December 12

This has been simmering on my mind all day today and so I am going to give a go at it. I'm not quite sure how this will turn out but I feel compelled to set some words down in writing and so, here goes!
This day I have found myself focused on two places - Jersey City, New Jersey and Tepeyac, Mexico.
Hundreds of miles separate these two places geographically.
On this day each year we, especially we American Catholics, are called to focus our attention on Our Lady of Guadaloupe. We recall a series of appearances of Mary, Mother of Jesus, to a indigenous native, a humble peasant, Juan Diego. He was sent to the bishop with a request from Mary that a chapel in her honor be built in that place, the place being Tepeyac Hill, just outside of Mexico City.
Of course the bishop was not exactly anxious to comply with the request being set before him by so lowly a one as Juan Diego. He asked for a sign.
And did he ever get one!
Juan Diego appeared before him, again sent by the Lady, but this time Juan had a multitude of December blooming Castilian roses folded into his tilma. Even more surprising - the image of the Lady was imprinted on that tilma.
That image led to the building of the shrine which now stands in that place and that image, that tilma, is enshrined in that place.
The image captured my thoughts today.
Mary chose to show herself and image herself as a native, as one with the indigenous people of that place. She also chose to be imaged as pregnant.
In a powerful way Mary was declaring, "I am one with you! I am one of you."
And that is where my thoughts turned to Jersey City, New Jersey.
It has been much in the news recently.
There has been a horrid attack on a Kosher store there, an attack that left four innocent victims dead and an entire community, a Jewish community in shock.
Hate Crime!
Another one!
Hated toward Jews.
And Mary doesn't even have to in one slightest bit alter her image here.
She is Jewish.
Her history, heritage, traditions, religious tenants, her very appearance - all Jewish.
Remember how Jesus told us, "Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto Me?"
Well, that is what Mary is showing us there at Tepeyac.\ by her very appearance.
She is Jewish . . .  and indigenous . . . and Asian . . . and Black . . . and Eastern . . . and Western European.
She is mother of us all.
In all of our diversity we all have the right to image her as one of us.
She is one of us.
She is our Mother.
So hate any one us us and you hate our Mother.
And hate our Mother and you hate her Son, our Brother.
That's where my thoughts have been going today.
And I had to say it . . . in writing.