Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This powerful and recognizable image of our Blessed Mother came to us in December of 1531 through a humble man named Juan Diego. During this time, Mexico was still primarily inhabited by the Aztec people and bears little resemblance to the Mexico we know today. A majority the Aztec people worshiped false gods, many of which required them to participate in human sacrifices. Juan Diego was one of the few Catholics present in Mexico during this time period.

As the story goes, Juan Diego was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when Our Lady appeared to him dressed like an Aztec princess and spoke to him in his own native language. She sent him to the local bishop to deliver the message that she wanted a chapel on the hill where she appeared. But Juan Diego’s mission wasn’t that simple. He became distracted by his uncle’s illness and was dismayed by the Bishop’s disbelief at the apparition. But Our Lady continued to visit Juan Diego and assured him that she cure his uncle and provided roses from Juan Diego to carry in his tilma to present to the Bishop to help him believe. When Juan Diego opened his films in the presence of the tilma, the roses fell to the ground and on the tilma appeared an image of Mary just as she had appeared on Tepeyac. The Bishop was stunned at this miracle and had the church built and over six million Mexicans converted to Catholicism because of the miraculous image of Our Lady, who pointed them toward the true God, her Son.

The thing that sticks out the most to me about the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is that she appeared as one of the Aztec people- a true sign that God is with us and for us. She appears as a mother that knows the culture and the daily life of the people of Mexico. As a mother who has experienced the same highs and lows as them – A mother who truly understands and meets the people right where they’re at. Maybe what made this image so powerful was that it showed the people of Mexico that God desires to dwell among his people and the good news of salvation extends to all people.

Our Lady of Guadalupe isn’t just the patroness of Mexico, she is the patroness of the Americas and that means our country is entrusted to her care as well. Although present-day America looks very different than sixteenth century Mexico the similarity is that is it a difficult place to live out your Catholic faith and the message of Our Lady is still relevant. Even if we feel as though we are distant from the Lord, Mary desires to meet us where we are and bring us closer to her son.

In the midst of doubt, fear, illness, and darkness let the words of Our Lady to Juan Diego echo in your heart today and fill you with hope: “Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you.”

Lauren is a graduate of Franciscan University where she graduated with degrees in Theology and Catechetics. She has a heart for sharing the joy of the Gospel with the young Church and has been involved in youth ministry for several years in both Texas and Ohio. Lauren currently serves as a missionary with Adore Ministries in Houston, Texas. She is a hockey lover, a coffee enthusiast, and because of Christ finds herself living a life greater than she could have ever imagined. 

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