Throughout Your Life, Listen to Our Lady of Guadalupe: Pope Francis

These are the same words that Our Lady of Guadalupe addressed to St. Juan Diego, who, according to the Nican Mopohua — a historical document that narrates the apparitions of the Virgin — was worried about the serious illness of his uncle, Juan Bernardino. Faced with the urgency of caring for his relative, Juan Diego decided to attend to him before fulfilling the Virgin’s command to speak with the bishop. 

The pontiff lamented that “so many ideologies have tried to derive ideological advantage from the mystery of Guadalupe” and then highlighted “three things” that come to mind when contemplating the Virgin.

“The tilma, the mother, and the rose. Very simple things. Mary’s motherhood is engraved on that tilma, on that simple tilma. Mary’s motherhood is shown with the beauty of the roses that the Indian finds and brings. And Mary’s motherhood works the miracle of bringing faith to the somewhat incredulous hearts of the prelates,” he said.

“The tilma, the rose, the Indian,” he continued. “Everything that is said about the mystery of Guadalupe beyond this is a lie, it is an attempt to use it for ideologies,” he warned.

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The Holy Father emphasized that “the mystery of Guadalupe is to venerate her and to hear in our ears: ‘Am I not here, I who am your mother? ’”

“And to hear this in the moments of life, the various difficult moments of life, the happy moments of life, the daily moments of life."

In conclusion, the pope said: “We go forth with the image of the Lady on the Indian’s tilma. And listening to how in a melodious voice, she tells us over and over: ‘Do not be afraid, am I not here, I who am your mother?’”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.