Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope: Am I Not Here, I Who Am Your Mother?

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In December 1531, Our Lady Appeared to a young man named Juan Diego, a native Mexican, on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. The story of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe is known by many Catholics and Christians alike, On December 9th, 1531, Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a young Catholic on his way to mass. She asked Juan Diego to visit the Bishop and ask him to build a chapel in her honor on Tepeyac hill. Obediently, Juan Diego went to the Bishop and requested the chapel, however the Bishop wanted time to consider the matter. As Juan Diego walked home, He encountered Our Lady again and told her the Bishop had denied his request at the time. Mary asked Juan to ask again. The next day, Juan asked the Bishop for the Chapel again. The Bishop was not convinced of the authenticity of the apparition and request, so he asked for a sign. Two days later, Juan avoided seeing Our Lady as he was finding a priest to administer the sacraments to his dying uncle. Our Lady stopped Juan and assured him that his uncle would be okay. She gave Juan Diego roses in the middle of winter as a sign for the bishop, arranging them in his tilma herself. When Juan reached the Bishop and opened His tilma, a beautiful image of Our Lady was imprinted on Juan's tilma under the roses. The Bishop was convinced. The tilma has been miraculously preserved in Mexico in the Chapel on Tepeyac and is on exhibition there. 

This story is a beautiful one, but I want to focus on the words Our Lady spoke to Juan about his uncle. Mary said to Juan “Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you…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 the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”

What comforting words to hear from Our Mother. Imagine for a moment, that she is saying those words directly to you. Sometimes Mary can seem like a distant figure to us, just a character from the Bible, or a pretty statue or piece of stained glass in our parish. It's sometimes hard to run to Mary or trust in her consolation. Imagine what Juan Diego must have been going through when he encountered Mary while looking for a priest for his uncle. He was afraid he wouldn't make it in time. He was probably saddened by the fact that these were his uncle's final moments. Juan's heart must have been heavy with fear, pain, sorrow, and anxiety; and Our Lady meets him there and comforts him. Mary does not put off Juan's aching heart, but rather receives it with a mother's tender care and consoles it.

Mary can seem unreachable because she was sinless, but she was still human. She experienced much pain, sorrow, loss, agony, and heartache throughout her life. Mary went through many hardships, she can relate to what you're going through. She longs to hear your troubles, console you, and bring you to her Son. Friends, today I want to challenge you to take comfort in the fact that you have a mother in Heaven always ready to care for you and bring you closer to Jesus. In the words of St. Therese, "She is more mother than queen."

See you in the Eucharist, 

May

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