In Central and South America the conquering Spanish brought both armies and disease in the 1500s that caused 90% of the native peoples to die. With the Spanish came missionaries that preached the gospels to surviving people such as Juan Diego, on whose tilma we see the image of the holy woman he encounters on a hill where Mexico City is today. In her role as Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, Jesus’ mother, appears as one of the poor. Our Lady of Guadalupe promises to hear the prayers of poor and nearly destroyed Indian peoples like Juan. The tradition of enacting the story of Juan meeting the Lady takes place in Hispanic parishes every December 12th.
You are the mother
of the dark and the light
the rich and the poor
the humble and proud.
You are the mother
of the young and the old
the strong and the weak
of those who rejoice
of those who weep.
You are the mother
of woman and man
of small and of great
of broken and whole.
You are the mother who art.
“Our Mother Who Art” by Sister Ansgar Holmberg. CSJ
Keeping Faith Today 