Let me ask you this: what would your life look like without God? Would you feel fulfilled, valued, and at peace? Imagine, for a moment, a life without the presence of the Divine. Without God to guide you, your worth would come from fleeting things—external markers of success that never seem to be enough. The constant comparison game begins: Who has the better job? The bigger house? The flashier car? The "perfect" body? The most beautiful family?

This endless race, always trying to outrun the next person, offers no true rest. No matter how much we accumulate, there will always be someone else with more, someone else who seems to have it all together. The truth is, without God, we are left to define our value by what’s around us—by things that fade, that rust, that lose their shine. The pursuit of more becomes an obsession, but no matter how much we gain, the feeling of emptiness persists.

Without God, we are left to find our own purpose. Every day we wake up, searching for meaning, yearning for something deeper, something real. We might try to fill the void by chasing new experiences, or by hopping from one thrill to the next, hoping that the hollowness in our hearts will somehow be filled. But deep down, we know that none of it can satisfy. The pain, the ache—it always returns. And with it, the temptation to seek comfort in fleeting addictions, whatever form they may take. The brief escape never lasts, no matter how many bottles of wine I drink. The hole in our soul is too vast for anything in this world to fill.

Without God, we are the arbiters of right and wrong. We become our own moral compass, deciding what is good based on personal experience or fleeting emotions. For a time, this might feel freeing—like indulging in the sugar rush of a guilty pleasure. But just as the sugar crash follows the rush, so too does the realization that our hearts are fickle, our judgments unreliable, and the consequences of our choices inevitably painful.

A life without God, I dare say, is like a dry, barren desert. There is no rain to refresh, no fertile soil to cultivate hope, no oasis to rest in. We wander aimlessly, searching for something that always seems just out of reach. But here’s the incredible news: God has not left us in the desert.

In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful song” (Isaiah 35:1-2). Even the driest, most desolate parts of our lives will bloom again—when God enters the picture. He promised He would send someone to transform our deserts into gardens. And that promise was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, God made flesh.

Jesus is the One who brings new meaning to our lives, who restores what we thought was lost forever. He reveals our true worth—not in the things we acquire, but in the fact that we are made in His image and likeness. That is the message of hope we celebrate today. It is in Him that we find our true value and purpose.

Look at the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who carries Jesus within her in the most tender and humble way. Her gaze downwards reflects not only humility but a recognition of the immensity of the grace she carries. She knows that the Savior of the world is inside her, and she, like us, is awed by this truth.

Friends, stop searching. The meaning of life is not elusive. You have found Him. He is here. He is with you. You are loved beyond measure, not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who you are in His eyes.

Rejoice today, for the desert is blooming, and the fullness of life is available to you in Christ. Let Him be the one who quenches your thirst and fills your heart with joy. This is the life we are called to live—a life not marked by what we lack, but by the richness of His love.