500 years since the apparitions at Guadalupe and 2,000 years since the redemption of the world

This article was written by Father Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Carballeda, a priest

of the Archdiocese of Puebla in Mexico, and was published by Vatican News.

The Church is gradually approaching two significant dates: the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico in 2031 and the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in 2033.

In the realm of faith, both of these anniversaries are closely linked and should not be trivial or merely circumstantial events for those of us living in this age. We can say with certainty that they hold specific values of grace and blessing in the heart of God, who continues to carry forward the history of humanity’s salvation. Everything that happens in our lives and history is under the gaze of the Lord, who, since the beginning of the universe, has longed to fill all of His creations with life and happiness, each according to its own order and perfection.

From the very beginning, God’s actions have neither diminished nor ceased, but continue full of power day by day and moment by moment until their final fulfillment. Rightly, the Apostle Saint Paul affirms in the Second Letter to the Corinthians that Christ is God’s permanent “yes” and not a “yes” followed by a “no” (cf. 1:19–20). Indeed, God’s will to save all people is valid, present, and renewed throughout history.

For those of us living in this young 21st century, commemorating these events is an opportunity to experience a time of grace. It is a time for encounter, responsible reflection, profound gratitude, and an intense drive forward with renewed vigor and firm hope in the future. The celebration of the Redemption will be central and unique, but the apparitions of Guadalupe will be no less relevant, given Mary’s intimate union with the salvific plan of the Son of God and the uniqueness of the Guadalupe phenomenon. This phenomenon led Pope Benedict XIV to refer to it with the words of Psalm 147: “Non fecit taliter omni nationi,” that is, “He has not done anything like this for any other nation.”

Although we don’t intend to offer specific reflections on these two events at this time, we can still view them through the lens of our faith. Through the action of grace and Mary’s intercession, we can seek to stir up three responses from the depths of our being: First, joyful wonder. Second, gratitude and self-examination. Third, humble supplication.

First, the attitude of the child in the Gospel can lead us to a joyful sense of wonder at what God has done for us. “He works wonders for us!” Mary proclaimed during her encounter with her cousin, Saint Elizabeth. When we are filled with wonder, we can open our eyes to the countless ways the merciful God bestows His love upon us. If ever the enemy suggests that our misery frustrates our joy and trust in God, we have the right to affirm, grounded in the teaching of Jesus Christ, that the loving omnipotence of the one God who saved us through His Son in the Holy Spirit can do what is impossible for our wretched condition as sinners.

Second, recognizing our own limitations, we can find strength in the joy of God’s loving and generous actions on our behalf. We can rejoice with the same fervor with which we proclaim the Easter Proclamation during the Easter Vigil, called The Exultet in Latin, and give thanks to God for His generosity and kindness. We can also recall the joyful gratitude of the people of God when they crossed the Red Sea without getting wet and saw their persecutors defeat

power acting through Moses and Aaron. Alternatively, we can imagine the gratitude of Saint Juan Diego Cuautlatoatzin when he returned from the bishop’s palace on Tuesday, December 12, 1531, to find that his uncle, Juan Bernardino, had been healed as the Virgin had promised.

As we express our gratitude, we should acknowledge with humility and trust that we have often failed to do what God asks of us and what is good for us. Many times, we have ignored God’s words, failed to take advantage of His help, and not lived as He expected and still expects. As the prayer of the prophet Daniel says, “Reproach, sorrow, and repentance belong to us,” for we have deserved the evils we have suffered and have not responded to God in accordance with the trust He has placed in us. In other words, we can make our own the contrite words of the tax collector who prayed in the temple: “O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” (Lk 18:13).

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, let us conclude this movement of the heart by asking the Lord to transform our lives from this moment on and accomplish in us what we have been unable to do. To help bring this about, we can use the simple prayer that Pope John Paul I—who will soon be beatified—shared with the entire Church at the end of his September 13, 1978 audience: “Lord, take me as I am, with my defects and faults, and make me as you desire.” In the same way, we have the opportunity to incorporate the words of God’s maternal love, expressed through Mary, into our daily lives: “Am I not here, I who am your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the crook of my arms? Do you need anything else?” (n. 119). According to the Nican Mopohua, these are the words Mary spoke to Saint Juan Diego on Tuesday, December 12, 1531. At the time, Juan Diego was fleeing and apologizing for not having heeded her call due to his uncle’s serious condition.

Therefore, we can count on God’s help. We are not alone. We have the power of our Father, the constant grace He bestows upon us through Jesus Christ, and His Word, through which He speaks to us continually.

We have the strength of the Holy Spirit, who ceaselessly acts in our souls and guides us toward salvation. We also have the special intercession of the Mother of the Church, along with that of the angels and saints. They ardently desire for us what they experience in their eternal homeland.

God always offers us the help we need for our conversion. He renews this help constantly so that we may journey toward Him and grow in communion with Christ day by day. To foster this communion, God grants us the most effective help. Mary always keeps Christ at the center of her life. In fulfilling her mission as Mother of the Church, she teaches us to center everything on Him. Let us turn to her with openness so that she may guide us as she did Saint Juan Diego. In this way, we will prepare to celebrate with hope, enthusiasm, and overflowing spiritual joy the two great events of faith that we will experience in a few years.