“AM I NOT HERE, I WHO AM YOUR MOTHER?”

December is a month full of beautiful experiences. The Church encourages us to focus on what happened with the arrival of the Savior of the world, the birth of Baby Jesus in a manger. Our Father’s wonderful promise that the day would come when the Light would be revealed to the world, the Lord of Lords and giver of Life.

Another unforgettable experience for the world is the encounter of a very humble man named Juan Diego with the Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God during this time of the year; an apparition that changed the history of Mexico which occurred almost 500 years ago. This is part of her conversation with St. Juan Diego on the first day of the encounter, “Juanito, Juan Dieguito…the smallest of my children, where are you going? Know and be certain, you, the smallest of my children, that I am the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live; the Creator of all things; Lord of Heaven and Earth. I ardently desire that a little house be built here, so that I may show and give all my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your merciful mother; to you, to all of you together, the inhabitants of this land, and to the rest of my lovers who invoke me and trust in me; to hear your lamentations there, and to remedy all your miseries, sorrows, and pains. And to accomplish what my mercy intends; go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico and tell him how I sent you to express my great desire that a dwelling be built for me here on the plain. You will tell him precisely what you have seen and admired, and what you have heard. Be assured that I will be grateful and will repay you, for I will make you happy, and you will deserve much for the work and fatigue with which you will seek to accomplish what I entrust to you. See that you have heard my command, my youngest son; go and put all your effort into it.“ – Juan Diego replied, ”my lady, I will fulfill your command; for now, I bid you farewell, I, your humble servant.“ As a result of this encounter, every December 12th we celebrate what happened on Tepeyac Hill.

Our Lady is asking you the same question she asked Juan Diego, ”where are you going?”. December 12th is a time of reflecting on the path you are currently on and its likely destination. Our Lady revealed her plan to him; what is her plan for you? She wants to be close to those in need and listen to their sufferings, to comfort them, and to intercede with her Son on their behalf so that He may grant them Miracles of all kind; millions come to visit her, to see and venerate her image imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s blanket from that day of his encounter; what will she imprint upon your life?

I am ultimately grateful to my Father God and my Lord Jesus Christ because my first trip outside my native Tijuana was to Mexico City. When I was about 7 years old, my mother took me to visit the “brunette of Tepeyac,” as can be seen in this photo; it reminds me of my first pilgrimage by train from Mexicali, B.C. I will never forget that wonderful experience because, even though we were so poor, when we were in that “little house”, the Basilica, we felt like some of the richest people in the world because of our Faith in God and in the Mother of our Lord Jesus; her imprint on my life from that encounter is known as ESNE.

Remember that, just as she spoke to Juanito with so much love, “my son, whom I love tenderly, like a little and delicate child,” she sees and loves us all; for she is the Mother of Love. However, when Juan Diego goes to present her request to the bishop, he does not feel that he is being taken seriously and since he thinks he is not the right person to carry out this mission, our Lady encourages him to continue trying.

Seeing him dejected and worried about his uncle Bernardino, she says to him, “listen and understand, my youngest son, do not let anything frighten or afflict you, do not let your heart be troubled… am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow? Am I not your health? Are you not in my lap?” What a wonderful way to say to him then and now to us, am I not here, I who am your Mother? Today we can tell her our needs so that she may present them directly to her Son, our Lord and Savior.
As we continue to prepare to celebrate the birth of her Son in a manger, from where Hope came to the world through the Child whom John the Baptist himself recognized as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) and who would give His life for us so that we might have the ticket to heaven through repentance and conversion (Metanoia); an Encounter with Him. Let us remember, therefore, brothers and sisters, that Christmas is not just about gifts, food, parties, or music; the true meaning lies in recognizing and welcoming the Child Jesus as our Savior, giving Him our hearts, and celebrating His coming with gratitude. We often exchange gifts but forget the birthday boy, Jesus. The best gift we can offer Him is to know Him, listen to Him through His Word, follow Him, love Him, serve Him and live always be grateful for His love, His sacrifice and His dedication to us.

Let us live this season of Advent with a grateful heart. Many of us will remember our loved ones who are no longer with us. And we must trust that, for those who believed in Him, repented, and are persevered in His grace, through God’s Mercy they are now happy in Heaven Forever.
I thank each one of you for supporting the mission of El Sembrador and those who have Consecrated themselves as Jesus’ 73rd disciple; commissioned by Him as an ambassador to the world; if you are interested in knowing more, the Yo soy el 73 project is available in all the App Stores. Thanks again for joining us in prayer and contributing to bringing the Good News to millions of people every day. I also express my deep gratitude to those who contributed during this year’s Jornadas, making it possible once again to broadcast and bring our migrant brothers and sisters, at least on TV, radio and streaming, to the heart of our Blessed Mother of Guadalupe in the traditional Mañanitas on December 12; tune in for this once-a-year blessing.

I wish you a happy and wonderful Christmas. Rest assure that I will be praying for you and your families in the fast approaching New Year of 2026 for your encounter with Jesus whether it be your first one or a deepening encounter it is all about the new evangelization of yourself and the world. I hope you set for yourselves the goal to know and love Jesus more through His Word, so that we may have the greatest treasure known, and always count on the intercession of our Mother, Mary of Guadalupe, Queen of Heaven and Earth, whom I also pray to for each one of you.
Your friend and servant,