She is a good mother. She is a mother who attends to those who look for her. This is why we rejoice in saying: “turn, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us.” Above all, after the horrific events of December 2, many Catholics in our Diocese have come to seek the refuge of her motherly protection.
For a few days, we unexpectedly were the focus of national and international news. Known as a city in an economic depression, these sad events put our city in the foreground. We, residents of a country characterized by daily violence, were shaken by these innocent lives that were taken. The certainty of how fragile our security is, as long as we are alive, was returned. We all experience that the Body of Christ was damaged and the restoration of social peace and trust will be a long task.
Once again this year on December 12, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our parishes raised a request of reunification to Our Lady. We processed to the top of Mt. Rubidoux; we processed from Palm Springs to Coachella; and we celebrated in countless communities of faith throughout the Diocese.
This Festival helped us get out of this state of chaos. Our communities offer in this day multiple things: their songs, music, roses, dance, food, prayer and praise. From the hand of Our Lady we begin this year of grace and forgiveness, the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Putting ourselves on the foot side of our mother will help us to regain the confidence to resume our daily tasks. When we look back to the history of the apparitions, we keep within us such phrases which are necessary in difficult situations like this present one: “Let not your heart be disturbed… Am I not here, who is your mother?”
Petra Alexander is the Director of the Office of Hispanic Affairs for the Diocese of San Bernardino.