Continuing his Wednesday audience series on “The Passion for Evangelization”, Pope Francis turned to the Americas and the story of St. Juan Diego.
Juan Diego, born with the name “Cuauhtlatoatzin” in 1474, was the first Catholic saint indigenous to the Americas. He lived in Cuautitlán, which is now part of Mexico City, and was baptized by a Franciscan priest at 50 years old. At the age of 57, he encountered Our Lady of Guadalupe on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico.
On his way to Mass in December of 1531, a lady dressed like an Aztec princess appeared to him in a radiant cloud.
The trials of St. Juan Diego
“The Virgin of Guadalupe . . . appears dressed in the clothing of the Indigenous peoples, she speaks their languages, she welcomes and loves the local culture: Mary is Mother, and under her mantle every child finds a place,” said Pope Francis.
Our Lady tenderly calls out to Juan Diego, saying “My most beloved little child Jaunito” (Nican Mopohua, 23). She asks him to seek out the bishop to build a shrine and promises to pour out her grace upon those who invoke her there.
Juan Diego goes to the bishop and waits patiently to meet with him. Upon speaking to the bishop, Juan Diego is met with disbelief and dismissal.
Again, he encounters our Lady; she asks him to try again. With difficulty, he is able to meet with the bishop. The bishop still does not believe, but sends men to follow Juan Diego.
According to Pope Francis, all of this is a test of proclamation, and sometimes trials come from within the Church.
Feeling discouraged and ill-equipped, Juan Diego asks Our Lady to appoint someone more capable and more respected; she responds by inviting him to persevere.
Reassured, Juan Diego once again returns to the bishop, who asks him for a sign.
Our Lady comforts Juan Diego by saying “Let nothing frighten you, let nothing trouble your heart: [. . .] Am I not here, I who am your mother?” (ibid., 118-119).She instructs him to go to an arid hilltop to pick flowers in the middle of winter. There, he finds beautiful, flowering roses, and gathers them into his cloak.
After patiently waiting his turn, he again visits the bishop, opens his tilma, and lets the roses fall to the ground.
Upon seeing this, the bishop sank to his knees. There, on the fabric, appeared the image of Mary exactly as she had appeared to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac — the image we all know so well.
Pope Francis remarked, “This is God’s surprise: When there is willingness and when there is obedience, He can accomplish something unexpected, in the time and in ways we cannot foresee.”
Following this miraculous event, the shrine was built. Juan Diego dedicated the rest of his life to the shrine, welcoming pilgrims and evangelizing all those he encountered.
Within a decade of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, millions were converted to Catholicism. Now, over 20 million pilgrims visit the cathedral annually.
What can we learn from this testimony? Pope Francis draws multiple insights.
Evangelization, growth, and our Mother Mary
First, there are lessons regarding evangelization and proclamation.
The Gospel is communicated in simplicity, and Our Lady chooses those who are simple. Juan Diego was a simple, willing man with a pure heart.
“God, who loves to perform miracles through the ‘little ones’, had rested his gaze on him”, stated Pope Francis.
We also learn more about our call as Christians. In reflecting on St. Juan Diego’s trials, the Holy Father said, “To proclaim, in fact, it is not enough to bear witness to the good; it is necessary to know how to endure evil.”
Pope Francis also remarked, “Inculturating the Gospel and evangelizing cultures requires constancy and patience, not being afraid of conflict, not losing heart.”
Second, there are lessons regarding our own spiritual growth.
As with the other witnesses we have reflected upon, we can notice the recurring theme of prayer as being integral to the saints’ lives.
In the Holy See bibliography of Juan Diego, it states “Much deeper than the ‘exterior grace’ of having been ‘chosen’ as Our Lady’s ‘messenger’, Juan Diego received the grace of interior enlightenment and from that moment, he began a life dedicated to prayer and the practice of virtue and boundless love of God and neighbor.”
Third, the story of this encounter reveals things about Mary, our Mother.
Pope Francis explained that the Lady of Gaudalupe is a reminder that Mary, and the God who sent her, accepts all peoples.
She draws our hearts to Jesus and to the saving truth of the Gospel and invites us to grow.
“Our Lady listens to our cries and heals our sorrows”, said Pope Franics.
He offered thanks to all the mothers and grandmothers who pass on the Gospel, as they are the first evangelizers.
At the end of his audience, the Holy Father urges us to seek out Mary as a source of consolation and mercy to lay down our burdens and return to life with peace in our hearts.