Today's readings: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a,10ab / The Canticle of Mary, Magnificat / Luke 1:39-48
It is impossible to begin this sermon without asking the questions: Why are we Anglicans/Episcopalians celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe? And why does it matter?
For many centuries, The Roman Catholic Church acted very territorial over Marian theology and devotions related to the Virgin Mary, but it was not always like that. From the Early Church until our days, Christians from all around the world have found in Mary the icon of love, compassion and peace..
It matters because Mary: is a woman of faith, a woman of hope, woman of prayer. She is the icon of humility, and obedience. In her poverty she becomes one with the poor. Mary, immigrant mother in Egypt.
She is the icon for many people of our days. Who can’t relate to Mary? She is the one who is caught by surprise by God. A God who calls her to embrace a very difficult mission. Her mission will break her world in many pieces as a future wife. Her answer to God, will make challenging her relationship with her husband, with her family, with her society.
The Gospel today tells us about the encounter of two pregnant women. Mary and Elizabeth. The encounter is a beautiful metaphor for the Church. Becoming pregnant, is like creating a rupture in life. It is time to look forward and let it go the past. A newborn brings new ways of living life.
Every time I hear the story of Mary coming to visit Elizabeth, I get lost imagining their days together. The two women talking about what life will be when the newborns arrive. They talk about their hopes, their dreams, their challenges while their children grow up. They also share their fears because new life always holds surprises. Things aren’t going to be as they used to be. New life requires letting go of old ways.
Mary, in a spirit of Grace affirms in her canticle, the Magnificat: “God has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”
The evangelist who tells the story made clear Mary’s concern for the poor, for the hungry, for the excluded. Her story, represents the story of many. And the evangelist Luke expresses that in a beautiful way.
In Marian Theology we say that the Good News of Jesus Christ comes to us through Mary, since her womb contained the Living Word of God. She also proclaims the Kingdom of God, where the poor and the excluded have their dignity restored.
Now, Guadalupe. Dark skin woman, Indigenous woman. The mother who speaks the language of the oppressed. Woman who shakes the oppressor because she chooses to proclaim her message through the voice of the indigenous. Again, God shows favor to those who suffer oppression and exclusion.
This weekend, churches around the world are celebrating one of the most famous apparitions of Our Lady. The apparition of Guadalupe has very important elements to strengthen the life of the churches in the Americas.
She is the first apparition in the Amerindias. She does not speak the language of the colonizer but speaks in the indigenous tongue, to an indigenous man, that today we know as Juan Diego. She embodies the exploited ones who suffer under the invasion of the colonizers. Among Latino families today, she is called la Morenita. (Which means dark skin).
She asks for a sacred place of prayer. This sacred place will be a place to bring together the different cultures, different languages, and different worlds. And for that to happen, the oppressor has to give space for the oppressed to express its culture, wisdom and faith.
Can our churches today, be a sacred place like that? Where faith and culture meet and find a path to be in relationship with God?
I believe it is only possible when we respect each other’s social and cultural backgrounds. Diversity is a gift for the church.
Yesterday while we prepared the church for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I noticed that we have a very diverse group in St. James.
God brought us together under this tent, this house of prayer. Guadalupe brought us together today, to celebrate the diversity of the Body of Christ, the Church, under her icon.
Here today, we speak more than one language, listen and sing songs from different cultures, and we will eat food from different cultures.
Diversity makes us stronger because it breaks down the chains of ignorance about the other. And that is the message of God to us. The movement of Jesus only began when in Pentecost, a diverse group of people, speaking different languages, understood each other even though they had cultural differences.
I wonder, what is the purpose of this congregation here gathered(you).
I wonder what is the message you hear after seeing the pageant of Our Lady of Guadalupe today. What do you take away from this story?
Then I remember the Magnificat. And I think of the call of the church to support the poor and disinherited.
I come from a Christian tradition that constantly asks me: “How will what we are doing here affect or involve people living in poverty?”
It is necessary to open our ears to the voice of the saints to rediscover our true vocation. Our true Mission.
Today we gather here and we pray for the Church and for the world. May we rediscover our vocation in this broken society. May we leave this church inspired by the life of Mary who embraced her call and became a testimony of faith and justice among all peoples.
Credits:
Created with an image by fezailc - "pregnant woman belly"