St. Juan Diego icon

St. Juan Diego icon
© Cecilia Lawrence
December 10th 2014
4.5 x 6 inches
Ink, watercolor, gold leaf

“God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and even those who count for nothing
so that no human being might boast before God.”
~ Responsory from the Feast of St. Juan Diego

Also a little bit late, but here’s my icon for St. Juan Diego, the first indigenous saint of the Americas. I have depicted him as a young Aztec man, holding open his tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with the roses tumbling out as when he first presented the image to the bishop of Tenochtitlan, Juan de Zumárraga.



:+: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE SAINT :+:

Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (1474  – May 30th 1548 A.D.), was born in the town of Cuautitlán, near the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. His indigenous name Cuauhtlatoatzin means “the Eagle who Talks.” Not much is known of his early life, but after the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1520, he was one of the first of the native Mexicans to convert to the Catholic faith, sometime around 1523. Along with his wife María Lucía and his uncle Juan Bernardino, he was baptized by the Franciscan missionary Fr. Peter da Gand, and they all embraced Christianity with great fervor and love. He was a poor, simple man who was characterized by his humility, piety, courtesy and gentleness. In 1529, his wife sickened and died. Afterwards he lived with his uncle in Tolpetlac to care for him in his old age.

As a new Christian, he was in the habit of walking early in the morning to the Franciscan mission at Tlatelolco some nine miles away for Mass and catechism classes. On Saturday, December 9th, 1531 he was walking to the mission by his usual route, and while passing under the Hill of Tepeyac, the air burst with the sound of exquisite bird-song, unlike anything he had ever heard before. At that moment, the sun rose, and the whole hill was bathed with such a lovely light that Juan Diego wondered aloud if he had stepped into a dream or if he had arrived in Paradise. Suddenly, the singing stopped, and in the stillness he heard a soft, sweet feminine voice calling him. “Juanito! Juan Dieguito!” He climbed the hill to see who was calling him, and when he arrived at the top, he stopped, for there before him was a young maiden glorious and radiant to behold. The Lady smiled and told him to come closer. Juan Diego was amazed by her beauty and the bright light that emanated from her. The barren plants and scraggly weeds at the top of the hill looked like precious turquoise and emeralds, so dazzling and bright was everything around her. She said to him: “Juanito, the humblest of my sons, where are you going?”

He replied, “My Lady and my little Daughter, I am going to hear the priests teach us the divine things of Jesus Christ.” She then said, “Know and understand, most humble of my sons, that I am the Ever-Virgin, Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all, and the Lord of Heaven and Earth. I wish that a temple be built here, so that I may give to all who come to me my love, compassion, help and protection, because I am your merciful Mother. To you, and to all the inhabitants of this land—and all the rest who love me, invoke me and confide in me—I am here to listen to all of their lamentations, and to remedy all of their miseries, afflictions and sorrows. And to accomplish this, I desire you to go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico, to tell him of my wish to have a temple built here in my honor. Tell him all that you have seen, heard and admired. Be assured that I will be most grateful, and I will reward you and make you happy and recompense you for all of your effort and fatigue in carrying out my wish. Now that you have heard my desire, go now to the bishop, my littlest of sons.”

He bowed and said, “My Lady, I am your humble servant. I shall certainly do as you wish.” He immediately descended the hill and went straight to the bishop’s palace in Tenochtitlan. When he arrived, he begged the bishop’s servants to admit him, but they despised him and forced him to wait for a long time. Eventually, the bishop was able to see him, and straightaway Juan Diego told him all that he had heard and seen. However, the bishop, (a newly arrived Franciscan named Juan de Zumárraga) was skeptical. He told Juan Diego to come back later and that he would review everything at that time. Sad and disappointed, Juan Diego returned to Tepeyac. There, he saw the beautiful Lady from Heaven waiting for him. He bowed before her again and said to her, sadly: “O Lady, littlest of my daughters, my child, I went to the bishop as you asked, and with great difficulty and after waiting for a long time to see him, I told him all that you had commanded. He received me kindly and listened attentively, but when he replied he did not seem to believe me. Indeed, he thought that I had made up the story and that it was not by your command that I asked for a temple to be built here. Therefore, I beg you, my dear Lady and my little daughter, that you entrust this message to someone of importance, one who is well-known and respected so that he will be believed. I am a nobody; I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail-end, a leaf. O my Child, the littlest of my children and my Lady, please excuse me from this task, and send someone more worthy.

