Most people know Juan Diego as the humble visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He was the quiet Indigenous convert chosen to carry the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe. But here’s something that reveals just how extraordinary he really was:
Juan Diego used to walk about 15 miles to attend daily Mass.
Not once a week. Not when it was convenient. Every. Single. Day.
Before dawn, he wrapped himself in his tilma and walked the long, dusty road from Cuauhtitlán to Mass in Mexico-Tlatelolco, moved by love for the Eucharist and a desire to know Christ more deeply.
And it was on one of these early morning walks, on December 9, 1531, that Mary came to meet him. On Tepeyac Hill, the Mother of God greeted Juan Diego with tenderness:
“Juanito, the littlest of my sons… where are you going?”
Humility is the key
When Mary asked him to carry her message to the bishop, Juan Diego didn’t think he was worthy, and he said so with profound humility.
He told her:
“Please choose someone important for this task… I am only a porter’s rope, a backframe, a man who is no one.”
He saw himself as small — not out of self-loathing, but out of truth. He knew he was not learned, powerful, or influential. He knew he was unknown in the eyes of the world.
And that is precisely why Our Lady chose him.
Juan Diego’s humility made him a clear vessel for God’s grace.
Our Lady wasn’t looking for status; she was looking for someone whose heart was ready.
He didn’t think he was worthy of the mission… which is the very trait that made him worthy.
Faithfulness Prepared Him for a Miracle
God did not choose a scholar, a nobleman, or a warrior.
He chose a man who simply kept showing up ...to prayer, to Mass, to love of neighbor.
Juan Diego’s daily faithfulness and honest humility opened the door for the greatest miracle of the New World. His long walks became the very path where Our Lady’s message transformed a continent.
It is a reminder for all of us: God entrusts great things to those who are faithful and humble in the small things.
And Our Lady meets us where we are. She asks us to be available, as she was to the will of God...to be a vessel for the Lord to use as He wishes. Isn't is appropriate that this feast comes during Advent, when we hear about the humble manger scene, the shepherds who visit, and Mary and Joseph who are docile to the Lord?
Teach Little Hearts About This Humble Saint
The St. Juan Diego Mini Saint Doll is a sweet, meaningful way to help children learn Juan Diego’s story — not just the miracle, but the humility and faith that made him worthy of Our Lady’s trust.
Soft, colorful, and perfectly sized, it reminds little ones (and the adults who love them) that holiness begins with a humble heart.
Because the saint who once thought he was “only a porter's rope” became the messenger who changed the world. Purchase yours today at The Catholic Company!
