And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 
~ Luke 1:46-55

In 1982, my Aunt Mary, her husband Daniel, and their four children (my cousins) found their way to our house in Oklahoma all the way from Canada. I was a toddler then, and while I do not remember this visit 40 years ago, I am sure I was very, very excited to see them.  

They stopped in Oklahoma on their way to Mexico City – driving from Canada to Mexico City! – to see Our Lady of Guadalupe. My aunt’s family was devoutly Roman Catholic, and this pilgrimage was very important for them to make. They encountered car trouble, scary moments, and holy moments. They saw a scorpion in our rural home. They left with very little money and literally sang for their supper at churches along the way. No matter what came their way, they continued on, feeling a holy calling to visit Mexico City, the place where the blessed virgin was seen in a vision hundreds of years before.  

Each year on this day, December 12, many Roman Catholics observe the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This celebration commemorates the appearance of Mary on the hill of Tepeyac to peasant Juan Diego in 1531. In 1990, Pope Saint John Paul II visited Mexico and beatified Juan Diego. Later, Diego was declared a Saint. Over 20 million people visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe each year, now situated on the very same hill on which she appeared.  

While there is a powerful element to being in the room where things happen, to being in a place where something important took place in history, we also can celebrate Mary day right here. Above is listed Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55 (NRSV), the song of joy Mary shared with Elizabeth when she knew she was carrying the Messiah. The name of our Advent worship series, “From Generation to Generation,” comes from this text. As you read over the Magnificat, consider what words jump out to you. What do you see in your mind’s eye today? What seems so foreign that it could never happen where you live? What do you wish would happen in our city, our region, our world? What seems strong or harsh? What seems comforting or familiar? For whom is this good news, and for whom is this a call to action? 

Thanks be to God for what we see and learn in this text.

Grace and peace,
Hilary