Nuestra Señora

            I know that you will be reading this after the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but Happy Feast Day of Nuestra Señora de Gudalupe.  Her appearance to Juan Diego 450 years ago was an event that changed the course of history; it was in many ways the beginning of Catholicism for the peoples of the Americas.  We celebrated her feast day in our small way today by singing a few Marian hymns during Mass and having a small celebration (which included some really good Middle Eastern pastries by the way) after dinner.  While yes, we are here in the land where Jesus walked and are preparing to celebrate his birth, it is a blessing to remember and celebrate the faith as we have received it.

             This celebration reminds us of two very important things, which are particularly significant for us on pilgrimage.  The first is that some things in life are constantly changing.  The castles and palaces and fortresses that we visit are all in ruins, and the empires that built them are all gone. The monuments to once great civilizations and leaders have faded.  And yet, the really important people in life are not changing. This is my second point. Good friends, family members, brothers and sisters in Christ, the people that mean the most to us are the people that are always there for us.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is always here for us, no matter where here happens to be, and she is always leading us closer to her Son, Jesus.