A Concord Pastor Comments: Designer Faith?

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December 12 is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (patron saint of North and South America) who appeared to Juan Diego, a Mexican peasant, on whose tilma (cloak) there appeared an image on the Blessed Virgin as he had seen her in the vision. Read more of Juan Diego's story here.

I'm an occasional contributor to Give Us This Day, a daily prayer devotional. Here's my reflection for today's feast from the December 2017 issue:

Designer Faith?

Remember when a designer’s name and logo were discretely and neatly tucked away inside the shirt or pants we wore? Then it became fashionable to sport an a little alligator or polo player right on our chest for all to see.

Saint Juan Diego was a man more than 5 centuries ahead of his time! Or perhaps we should more directly and correctly credit Our Lady of Guadalupe for imprinting her designed image on Juan’s tilma. Today we can purchase t-shirts bearing just what appeared on Juan’s holy cloak - or even have it tattooed on our back or shoulder.

More telling, of course, is what image we’re willing to have imprinted on my heart, the wellspring of our thoughts and words and deeds. Faith assures us that we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. Our life’s work is to curate the divine image in which we’ve been shaped and molded.

Others can easily read who crafted what we wear. So should they easily see, in our speech and deeds, the word and will of the Designer who called us into being, whose grace seeks to clothe our soul and style our life with the Gospel’s truth.

In prayer today, let us look to see how clearly Our Lady of Guadalupe’s beauty, purity and graciousness mark our heart and design our life, letting the world see her Son’s image on our heart and his blessing on our entire being.