Mary is the mother of us all. She has appeared to people from all stations of life and social classes, ages and languages. Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin have been seen across the world, from France to the Americas.
In Mexico, Our Lady appeared to a poor farmer named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. He was a convert to the Catholic faith from a pagan religion with a great devotion to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
He was a humble farmer who never would have dreamed that the Queen of Heaven would deign to speak to him–but she did, and she had an important mission for which she had set him apart.
The Farmer Becomes a Knight
Juan Diego had found favor with Our Lady, who saw in him the faith necessary to carry out what she desired. She picked him to be her representative, her knight, delivering a special message to the Bishop of the colony.
Who was Juan Diego? He was a humble man who walked fourteen miles to Mass with his wife every Sunday. He made the trek without complaint; he wanted to receive Jesus, and every bit of effort was worth the sweet gift of Holy Communion.
On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego’s wife was ill. Leaving her to rest at home, he started his walk to Mass alone, not expecting that anything different would happen that day. He trudged up Tepeyac hill as usual, deep in contemplation to prepare for the celebration of the Liturgy.
Something very different was going to happen on that day as he climbed Tepeyac. When he was halfway up, he found a beautiful lady dressed as an Aztec waiting for him on the road. Rays of light surrounded her, as if behind her shone the sun itself.
So glorious was this vision that Juan Diego fell to his knees and asked the lady who she was. Her response was far from what he’d expected.
The Queen of Heaven
The beautiful lady on Tepeyac Hill revealed herself to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. She told an awestruck Juan Diego that she had chosen him for a special mission.
Our Lady desired for a shrine to be built on that spot at Tepeyac Hill. She told Juan Diego that she had chosen him to be a messenger and deliver this request to the Bishop of the colony. Juan Diego, however, shivered at the thought of giving such orders to the Bishop, humble man as he was.
He protested and told her that he did not believe himself worthy to deliver this message. Sensing his fear, Mary reassured him that she would be by his side. He would not be facing the Bishop alone and, as long as he trusted in her motherly care, he would champion her cause.
Juan Diego could not say no to the Queen of Heaven, so he went to meet with the Bishop. However, when he told the Bishop about the apparition, he was doubted. It was just as he had feared, and he would have fallen into despair if Mary had not already given her promise that she would help him through it.
Promising the Bishop that he would return with proof, Juan Diego left, determined not to disappoint the Blessed Mother.
Where Roses Grow in Winter
Three days after Mary’s first apparition Juan Diego’s uncle fell ill. Fearing that his uncle might die, Juan Diego hurried up Tepeyac Hill to the church in search of a priest, in case Last Rites would be necessary.
As he ran to the church, he found the Blessed Virgin Mary waiting for him on the same spot where he met her last time. She knew what was happening, and reassured Juan Diego that his uncle would be healed if he gathered the roses blooming at the top of the hill.
A rosebush in bloom in the middle of winter? Juan Diego followed her directions with some doubt, as it was not the time for roses to be in bloom. When he made it to the top of the hill, he was surprised to find a rosebush indeed waiting for him, in full bloom.
He gathered the roses from the bush into his cloak and returned to Our Lady, presenting them to her. She instructed Juan Diego not to show them to anyone until he had reached the Bishop. No longer daring to question her instructions, he did as he was told, presenting himself before the Bishop who three days before had doubted his words.
A Miracle of Roses
The Bishop was wary when he saw Juan Diego again, hesitant to believe the farmer’s story of an apparition on Tepeyac Hill. This time Juan Diego had more than words to prove his story; Our Lady had given him the proof he had promised.
He released his cloak and allowed the roses to fall to the ground. Immediately the Bishop fell to his knees.
The Bishop scarcely looked at the roses: what had shocked him to the core was an image of the Blessed Virgin, dressed in the stars and surrounded by rays of the sun, just as Juan Diego had described her. A farmer who was barely literate could not have made such a detailed image in only three days; Our Lady had provided a miracle.
Mary’s humble knight, Juan Diego, had done the favor she’d asked of him. A shrine was built on Tepeyac Hill. The miraculous cloak is still venerated in the Mexico City Basilica. Countless miracles are attributed to Our Lady of Guadalupe to this day.
Conclusion
Mary is the mother of us all, and she appears to each of her children as the mother that they need. She reassures them and prays for them no matter what continent they’re in. Like all mothers, she has a solution to every problem, and her solution is always her Son, Jesus Christ.
St. Juan Diego was beatified by St. John Paul II in 1990. He was canonized by the same great Pope in the year 2002. His feast day is December 9.
1 thought on “St. Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe”
Holy Mary, Mother of God, please help us now.