Friends, a good artist will take care to choose the best canvas to paint on as well as the best paint to work with.  With this thought it is worthwhile to reflect on the “canvas” and the “paint” used in the miracle of Guadalupe. 

The canvas is the tilma – the cloak worn by the people of the time.  Also, it is the tilma of a poor man.  Juan Diego was a poor and common man but a man devoted to his Christian faith.  Juan Diego was probably never noticed by the powerful people of his time but he was noticed by the Virgin Mary.  Mary saw Juan Diego – the poor man in his simple tilma.  Mary always sees the poor and the common person who is often overlooked by the powers of the world. Mary sees because she herself lived a simple life in a small village in a forgotten part of a large empire.  She who was not noticed by the world was seen by God and to her the Holy Spirit came and through her the Word became Flesh.  Mary’s choice to make Juan Diego’s tilma her canvas shows how God chooses the lowly to proclaim his love to the world and how God himself and the saints choose to walk with those persons often forgotten and overlooked by the world. 

The paint is the flowers – the miracle of the flowers that are found in abundance and blossoming even in winter!  Juan Diego tells the virgin that the bishop wants a sign, Mary sends the poor man to gather the flowers.  The flowers growing in the dead of winter are pure gift.  The flowers are grace from heaven.  In many ways, flowers are given to us also during our journey as Christians – the grace of the sacraments – new birth in baptism, the very body and blood of our Lord in the Eucharist, the healing of reconciliation.  The flowers are the beauty of God’s love and mercy in our lives and salvation that Jesus won for us in his death and resurrection.  The flowers of prayer, devotion, living Christian charity towards others.  The flowers of the teaching of Jesus.  Just as she asked Juan Diego, Mary also asks us to gather these flowers that are pure gift and grace from God. 

As we gaze upon the beauty and the miracle of the image of our Lady of Guadalupe, we are left with some important questions. Do we know that we (each one of us) is seen and noticed by Mary, by God?  Can we gather the flowers of grace and gift that God sends to us into the tilma of our lives?  And what will be the image that is shown in the tilma of our life when we stand before God? 

Friends, each one of us is seen and loved by God and our Lady.  Each one of us is given an utterly unique tilma and each one of us is given beautiful flowers of grace in our life and each one of us is meant to make of the life we have been given a beautiful image that reflects the wonder of God. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.