Saint Juan Diego was a native Mexican who converted to Catholicism and was the first native American saint in the Roman Catholic church. It was his encounter with the Virgin Mary that sparked the Church's veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On the morning of December 9, 1531, as Juan journeyed to attend Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, just beyond the outskirts of Mexico City. She entrusted him with a mission: to convey her message to the Bishop, urging the construction of a shrine at Tepeyac. She promised to bestow her grace upon all who sought her intercession. The Bishop, skeptical of Juan's account, demanded a sign to validate the apparition.
On December 12, as Juan returned to Tepeyac, the Blessed Mother directed him to climb the hill and gather any blossoming flowers he encountered. Complying with her instructions, Juan, despite the extreme winter, discovered roses in full bloom. He collected the flowers and presented them to Our Lady, who delicately arranged them on his mantle. She instructed him to offer these roses as "evidence" to the Bishop. Upon opening his mantle, the flowers cascaded to the ground, unveiling the image of the Blessed Mother miraculously imprinted on the fabric.
Remaining steadfast in his devotion to the Holy Eucharist, Juan Diego led a life characterized by simplicity and poverty. Over the following seventeen years, he dedicated himself to preaching the gospel and spreading the message of Guadalupe, emphasizing the Blessed Virgin's love for humanity and her desire to serve as our merciful Mother.
Prayer
O God, who by means of Saint Juan Diego showed the love of the most holy Virgin Mary for Your people, grant, through his intercession, that, by following the counsels our Mother gave at Guadalupe, we may be ever constant in fulfilling Your will.
Prepared and updated by:
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Penampang, Sabah Malaysia.
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