SW News: Archbishop of Los Angeles and the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Rev. Jose H Gomez, on Wednesday, December 9, motivated the faithful to deepen their relationship with Mother Mary.

“One of the “messages” for us in this pandemic, I believe, is that we need to deepen our relationship with Mary our Blessed Mother,” wrote the archbishop in a column on Angelus News website.

“At the heart of Advent is Mary, our Blessed Mother,” he wrote and stated that the faithful celebrate the Feast of Immaculate Conception as they await the birth of Jesus, the Lord and Savior. He emphasized that Jesus and Mary are united in the mystery of God’s plan for us.

He narrated the apparition of the Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego in the year 1531 at the hill of Tepeyac, where she revealed that she is the ever- virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God. The archbishop asserted that the Blessed Virgin is the mother of God and mother of all God’s children, and that her maternal love can be felt more deeply during these pandemic times.

Archbishop Gomez encouraged the faithful to continue seeking Mother Mary’s intercession to end the pandemic, turning to her as “Mother of Healing and Hope.” Due to the pandemic restrictions, the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be mostly virtual with “several artists singing songs to Our Lady, a Mariachi tribute,” and praying the Rosary before celebrating the Holy Eucharist which will be live-streamed.

The archbishop recalled the words of the Blessed Virgin to St. Juan Diego, “Do not fear any sickness or suffering. Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not in my shadow, under my protection? Am I not your health?”

“Mary’s love for us is tender, it is a mother’s love. But like any good mother, she is also strong and ready to sacrifice and suffer to protect her children and help them to grow,” added the archbishop. He stressed that Jesus entrusted the faithful to his mother to “continue his work of salvation,” and to guide and to watch over the people in their journey of life. The archbishop stated that Jesus wants his followers to be transformed into His image and likeness by following the example of His mother’s faith and intercession.

“And as we continue in this holy season, drawing nearer to our Lord’s birth, let us entrust ourselves more closely to our Blessed Mother, and ask her to be our healing and hope,” concluded the archbishop.