During a recent interview with the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Dr. Rodrigo Guerra, speaking about the relevance of the apparition of our Lady of Guadalupe for the Church today, said, “Our Lady of Guadalupe is the enculturated form in which God Himself announces His Son to the American continent. In the image and the message that she has left us, we can find important methodological indications, which are particularly relevant for the Church today.”
The affirmation on behalf of Dr. Guerra is precisely the reason why this past Sunday and Monday, there were different celebrations — around the Diocese of Paterson — to celebrate and honor our Lady of Guadalupe. Mary of Guadalupe has become a reference point for Catholics, especially in the western hemisphere. Having been declared “Patroness of Mexico” and “Empress of the Americas,” her image is one of the most recognized and venerated worldwide.
Her image is the only representation of the Virgin Mary not made by human hands but rather bequeathed unto us by God Himself in the humility of an indigenous cloak to become a sign of hope and closeness between God and His People, most especially during times of conflict and persecution.
Just as the pre-Hispanic peoples were able to recognize her as the vessel of the Savior, today, the image continues to speak to the heart of more than 650 million Catholics present in the Americas. With her «mestiza» skin tone and clothed with the sun, Mary of Guadalupe is the «Star of the New Evangelization» precisely because she teaches us a practical and efficient way to enculturate the Good News of the Gospel in our contemporary world. She invites us to purify anything that is good, true, and beautiful in our culture, carefully reading the «signs of the times» to carry out the evangelizing mission of the Church with renewed faith, hope, and love.
It is no mere coincidence that the geographical point of her apparition in 1531 over the Tepeyac hill marks the middle of the American continent. Rather, through the lens of faith, we interpret this historical event that changed the spiritual countenance of the Americas as an invitation to continue building up the Kingdom of God, with joyful and humble hearts, in a spirit of fraternity and respect.
This past week the cultural pluralism that enriched the celebrations around the Solemnity of Mary of Guadalupe was tangible. Once again, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was carried in procession, adorned with flowers, illumined by candles, and embellished with the flags of our countries, as a testament to the profound filial love she enjoys amongst the portion of God’s People that constitutes our local Church of Paterson.
In our discipular journey to conform ourselves ever more greatly to Christ, Our Lady of Guadalupe exhorts us to have recourse to her amidst our uncertainties and weaknesses, with the same trust of St. Juan Diego, fully aware that we are loved and aided by her in the vicissitudes of this life and in the feebleness of our human nature.
¡Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!