The Rest of the Story

Pegs painted by another mother

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I explained the inspiration of Juan Diego earlier in the week.  Although it is not the apparitions themselves that make St. Juan a holy inspiration, his visions of the Lady play an important role in his life.  Here is the story:

In the year 1531, Mary would appear to Juan Diego, an elder Aztec Indian, as Our Lady of Guadalupe on his way to Mass in Mexico City.  He first heard beautiful music and then a simple call of his name as he passed by Tepeyac Hill.  Our Lady appeared to him in his native dress and identified herself as the Virgin Mary.  She simply asked him to deliver a message to the bishop.  She desired a chapel to be built on the hill to aid in the conversion of Mexico.

Although Juan quickly fulfilled her request, the bishop doubted the vision and asked for a sign from the Lady.  When Juan returned to the Lady, she promised a sign if he would return the following day.
Unfortunately, Juan returned home to find his uncle very sick and on his deathbed.  Instead of returning to the Lady on the hill the next day, Juan hurried to find a doctor and a priest to aid his uncle.  The Lady stopped him as he made his way around the hill and told him to not worry.  Juan was under her protection and his uncle was already well.  They proceeded to the top of the hill where Our Lady placed Castillian roses (only found in Spain), miraculously growing in the cold of winter, on Juan's tilma.  She arranged the roses and sent Juan on his way to the bishop.

When he arrived, Juan believed the miracle of the roses would be enough to convince the bishop of her request.  Juan and the bishop would both be surprised as the roses fell away from his tilma and a beautiful image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared.

The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested, and 8 million people converted to Catholicism in a short period of time upon hearing of or viewing the miraculous image of Our Lady.

In 1910 Our Lady of Guadalupe was declared Patroness of Latin America, and in 1945 Pope Pius XII declared Her to be the Empress of all the Americas.

The tilma of Juan Diego has been the subject of much modern research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus fiber, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although over 500 years have passed the tilma is still in perfect condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531.

Many miracles have taken place in the presence of the image of our Lady.  The tilma has been through many events over the years.  I encourage you to read the many stories surrounding the image.  However, most of all, I encourage to remember the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe of conversion:

“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."

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!