St.Juan Diego

Juan Diego was born July 12, 1474,Calpulli of Tlayacac,Cuauhtitlan, Mexico. He was a humble Indian, an ethnic Indian Chichimecs, born around the year 1474, in Cuautitlan, which at that time belonged to the kingdom of Texcoco. Juan Diego was baptized by the first Franciscans, about 1524. In 1531, Juan Diego was a mature man, as about 57 years old, built others with his testimony and his word, in fact, approached him to intercede for the needs, demands and pleas from his people; and "asked and begged that the Lady of the sky, all was granted."
Juan Diego was a righteous man, the seeds of those virtues were inculcated, cared for and protected by their ancient culture and education, but were full when Juan Diego had the great privilege of meeting with the Mother of God, Holy Mary of Guadalupe, where instructed to wear at the head of the Church and the whole world the message of unity, peace and love for all men, it was this meeting and this wonderful mission that gave fullness to each of the beautiful virtues that were in the heart of this humble man and was converted into a model of Christian virtues, Juan Diego was a humble and simple, obedient, patient, grounded in faith, firm hope and great charity.
Shortly after having lived the important time of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Juan Diego turned himself fully to serving God and His mother, conveyed what he had seen and heard, and prayed with great devotion, though he grieved much people stay home and distant from the Hermitage. He wanted to be near the sanctuary
to attend to every day, especially mud, which for Indians was a real honor, as Fray Geronimo Mendieta recalled: "In the temples and all things dedicated to God have great reverence, and boast the old, no matter how major they are, to sweep the church, keeping the custom of his ancestors in times of their heathen temples in sweeping their devotion (even the same gentlemen). "
Juan Diego went to entreat the bishop to let him be anywhere to go, along the walls of the chapel and to serve as long as possible to the Lady of Heaven. The bishop, who was very fond of Juan Diego, granted his request and allowed him to build him a house next to the Chapel. Seeing his uncle Juan Bernardino served his nephew
Juan Diego, Saint
very well to our Lord and your precious Mother, I wanted to follow, to be together, "but Juan Diego did not agree. He said it was advisable to be at home, to keep the houses and land that their parents and grandparents left them.
Juan Diego said the great nobility of heart and fervent charity when his uncle was seriously ill, Juan Diego also expressed his faith by being with a light heart, to the words addressed to him by Our Lady of Guadalupe, who assured him that his uncle was completely healthy, was an Indian from a religious force that enveloped all his life who left their homes and lands to live in a cottage, on one side of the chapel, to be completely dedicated to temple service of his beloved girl's Heaven, the Holy Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who asked him that temple to offer her comfort and her motherly love to all men and women. Juan Diego had "his moments of prayer that God knows how to convey to them that love him and within the capabilities of each, working out in deeds of virtue and mortification." We were also relates to the Nican Motecpana " Every day was busy with spiritual things and swept the temple. He prostrated himself in front of the Lady of Heaven and prayed with fervor, and often went to confession, communion, fasting, doing penance, discipline, girded sackcloth mesh and hid in the shadow alone being able to dedicate themselves to prayer and be invoking the Lady from heaven. "
Any person who approached Juan Diego had a chance to hear his Guadalupano Event details, how this event happened and the wonderful privilege of being the messenger of the Virgin of Guadalupe, as indicated by the Indian Martin St. Louis when he gave his testimony in 1666: "All this was told that Diego de Torres Bullón this witness with great distinction and clarity that he had said and told the same Indian Juan Diego, because I was busy." Juan Diego was a true missionary.
When Juan Diego was married to Mary Lucia, who had died two years before the apparitions, had heard a sermon of Fray Toribio de Benavente where exalted chastity, which was pleasing to God and the Blessed Virgin, so that the two decided to live, we are told: "She was widowed two years before it appeared that the Immaculate Conception, died his wife, named Maria Lucia. Both lived chastely. "As also testified P. Luis Becerra Tanco, "the Indian Juan Diego and his wife Maria Lucia, kept chastity since receiving the water of Holy Baptism, through hearing one of the first ministers of the gospel many encomiums of purity and chastity, and he loves our Lord virgins, and this reputation was constant to those who knew and reported the two married a long time. " Although this does not