Dec 13th, 2019, Friday Motjari Meeting: Fr. Foeckler’s lecture note

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+Ave Cor Mariae

What liturgical season are we in now? Advent.

Advent means coming. It is 4 weeks of waiting of Jesus’ coming. The main character of Advent is St. John the Baptist. He was a son of Zachery and Elizabeth, born 6 month before Jesus. 

Where did he live? Wilderness, desert. Why did he live in the desert? To be alone and to pray. Desert is a place to do penance, to practice discipline. What was his main message? He washed people’s sin with water. His is baptism of repentance. Preparing the way of the Lord. Filling in the valleys in the way of the Lord. The key word here is preparing or repentance. Repentance is feeling sorry for your sin. Confessing your sins. John the baptist was sanctified in the womb. Who was he sent to talk to? He was sent to talk to the whole world, to his own people, the people of Israel.

Yesterday, Dec 12th was the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Just like John the baptist was sent to the people of Israel to prepare Jesus’ coming by repentance, Our Lady of Guadalupe was sent to the people of Mexico. Aztecs were in charge of this land since the old time. They were people with advanced culture and science, but they worshiped the dead and did a lot of sacrifices. Hernan Cortes was a was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century. Mexicans were suffering by bad Spaniards. Juan Diego was a catholic Indian (as meaning of not Aztec), who was going on a mass on Saturday, because of his devotion on Mary. On Dec 7th, on walking 10 miles to go to mass, St. Mary appeared to this 59 yrs old Juan Diego. This is what she said. 

“Know for certain, littlest of my sons, I’m the true mother of God. In this place, my sanctuary will be erected. Here I will demonstrate. I’m your merciful mother, the merciful mother of all of you.”

Mary’s apparition was not once but more than 3 times to Juan Diego. She also saved Juan Diego’s uncle, made him recovered from his sick bed. Juan Diego was told to go to the bishop about Mary’s apparition and plan on building her shrine there, but of course, the bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego, told him to bring him evidence. Dec 12th, 1531, Juan Diego’s tilma with the Castilian roses Mother Mary let him collect on top of usually barren hills, had imprinted with Mary’s image in front of high bishop and all the clergymen. After Our Lady’s apparition, 8-12M Mexicans became Catholics. She taught about how good Our Lord was.

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