San Diego, San Isidro, and the Woman

At the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day Mass at St. Mary's basilica, the celebrant-homilist recounted the story of the simple Aztec Indian convert Juan Diego who made a daily trek over a mountain, Tepeyac Hill, to attend Mass. To him our Lady appeared and gave an important mission with a miraculous sign of winter roses and her image mysteriously imprinted on his burlap tilma.

I remembered San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of my old hometown parish. San Isidro was a farmer whose first activity of the day was to attend early morning Mass before he went to the field to work.

San Isidro's story does not include a specific appearance to him by our Lady but all churches have an image of hers and I believe that he also loved our Lady so much because he was devoted to and loved her Divine Son so much. One cannot love the mom of Jesus if he does not first love Him. And one cannot love Jesus but not love His mom.

In the old hometown church of my youth I often saw several parishioners who went to daily Mass. The same is true in my present parish where the daily 8:00 Mass is attended by many retired persons and those start their day with Mass before going to work. There, in church, where they encounter Jesus they also encounter Mary, His mother.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, has always been known in Holy Scriptures as "the Woman" and all these lovers of Jesus love her.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

“Woman, why does this concern us?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:4)

He said to his mother 'Woman, behold your son!' (John 19:26)

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. (Revelation 12:1)

Our Lady of Guadalupe, our Mother, pray for us.#