Our Lady of Guadalupe

Date: December, 18

Today is exactly seven days before Christmas. Today’s feast has several names, including the Feast of the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Santa Maria de la O, the feast of “Our Lady of O”, the Expectation of the Blessed Virgin’s Delivery, Our Lady’s Expectancy.

If we spend some time thinking about the meaning of this feast, we can put ourselves back where we belong at this time of year, in Advent mode, in the time of waiting and hoping.

When Mary learned from the Angel Gabriel the surprising news that she would be the mother of the Christ, although she was not married and “knew not man,” she accepted without hesitation. Her simple Fiat, “Let it be done,” arose out of the grace that had been given to her by God from her conception.

And now during the last days of Advent, with Christmas a week away, we can join Our Lady in her growing expectation as the day on which she will give birth to the Holy One of God comes near.

It is good to ponder what must have been the sentiments of Our Lady in the last days before she gave birth to Our Lord. The feast reminds us that Christmas is still to come. And that’s when the celebration should logically begin.

“O Mary Virgin of Expectation and Mother of Hope, revive the spirit of Advent in your entire church, so that all humanity may start out a new on the journey towards Bethlehem…” – Pope Benedict XVI

Prayer to Our Lady of the Expectation for the Gift of Motherhood

Beautiful Virgin of the Sweet Expectation, most beloved Mother of the Child Jesus and my own Mother, hear my humble prayer. Your motherly heart knows all my desires and all my needs. To you alone, Immaculate Virgin, has your Divine Son given full understanding of the sentiments that fill my soul.

Yours was the sacred privilege of being the Mother of the Savior. Intercede with Him now, dearest Mother, so that, according to His holy will, I may be granted the grace of becoming the mother of children sent by Our Lord.

This I ask of you, O Virgin of the Sweet Expectation, in the name of your Divine Son, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.