December 12th

December 12, 2022
Monday of the 3 rd Week of Advent
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Reading: Gospel LK 1:26-38
Roy Ramirez: Board Vice President
Advent tells us to prepare because the Word of God will be made flesh and
will dwell among us.  This is the Good News.  John the Baptist is central to Advent
as a voice crying out in the wilderness MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE
LORD! He is the herald of the Good News, the herald of the Lord. Mary is the
model par excellence of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to receive
and live the message of Advent, the message of the Good News.
Today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we have Luke’s recounting
of Angel Gabriel’s Annunciation to the young Virgin Mary.  It is in the dialogue
that we hear between them that I want to focus my reflection and specifically in the
three BEHOLDs we hear uttered in their exchange.
The word in Greek for behold is ide (id’-eh) and is an imperative word or a
command word that might be translated to mean “Be sure to see…!”.  The user of
the word might as well yell “Don’t miss this! It is an observable, objective fact!”
Let’s take a look at the three instances of the word behold in today’s Gospel
reading. 
The angel Gabriel is first, he says “Behold, you will conceive in your womb
and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”
The angel Gabriel continues later with the second use of the word, “...and
behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is
the sixth month for her who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible to
God.”
Finally, Mary with the third when she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of
the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
I might sum up the three beholds in today’s Gospel like this:
Gabriel, “BEHOLD! the Good News, JESUS CHRIST!”
Again, Gabriel, “BEHOLD! the herald of the Good News, John the
Baptist.”
And then Mary, “BEHOLD! the servant of the Good News, the handmaid of
the Lord.”
In the midst of Advent and the preparations for the coming of the Christ
child, we get a little break in the Americas with today’s feast.  Today we celebrate
the coming of Jesus to the “new world”.  Mary brings him. The miraculous image

on Juan Diego’s tilma is one of a young girl about six months pregnant.  Instead of
a cave in Bethlehem, it's on the hill of Tepeyac.
Two thousand years ago the Angel Gabriel calls to Mary by name and says,
“don’t be afraid.”  She responds, yes. 
Five hundred years ago Mary, bringing the Christ Child in her womb, speaks
to Juan Diego in his native nahuatl language and says, ‘don’t be afraid’. He
responds, yes.  
Today, in this Advent season, the Church says, ‘BEHOLD! He is coming,
get ready!’  Am I afraid? What is my response?