Jesse Tree ~ Judith
In the winter of 1531, a poor, 57-year-old Aztec Indian living five miles outside of Mexico City encountered a miraculous happening on his way to morning Mass. First he heard strange music coming from Tepeyac Hill, and then he heard a woman's voice calling his name. Juan Diego climbed the hill and encountered a young woman, appearing to be of his own people in physical appearance and dress. The woman identified herself as the Virgin Mary, and told Juan Diego to ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a church on the hill to assist in the conversion of the nation and be a source of consolation to the people.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God. (Luke 1:26)
In December 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a poor Indian farmer in Mexico, and caused an image of herself to be imprinted on his outer garment, or tilma. News of this visit from Mary spread like wildfire, and people from all over came to believe in Jesus. The old pagan religion of the Aztecs—with its horrific practice of ritual child sacrifice—gave way to the freedom and dignity of the gospel. In just a few short years, the Spanish missionaries there were overwhelmed by millions of converts.
On a feast that honors the Virgin Mary, it makes sense that we would read a passage like today’s story of the Annunciation. But there’s more to this reading than just a pleasant recollection of Mary. Like the story of Juan Diego, this passage shows how God is committed to fighting spiritual battles on behalf of his people. It could be on a cosmic scale, as the Incarnation, or it could be in an area of the world (colonial Mexico) that desperately needs to hear about his grace and mercy.
Today’s feast tells us that God is at work all the time, and that Mary is a constant partner in his work. It tells us that miraculous interventions are not limited to biblical times or to the lives of a few saintly people in the Middle Ages. God is always at work in the world, always finding new ways to draw people to himself. If he’s not sending Mary to reveal the gospel to Mexican people in the sixteenth century or sending her to give words of comfort and warning to a group of Rwandan schoolgirls in the 1980s, he is sending her to three children in Portugal asking them to pray for the conversion of Russia. Time after time, when God invited Mary to play an important role in his plans, she said: “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” And she did his will.
So let’s honor God today for the way he continues to intervene in the lives of his people. Let’s also honor Mary for the way she continues to fulfill God’s plan. From her first “yes” to God in Nazareth, she has always been our mother in faith.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God and our mother as well—please pray for us and lead us closer to your son!”
Zechariah 2:14-17; (Psalm) Judith 13:18-19