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Gospel: Luke 1:39-47
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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A few years ago, on the cover page of National Geographic there was a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the title, “The Most Powerful Woman in the World.”
More than one billion Catholics refer to her as their spiritual mother, a command first given by Jesus to John at the Cross: “Behold, your mother.”
In honor of this gift, millions – if not hundreds of millions – of rosaries are prayed around the world in nearly every language, seeking Mary’s intercession, trusting she will place our needs, fears, and desires in the hands of Christ, her Son.
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Part of what fuels Marian devotion and intrigue is the fact that she’s appeared to believers throughout the centuries, bringing messages of hope, conversion, and peace.
The first reported Marian apparition took place in the year 40 AD. There have been an estimated 2,000 other apparitions since.
But, because of the thorough process of verification required by the Vatican, only 17 apparitions have been approved, including her apparition to Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast we celebrate today.
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Two things stand out regarding approved Marian apparitions.
First, she appears to the poor, the persecuted, the peacemakers, or the pure of heart, those whom Jesus calls “blessed” in his first public sermon. Such was the case of Juan Diego, a native peasant of Mexico.
Secondly, when she appears, Mary often appears in the style of the local population, using either their traditional dress or native language to express her closeness and affinity for them.
For example, Mary not only spoke to Juan Diego in his native dialect, she also appeared with mestiza – or native – features, draped in a turquoise-colored mantle, a sign of royalty in Aztec tradition.
Her message to him was simple: Build a church where I’ve appeared so that my Son, Jesus, may be praised. And when you come here, remember, “I am your Mother. Here I will hear your weeping, your complaints, and heal all your sorrows, hardships, and sufferings.”
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May Mary, the most powerful woman in the world, come to our aid, bringing whatever petitions we hold dear to Jesus, the one who has loved us and given himself for us.
Together we pray, Hail Mary…
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Image credits: (1) Forbes (2) Our Lady of Guadalupe, Wikipedia (3) TAN Direction