One idea I keep close to my heart is that Mary is more than a Queen. She is a mother! Being a mother is her greatest title. Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary in our lives. She is a woman of openness. Pope Francis said:

“Mary’s embrace showed what America – North and South – is called to be: a land where different peoples come together; a land prepared to accept human life at every stage, from the mother’s womb to old age; a land which welcomes immigrants, and the poor and the marginalized, in every age. A land of generosity.

That is the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and it is also my message, the message of the Church. I ask all the people of the Americas to open wide their arms, like the Virgin, with love and tenderness.”

Mary leaves a pattern every time she appears to simple disciples. She calls for prayer, conversion, and faithfulness to her Son through the Church. In speaking about devotion to the Virgin Mary as she appeared worldwide, a friend once said, “Same woman, different dress.” It is a playful and endearing statement. Her message is consistent and meaningful to many generations and cultures.

Out of all her titles, Our Lady of Guadalupe resonates in my heart. In her, I find a motherly tenderness that I constantly invoke in my spiritual life.

I am deeply moved by her openness in bringing all people to her Son. I ask Mary, “Give me your heart.” In this way, I can hear the voice of Jesus clearly in my life. I can love Jesus with the same affections of Mary. Bishop Fulton Sheen once said that we must never fear loving Mary because no one can love her as much as Jesus loved her.

In honor of our Lady, here is a recording of the parish youth and young adult choir singing Biebl’s Ave Maria. This was a time in my life when I was the Music Director of a wonderful parish in Solano County. As I stood before this choir, directly behind them was the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a special moment when I felt her tender, motherly love.