DECEMBER 9
SAINT JUAN DIEGO CUAUHTLATOATZIN
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| “Altarpiece of the Virgin of Guadalupe with St. John the Baptist, Fray Juan de Zumárraga and Juan Diego” by Miguel Cabrera c. 1760’s |
Biographical information about St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin [1]
Readings for the Memorial of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
Reading 1: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.
It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God,
as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,
so that, as it is written,
Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.
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Commentary on 1 Cor 1:26-31
St. Paul continues his attack on “worldly wisdom” by reminding the
members of the church at Corinth that the community is comprised of all strata
of society. He points out that all are called to the same Lord, and that the
wisdom that is Jesus (“who became for us wisdom from God”) makes them righteous, sanctified, and redeemed in him. It
is for this reason that the only boast a Christian should make is in God. The
evangelist does so, paraphrasing Jeremiah 9:23.
CCC: 1 Cor 1:27 489; 1 Cor 1:30 2813
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 131:1bcde, 2, 3
R. In you,
Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is
not proud,
nor are my eyes
haughty;
I busy not myself
with great things,
nor with things too
sublime for me.
R. In you, Lord, I
have found my peace.
Nay rather, I have
stilled and quieted
my soul like a
weaned child.
Like a weaned child
on its mother's lap,
so is my soul
within me.
R. In you, Lord, I
have found my peace.
O Israel, hope in
the LORD,
both now and
forever.
R. In you, Lord, I
have found my peace.
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Commentary on Ps 131:1bcde, 2,3
Psalm 131 is an
individual lament praying for harmony and humility among the members of the
community. The singer proclaims trust in the Lord and peace, like children's
contented peace, secure in the knowledge of the love and protection of their
parents.
CCC: Ps 131:2 239; Ps 131:2-3 370
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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
At that time
Jesus responded:
"I give praise
to you, Father,
Lord of heaven and
earth,
for although you
have hidden these things
from the wise and
the learned
you have revealed
them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such
has been your gracious will.
All things have
been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the
Son except the Father,
and no one knows
the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom
the Son wishes to reveal him."
"Come to me,
all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you
rest.
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me,
for I am meek and
humble of heart;
and you will find
rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light."
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Commentary on Mt 11:25-30
Jesus has just
completed a fairly scathing criticism of the people in the places he has been
and performed miracles, yet many have not accepted him as the Messiah. He now
concludes this section as he reflects that, while the scribes and Pharisees
(“the wise and learned”) have not understood who he is, those with simple faith
have accepted him freely. He then issues an invitation to all who “labor and
are burdened” quoting an invitation similar to one in the book of Sirach to
learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sirach 51:23, 26).
“This Q saying,
identical with Luke 10:21-22 except for
minor variations, introduces a joyous note into this section, so dominated by
the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the learned, the scribes and
Pharisees, have rejected Jesus' preaching and the significance of his mighty
deeds, the childlike have accepted them. Acceptance depends upon the Father's
revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused
to the arrogant. Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and
there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has
been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.” [2]
The final verses of
this section are found only in St. Matthew’s Gospel and promise salvation to
those who are downtrodden or in pain. “In extending his extraordinary
invitation Jesus is speaking as one possessing the full authority and
compassion of God. ‘Come to me, you all you grown weary with labor and heavily
burdened!’ The proclamation has all the universality and power that only a
divine call to mankind can have, the sort of blessed clamor of God’s compassion
within human history that we hear in the prophets.” [3]
CCC:
Reflection:
As we thank God for the gift of St. Juan Diego on his feast day, we cannot help but to think back to the words of St. John Paul II as he spoke at his beatification. St. John Paul prayed these words:
Blessed Juan
Diego, a good, Christian Indian, whom simple people have always considered a
saint! We ask you to accompany the Church on her pilgrimage in Mexico, so that
she may be more evangelizing and more missionary each day. Encourage the
Bishops, support the priests, inspire new and holy vocations, help all those
who give their lives to the cause of Christ and the spread of his Kingdom.
Happy Juan
Diego, true and faithful man! We entrust to you our lay brothers and sisters so
that, feeling the call to holiness, they may imbue every area of social life
with the spirit of the Gospel. Bless families, strengthen spouses in their
marriage, sustain the efforts of parents to give their children a Christian
upbringing. Look with favor upon the pain of those who are suffering in body or
in spirit, on those afflicted by poverty, loneliness, marginalization or
ignorance. May all people, civic leaders and ordinary citizens, always act in
accordance with the demands of justice and with respect for the dignity of each
person, so that in this way peace may be reinforced.
Beloved Juan Diego, "the talking eagle"! Show us the way that leads to the "Dark Virgin" of Tepeyac, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God. Amen. (Homily of the Holy Father, St. John Paul II, Mexico City, Wednesday July 31, 2002)
What amazing gift of grace and faith was given to St. Juan Diego. He was on of the first of his Chichimeca people to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord in 1531. A gift of faith that would change his life, and the lives of countless indigenous peoples, indeed, people of all races and cultures throughout the years since. The Blessed Virgin Mary chose St. Juan Diego as her messenger, reminding each of us that it is so often through unsuspecting ordinary people like you and me that God decides to act.
Think of how difficult Mother Mary’s visits were for him. By all accounts he was not a “simple” man. He was cultured among his people, not given to mysticism. He was devoutly walking to Mass along that path that took him over Tepeyac Hill and to his amazement Our Lady appeared to him and asked him to go to his Bishop and to request in her name that a shrine be built at Tepeyac. We wonder how daunting that request must have been. Consider how we would react if Mother Mary came to us and said: “I want you to go to your bishop, ask him to buy some land here, and build a shrine in my name.” Consider that today you would probably send an email and be nervous about that. Never mind, going to the bishop as a minority member of his flock and making the request. It is another testament to his faith that St. Juan Diego did this. Not only that, but when challenged to bring the bishop a sign, he went back and again beheld the Blessed Mother, this time returning with a miracle that must have startled him as much as the bishop (he thought the roses were amazing enough).
As we think about the courage and grace of St. Juan Diego, let us also consider that the Lord, through his mother, may also be asking us to invite others to share the banquet her Son has laid out for us. We ask for the intercession of St. Juan Diego, that through his prayers we may come to hear God’s call more clearly:
"Come to
me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find
rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
Pax
[1] The picture is: “Altarpiece of the
Virgin of Guadalupe with St. John the Baptist, Fray Juan de Zumárraga and Juan
Diego” by Miguel Cabrera c. 1760’s
[2] NAB footnote on Matthew 11:25ff
[3] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 710
