Memorial of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
?Then I saw her face! Now I’m a Believer!? Today is the feast of St. Juan Diego. One of my favorite Catholic apparel companies, Sock Religious (feel free to ask me to pull up my pant leg next time you see me), has a t-shirt attributed to Juan Diego with a very punny meme of him revealing the image of Our Lady on his tilma with the aforementioned line from the well-known song by The Monkees. Humor aside, Juan Diego, the humble, peasant, native of the Americas, chose to cooperate with God. He chose to believe in our blessed Mother in the apparitions on Mount Tepeyac. The good news of Christ is for all.
Our readings today reflect this call to believe. Both Isaiah and Jesus implore us to wake up and believe. “I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go. If you would hearken to my commandments…” (Is 48:18). When we believe that the world revolves around us, we lose sight of reality. Do we prefer to be deceived rather than to face a difficult reality that requires us to be different? What must we do to recognize Jesus? Listen to him, and live in a way that reflects as such; be gracious and compassionate. “Whoever has ears ought to hear” (Mt 11:15). We are called to cry out with John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord”. We know Jesus is coming; the will of God is not a mystery. Sometimes we think it is so difficult to know and then to follow the will of God. In reality, however, what we know is that God wants us to fulfill our potential and be our best selves–think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus. God gives us the commandments and sends forth great messengers in the saints such as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Juan Diego, and John the Baptist. “Whoever has ears ought to hear” (Mt 11:15).
The story of Juan Diego is a powerful demonstration of belief; of faith in our good God and the great love that is meant for all peoples of every nation, culture, and identity. Make no mistake, there is great intention in how Mary is revealed in the image on the tilma. She appears as a native Mexican. She speaks in Nahuatl, Juan Diego’s native tongue. She dresses in Juan Diego’s culture and declares it worthy. Through Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe, God is a God who desires to speak into our lives, our cultures, and our upbringings; God longs to relate to us and meet us precisely where we are. God affirms each and every one of us as good and we are glorified in our identity. Juan Diego shows us that living our faith is not exclusive to any culture and we are called to invite others into relationship with Christ.
“The Lord will come; go out to meet him”. Are we ready to believe? In this season of advent–full of anticipation and preparation–may we seize the opportunity to reflect on our relationships and prepare our hearts for the incarnation of Jesus. As we continue to journey toward Christmas, let there be no trace of doubt in your mind, be “a believer yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I'm a believer)”. Jesus, Prince of Peace, Lord of all. O come, o come, Emmanuel!
Peace,
Brandon Meyer