While the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has become a cultural icon, veneration of the Virgin Mary shouldn’t stop there. The primary mission of Mary’s apparition was to lead souls to her Son, Jesus Christ.
St. John Paul II prayed a short prayer at the canonization of St. Juan Diego that expresses this truth, praying that we may be led closer to God through her apparition.
Beloved Juan Diego, “the talking eagle”! Show us the way that leads to the “Dark Virgin” of Tepeyac, that she may receive us in the depths of her heart, for she is the loving, compassionate Mother who guides us to the true God. Amen.