The Surprises of Advent

When the calendar announces that December has arrived, we immediately feel that it is the season for celebrations, feasts, and, especially, meditation on who are the real protagonists of this season: Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Magi and the simple shepherds of Bethlehem.
                                                                                                                                       
To prepare us for such beautiful moments, the Church accompanies us, prepares us through Advent and invites us to meditate on and contemplate each of the celebrations of this beautiful season: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas, Christmas; the New Year, Epiphany and the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candelaria). These celebrations introduce us to the mystery of our salvation.
 
On Dec. 12, our hearts resound with faith, celebration and culture in the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas. The Virgin Mary herself tells us what this feast means to us:
 
“Know and understand well, you my most humble son, that I am the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live ... I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help and protection, because I am your merciful mother, to you, and to all the inhabitants on this land and all the rest who love me, invoke and confide in me; listen there to their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, afflictions and sorrows.”
 
— Words of the Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego
 
We receive in this message from Mary the invitation to have full confidence in her love that protects and accompanies us in our journey.
 
The greatest gift of this magnificent season is to be able to contemplate the beautiful child that is God within us, God who gives himself with love, God who becomes the Son of Mary and Joseph and who at Christmas reveals himself in diapers, showing us the gift of humility.
 
The New Year gives us a wonderful opportunity to start all over, to take a look back and give thanks and to move forward with our eyes set on Jesus and his Blessed Mother, who accompany us.
 
Let us reflect on the cordial figure of the Magi, loved by all of us; their gifts symbolize the worship of Jesus as God, unconditional love for the humanity of Jesus and the total surrender to his reign of love. The Magi teach us through our delicious rosca (Three Kings bread), to offer our beloved child God the best of us. Although we have no frankincense, myrrh or gold to give to the child, we have hope, joy, effort, music, our family and, most importantly, our faith.
 
And the culmination is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candelaria) on Feb. 2. It teaches us to offer the best of our families to the Child Jesus; that when we meet to share our food, we can also share the joys and blessings of our faith.