Student Reflection: Feast of Saint Juan Diego

Welcome family. 

Today, we gather here to celebrate the Feast of Saint Juan Diego. These are a few things you should know about the Feast of Saint Juan Diego and Juan Diego himself. Saint Juan Diego was a poor yet humble Aztec man who lacked fame or power. But these things didn't matter to God; God chose him to carry out a message that would change people's hearts. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to him with a message of love and hope, telling him, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” She asked him to tell the bishop to build a church where people could feel God’s love. He went on to tell the bishop. The Bishop didn’t believe him at first, but after using his determination and bravery, he convinced the bishop to build the church. 

But before I continue, I would like to comment on today's readings. First Corinthians Chapter 1 Verse 26: “Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.”

This verse reminds us that people from any upcoming or background can do extraordinary things. It shows us that God's power and strength can work through our weaknesses and hard times. This encourages us to trust God's plan. Even though God's plan may be hard or rigorous. in the end it will work out. 

Let me tell you a little about me. I’ve grown up Catholic most of my life, but for a long time, I spent more time questioning God rather than trusting Him. I grew up with my little brother Jayden and my three older sisters: Makayla, Maranda, and Marissa. I didn’t grow up with a dad, but I was blessed with men like my grandpa and my uncle, who stepped in and became the father figures I needed. They all shaped me in different ways, but today I want to talk about my sister Marissa.

Marissa was beautiful not just in the way she looked, but in the way she loved. She pushed me to get out of the house whenever I was just trying to sit around and play video games and do nothing. Honestly, I was fat and lazy then, but she always found a way to pull me outside, to push me to try, and to be better. She was funny, she made me laugh and she spoiled me constantly. Sometimes when she had problems with her boyfriend, she’d take his stuff and give it to me. She wasn’t perfect, but she tried her best to be the best big sister she could be, and that was enough for me. But one day, everything changed. 

I was heading home from my cousin’s house, and when I walked in, my grandpa called me outside. He had tears in his eyes, and it left me confused because I had never seen him like that before. When I asked him what was wrong, he looked at me and said, 

“Marissa’s gone.”

I was stunned. My sister just took her own life. I couldn’t process it. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just stood there, staring blankly, motionless, and with confused feelings in my heart because I didn’t even know what to feel. 

Her loss hit me harder than anything I had ever experienced. That moment made me question God in a way I never had before. I didn’t understand why it had to be my family, why it had to be me. For a long time, I was angry with God. And instead of dealing with that pain, I took it out on other people. I stopped communicating with anyone. I told myself I was better than everyone just so I didn’t have to admit how hurt and lost I really was. At that time, I felt untouchable. From fifth grade until the end of seventh grade, that anger controlled me. Then, I had a dream where everyone hated me, even my own kids. 

In the dream, I met God, and eventually, God dammed me to hell. It shook me. It made me realize that the pain I felt didn’t give me the right to spread more pain. 

Losing my sister didn’t mean I had to lose myself. I couldn’t change what happened, but I could change who I became because of it. So I started working on myself. I stopped ignoring my feelings and started recognizing them. I learned where my anger came from. I learned to face it, fix it, and let it make me better. Over time, I turned that hatred and ego into kindness and humility. It wasn’t instant, but slowly, I started transforming.

If I could speak to my 5th-grade self, I’d tell him, “Before you put metal into a fire, it’s weak and brittle. But after you hammer it and put it through scorching heat, it becomes a strong, beautiful sword.” I’d tell him that hardships aren’t “unlucky” or “unfair.” They’re the fire that shapes you. They make you stronger and prepare you for the challenges ahead. Every struggle has the potential to become strength.

And that’s where St. Juan Diego comes in.

Juan Diego didn’t choose the hardships in his life either. He was poor, overlooked, and thought of himself as unworthy. When Our Lady appeared to him, he didn’t feel important enough to carry her message, but God didn’t pick him because he was strong. God picked him because he was faithful enough to step into the fire. Juan Diego faced doubt, fear, and pressure, yet he kept going. And through his obedience and courage, a miracle was born, one that changed millions of lives.

Just like Juan Diego, I learned that God doesn’t always take away our struggles. Instead, He gives us the chance to rise through them. He gives us moments that are painful, confusing, and unexpected, but, those moments are the ones that can shape us into something stronger and something new. 

The fire I went through was losing my sister. The fire Juan Diego went through was carrying a message he felt too small for. But through those flames, both of us were changed. So today, as a freshman standing in front of this school, I want to say this:

Your struggles don’t define you, they refine you. God doesn’t call the perfect. He calls the willing. He calls the humble. He calls the ones who are willing to step into the fire and trust that something stronger will come out on the other side. And just like St. Juan Diego, each of us has the potential to turn our pain into purpose, our doubt into faith, and our hardships into strength.

My story connects to St. Juan Diego because, like him, I faced something that felt impossible. He was scared, unsure, and didn’t think he was worthy. This was the same way I felt after losing my sister and not knowing how to carry that pain. As teenagers, we all have our own Juan Diego moments, when life hands us something heavy, and we feel too small for it. But Juan Diego shows us that God uses those impossible moments to shape us, strengthen us, and help us become who we’re meant to be. 

Thank you for listening, my JD family. God is with us at all times. Live Jesus.