Marta:
This is one of my favorite songs to sing at the Guadalupe Mass each year which falls during the Advent season on December 12th. The image of la Virgen de Guadalupe shows a pregnant Mary and as I enter into this season, my first as a new mother, I feel that much more inspired by Our Blessed Mother and what it means to say "yes" like Maria. Motherhood, with all its daily challenges and sleepless nights, provides so many opportunities for me to say "yes" to our Lord. I wish I could say that I gracefully accept each one, but often I am need of a reminder. Saying "yes," to me, means truly accepting and opening my heart to each day’s lessons. When my son is up at 6:30 am and I am just not, when he is cranky for no reason, when I’m cranky, when motherhood just isn’t joyous or fun, saying "yes" can seem impossible. During this Advent Season, and especially today, I’d like to reflect upon the grace which God bestows on mothers to get through the daily challenges. May we as mothers look to Mary for guidance and the strength to say "yes."
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Leonor:
I am a messy waiter. I find it difficult to stand still. This had always been a gift for me as a mom with four children, as I embraced the
endless lists of things that needed to be done, but now as I transition to my new roles of
motherhood as an empty-nester, it has
become a challenge. It is now a time of
detachment and freedom. There is not a
lot of doing, but rather a lot of waiting and trusting. Fortunately for me, I have the Feast Day of
our Lady of Guadalupe during Advent to accompany me through this
stillness. The story of Our Lady of
Guadalupe has always been a source of strength for me. The
wisdom of Our Lady, to appear to Juan Diego in his “likeness”, thus giving him
the strength to say “yes”, gives me the strength to do the same. Witnessing the power of the desire of Our Lady
to bring the peace and love of Christ to a conquered people, gives me strength.
It gives me the strength to deny myself
my own need to think that I am solely responsible for the protection of my children. It gives me the
freedom to trust and know that God is working in their lives, and that they
could not be in better hands.
Questions for Reflection:
Who do I look to to find the strength to say “yes”?
What is keeping me from the freedom to trust God?
--Marta Khader is a graduate student at the University of Michigan and leads the choir at St. Mary's weekly Spanish Mass. Leonor Castillo Kromis is the Hispanic/Latino Ministry Assistant at St. Mary Student Parish.
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