Today, the liturgy invites us to look at the heart of God through three words: Comfort , Compassion , and Call . First, Comfort . "Comf...
Today, the liturgy invites us to look at the heart of God through three words: Comfort, Compassion, and Call.
First, Comfort. "Comfort, give comfort to my people," says the Lord in Isaiah. This isn't just a pat on the back; it is the promise that the war is over, that guilt is expiated. In the life of St. Juan Diego, whom we remember today, he was a humble man, a widower, walking miles to Mass. He likely knew sorrow and hardship. Yet, God chose him to bring the message of comfort—the Virgin of Guadalupe—to the Americas. God wants to comfort you today. Whatever burden you carried into this church, lay it down. He is here to speak tenderly to your heart.
Second, Compassion. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep. It is a radical, almost reckless compassion. The shepherd doesn't wait for the sheep to come back; he goes out to find it. St. Juan Diego felt unworthy of the apparition, telling Our Lady, "I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder." But it was exactly this "smallness" that attracted God’s compassion. God is not looking for your achievements; He is looking for your heart, especially when it is lost or broken.
Third, Call. The shepherd calls the sheep; God called Isaiah to speak; and He called Juan Diego to build a shrine. The comfort and compassion we receive are not meant to terminate with us. We are called to share them. Just as Juan Diego had to convince the Bishop, you are called to convince the world—through your kindness—that God is real.
Let us ask St. Juan Diego to help us accept God's comfort, trust His compassion, and answer His call.
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