3 minute read
Two Messengers, One Message
Rosalba Quiroz, Director of Hispanic Ministry
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THROUGH THE GENERATIONS, there have been many messengers who have proclaimed the most important message – the commandment of Jesus:
During this time of Advent Season, two messengers come to mind: Saint Juan Diego and Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Saint Juan Diego was an indigenous, poor, humble, obedient, but illiterate man, born in America in the 1500s. He was baptized as an adult by the first Franciscan Missionaries that taught the Catholic Faith to the natives in Mexico. He was almost 60 years old when the Virgin, Mary Mother of God appeared to him on one early cold December morning on his way to Mass and passing by the Tepeyac hill, in what is now the heart of Mexico City.
When the Virgin asked him to go and tell the bishop to build Her a church on the hill, he responded: "I am nobody. I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf." He did not consider himself worthy of such a request.
Almost five hundred years later, under different times, circumstances, and in a technologically advanced era, another messenger would arise. Blessed Carlo Acutis was born in a well to do family in Europe, in 1991. He had a very short life – only 15 years, however, he lived a remarkable Christian life. He not only was a computersavvy teenager who enjoyed video games - as all young boys do, but he asked his parents to let him go to Mass every day and lived his Catholic faith to the fullest.
Using his computer skills and his passion for the Eucharist, he made a study of the documented miracles of the Eucharist around the world. Below is his website to read about his study. He said of the Eucharist: “It is the highway to heaven.” His number one wish was "to always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.” Let us pray for Blessed Carlo who is surely on the highway to sainthood.
These two messengers’ backgrounds could not be more different and yet, had a common focus: to do God’s Will in their daily lives; by bringing souls to God and dedicating their lives to the construction of the Kingdom. Both messengers are an inspiration to all of us to spread the Good News to the best of our abilities and, using the tools and talents given to us by our Creator, the God they both loved and proclaimed.
With the coming of Christmas, we are reminded of that message God gave us when Jesus was baptized: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. He comes to us as a baby in a manger, but Divine as a God, for He is God! He is our God who reminds us of the salvation He offers to all the world – being Himself the message and the messenger: “I am the Way the Truth and the Life” John 14:6. “I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live” John 11:25.
To learn more about Saint Juan Diego: https://www. olg-parish.com/history-of-the-apparitions-of-our-lady-ofguadalupe-to-juan-diego-on-tepeyac-hill.html
To learn more about Blessed Carlo Acutis: https://www. vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-10/carlo-acutisblessed-assisi-eucharist-patron-internet.html
Carlo’s Eucharistic miracles: http://www. miracolieucaristici.org/es/Liste/list.html.
Juan Diego
Miguel Cabrera
Carlos Acutis
https://www.rcdai.org.uk/the-story-of-carlo-acutis/
