STORY OF THE VIRGIN GUADALUPANA

Did you know that December 12 is the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe? To celebrate it, we propose you to make this reflection in a contemplative way, looking at the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

1- THE NAME

"Guadalupe" is the translation from Nahuatl to Spanish of the words used by the Virgin during her appearance to Juan Bernardino, Juan Diego's sick uncle. It is believed that Our Lady used the Aztec (Nahuatl) term of coatlaxopuh, which is pronounced “quatlasupe” and sounds very similar to the Spanish word Guadalupe (which the first Spaniards who arrived here knew because there is a sanctuary of the Virgin of Guadalupe). Guadalupe, without any resemblance of course). The word Guadalupe means in the indigenous language the one that "crushes the head of the serpent". Coa means snake, tla the article la, while xopeub means to crush. Thus our Lady must have referred to Herself as "she who crushes the serpent", which symbolizes evil.
Es justo el protoevangelio en Génesis 3:15. María, vencedora del maligno. La imagen es una pintura tal y como la detalla Apocalipsis 12:"apareció en el cielo una señal Grande, una mujer envuelta en el Sol, con la luna debajo de sus pies"

THE HISTORY THAT HIDES HIS NAME

One beautiful Saturday in December Juan Diego was walking near the Tepeyac hill; It was dawn, and the silence gave a special aroma to such a beautiful landscape. Softly, and like a song of calm birds some voices began to be heard. That distant sound, it came and went leaving poor Juan Diego somewhat confused, he looked down, up, perhaps looking in the sky for the owner of such a precious melody.
Suddenly, there was a silence and from the top of the hill they said: "Juanito, Juan Dieguito!". Without any fear he began to climb to reach the top and discover who was calling him. When he finally arrived, he saw a Lady standing resplendent as the sun; her light was reflected everywhere, and even her thorns shone like gold.
She said to him: “Juanito, the smallest of my children, do you know who I am?” No, said Juanito, with his eyes attentive and hoping to know more about that Lady. A Temple is built here, to give all my love and remedy the sorrows and pains ”, and how can I build a temple for you, my Lady and my child ?, if I barely have what is necessary for my poor house –he answered sadly.
"Go to the palace of the Bishop of Mexico and tell him my wish, tell him that you have seen and heard me."

Reflection:

“Juanito, Juan Diegotzin” is the first thing pronounced by Saint Mary of Guadalupe, the Christian name of the indigenous, and she pronounces it in diminutive form, an expression of tenderness, love and dignity; in this way Santa María de Guadalupe has pronounced the baptismal name of the humble layman and confirms him in his dignity.
The light of God, through Saint Mary of Guadalupe, illuminates our path, little by little the love of God burns us and invades us, purifying us. Today we remember our baptism with water and the Holy Spirit. A baptism that makes us true children of God. Santa María de Guadalupe calls us precisely with the name that they gave us in Baptism, full of dignity, tenderness and love; We are children of God, we are Catholics, and we have a mission: to have God in our being to collaborate with Him and build a world full of harmony and brotherhood, a world full of justice and peace.

2- THE FACE

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a wonderful cultural synthesis, a masterpiece that presented the new faith in such a way that it could be immediately understood and accepted by the Mexican Indians. The face printed on the ayate is that of a young mestizo; an anticipation, because at that time there were still no mestizos of that age in Mexico. Maria thus assumes the pain of thousands of children, the first of a new race, then rejected by both the Indians and the conquerors. The missionaries had little success despite their intense work, largely due to the bad example of many who, calling themselves Christians, abused them. But the Virgin of Guadalupe presents herself as a native woman and she taught them that the gift of faith is for everyone without distinction. The image is all a catechesis. Result: In the 7 years after the apparitions, 8 million natives converted to the Catholic faith. This represents an average of 3,000 conversions per day.

THE HISTORY THAT HIDES HIS FACE

Juan Diego ran and arrived in the City anxious to tell the Bishop about the great event, who, upon hearing the story, did not believe a single word. Very sad, Juan Diego returned to the top of the hill and standing in front of the Lady of Heaven said: Lady and my girl, I did what you asked me and the Bishop did not believe my words -and he continued saying while his face grew even sadder- perhaps it would be better if someone more important and respected is the one who carries your message so that they believe him; I am just a poor little man. And She replied: "I want it to be you, come back tomorrow to see the Bishop, and let him know my will again and remind him that I personally, the Ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, send you." Then Juan Diego returned to his house to rest, since it had been a very long and exhausting day.

The next day Juan Diego got up very early and went to see the Bishop. Earlier he was at Mass and patiently waited for people to turn toward his houses so he could talk to him. So it was that Juan Diego began the conversation by kneeling in front of the Bishop -he was sad and crying-, he wanted her to believe his message once and for all and the will of the Immaculate Virgin to build a Temple on that hill. Then the Bishop replied: Dear Juan Diego, the only way I will believe your story is if you bring me a sign. Something to prove to me that the Lady of Heaven herself sent you.
If that's what you want, so be it, I'll go and ask her herself. Juan Diego undertook the way back, without realizing that some men were chasing him, but when they reached the bridge near Tepeyac hill, they lost sight of him, in an almost magical way Juan Diego disappeared, and the disoriented men returned to tell the Bishop about such a thing. mystery. They were so angry that they swore to punish him firmly if he showed up with those tricks again. Meanwhile, Juan Diego was on the hill with the Blessed Virgin, telling her what had happened and the Bishop's wish. The Virgin replied: “Come back tomorrow, and you will bring the Bishop the sign that he has asked for”, and looking at him with tenderness continued saying: “I know the efforts you have made for me, but don't worry, I will compensate you for your good will and commitment. . Now go, rest, and we'll see you tomorrow."

