Lady of Guadalupe's apparition to St. Juan Diego turns out to be the Patron Saint of the U.S. and Mexico

by:  Bro. Marino de Chavez

At once, I declined an invitation that asked me to talk about the life of San Diego on a major consideration that it is God’s desire, that as the preachers, we should be the first ones to emulate the virtue of the Saints.

Subsequently, another similar topic was assigned to me that I could not refuse to any further extent discerning that it was a God’s call.

By contemplating on the life of the Saints, it endowed me with courage to fix our lives as speakers.

The last decision in the lives of the Saints had been offered to respond to God’s call.  Most of them endured an uncomfortable existence and unbearable sacrifices.  That is why I mulled over, “Lord, I don’t want to be a Saint.”

Could you still recall when St. Peter defended,  "Though all may have their faith in you shaken, mine, will never be," (Matthew 26:33) but towards the end his promise turned to be ineffectual which redounded Jesus’ prophesy, "Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times."(Matthew 26:34)

Are you assured that that life you are currently nourishing is already the last phase?  What if there’s an extension?

2 Timothy 2:2 And what you heard from me through any witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.

Mary Magdalene never faltered but remained faithful even Jesus had no longer been visible after ascension.

Would you still persevere in this ministry if your prayer is not granted?  Would you remain in devotion even Jesus is imperceptible yet?

San Diego was born in 1474 in the calpulli or ward of Tlayacac in Cuauhtitlan which was established in 1168 by Nahua tribesmen and conquered by the Aztec lord Axayacatl in 1467 which is 14 miles (20 kilometers) in distance going to north of Tenochtitlan  now North Mexico. 

He died on May 30, 1548 making his existence on earth for 74 years.  His Feast Day is on  December 9.

San Juan Diego would wake up before dawn for his daily devotion to catch the morning Liturgy By foot, he endured the difficulty of traversing a 14-mile distance going to the church passing through weedy and rough roads which are beyond compare because a lot of people in this generation even grumble the ostensibly exhausting walk on the Station of the Cross.

He lived a simple life as a weaver, farmer, and laborer

On December 19, 1531, he woke up before dawn to walk fifteen miles to daily Mass in calpulli in the region of Tlayacac in Cuauhtitlan (Mexico City). As he passed Tepeyac Hill, he heard music and saw a radiant cloud surrounded by a rainbow. There he beheld a beautiful young woman robed like an Aztec princess. Identifying herself as the Virgin Mary, she charged San Diego to tell the Bishop  Bishop to construct a church to the same place where the apparition took place.  The Blessed Mother said, "I vividly desire that a church be built on this site, so that in it I can be present and give my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your most devoted mother . . . to hear your laments and to remedy all your miseries, pains, and sufferings."

Although the Bishop was known for being kind-hearted but sceptical so he asked Juan to bring a proof of his encounter with the Virgin Mary.  From the Bishop’s place, San Diego hastily went back to the apparition site.  On his way, he learned of his uncle who was on his deathbed so he prioritized and rushed to see a Priest to request for the Holy Sacrament.

Juan Diego missed his meeting with the Lady. Unexpectedly, shortly before seeing the Priest, the Blessed Mother appeared while he was on his way and told him that his uncle was already well.  He was asked to bring a proof that was something irrefutable and extraordinary to bring it to the Bishop.

As instructed by the Blessed Mother, he then returned to the top of the hill where they first met. Juan was dumbfounded on what he found out later because of flowery plants that mysteriously grew in the frozen soil.  Castilian roses were not grown in Mexico.

Mesmerized as he was, he took his cloak and put some roses which he would show to the Bishop as attestation for the latter to believe of the phantom encounter.

In front of the Bishop, Saint Juan Diego told everything he saw, opened his cloak and spilled the flowers.  The clergy was not astounded by the Castilian roses he saw but by the cloak that was laid bare before his very eyes.  Lo and behold, imprinted on the cloak was the Blessed Mother’s face, by which the Lady of Guadalupe Lady of Guadalupe has been attributed to.  Lady of Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of the United States and Mexico.

From then on, thousands of conversions to Christianity had emanated brought by this miracle.

San Diego had deeper love of the Eucharist.  He had been endowed with special permission by the Bishop to take a communion  three times a week, every other day, a highly unusual occurrence during those times. 

He was canonized as Saint by Pope John Paull II who eulogized him as  a model of humility for Christianity re-echoing what the Saint had said to the Virgin Mary, " I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end,a leaf."

What I learned from San Diego is the worthiness of his walking a 44-kilometer distance for God.  Ironically, people who are the most accessible to the churches are the ones notably late comers to the Mass.

This reminded me of a neighbor who rationalizes like, “There’s no need to go to the church anymore.  The Priest can be conspicuously seen from our house and audibly grasped his homily from a distance.  After the Mass, the priest goes to our house and we talk so why should I go to the church?”

Back then, when we were teens, I had a hard time waking up early in the morning for "Simbang Gabi" (Dawn Mass) on a personal reason that I don’t possess a pair of shoes.  Basically, my father would reach up to three attempts on waking me up before I finally got up; this was the final call when he was already dressed up and fixed his Elvis Presley hair with his favorite Tancho or Three Stars pomade.

That is why when my father acquired me a pair of white, high cut Converse shoes in 1965, things had been twisted.  If formerly, I would be stuck on the comfort of sleeping, this time I would not want to sleep anymore.  If previously, we had been using a torch to give light to the route we took, this time it would be my white shoes that served as torch as we walked a 3-kilometer distance going to the church.

Undeniably, distance could never be an issue to anyone who has a deeper relationship with God.  Diligence to bring the good tidings can be upheld without looking at the remoteness of the church as a hindrance.

Juan walked fifteen miles to catch the Mass daily.  Partake a day this week that’s not a Sunday Liturgy.  If this is unattainable, stroll outside, look around and discern God’s miracles.  You may not stumble upon a bunch of roses that miraculously sprouted on the ground or hear an amazing music, but there is incalculable to glorify God for.