It is so wonderful to be here with all you tonight, to celebrate the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I am glad you allow a poor gringo priest to celebrate with you this wondrous feast of so beautiful and so important a lady. I must admit that I grow fonder of the Virgin each year, since I first learned of her in seminary almost ten years ago. The marvel of it all overwhelms me: how great her influence has been not only in Mexico but in all of the Americas. Truly she is the Empress of the Americas as Pope Saint John Paul II declared. Please permit me to review these marvels for our edification.
When the Spanish conquered Mexico in the 16th century, they brought with them missionaries to convert the native peoples to the Christian faith. However, these missionaries struggled greatly and received few converts in their first few years. But then Our Lady came to the hill of Tepeyac in 1531 and changed everything. This image, as you might well know, is not only responsible for the conversion of the native Mexicans, but it is the most visited image in the world. Millions received baptism and became Catholics all because of this image that has endured so much in its history, and yet it remains the same as when Saint Juan Diego received it from her.
But why is it that this image could have such an immense effect upon the peoples, even down to our day? How does La Virgen have such an impact upon so many? In truth, it is the a simple answer, though one that we may forget at times: it is the effect and the impact of a mother upon her children. Are we capable of hard-heartedness in the sight of so loving and caring of a mother? Can we fail to listen when she calls us just as she called Juan Diego by the name “Juanito”? When she shows us such a love, what else can we do but whatever she asks of us?
Yet perhaps we may have forgotten her requests or her words to Juan Diego to explain why she came. When La Virgen appeared the first time on December 9, she told him that she was the mother of the most true God, of he through whom everything lives, the Creator of persons, the master and lord of all the earth. She revealed herself completely to Juan Diego in his own language, not Spanish but the local Nahuatl language. La Virgen first seeks to reveal to this faithful man who she really is in a way that the natives would understand. She does this so that they may receive the Christian faith at their own level.
This shows the humility of Our Lady, for she never focuses on herself. She is the handmaid of the Lord, as she told the archangel in the Gospel. Everything that she does is not for her, but for her son. In fact, the image shows her as being pregnant, one of the few if not the only images to show this. Just as she carried Jesus in the womb to Bethlehem in the midst of her own people, she also carries Him to a new people who will be hers very soon. Truly she is a mother to us all.
Her very appearance is meant to reflect not only her humility, but to demonstrate to the people the truths of the faith using their own symbols along with the symbol we see in the first reading from the book of Revelation. Our parish patron Saint John called her the ark of the covenant, and paints a magnificent picture with his words: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. All of these signs are found in the image, but they also carry meaning within the pagan religion of the native people.
La Virgen stands before the sun and over the moon, showing her dominance over the main gods of the pagan religion. The flower over her womb was a symbol of the divine and the center of the universe. It rests over the womb which carries the child who is both divine and the center of the universe. Her pink robe is symbolic of an Aztec princess or queen, showing her royal state. The angel holding her up holds her robe and her mantle, pointing to the child in her womb who is both human and divine. The image itself is a Gospel in pictures.
Yet the wonders of La Virgen do not end there. Perhaps you remember the story of Juan Diego trying to avoid Tepeyac because he wanted to get help for his sick uncle. Not only that, but he was embarrassed by his failure to get the bishop to believe him. Yet she does not stay on the top of the hill; she comes down and greets him with those heartfelt words, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” What joy! What delight! Not only is she the mother of Jesus Christ the Savior, but she is our mother. A mother who does not remain above us, but humbles herself to come to us in our need.
It is this last apparition which results in that miracle of miracles which remains with us today: the image on the tilma. Just when Juan Diego hoped to avoid more failure, La Virgen proves herself through her roses and her image. Joy of joys! The victory of Our Lady comes to Mexico! We know the rest of the story, for we are living it here and now. You all would not be here if it were not for the loving kindness of La Virgen for your ancestors and your land.
But is this the end of the story? Or is it only the first chapter? Listen to those first words of Our Lady to Juan Diego: "I desire very much that they build my sacred little house here, for there I will show Him to you, I will magnify Him, I will turn you over to Him, to He who is all my love, to He who is compassionate gaze, to He who is my help, to He who is my salvation." Who is He whom she wants to offer to us? It is Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven and earth, the Savior of humanity, the Word made flesh, the God-man. All of this is meant to lead us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him through her. Her message for all peoples, not only Mexicans, is to know her Son, to love Him, and to join her in serving Him who is our help and our salvation. She is the best missionary for our Christian faith, because she is intimately united to He who is the center of our faith.
But how many of you truly hear her words? How many of you fulfill her request? I am happy to see so many of you with us on this beautiful night to celebrate her who is the honor of your people. Our church is bursting with love for La Virgen. But how complete is that love? Many of you are seeing me for the first time since I arrived in June. Many of you are in this church for the first time since Easter or Christmas or even the last celebration of Guadalupe. Many of you profess a love for La Virgen, but have nothing to show for it beyond your attendance here tonight.
Do you think this is what she wants for you? Do you think that she came to Juan Diego so that you might be half-Christians? Do you think she gave you this image so that you would receive baptism but never be converted to Jesus Christ? How terrible! It would have been better for your people to remain pagans rather than become a convenient Christian. It would have been better if La Guadalupana had not come if you won’t love her by listening and obeying her.
Brethren, if you love La Virgen, listen to her! If you love La Virgen, follow her! If you love La Virgen, love her Son as well! The true lover of La Guadalupana is the person who follows she who is victorious over the serpent. The true lover of La Guadalupana is the person who imitates her total obedience to God in the totality of their life. The true lover of La Guadalupana will not darken the door of the church only on her feast day, but will seek to be with her in the church as much as she demands. Love for her cannot be only an emotion; it requires actions and signs to demonstrate that love.
Let us indeed rejoice that we have such a loving mother in La Virgen; a mother who is near to us at every step. Let us rejoice that she loves us so much as to reveal herself in this unique way. But let us not waste this opportunity to be a true Guadalupano, which is very essential to our salvation, by following La Virgen who follows the most true God. Let us pray that she may continue to win us salvation and mercy from her son, so that we may not look to her in vain. May La Virgen of Guadalupe be the madrecita of the Mexicans and of all the Americas. May she be the compassionate mother of we her poor children. May she be for all of us the Queen who brings us to the glories of heaven.
Viva la Virgen!
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