On July 6, Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City for more than 300 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and for the prayer intentions of the whole family of God in Los Angeles. The following is adapted from his homily.
We come to this sacred shrine today as pilgrims, as children returning home to our mother.
And here before this miraculous image, as we lift up our eyes, we hear the echo of her tender words to St. Juan Diego:
“Am I not your mother? Are you not under my shadow and my gaze? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not sheltered underneath my mantle, under the embrace of my arms?”
Under her shadow, under her gaze, wrapped in her mantle and embraced in her arms, we know the beautiful mystery: that the most holy mother of God is our mother, too.
Here in this place we understand what St. Elizabeth must have felt when she answered that knock on the door and heard Mary’s greeting.
Elizabeth was filled with joy, wonder, and awe. And so are we.
So, we bless the Lord today, and we pray as she did: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
It has been almost 495 years since the visitation of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and she came to this place bearing the greatest of gifts.
In this sacred image that she left for us, we can see that she is carrying Jesus in her womb, under her praying hands, his heart is beating beneath her heart.
So we come as pilgrims to this place, and we ask the Virgin of Guadalupe to be a mother to us, and to renew us in the love of her Son.
We ask her to fill us with her wisdom, and to instruct us in her ways.
Mary teaches us to live by faith, she teaches us to hear the word of God and do it: “Blessed is she who believed!”
Because she believed in the promises that the Lord spoke to her, Mary made it possible for us to become children of God.
As St. Paul said today, “God sent his Son, born of a woman … so that we might receive adoption. … God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Children of God! These words are so astounding!
This is the beautiful reality that defines who we are, that beautiful mystery that marks out our destiny.
As children of God, we are called to live like our mother, glorifying God with our lives, telling the world “the great things” that God has done for us in Jesus.
Mary carried Jesus in haste through the hill country, to the city of Judah, and into the home of her relatives, Elizabeth and Zechariah.
The virgin of Guadalupe brought Jesus to the hillside at Tepeyac, not far from here. She brought the touch of his healing love into the home of Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino.
Now you and I are called to bring Jesus into our hill countries, our cities, and into our homes.
Faith is born in the family, so let us first bring the joy of Jesus, his tender love and forgiveness, to our spouses and children, our parents and grandparents, our brothers and sisters, our uncles and aunts.
And from our homes, let us spread the love of Jesus into every corner of our society! May every person we meet know his promise of salvation!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Keep us and our families under the mantle of your protection!
Be a mother to us, that we might bring the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, to the people of our time.
Most Reverend José H. Gomez is the fifth archbishop of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Catholic community. He served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2019-2022.
