The Guadalupe Virgin
The most visited sanctuary in the world is not Lourdes, nor Loreto, nor even Fatima, but Guadalupe. Approximately twenty million people visit each year the sites of the apparitions of “Our Beloved Lady of Guadalupe,” also known as “Patroness of Mexico” or “He who crushes the serpent.”
Mary first appeared in this region in 1531 to the Aztec Cuauttlatotuac, born in 1474 and baptized in 1525 with the name Juan Diego.
To deeply appreciate the meaning of Guadalupe, it is necessary to understand the historical-religious context of the time of the apparition. The story of Guadalupe began in 1519 with the arrival in Mexico of the Spanish conquerors led by Captain Hernán Cortés. When the Spaniards, coming from the coast, entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, built on the island of Lake Texcoco, it was inevitable to admire the advanced state of this culture. The leader of this people, who numbered ten million, was since 1503, the emperor Montezuma, a man of great religious sense.
The Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl («the feathered serpent»), whose cult took place in a stone temple, was the object of supreme veneration. Sacrifices to this god were ritually performed every year, involving thousands of people. According to the religious tradition of the Aztecs, this god physically dwelt in the ancient temples of that place. He was believed to be a wise ruler who had left, promising to return to reclaim his power.
In 1509, Princess Papantt, sister of Montezuma, had a dream: she saw numerous ships on the ocean coming from very distant countries, with black crosses on their sails and guided by white men. These had the intention of bringing to the Aztecs the knowledge of a new god.
For strategic reasons, Cortés formed an alliance with the Tlaxcaltecti, an enemy people of the Aztecs. Thus, it was easy to overthrow Montezuma’s power, despite his having welcomed the Spaniards with religious festivities.
Cortés ordered the construction of churches and asked the Aztecs to be baptized. In 1528, Charles V appointed the man of God, Juan Zumárraga, as the first bishop of the New World, who dedicated himself with fervor to evangelizing Mexico. Among the first voluntary baptisms were Juan Diego, his wife from the village of Cuautitlan, and a uncle who lived in the village of Tolpetlac. They frequently traveled to Tenochtitlán to attend religious ceremonies at the church of Santiago de Tlatilolco, built on the ruins of the main temple of Huitzilopochtli, the war god of the Aztecs.
The Apparition of Tepeyrac
On a Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, the Holy Virgin appeared for the first time to Juan Diego (1474-1548), from Cuautitlan, a member of the indigenous Macetuals. This indigenous person had converted to Christianity, received baptism, and soon after developed a deep relationship with the Queen of Heaven, whom he considered his mother. One day, on his way to the church of Santa Cruz de Tlatilolco for the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, he set out at midnight to walk the twenty-four kilometers to the celebration.
As he passed near the hill Tepeyrac (where an ancient temple of the queen of the serpent cult once stood), he heard the sweetest, most heavenly music and, simultaneously, saw a white cloud surround him in a wonderful light. Juan Diego believed he was in Paradise, looked around, and heard nothing. All was in profound silence. Then, a voice broke through this deep silence, calling his name, «Juanito». Without fear, he approached the height and saw a majestic Lady who invited him to draw near.
Once before her, he was stunned by her superhuman beauty: her garment shone like the sun, and the rays emanating from her penetrated the rocks around her. All the land around him took on the colors of a rainbow, and finally, the bushes glowed with all colors. Diego, in awe, fell to his knees and listened:
«Juanito, you are the smallest of my children, where are you going? Let it be understood by you that you are the smallest of my children, that I am the ever-Virgin, Saint Mary, Mother of the true God, source of life, the Creator who comprehends all things, Lord of Heaven and earth. I earnestly desire that a temple be built here in my honor, where I can offer all my love and compassion, help and protection, for I am your Mother of Mercy. Yours and that of all the inhabitants of this land, of the devoted ones who invoke me with confidence, and of whom I hear their laments. I therefore wish to provide a remedy for your pains, all your difficulties and sufferings, by showing myself in this place of worship that will be built through you to carry out my mercy. You will therefore go to the palace of the Bishop of the City of Mexico and tell him that I have sent you and that I desire a temple to be built on this plain.»He will tell you exactly what he saw and heard, be assured that I will be very grateful to you for this service, and you will deserve a reward for the effort and fatigue of carrying out my mission. Go and fulfill it! Now that you understand well what I am commanding you.”