prevent that Juan Diego has had offspring, either before baptism, either by the line of another relative, because, by historical sources we know that Juan Diego actually had children; on this, one of the main documents is preserved in the Archives of the Convent of Corpus Christi in the City of Mexico, which states: "Sister Gertrude of Saint Joseph, her parents caciques [Indian nobles] Dn. Diego de Torres Vazquez and Da. Mary of the Assumption of the region di Xochiatlan [...] and held by a descendant of Juan Diego happy. "What is important is also the fact that Juan Diego inspired the pursuit of holiness and perfection of life, even amid the members of his own family, as his uncle, as we saw, noting as Juan Diego had given very good service from the Virgin of Guadalupe and of God, to follow him, although he agreed that Juan Diego was preferable to stay at home, and now we also have the example of Sister Gertrude of Saint Joseph, a descendant of Juan Diego, who joined a monastery, to consecrate his life to serving God, reaching the perfection of life, seeking holiness.
The fact is that Juan Diego ever built others with his testimony and his word constantly approached him to intercede for the needs, demands and pleas from his people and "asking, begging that the Lady of heaven, all was granted. "
The Indian Xuarez Gabriel, who was between 112 and 115 years old when he testified in 1666, Legal Information, declared how Juan Diego was a true advocate of his people, saying, "that the Holy Image told that Juan Diego hand and place, where he had to make the Hermitage, which was where he appeared, that has been made and saw her start this witness, as I said where many men and women who go to see and visit like this has witnessed many times over and begged him to help, and said Indian Juan to be his people, intercede for him. "The old Indian Gabriel Xuarez also noted important details about the personality of Juan Diego and the great confidence that he had the people to intercede for your needs: "the said Juan Diego," said Gabriel Xuarez-be natural for him and the district Tlayacac, Injun was a good Christian, God-fearing, and their conscience, and always seen live quietly and honestly, without note or scandal of person who always saw him engaged in ministries of service to God our Lord, going very promptly to the doctrine and divine offices, very commonly exercised it because all the Indians at that time heard the witness say he was a holy man, and who called him the pilgrim, because I always saw him walking alone and only went to church doctrine of Tlatelolco, and after he appeared to the Virgin told Juan Diego of Guadalupe, and left his people, houses and land, leaving his uncle, because his wife was dead, he moved to a house Juan Diego that he was glued to the Hermitage, and there were very commonly the natives of this town said to him in that spot and ask him to intercede with the Holy Virgin give them good seasons in their fields, because in that time we all had the Holy Man. "
The Indian Conception Joanna also gave his testimony in this report, confirm that Juan Diego, in fact, was a holy man, for he had seen the Virgin, "all Indians and India declared, in this town that you would to see the Ermita said, holding always a saint, and this witness not only to hear him say those parents, but to many others. While the Indian Xuarez Paul remembered what he had heard about the Indian humble messenger of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said that for the people, Juan Diego was so virtuous and holy that was a true role model, the witness said that Juan Diego was "friend that all should live well, because as the saying has mentioned that his grandmother was a holy man, and that it please God, their children and grandchildren were like him, for he was so happy that he spoke with the Virgin, on whose cause you always had this view and all this people. "The Indian Don Martin of St. Louis even said that the common people:" I saw him do great penance to Juan Diego, and at that time holy man told him. "
As mentioned, Juan Diego died in 1548, shortly after his uncle Juan Bernardino, who died on May 15, 1544, both were buried at the shrine that both loved. It tells us in the Nican Motecpana: "After sixteen years of serving there Juan Diego to the Lady of Heaven, died in fifteen hundred and forty-eight, then the bishop died. At the time he was greatly consoled the lady of heaven, who saw him and told him it was time to go to achieve and enjoy in heaven, as promised. He was also buried in the temple. I walked in the seventy-four years. "Nican Motecpana In her exemplary holiness is exalted:" Hopefully we should serve him well and all of us to avoid disturbing things of this world, that we too can attain the eternal joys of heaven ! "

PRAYER
Almighty and eternal GOD
may your servant Juan Diego
help us get closer to Our Blessed Mother
the Virgin Mary.
We ask this through Christ our lord.
AMEN

References:Catholic.Net