Podcast Summary

Podcast: Catholic Saints
Episode: Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Juan Diego
Host: Dr. Ben Akers (Augustine Institute)
Guest: Dr. Jim Prothero (Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology)
Date: December 12, 2025

Overview

This episode commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, exploring the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego in 1531 and its profound impact on the Church, especially across the Americas. The conversation is both historical and personal, unpacking the story, significance, and ongoing power of Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument of evangelization and a sign of God’s tender love for specific peoples.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Pervasiveness and Impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe

• Dr. Akers reflects on his visit to the shrine in Mexico and how images of Our Lady are everywhere, symbolizing her profound influence on Mexican culture and Catholic identity.

“Everywhere I went in Mexico, not just Mexico City, but all over… there on the wall in the McDonald's was Our Lady of Guadalupe."
— Dr. Ben Akers [01:18]

• Pope St. John Paul II called Our Lady of Guadalupe “the star of the new evangelization,” highlighting her ongoing relevance in evangelizing the Americas.

“She is more than just an image on the wall.”
— Dr. Ben Akers [01:33]

Personal Encounter with Marian Devotion

• Dr. Prothero shares that his first deep understanding of Catholic spirituality came through a parish celebration of Our Lady's feast, emphasizing Catholicism’s heart-to-heart dimension with God and His saints:

“That’s where the final piece of the puzzle came together for me… adoring God and being amazed at how God works and does everything in the world.”
— Dr. Jim Prothero [03:57]

Protestant Perspectives and Marian Apparitions

• Dr. Prothero addresses initial Protestant skepticism about Marian appearances, noting that seeing them as a continuation of biblical miracles helped overcome doubts.

“The apparitions honestly weren’t that much of an obstacle for me. Once I heard the stories, I wept… just the idea of Mary praying with St. Bernadette.”
— Dr. Jim Prothero [05:11]

• He explains how Mary’s apparitions are a concrete manifestation of God’s tender love and care for particular peoples at critical historical moments.

Cultural Resonance: God Speaks in Symbols

• Dr. Akers connects the imagery and language of the Guadalupe apparition to the cultural world of the Aztecs—music, flowers, and affectionate familiarity—which made the faith accessible and deeply moving to indigenous people:

“Music is important because to the Aztec people, symbols of the divine were found in music, in song and in flowers. The story… begins in song… and ends with the flowers and the beautiful image that Mary puts on the tilma.”
— Dr. Ben Akers [08:26]

The Story of Juan Diego

• Juan Diego, a recent convert, is chosen by Mary to be her messenger though he feels entirely unworthy—a recurring biblical motif.
• When tasked to petition the bishop for a temple, Juan resists, expressing his inadequacy:

“Can you send somebody else? They’re not going to listen to me… I’m kind of worthless.”
— Dr. Jim Prothero [10:15]

• Mary’s loving insistence:

“I have lots of messengers, but I want you.”
— Dr. Jim Prothero [10:27]

Mary’s Tender Words: A Timeless Message

• One of the episode’s most memorable segments is Dr. Akers reading Mary’s comforting words to Juan Diego, cited as crucial for all believers:

“Listen, put it into your heart, my smallest child, that the thing that frightened you, the thing that has afflicted you, is nothing. Do not let it disturb you. Am I not here, I who am your mother?... Are you not in the hollow of my mantle and the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more?”
— Dr. Ben Akers quoting the Virgin Mary [12:00]

Historical Timing and Divine Providence

• Dr. Prothero notes the apparition’s timing, coinciding with tumult in Europe (the Reformation), interpreting this as God calling a new people to Himself through Mary.

“Here’s an entire set of people whom God wants to call… while there’s plenty of people deciding they don’t like her on another continent, here she comes and she says, ‘I’m your mother. I love you.’”
— Dr. Jim Prothero [13:43]

The Miraculous Tilma and Symbolism

• The miraculous image imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak) is rich in indigenous and Christian symbolism:
  • Black sash: pregnancy (in Aztec culture)
  • Eyes cast down: humility, not divinity
  • Surrounded by sun and moon: important Aztec symbols, showing Mary’s transcendence over deities
• The supernatural endurance of the tilma and the conversion of millions following the apparition are emphasized:

“The tilma is only made of cactus fiber and shouldn’t last more than 20 years at the most. And now we’re almost celebrating the 500th anniversary of this image."
— Dr. Ben Akers [17:18]

• Accounts of priests having to have their hands held up from baptizing so many people underscore the apparition’s evangelizing power.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Ben Akers [12:00]:
  “Am I not here who am your mother? … Do you need something more?”
  Mary’s words to Juan Diego, a cherished phrase of comfort to all Christians.

• Dr. Jim Prothero [10:27]:
  “I have lots of messengers, but I want you.”
  Illustrating God’s personal call to each soul, through Mary’s voice.

• Dr. Jim Prothero [13:43]:
  *“Here she comes and she says, ‘I’m your mother. I love you.’”_

• Dr. Ben Akers [01:33]:
  “She is more than just an image on the wall.”
  Emphasizing Our Lady of Guadalupe as a living, transformative presence.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:22 – 02:01: Host’s introduction and the cultural ubiquity of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico
• 02:01 – 04:22: Dr. Prothero’s personal journey to Marian devotion
• 04:22 – 06:30: Wrestling with Marian doctrine, apparitions, and God’s personal touch
• 08:11 – 09:58: Historical context: Franciscans’ struggles and Juan Diego’s background
• 10:15 – 10:58: Juan Diego’s humility and Mary’s call
• 12:00 – 13:08: Mary’s message of consolation (“Am I not here…?”)
• 13:08 – 14:00: Significance of the apparition amid the Reformation
• 15:07 – 16:37: The sign of the tilma, miraculous image, and its symbolism
• 17:18 – 18:56: The impact: conversions, enduring image, and universal motherhood of Mary

Conclusion

The conversation illuminates Our Lady of Guadalupe as a masterful act of evangelization, mercy, and personal love. Through historical narrative, personal reflection, and theological insight, the episode invites listeners to see Mary as not only the Mother of God but the mother of all peoples—especially those in the Americas. Her enduring message, “Am I not here, I who am your mother?” continues to console, challenge, and inspire Catholics everywhere.