Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto

Our Lady of Loreto refers to the tradition surrounding the Holy House of Nazareth, the home where the Virgin Mary was believed to have lived, where the Annunciation took place, and where Jesus spent His early years. According to a long-standing tradition, this small house was miraculously transported by angels from Nazareth to Loreto, Italy, in the 13th century to protect it during times of conflict in the Holy Land.



The Basilica of the Holy House in Loreto quickly became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe, drawing countless faithful who sought Mary’s intercession. The devotion emphasizes Mary’s “yes,” her humility, and the holiness of family life, all rooted in the simple home where the Word became flesh.

In 1920, Pope Benedict XV declared Our Lady of Loreto the patroness of aviators and air travelers, inspired by the tradition of the Holy House’s miraculous “flight.” Her feast is celebrated each year on December 10, inviting us to reflect on Mary’s openness to God’s plan and the sacredness of home and family.

REFLECTION:

One of the things I have been trying my best to learn here at the church and school is people’s names. If you know Bishop Larry, you know one of his gifts is remembering names. At St. Anthony School it was easier because there weren’t as many students, but even then, it still took time. Now at Maryknoll, with so many classes and faces, I pray it won’t take me five years to learn everyone’s name. By the time I memorize one group, a whole new batch might arrive! Yet there is a true beauty in knowing someone’s name.

When someone says your name, it communicates something powerful: You matter. You are seen. You are known. And being known is one of our deepest human desires.

Isaiah 40 speaks into a moment when God’s people felt the opposite—unknown, forgotten, and lost in exile. They believed their struggles had gone unnoticed and their prayers unheard. So God responds not with frustration, but with reassurance: “Lift up your eyes… He who created the stars calls each of them by name.” If God knows every star by name, how much more does He know each one of us? This passage reminds us that we are not forgotten, not invisible, and not overlooked. Even when we are tired, overwhelmed, or spiritually drained, God sees us and strengthens us. He does not promise to take away every hardship, but He does promise to renew us within them. When our strength fails, His strength remains. When we cannot keep going, He lifts us. The God who names the stars also names you—and to Him, you matter enough to be personally known.

This connects beautifully with the season of Advent. Advent is the Church’s yearly reminder that God has not forgotten His people. Just as Israel waited for the Lord to restore and renew them, we wait for Christ who knows us by name, who strengthens the weary, and who enters our world not from a distance but up close. Advent teaches us that waiting is not being ignored; it is trusting that in the silence, God is preparing something new. As we journey through this season of hope—lighting candles, praying, and watching—may we trust the promise Isaiah gives us: the Lord knows you, the Lord sees you, and the Lord is coming with strength to renew every weary heart.