ADVENT 2025 – DAY THIRTEEN

Love the Lord, all you who worship him;
the Lord protects the faithful,
but repays to the full those who act haughtily.

Be strong and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.

[PSALM 31:23-24]

ADVENT DAILY OFFICE READINGS
AM Psalm 31; PM Psalm 35 Haggai 1:1-15; Rev. 2:18-29; Matt. 23:27-39

Today, many Latin-Americans celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

No matter how many times I’ve written a devotional on this date, I acknowledge this feast day because it revealed to me one of the most meaningful acts of worship and devotion that I’ve ever experienced in my ministry.

This feast of our Lady of Guadalupe is perhaps the most cherished of festival days and celebrated by the people of Mexico and throughout the American continent.

In an effort not to repeat myself, I invite you to read the reflection I wrote two years ago on this date by clicking here.

For those who won’t do that, let me offer a brief summary of the meaning of this day.

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorates the date when people of Mexico believe the Virgin Mary appeared before Saint Juan Diego in on a hill in Tepeyac, in 1531, leaving an image of herself on his cloak.

It has become a symbol of justice, unity, and faith for all Mexicans wherever they may live.

However, this year, in these United States, you may be aware there is a singularly cruel and hateful campaign against immigrants being waged by the current federal administration. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, and National Guard troops have invaded cities throughout the country, swooping in on public spaces in search of those who are here without proper documents.

This campaign of terror is purely an effort to instill fear in immigrant communities. It is an act of power and prejudice.

I think about that on this day and wonder how many people will not be able to celebrate this holiest of days because of those concerns.

Thanks to technology, many faith leaders have indicated they will stream their services online for those who dare not leave their homes. But the celebrations will go on, nonetheless.

This year may be the boldest act of defiance by the Latin American community in recent memory.

And in that respect, Psalm 31, the assigned psalm for this day, speaks to that defiance.

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

Incline your ear to me;
make haste to deliver me.

Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold;
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,
for you are my tower of strength.

Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.

(Psalm 31:1-5)

This psalm is considered a “Psalm of Lament,” which are perhaps the most frequent type found in the Psalter.

In the midst of suffering, in the midst of fear, in the midst of uncertainty, we trust that God is with us and will preserve us from harm.

A commentator on this psalm, Joel LeMon, goes so far as to call this a psalm “written by refugees, for refugees.”

He goes on to add:

This psalm provides a stark reminder of the plight of refugees in every age. Though the identities and threats change, the experience of refugees remains consistent. They exist at the dangerous periphery of society. They are both feared by those communities and themselves afraid.

In a nation and a world full of forces that oppose people whose skin color, whose language, whose culture is different, the message of the psalm fills us with confidence and hope.

That hope, that trust, is in a God who sent a son to this earth to aid us in resisting those evil forces and fill us with the love that gives us the faith and the courage to endure.

Let us pray:
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice and terror as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Book of Common Prayer, edited, p. 826)

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Feature Image: Participants in the 94th annual East Los Angeles Guadalupe Procession make their way east along Cesar Chavez Ave towards East Los Angeles College Sunday, December 7, 2025. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos)