Am I not here who am your mother?

Our Lady of Guadalupe

J.M.J.

December 9, 2016

St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin

Dear Family of Mary!

Today is the wonderful feast of the humble and beautiful visionary saint, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. St. Juan Diego received apparitions of Our Lady in 1531, in Mexico. Our Lady gave Juan Diego a job, to go to the bishop and ask him to build a chapel in her honor on Tepeyac Hill. We all know the story. It was a fearsome task for Juan Diego. He was a lowly native. Who would listen to him? But Our Lady had her way, and the incredible miraculous Tilma still hangs in the Basilica in Mexico City, proclaiming to everyone that Our Lady came to Juan Diego!

I want to share something I wrote in 2014 comparing St. Juan Diego’s conversation with Our Lady in December of 1531 to a message Our Lady gave to us on December 2, 2014 through Mirjana! The similarities are striking! Here is the message given to us through Mirjana on December 2, 2014:

“Dear children, remember – for I am telling you that love will win. I know that many of you are losing hope because around you, you see suffering, pain, jealousy, envy… But, I am your mother. I am in the Kingdom but am also here with you. My Son is sending me anew to help you. Therefore, do not lose hope, instead, follow me – because the victory of my heart is in the name of God. My beloved Son is thinking of you as He has always thought of you. Believe Him and live Him. He is the Life of the world. My children, to live my Son means to live the Gospel. This is not easy. This means love, forgiveness and sacrifice. This purifies and it opens the Kingdom. Sincere prayer, which is not only words but is a prayer which the heart speaks, will help you. Likewise fasting (will help you), because it is still more of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Therefore, do not lose hope but follow me. I am imploring you anew to pray for your shepherds so that they may always look to my Son who was the first Shepherd of the world and whose family was the entire world. Thank you.”

Here is the conversation Our Lady had with Juan Diego in 1531:

4th Apparition: Two days later, on December 12, as he was going to the Church at Tlatelolco in order to bring a priest to his dying uncle, Juan Diego was stopped by the Lady, who had come down from Tepeyac Hill to meet him in the road. She listened quietly to Juan’s excuse for not having kept his appointment with her the day before. When he had finished speaking she said, “It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me. Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need? Do not fear for your uncle for he is not going to die. Be assured… he is already well.”

Let’s examine a few of the lines in each encounter:

Our Lady asked Juan Diego to listen to her:

“It is well, littlest and dearest of my sons, but now listen to me.”

In the December 2 message Our Lady asked us to listen to her as well:

“Dear children, remember – for I am telling you…”

Our Lady told Juan Diego that she understood his anxiety:

“Do not let anything afflict you and be not afraid of illness or pain.”

On December 2 Our Lady recognized our difficulty with worries as well:

“I know that many of you are losing hope because around you, you see suffering, pain, jealousy, envy…”

But in both messages she encouraged her little ones to not be afraid:

” Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?” (Our Lady of Guadalupe)

“But, I am your mother. I am in the Kingdom but am also here with you. My Son is sending me anew to help you. Therefore, do not lose hope, instead, follow me – because the victory of my heart is in the name of God.” (Our Lady of Medjugorje)

“But I am your mother.” “Am I not here who am your Mother?” This is the incredible reality. Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus, was with Juan Diego, and she is with us today! She is our mother and she is not going to leave us in our trials and sufferings. “Do not let anything afflict you!!” “Do not lose hope!!” Mother Mary is by our side to comfort and guide us through everything!

Finally, Our Lady assured Juan Diego that his uncle was healed:

“Do not fear for your uncle for he is not going to die. Be assured… he is already well.” (Guadalupe)

And through Mirjana she also affirms to us:

“Therefore, do not lose hope, instead, follow me – because the victory of my heart is in the name of God.”

It seems to me that it is the same mother who is speaking to both Juan Diego and Mirjana. It is the same strong, patient, wise and maternal woman speaking then and now! Mary is our Mother, and she is with us!

And Our Lady’s promises are to be trusted. She will do what she says she will do. We have nothing to fear. We have only to follow her direction. For Juan Diego it was to give the Bishop Our Lady’s message, and the sign on his Tilma. For us it is to witness to everyone the love of God and the presence of Mary. We, like Juan Diego, are called to witness to the presence of the Mother. This will help the plan of God to unfold. We are called to witness with our lives:

“Believe Him and live Him. He is the Life of the world. My children, to live my Son means to live the Gospel. This is not easy. This means love, forgiveness and sacrifice. This purifies and it opens the Kingdom. Sincere prayer, which is not only words but is a prayer which the heart speaks, will help you. Likewise fasting (will help you), because it is still more of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Therefore, do not lose hope but follow me.”

Believe and live Jesus. That is how we witness. We can all be little Juan Diegos. We can all testify to Our Mother’s presence and our Savior’s love.