Advent is living the future in the present moment

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The Lord Is My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Thursday, Memorial of Our Lady of Gudalupe, 12 December 2024
Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10     <*{{{{><  +  ><}}}}*>     Luke 1:39-47

O most Blessed Virgin Mary
of Guadalupe,
patroness of the Americas and the Philippines,
you appeared in Mexico in a very crucial
moment in history when the world was
expanding its horizon and reach,
when powers were consolidating,
with so many new things being learned
and discovered, a period of great
advancements but also of moral decay
when people and their lives were
taken for granted.

Like during that time,
many people are suffering today
not only from sickness, poverty and illiteracy
but also from lack of respect for life,
the prevalence of a culture of death
versus the culture of life;
what a beautiful image you presented
yourself to St. Juan Diego and us,
dear Lady of Guadalupe 
so that we may always value every 
human person especially those at
their weakest stages of infancy
and old age, of being indigenous,
of being poor and disadvantaged.

At the Annunciation of the Lord's birth,
you already lived the future birth of Christ
in the present moment as your words
 to the Angel attested to this truth:
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word"
(Luke 1:38).

Let us live the gospel now
amid our joyful expectations
of Christ's Second Coming
by allowing the transforming
presence of Jesus work in us
and among us to make true
the voices heard by John in heaven:
"Now have salvation 
and power come,
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed"
(Revelation 12:10).
Amen.