Tomorrow, December 12, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also called the “Patroness of the Americas,” this feast of the Blessed Mother provides us with an opportunity to focus on our shared Catholic identity, regardless of our national origins.
In their pastoral letter Strangers No Longer (SNL) the Catholic bishops of the United States and Mexico noted that “under the light of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the littlest of her children, who were as powerless as most migrants are today, our continent’s past and present receive new meaning. It was St. Juan Diego whom our Mother asked to build a temple so in it she could show her love, compassion, aid, and defense to all her children, especially the least among them. Since then, in her Basilica and beyond its walls, she has brought all the people of America to celebrate at the table of the Lord, where all his children may partake of and enjoy the unity of the continent in the diversity of its peoples, languages and cultures” (SNL, #20).
The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering whether to address immigration reform legislation that can provide significant relief to potentially millions of people and their families. Now is a critical time to contact your House members and urge them to pass common sense immigration reform.