Then the Virgin smiled and said, “Listen to me, littlest of my sons: I have many servants and messengers to whom I could entrust this message, but I have chosen you to do this. I earnestly ask you, my little son, to go back to the bishop tomorrow. Go in my name, and again make known to him my desire for a temple to be built in this place. Tell him that it is I, the Ever-Virgin Holy Mary Mother of God who has sent you.” Juan Diego replied, “”O my Lady, my Child, don’t let me cause you any sorrow. I will do as you ask gladly. I will not fail you, but perhaps I will not be heard, or will not be believed. Tomorrow I shall come back and tell you the bishop’s reply. I now take my leave, my Child, littlest of my children and my Lady. Sleep well.” He then returned home for the night.

The next day, on Sunday, he left at dawn and went to Tenochtitlan for Mass and catechism. Afterwards, he went straightaways to the bishop, and was again admitted with difficulty. The bishop interviewed him closely, and Juan Diego told him again all that the Lady had asked of him. The bishop asked him many questions, but still did not believe his story. Finally, the bishop told Juan Diego that he needed a sign from the Lady as proof that she wanted a temple built at Tepeyac. Then Juan Diego was dismissed. After he had left, the bishop sent some of his trusted servants to follow Juan Diego to see where he went and to whom he was speaking. They followed him closely but Juan Diego vanished out of sight once they reached the foot of Tepeyac. They returned home and disgusted and irritated, and resolved to tell the bishop not to believe Juan Diego. Juan Diego, however, told the Virgin all that had transpired. When he had finished, Our Lady said, “Well done, my dear son. Come back tomorrow so that you may take to the bishop the sign that he has requested. When he sees it, he will believe you and build a temple in my honor. And know, my dear one, that I shall reward you for your solicitude and effort spent on my behalf. Go now; I shall wait for you here tomorrow.” When Juan Diego returned home, he found his uncle Juan Bernardino in bed, gravely ill. He fetched a doctor, but his it was too late to help him. Juan Diego cared for him all through the night and all the next day. He was unable to see the Lady and to get the sign from her. When morning was approaching, Juan Bernardino told him to go bring back a priest for the Last Rites, because he knew he was dying.

So on Tuesday, December 12th, he left home at dawn and ran to find a priest. As he neared Tepeyac, he decided to take a detour around the hill so that the lady wouldn’t see him and detain him from going to get a priest. However, as he rounded the hill, she descended towards him and said, “Where are you going, littlest of my sons?” He bowed and replied, “My Child, littlest of my daughters, my dear Lady, may God grant that you are happy and content. Are you well this morning, my Lady and my Child? I fear I shall cause you grief and distress. Know, my dearest Child, that a servant of yours, my uncle, is very sick. He has been struck with plague and is near death. I am hurrying to your house in Tenochtitlan to call one of your priests, beloved by your Son, to hear his confession and absolve him. Do not worry, my Lady. Once I have fetched the priest, I shall come back here and get the sign the bishop requested. Please forgive me, my Lady and my Child, and be patient with me for the time being. I will not deceive you, O littlest of my daughters, but I shall come back and faithfully carry out your wish.

The Blessed Virgin smiled, and replied, “Listen, my little son. Let nothing frighten or grieve you, let your heart not be disturbed. Do not fear any sickness or anguish. Am I not here, I am who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within the fold of my mantle? What else do you wish? Do not be grieved or disturbed at anything. Do not be anxious about your uncle’s illness, for he will not die of it. Be assured that he is now cured.” Greatly consoled by these words, Juan Diego asked the Lady to give him the sign that the bishop requested. So the Holy Virgin told him to climb to the top of the hill and gather the strange flowers that he would find there, and then to return to her. He did as she commanded, and when he reached the top of the hill, he was astounded to see the barren December hill-top miraculously covered with an exquisite variety of flowers that he had never seen before, covered with dewdrops like pearls. They were rosas de Castilla, native to the region of Castille in Spain from which the bishop had come. Immediately be began to gather the roses into his tilma. When he had finished, he brought them back to the Lady, who then proceeded to rearrange them in his tilma, saying: “Now, my little son, the roses shall be the proof and sign which you shall take to the bishop. You will tell him again in my name that I wish for a temple to be built in my honor. Show the roses to the bishop only. Tell him all that you saw and heard so that he will do as I have asked.” He left at once and made his way to the bishop’s palace.

