Dear brothers and sisters, as our devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe brings us together, we are reminded of her words to St. Juan Diego: “I am truly your compassionate mother, yours and of all the peoples who live together as one in this land.” These words echo a profound truth —that Mary, the Mother of God, is a mother for all, uniting us through her Son, Jesus Christ, and through the work of the Holy Spirit. This unity, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, transcends all earthly divisions, bringing together people of different cultures, backgrounds, and identities under the banner of faith in God.
The wisdom of God, revealed through Jesus, is given to whoever the Father wishes. We see this mystery play out in the lives of the humble, the small, the forgotten. God does not reserve His grace for the powerful or the wise of this world, but for those who are open to His will, as Job was in today’s reading.
Despite his suffering and confusion, Job remained faithful, and through his faith, he experienced a profound encounter with God. “I had heard of you by word of mouth,” Job says, “but now my eye has seen you.”
This encounter with God transforms everything. Job’s suffering led him to a deeper understanding of God’s plans, which are far beyond human comprehension. In the same way, Mary leads us into this mystery. She helps us to trust in God’s wisdom, even when we cannot fully understand it. She teaches us to respond to God’s will with faith, as she did to Saint Juan Diego: “Listen and keep in your heart, my youngest son, that there is nothing for you to fear, nothing to afflict you. Let neither your face nor your heart be worried. Do not fear this nor any other illness, nor anything pounding nor afflicting. Am I not here, I who an your mother? Are you not in my shadow, under my protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in my crossed arms? Is there anything else you need? Don’t let anything afflict you, perturb you.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe calls us to a faith that transcends ethnicity and culture. While her appearance to St. Juan Diego is deeply rooted in the history of the Mexican people of today, her message is universal. She speaks to all who seek God with a sincere heart. She draws us into the communion of the Church, which is not based on our earthly identities but on our identity as children of God, united in Christ.
Pope Francis teaches that the sign of unity and reconciliation of all things in Christ is peace. Christ “is our peace” (Eph 2:14). Let us, therefore, follow the example of humility, trust, and unity of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, who unites us as one family in God, and let us entrust our lives to the loving care of our Mother, who watches over us with compassion.
