Our Lady of Guadalupe
Right in the middle of Advent, on December 12, we celebrate one of the most beloved iterations of the Blessed Mother—Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe has become one of the most recognized images on the planet, and the apparition site, one of the most visited tourist destinations. As patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe should hold a special place in all Americans’ hearts; as an incredible display of God’s power, she should rightly be revered by all Catholics.
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is well-known to many Catholics. Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego, in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City. In the previous few decades, Spain had feverishly started colonizing the Americas, including current-day Mexico. The native peoples were mainly Aztec Indians, and there were bound to be tensions between them and the Spaniards. Juan Diego was a native who had converted to Catholicism, and when Our Lady appeared to him, she asked him to build her a shrine on Tepeyac Hill. Juan Diego brought the request to his bishop, who was skeptical. He asked for a sign from the lady. A few days later, on December 12, Mary told Juan Diego to climb the hill and pick the roses that he would find there and bring them to the bishop as a sign of her authenticity. Juan Diego was skeptical that he would find any flowers, since it was the middle of winter. To his surprise, he found the hill covered with roses, which he gathered into his tilma (cloak) and brought to the bishop. When he unfurled his tilma, the roses spilled out and a miraculous image of the lady who appeared to Juan Diego was imprinted on the tilma. The bishop, now convinced, had a shrine built to who would become known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Within ten years of Our Lady's appearance, about 9 million Aztecs converted to Catholicism and the Aztec tradition of human sacrificed basically ceased. The power of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the native peoples was due partially to the way she presented herself; her appearance to Juan Diego and the corresponding image on the tilma contained many symbols that would be immediately understood in an Aztec context. Her overall appearance was that of a native Aztec, not a European or Middle Easterner. Her hands were posed in an Aztec manner of offering, rather than the traditional Catholic prayer pose. The blue-green color of her veil was the Aztec color for royalty, showing that she was a queen. Her black belt was an Aztec maternity belt, which indicated that she was with child. These are just a few of the symbols that signaled to any native person right away the truth of who this beautiful lady was.
As the centuries have passed, we have come to understand just how miraculous the image on the tilma is. The tilma itself is almost 500 years old and shows no signs of deterioration, despite the fibers it's made of (from maguey cactus) usually disintegrating within decades. Scientific examination has shown that the image is not made of brush strokes and has the same properties as a photograph, despite the art of photography still being centuries away from being discovered when the image was produced. The background of stars behind Our Lady are in the exact same position as the constellations in the sky the night of December 12, 1531. Images of people thought to be Juan Diego and Bishop Juan de Zummaraga can be seen in Our Lady's eyes, reflected exactly as they would be if she were in person looking at them. Once again, these are just a few of the amazing properties that prove the miraculous nature of the apparition and tilma.
Centuries after her first appearance, Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to captivate Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The basilica at Guadalupe receives about 20 million visitors annually. The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is ubiquitous; most people across the globe can recognize her. She is commonly used as a figurehead for Mexico, so much so that she is viewed as a national figure, not just a religious one. As patroness of the unborn, she is also commonly used in the pro-life movement. As her feast day approaches, take some time to spend with Our Lady of Guadalupe; click here for a prayer to Our Lady written by Pope St. John Paul II upon his visit to her shrine in 1979.
By Anna Neal