Third Sunday of Advent (Homily)
December 12, 2015 4:30 pm · Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop Emeritus
When Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, the Indian people of central Mexico walked on the edge of despair. They had been defeated militarily by the Spanish Conquistadors. Their Aztec gods had not protected them, they knew they could no longer believe in them. The God of the Christians that had been presented to them, most of them could not understand.
Only a few like Juan Diego, his Uncle Juan Bernadino, and a few others had believed and been baptized. But then Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego, and gave him the gift of her image on the tilma. And as the people looked at the image, it looked like it related to them, she was mestiza. God was speaking to them just though her face and the clothes that she wore, and the fresh roses in winter in a desert place on top of Tepeyac hill and the music more beautiful than birds could sing. All of these spoke. The Aztec people believed that God was so great that words could not be used to hand on the faith, you needed flowers and song. And that's how Mary came.
