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Hello and welcome back to this series on Our Lady of Guadalupe. In part 1, we reflected on the religious dimension of this feast. In today’s episode, we’ll recount the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the third and final episode of this series, we’ll reflect on the cultural and political dimensions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Ok, so let’s start with the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This account comes to us from a 16th century report by Don Antonio Valeriano, a Native American author. He writes that during the winter of 1531, a Native American named Juan Diego was on his way to mass in a town called Tlatelolco. On his way to church, when neared the hill called Tepeyac, he heard someone calling his name: “Juanito.”

He went up the hill and caught sight of a lady whose clothing was as radiant as the sun. She said to him: “Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live. It is my ardent desire that a church be erected here…” She sent him to the Bishop with her request.

Juan Diego immediately left to see the Bishop. But the Bishop didn’t believe him.
So, Juan Diego returned to the hilltop and told Mary what happened. Juan Diego suggested that she send someone more important than him. But she sent him back to the Bishop the next day.

So on the next day, which was Sunday, Juan Diego tried to talk with the Bishop. The Bishop still didn’t believe him and told him that some sign would be necessary. Well, Juan Diego avoided the hill. He did not want to go back to tell Mary he had failed again. But on Monday, his uncle, Juan Bernardino, became very ill and asked Juan to go to Tlatelolco to call a priest to hear his confession.

On Tuesday morning, Juan Diego set out, but he went around the hill to try to avoid Mary. She found him and said: Listen and understand, my humblest son. There is nothing to frighten and distress you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection? Are you not, fortunately, in my care? Do not let your uncle’s illness distress you. It is certain that he has already been cured. Go up to the hilltop, my son, where you will find flowers of various kinds. Cut them, and bring them into my presence.

Now this was well after the first frost, so Juan Diego thought the fact that there would be flowers was in itself a sign. Indeed, he was astonished to find so many Castilian roses that had burst through the frost. He collected the roses in his white tilma which is a sort of cloak or tunic made of cactus cloth, and he set out to meet the Bishop. He told the Bishop that Our Lady had fulfilled his request and provided a sign.

He opened up his tilma, and as all the Castilian roses scattered to the ground, on his cloak was the precious image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with brown skin that we are familiar with today. Well, the whole city was stirred and came to see this image on Juan Diego’s cloak. Later, he found out that his uncle, Juan Bernardino, had been restored to health, and the Bishop built the church Our Lady asked for.

There is a lot going on this story that influences the cultural and political dimensions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We’ll discuss those in the next installment, but for now, consider these points:

1. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appears on Juan Diego’s Tilma is brown-skinned.
2. Our Lady of Gaudalupe is depicted wearing a sash meaning she’s pregnant. This is one of the few images of Mary pregnant with Jesus.
3. God asks two very different people together, a poor Native American and a bishop, who represents the power and wealth of his time, to build up His kingdom on earth.
4. This was a turbulent time in history.
   

We’ll discuss these and more in the final installment on this series on Our Lady of Guadalupe. You find a copy of today’s podcast and other helpful information on our website, www.deacon rudysnotes.org. The link will appear in the notes on your podcast player, but here’s the link just in case: https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/
Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, may we all come to know and to love Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!

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Mass Readings
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe  
Reading 1 – Zechariah 2:14-17 
Or
Reading 1 – Revelation 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB 
Psalm – Judith 13:18BCDE, 19 
Gospel – Luke 1:26-38 
Or
Gospel – Luke 1:39-47 

Peace be with you on this Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Today’s celebration is not just an important religious celebration. For Mexico, it’s a national celebration. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a huge part of Mexican culture and identity. I’m going to break this topic into 3 episodes:

• In this episode, we’ll reflect on the religious dimension.
• In Part 2, we’ll recount the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
• In Part 3, we’ll reflect on cultural and political dimension.

Before we get started, why are we celebrating a feast honoring Mary? Ok, let’s clear a few things up.

First, we never worship the saints. We never worship Mary.

Second, the Church does not make saints. All believers in heaven are saints. The Church has a process of lifting some of those saints up – heroes of the faith – to inspire us and to draw us closer to Jesus. I think if you could ask a saint if they wanted to be declared a saint, I suspect they’d say no. They would not want to call attention to themselves.

Third, in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary asks that a church be built. Ok, why are churches named after saints? Probably for the same reason we name buildings after people. The saints are heroes of the faith, so we name churches for these heroes of Jesus Christ.

Now, what happens in a church? Well, people have many opportunities to have an encounter with Jesus. In the mass for example, during the Liturgy of the Word, we witness the Word made flesh (John 1:14). And during the Eucharist, we do as Jesus commanded us to, see Luke 22:18-20. Jesus doesn’t say, hey, when you get a chance, could you do this? No! He says do this and remember! Remembering is a powerful tool in the Jewish tradition. Rabbi Zaslow tells us that the function of remembering is to make the past come to life. It’s not about letting ideas and emotions float around in your head. Remembering is about connecting with the past in a real way. Why is this important? Because when we participate in the Eucharist, we enter in to that heavenly liturgy described in the Book of Revelation. This mass is a connection with Jesus Christ. So regardless of the name on the door, Jesus Christ the focus.

Ok, there are two possible Gospel readings for today. The first is Luke 1:26-38, which we heard proclaimed on Saturday to celebrate the Immaculate Conception and I discussed in Saturday’s podcast. I invite you to check it out. The other Gospel reading is a continuation of this chapter, Luke 1:39-47. Let’s briefly reflect on that second option. In this reading, Mary visits her cousin, Elizabeth. What happens? The child in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, leaps. That must have been some leap, because Elizabeth is moved to tell Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” (42).

The example of John the unborn is so inspiring! When we’re in the presence of our Lord and King, what else can we do except leap for joy!

That’s really what the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe all about – spreading the joy of Jesus Christ. Isn’t it amazing that God can put two very different people together, a poor Native American and a bishop, who represents the power and wealth of his time, and use them to build up His kingdom on earth, especially during such a turbulent time in history? But here’s the catch: both Juan Diego and the Bishop had to be open to listening to God through Mary and be willing to respond to God’s call. That remains today like then a great challenge of our faith. Do we trust more in God’s will or in those things we can control?

Homework. There are just two things I suggest we do. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to go to mass today to be nourished by the Jesus in the Word proclaimed and in the Eucharist, but either way ask yourself:

1. Do I listen to God? In my prayer life, do I do all the talking, or do I spend some time in quiet to give God a chance to speak to me?
2. Do I discern God’s will for my life? Do I take time to try to prayerfully understand what God is asking of me in consultation with my pastor, my family and my friends?
   

I think if we do our homework this Advent season, we will be more likely to hear and respond to God’s call in our lives, to that voice crying out from the desert, to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas.

Don’t forget, part 2 in this series tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and part 3 reflects on the cultural and political dimensions of Our Lady of Guadalupe. As always, you find a copy of today’s podcast and other helpful information on our website. The link will appear in the notes on your podcast player, but here’s the link just in case: https://www.deaconrudysnotes.org/

I hope you were inspired by today’s podcast. But let me ask you, are you going to do your homework? Well good! Through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, may we all come to know and to love Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. +Amen!