and of bread and wine. Each Mass is an opportunity to encounter Jesus, to renew our faith, and to reflect on how we are living as His disciples.
Our Lady of Guadalupe serves as our guide, leading us through the challenges of life to the fullness of life in Christ.
Her gentle light is the torch that leads us not just to any destination, but to the heart of her Divine Son. In our pilgrimage on this earth, she shows us that salvation is not a reward for our own merits, but a free gift of God’s love.
As St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians, “we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Our lives, our faith, and the good we do for others are not the cause of our salvation but the result of God’s grace working within us. Our Lady of Guadalupe helps us to open ourselves to this grace and dedicate our lives to serving Christ and one another.
May your torch continue to light your path, bringing you ever closer to her Son, who is our Savior and who brings us to our final destination, which is his glory with the Father.
