Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M.,
The Christophers’ Board of Directors
On December 9, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Juan Diego, and on December 12, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, two important days when we recall the people and events surrounding our Blessed Mother’s miraculous intervention in the Americas. It began on December 9, 1531, when Mary appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin while he was crossing Tepeyac Hill near the area now known as Mexico City. Born Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1474, he took the name Juan Diego when he and his wife were among the first of the Nahua people to be baptized by Franciscan missionaries in 1524.
Mary told Juan she wanted a church built at Tepeyac Hill in her honor, so he shared this request with newly appointed Bishop Juan de Zumarraga. When the bishop refused, Mary appeared to Juan Diego again with the same request, and again he went to the bishop, who this time said he needed a sign. Juan planned to return to Tepeyac Hill the following day but was detained when his uncle fell seriously ill. By the next day, December 12, he feared his uncle would die and hurried to find a priest to perform Last Rites. In his haste, Juan avoided Tepeyac Hill, but Mary appeared to him on the path he took.
When he explained the desperate nature of the situation, Mary declared: “Am I not here who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow of protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?”
After this beautiful declaration, Mary told Juan that his uncle was healed and instructed him to collect flowers from Tepeyac Hill, which was usually barren. So he went and gathered Castillian roses, a flower that was not even native to Mexico, and she arranged them in his Tilma and sent him to the bishop. When he unfurled the Tilma, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was revealed, and the bishop finally believed.
In her apparitions to Juan Diego, Mary spoke his language, Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs—and she appeared in the likeness of his people. In this way, Mary can be seen to have given the faith to indigenous peoples of the Americas as their own. It was not long after these miraculous events that millions converted to Christianity. Today, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe sits at the foot of Tepeyac Hill, and every year in early December, millions make pilgrimages to honor Mary on the anniversary of her final apparition to Juan Diego and the miracle of the Tilma. Homes are decorated with altars to the Virgin Mary, the rosary is prayed in the evenings, and a novena begins nine days before the feast.
Pilgrims are known to travel many miles on their knees as a sign of devotion to our Blessed Mother. Groups of mariachis, folk musicians, and dancers perform outside the shrine. Inside, priests and bishops from all over Mexico offer Mass, and fiestas with fireworks take place throughout the country.
Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has spread around the globe. Our Blessed Mother’s message to Saint Juan Diego speaks in resounding ways to us today, showing that God wishes to bring the peoples of the world together under Christ. Let us pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to open hearts to conversion.
For free copies of the Christopher News Note FINDING YOUR WAY BACK TO GOD, write: The Christophers, 264 West 40th Street, Room 603, New York, NY 10018; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org
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