杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis celebrated Holy Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Altar of the Chair in St Peter鈥檚 Basilica on Saturday morning.

Under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Blessed Virgin Mary is honoured as the Empress, Patroness and Mother of the Americas, and especially of Latin America. Seminarians from Latin American countries, as well as official ambassadorial delegations, were in attendance at Saturday鈥檚 Mass, although the number of participants was limited due to coronavirus precautions.

God gives in abundance

In his homily, 杏MAP导航 Francis focused on three key concepts 鈥� abundance, blessing, and gift 鈥� which are reflected in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

鈥淕od always offers Himself in abundance,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said. God does not give Himself in 鈥渄oses,鈥� although He is patient with our limitations, our need for 鈥渃omfortable quotas.鈥� Instead, He gives Himself completely, because, the 杏MAP导航 said, it is impossible for Him to do otherwise.

God blesses by His gift of Himself

The second idea, 鈥渂lessing,鈥� 鈥渢o say what is good,鈥� is found on the very first page of Scripture, in the story of Creation from the book of Genesis. God, seeing His Creation, declares that it is 鈥済ood,鈥� and 鈥渧ery good.鈥� 鈥淕od鈥檚 鈥榮tyle鈥� is always to say what is good,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis; and conversely, 鈥渢o curse [to speak evil] is the style of the devil, of the enemy.鈥�

鈥淕od always says what is good,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 repeated. 鈥淗e says it with pleasure. He says it by giving Himself,鈥� and by giving Himself in abundance.

The gift of abundance and blessing

These two realities, abundance and blessing, are a gift, a present to us that contains 鈥渁ll grace, all that He is, all [of His] divinity,鈥� that comes to us in 鈥渢he Blessed One,鈥� Jesus, God鈥檚 Only-begotten Son, the Son of Mary.

Jesus, who is 鈥淏lessed鈥� in Himself, by nature, is God鈥檚 gift to us; He is given to us through Mary, who is 鈥渂lessed among women鈥� through God鈥檚 grace. This, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渋s the gift that God presents to us, and which He has continually desired to emphasize, to re-awaken, throughout revelation: Blessed are you among women, for you have brought us the Blessed One.鈥�

鈥淪tealing鈥� God鈥檚 style

鈥淎s we contemplate the image of our mother today,鈥� the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 鈥渓et us 鈥榮teal鈥� from God a little of His style,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said: the style of 鈥済enerosity; abundance; blessing, never cursing; transforming our life into a gift, a gift for all. Let it be so.鈥�

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, 杏MAP导航 Francis prayed before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe 鈥� a replica of the famous 鈥渢ilma鈥� preserved in Mexico City 鈥� which was displayed near the altar.