Feast Day Our Lady of Guadalupe

guadelupe

Feast Day December 12th

The Apparition

The Virgin of Guadalupe is our Lady of Mercy who sent a message to the new Bishop of Mexico via a poor native convert to the Catholic faith St. Juan Diego (Originaly born under the name Quauhtlatoatzin meaning in Aztech talks with eagles). He was the first of just a few hundred Aztecs to convert to the Catholic faith in over ten years of Spanish rule. The appearance of The Blessed Virgin happened at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of what is now Mexico City in 1531.

While he was on his way to Mass from his home village to Mexico City early on the morning of December 9, 1531, he saw a vision of a young girl of fifteen to sixteen surrounded by light and preceeded by sweet music. Mary appeared as a native Mexican girl and spoke the dialect of the Aztecs.

The following is a copy from the first account written in Aztec 1544 The earliest known account.

Nican Mopohua, or Huei Tlamahuitzoltica;

Approaching her presence, he marveled greatly at her superhuman grandeur; her garments were shining like the sun; the cliff where she rested her feet, pierced with glitter, resembling an anklet of precious stones, and the earth sparkled like the rainbow. The mezquites, nopales, and other different weeds, which grow there, appeared like emeralds, their foliage like turquoise, and their branches and thorns glistened like gold.

She said: “Juanito, the most humble of my sons, where are you going?” He replied: “My Lady and Child, I have to reach your church in Mexico, Tlatilolco, to pursue things divine, taught and given to us by our priests, delegates of Our Lord.” She then spoke to him: “Know and understand well, you the most humble of my son, that I am the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth. I wish that a temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help, and protection, because I am your merciful mother, to you, and to all the inhabitants on this land and all the rest who love me, invoke and confide in me; listen there to their lamentations, and remedy all their miseries, afflictions and sorrows. And to accomplish what my clemency pretends, go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico, and you will say to him that I manifest my great desire, that here on this plain a temple be built to me; you will accurately relate all you have seen and admired, and what you have heard. Be assured that I will be most grateful and will reward you, because I will make you happy and worthy of recompense for the effort and fatigue in what you will obtain of what I have entrusted. Behold, you have heard my mandate, my humble son; go and put forth all your effort.”

He went directly to the bishop’s palace, who was the recently arrived prelate named Father Juan de Zumarraga, a Franciscan religious. As he entered, he bowed, and on bended knees before him, he then delivered the message from the lady from heaven; he also told him all he had admired, seen, and heard. The Bishop was however unconvinced.

He returned to the same spot on the same day and met Our Lady once again and told her of the Bishops disbelief. Blessed Mary said;

“Hark, my son the least, you must understand that I have many servants and messengers, to whom I must entrust the delivery of my message, and carry my wish, but it is of precise detail that you yourself solicit and assist and that through your mediation my wish be complied. I earnestly implore, my son the least, and with sternness I command that you again go tomorrow and see the bishop. You go in my name, and make known my wish in its entirety that he has to start the erection of a temple which I ask of him. And again tell him that I, in person, the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, sent you.”

Once again he went to see the Bishop the next day. Notwithstanding his precise explanation of her figure and all that he had seen and admired, which in itself reflected her as being the ever-virgin Holy Mother of the Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, nevertheless, he did not give credence and said that not only for his request he had to do what he had asked; that, in addition, a sign was very necessary, so that he could be believed that he was sent by the true Lady from heaven. Therefore, he was heard, said Juan Diego to the bishop: “My lord, hark! what must be the sign that you ask? For I will go to ask the Lady from heaven who sent me here.”

Again returning to Our Lady she said;

“Well and good, my little dear, you will return here tomorrow, so you may take to the bishop the sign he has requested. With this he will believe you, and in this regard he will not doubt you nor will he be suspicious of you; and know, my little dear, that I will reward your solicitude and effort and fatigue spent of my behalf. Lo! go now. I will await you here tomorrow.”

He did not return the next day because his Uncle was on his death bed. When he went to fetch a priest for his uncle before dawn he met Our Lady again as he passed by the same place. She said;

“Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything. Do not be afflicted by the illness of your uncle, who will not die now of it. be assured that he is now cured.” (And then his uncle was cured, as it was later learned.)

He begged to be excused to be off to see the bishop, to take him the sign or proof, so that he might be believed. The Lady from heaven ordered to climb to the top of the hill, where they previously met. She told him: “Climb, my son the least, to the top of the hill; there where you saw me and I gave you orders, you will find different flowers. Cut them, gather them, assemble them, then come and bring them before my presence.”

Immediately Juan Diego climbed the hill, and as he reached the summit, he was amazed that so many varieties of exquisite rosas de Castilla were blooming, long before the time when they are to bud, because, being out of season, they would freeze.

“My son the least, this diversity of roses is the proof and the sign which you will take to the bishop. You will tell him in my name that he will see in them my wish and that he will have to comply to it. You are my ambassador, most worthy of all confidence. Rigorously I command you that only before the presence of the bishop will you unfold your mantle and disclose what you are carrying. You will relate all and well; you will tell that I ordered you to climb to the hilltop, to go and cut flowers; and all that you saw and admired, so you can induce the prelate to give his support, with the aim that a temple be built and erected as I have asked.”

On his return to the Bishops palace the staff there would not let him trouble him any longer thinking he was insane. Out of very sad reluctance he showed them a flower which amazed them and granted him to see the curious Bishop.

He unfolded his white cloth, where he had the flowers; and when they scattered on the floor, all the different varieties of rosas de Castilla, suddenly there appeared the drawing of the precious Image of the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, in the manner as she is today kept in the temple at Tepeyacac, which is named Guadalupe.
When the bishop saw the image, he and all who were present fell to their knees. She was greatly admired. They arose to see her; they shuddered and, with sorrow, they demonstrated that they contemplated her with their hearts and minds. The bishop, with sorrowful tears, prayed and begged forgiveness for not having attended her wish and request. When he rose to his feet, he untied from Juan Diego’s neck the cloth on which appeared the Image of the Lady from heaven. Then he took it to be placed in his chapel. Juan Diego remained one more day in the bishop’s house, at his request.

When he returned to his uncles house he found him well just as Our Lady had promised. She is also said to have appeared to him while he was being cured.

The Tilma

The Tilma still hangs incorruptable at The Basilica Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe It has been the subject of many scientific studies that comfirm it's miraculous inception (not made by human hands).

Links to other sites concerning the Tilma

Supernatural Qualities of the Tilma
The Tilma of Guadalupe: A Scientific Analysis
Image of Tilma

The Fruits

Millions converted to following the teachings Christ Jesus amoungst the natives of Mexico within three years. Holy Mary in her mercy helped to stop the senseless sacrifice of over 20,000 Aztecs to their Sun God per year. The legacy of her messege is just as relevant today in the incorruptable Tilma and the spiritual fruits of her apparition to St. Jaun Diego in saving so many lives and souls.

Legion Of Mary Senatus Sydney

Feast Day Our Lady of Guadalupe