Once he had entered the bishop’s residence, he asked to be admitted to see the bishop. But the servants, annoyed and disgruntled with him, pretended that they couldn’t hear him and ignored him. Again he waited a long time, and once they realized that he was carrying something in his tilma they began to pester him to show them what he was hiding. He showed them a small corner, and the beautiful fragrance of fresh flowers wafted from it. However, when they tried to pull it open, they only saw what seemed like flowers sewn onto the tilma. Amazed, they hurried to the ship to tell him what they had seen. Once the bishop realized that Juan Diego was carrying the sign requested, he admitted him into his study. Again, Juan Diego knelt before the bishop and related everything to him, saying, “Sir, I have done as you requested. I went to tell the Lady from Heaven, Holy Mary, the precious Mother of God that you had asked for a sign so that you might believe that she wishes a temple to be built in her honor. She graciously complied, and early today she sent me to see you.” He then told him about the miraculous roses blooming in December on the barren hill-top. Then he unfolded the tilma, the flowers fell to the floor, and to the astonishment of all, the image of Holy Mary miraculously appeared on the cloth. All present fell to their knees in awe. He took the cloth from Juan Diego’s neck and placed it in his own private chapel.

The bishop then asked Juan Diego to show them where the Blessed Virgin desired the church to be built. Juan Diego complied, and when he had shown them, he begged the bishop to excuse him. He wanted to rush home to see his uncle Juan Bernardino. Instead, they all accompanied him to his house. When they arrived, they found Juan Bernardino alive, healthy and happy. He was, however, surprised to see his nephew in the bishop’s entourage, and so Juan Diego related the whole story to him. Then Juan Bernardino told the whole company how when he had been lying ill, waiting for the priest, he suddenly saw a beautiful Lady from Heaven heal him, and she told him that her name was the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The bishop invited Juan Diego and Juan Bernardino to live in his palace, and work on the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe was begun. Thousands of natives began asking for baptism, and many healings took place at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. By 1536, five million natives had been baptized. With the bishop’s permission, Juan Diego moved into a little room adjourning the chapel where the image of Our Lady was kept. There, he lived for the rest of his days, telling all who came to him of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, caring for the pilgrims who came to her shrine and caring for the church. He died at the age of 74, on May 30th 1548. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II on May 6th 1990, and was canonized on July 31st 2002.

“What was Juan Diego like? Why did God look upon him? The Book of Sirach, as we have heard, teaches us that God alone "is mighty; he is glorified by the humble." Saint Paul's words, also proclaimed at this celebration, shed light on the divine way of bringing about salvation: "God chose what is low and despised in the world ... so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." The Virgin Mary, the handmaid "who glorified the Lord," reveals herself to Juan Diego as the Mother of the true God. As a sign, she gives him precious roses, and as he shows them to the Bishop, he discovers the blessed image of Our Lady imprinted on his tilma. "The Lord looks down from heaven, he sees all the sons of men," we recited with the Psalmist, once again confessing our faith in God, who makes no distinctions of race or culture. In accepting the Christian message without forgoing his indigenous identity, Juan Diego discovered the profound truth of the new humanity, in which all are called to be children of God. Thus he facilitated the fruitful meeting of two worlds and became the catalyst for the new Mexican identity, closely united to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose mestizo face expresses her spiritual motherhood which embraces all Mexicans. This is why the witness of his life must continue to be the inspiration for the building up of the Mexican nation, encouraging brotherhood among all its children and ever helping to reconcile Mexico with its origins, values and traditions. 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.”
from a Homily on the Canonization of Juan Diego by Pope St. John Paul II

The Feast of St. Juan Diego is celebrated on December 9th.

St. Juan Diego is the patron saint of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

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.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.