Juan Diego declared himself ready for service and set out to the residence of Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, of the Franciscan Order, to relate the message from the Lady of Heaven. He struggled to be heard, but the bishop gave him no attention, promising only to reflect on what he had recounted.Returning, Diego reported to the Blessed Virgin the bishop’s response and urged her to entrust this mission to someone of greater standing who would have more credibility with the bishop. Then Mary reassured him and encouraged him. After attentively listening to the “Mother of God,” Juan Diego felt calm and encouraged to continue his mission. Therefore, he promised Our Lady that the following morning he would again visit the bishop and in the afternoon return with an answer.On Sunday, he first attended Mass and then waited for hours in line to speak again with the bishop. Juan supplicated the man of God, showing true and abundant tears of suffering, to respond to the desires of the Mother in Heaven.This time the bishop began to believe him and, to be able to examine all things, he asked precise questions and finally requested a sign from heaven. The devotee thanked the bishop and ran to inform Mary. The man of God sent some of his servants to observe him from a distance, but they lost sight of him on the mountain and thought the devotee was not credible. Diego, meanwhile, was already before Mary to relate the bishop’s response.The signThe following day, Juan Diego intended to present himself before Mary, as he had agreed with her, but he could not keep his promise because he encountered his uncle, Juan Bernardino, gravely ill with a severe fever. All night and into the following day, the seer tended to his uncle: he called for a doctor and attempted to treat him, but as the patient’s condition continued to deteriorate, on Tuesday morning he had to rush to Tlatilolco to summon a priest. To reach the city more quickly, he took a different route, circling the hill, and found himself before Our Lady, enveloped in a brilliant light that blocked his path.With her loving voice, she asked him: “What has happened to you, my child, where are you going?” Fearful and confused, he recounted what had happened and told her that he had to take the shortest route to the city, but that he would return the following day to be in her presence on the mountain. Finally, he asked for her forgiveness for his absence. At that moment, he felt the deep love of Mary penetrate his heart. Our Lady told him a few things, assuring him not to worry about his uncle, and expressed a desire. When the Virgin had finished speaking, Juan Diego felt consoled and deeply refreshed, and, eager to quickly fulfill the desire expressed by Mary, he climbed the hill of Tepeyac to gather the fresh and splendid Castilian roses that bloomed out of season. The seer collected them, spreading his tilma (mantle) as if it were an apron, and showed them to Our Lady. Then, she gave him a message for the bishop.Diego did not go to the priest, but, following Our Lady’s instructions, he quickly made his way to the city. Upon his arrival, he was immediately noticed by the bishop’s servants. When he was received, not only was the bishop present, but also important figures such as Bishop Dom Sebastian Ramirez Fuenleal. Juan Diego knelt before the Franciscan, man of God, and recounted to him the message from Our Lady, then he opened the white mantle he had held close to his chest.As soon as those roses fell, the beautiful Mother of God appeared on the mantle, which can be admired today in the sanctuary of Tepeyac: the same Juan Diego was moved to see the image of the Holy Virgin, just as she had appeared to him at that time. This double miracle, first the flowers at that time of year and then the acheropite image (not made by human hands), deeply touched everyone present and they fell to their knees.The news of the miracle spread quickly in the area, growing ever wider. Zumárraga then ordered the construction of a chapel on the site of the apparitions, and later he advanced the plans for the construction of a basilica. The bishop wanted to visit this place with his servants.Maria also appeared to her uncle.Diego was triumphantly led home by the devoted followers and discovered that his uncle had been miraculously cured. By the same mouth of this visionary, he recounted that he had seen a radiant light enter the room and a most beautiful Lady who radiated calm and peace. With that appearance alone, he felt freed from evil, fever, and weakness, and fell to his knees at the feet of the silent Lady. Afterwards, she informed him of the encounter with her nephew and the image that had been imprinted on his tilma. Finally, the celestial Lady revealed her name and title in the local language with which she wished to be called and venerated in that place: “The Ever-Virgin Saint Mary of Guadalupe.”For the Mexican people, Holy Mary proclaims salvation through flowers and song. The Lady from Heaven presents herself in the Nahuatl language, promising help and protection to all men. The image of a Mexican indigenous Mary, miraculously imprinted on his cloak, the local language she used as a devotional title, her connection to the ancient deities, and the miraculous events related to the apparitions stimulated a mass conversion among the Aztecs: almost nine million indigenous people were baptized in a few years.The mission of Juan Diego:The visionary dedicated himself entirely to Saint Virgin of Guadalupe, withdrawing to live near the small church of Tepeyrac. He devoted himself to the cure of pilgrims. He lived as an ascetic, witness, and apostle. When Zumárraga visited him after his uncle’s death, a spring of water gushed forth at the site of the last apparition. Juan Diego fell asleep in eternity on May 30, 1548.In 1600, the chapel was first significantly enlarged, and in 1622, it was once again restructured. In 1694, the first stone for the foundation of the great basilica was laid. In 1709, the image miraculously imprinted on his tilma was placed on the main altar. The image, in an extraordinary way, resisted centuries of candle smoke, pilgrims’ sweat, and still today, one can contemplate the vibrant colors that emanate from the infinite tenderness of the Mother.The fabric (168x105cm) is the result of a process using Mexican agave, consisting of two pieces of this material, posterior and anterior, sewn together with white thread. The image of the Virgin painted on the fabric measures 143x55cm. Mary has a brown complexion like the indigenous people, her hands joined together, a noble appearance, and a pink dress embroidered with flowers. A blue veil or mantle, the color of the sea, adorned with golden stars, covers her head and falls to her feet resting on the light. Twelve rays of the sun crown her face.
Examinations conducted on Juan Diego’s tilma demonstrated that, in any case, the colors have no earthly origin and the materials are completely unknown and, therefore, unanalyzable. In 1929, a meticulous scientific examination discovered, through lenses, that Mary’s eyes reflect, like a photograph, the image of the seer and some people present at the miracle of the roses. Despite all the research and examinations, the phenomenon remains scientifically inexplicable: a supernatural event from Earth.
The Church’s Response
After the Guadalupana apparition, Mary was considered the protector of Mexico. Numerous copies of the image painted on Juan Diego’s tilma were reproduced and became objects of veneration. In 1737, the Most Holy Virgin was declared the patroness of Mexico. Saint John Paul II declared her the “Mother of the Two Americas”. Today, Guadalupe is considered the heart of pilgrimages in Central and South America.
Let us pray for the intercession of the Virgin of Guadalupe for all our Latin America and the world, so that the Lord may deliver us from the pandemic evil.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas and one of the greatest Marian wonders in history. To deepen the study of Mary’s apparitions, read Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater.
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