Homily: December 12, 2023, Feast of our lady of Guadalupe (Highest Honour).

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 “You are the highest honor of our race.”

This is our responsorial psalm for today, in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

This verse is taken from the book of Judith. We don't usually get to hear readings from the book of Judith in daily or weekend Masses. Only once a year in North America, on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we will use this reading for the responsorial psalm.

Who is Judith? And why this responsorial psalm for this feast?

Judith was a Jewish widow who was so courageous as to kill the Assyrian king in his sleep and saved her town from the Assyrian invasion. As such, she also saved Jerusalem, which was nearby, from total destruction.

So, all the Israelites praised her for her courage and the victory she achieved through it, exclaiming, “You are the highest honor of our race.”

The Israelite culture was very male dominant and women were treated as weak and incapable of accomplishing anything significant. But God used Judith to save His people. He worked His saving grace through her obedience and faithfulness. Blessed Virgin Mary too was the vessel through which God brought salvation to the world.

Like the Israelites, the culture in Mexico was similar. It was male dominated. How do you make a country like Mexico listen to you and send them solemn messages?

Yes. Go through a woman.

God sent Mother Mary to evangelize Mexico, where other missionary efforts had been futile. With the miraculous apparition of Mary in Guadalupe, Mexico was evangelized. Near to 80% of the population are Catholics. And so, in the same way, we too exclaim to Mother Mary, “You are the highest honor of our race”.

God gives Mary this highest honor, so must we. Her missionary work on this continent continues. Since her acceptance of God’s salvation mission through her, she has never stopped nurturing, guiding, and praying for all her children, Jesus and the apostles, you and me in North America included.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.

Amen.


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