Reflection:

Santa María de Guadalupe is the Living Ark of the Covenant, She brings us Jesus Christ. In the first dialogue that Saint Mary of Guadalupe has with Juan Diego, an indigenous layman, she introduces herself saying to him: “I have the honor and happiness of being the Mother of the Giver of life, by whom one lives”, “the Owner of Heaven and of the earth ”. And this God is a God so close that for this reason he comes to meet us, through his Mother.
And it is She who asks us to build a "little sacred house" in our hearts.

3- THE BLACK RIBBON
January 26, 2022

Esta joven doncella mexicana está embarazada de pocos meses, así lo indican el lazo negro que ajusta su cintura, el ligero abultamiento debajo de éste y la intensidad de los resplandores solares que aumenta a la altura del vientre. La Virgen tiene una cinta en el vientre, está "encinta" o embarazada" para indicar que Dios quería que Jesús naciera en América, en el corazón de cada americano. Uno de los médicos que analizó la tilma colocó su estetoscopio debajo de la cinta que María posee (señal de que está encinta) y escuchó latidos que rítmicamente se repiten a 115 pulsaciones por minuto, igual que un bebé en el vientre materno.

THE HISTORY THAT HIDES THE BLACK RIBBON
January 26, 2022

The next day Juan Diego could not go to the hill as he had promised, his uncle Juan Bernardino was very ill -and as a good nephew- he took care of him and took him to the doctor, but his uncle's health did not improve, he was getting worse, almost on the verge of death. The next day Juan Diego left his house very early in search of a priest to accompany his uncle in the last hours. He undertook the usual path, avoiding going near where he had met the Virgin, because he was in a hurry and did not want to stop. However, to her surprise, he saw her come out of it to meet her saying: "How are you, my son, the youngest, where are you going in such a hurry?" Bowing before her, he replied: My uncle is very ill and he is about to die. I am going to look for a Priest to accompany him in his last hours and soon I will return to take your sign to the Bishop. She replied: “Don't be scared my son, the smallest; do not be afraid, do not be distressed”, and she continued to say gently: “I am here to take care of you and protect you. Your uncle will not die, he already healed”.

Reflection:

It is the "yes" of Juan Diego. Juan Diego had looked for someone who could help his uncle, someone who could restore his health or mitigate his pain. The uncle's suffering affects Juan Diego, who also suffers, feels powerless in the face of adversity that overwhelms him. Juan Diego rushed to a priest to prepare his uncle to die well; and when he arrived near Tepeyac, he remembered that a day before he should have been here to take the promised sign to the bishop; but now he was in a hurry, so he turned the road, he does not go straight, but goes around the hill so as not to meet Maria, the Girl from Heaven, he could not lose time, he urgently needed a priest. It is in that moment, full of pain, bewilderment, and fatalism, that Saint Mary of Guadalupe says the most beautiful words to him and that are now also addressed to our hearts: “Do not be afraid, am I not here who have the honor and the joy of being your mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything else?" (Nican Mopohua, v. 119) And he assures her that her uncle is fine now, he is healed, and Juan Diego believes it, Juan Diego has faith in the words that come out of Maria's mouth and full of hope asks her to grant him the grace to send him to the bishop with the promised sign, Juan Diego confirms his faith. This is Juan Diego's “yes”, it is the confirmation of putting his whole life in the hands of God through Mary.

4- THE MANTLE
January 26, 2022

The blue mantle sprinkled with stars is the "Turquoise Tilma" with which the great lords were dressed, and indicates the nobility and importance of the wearer. The Virgin of Guadalupe is called Empress of America.
The temperature of the maguey fiber with which the tilma is made maintains a constant temperature of 36.6 degrees, the same as the body of a living person. No trace of paint has been discovered on the fabric. In fact, at a distance of 10 centimeters from the image, only the raw maguey fabric can be seen: the colors disappear. Scientific studies have not been able to discover the origin of the coloration that forms the image, nor the way in which it was painted. No traces of brush strokes or any other known painting technique are detected. NASA scientists claimed that the material causing the colors is not any of the known elements on earth. The maguey fiber that constitutes the fabric of the image cannot last more than 20 or 30 years. A replica of the image was painted on a similar maguey fiber cloth several centuries ago, and it disintegrated after several decades. Meanwhile, almost 500 years after the miracle, the image of Mary remains as strong as the first day. Science does not explain the origin of the incorruptibility of the fabric. A laser beam has been passed laterally over the fabric, detecting that its coloration is neither on the front nor on the back, but that the colors float at a distance of three tenths of a millimeter on the fabric, without touch him. The colors float in the air, on the surface of the tilma.

THE STORY UNDER THE MANTLE:

It was there that Juan Diego understood what the Virgin of Heaven had done, he had healed his uncle! Now relieved, he sighed deeply and said: then I am ready to take your signal to the Bishop. So it was that the Virgin asked her to climb to the top of the hill and right there – where she saw her for the first time – cut different flowers and take them to her. With amazement, Juan Diego discovered that the summit was full of roses, the perfume floated in the air and the small drops of dew on their petals made them shine like diamonds. He took as many as he could into her arms and descended to meet the Virgin and give her her flowers. The Lady of Heaven took them and then said: "My son, the youngest, go before the Bishop and tell him that you are coming back so that my will be done, and only when you are in front of him, unfold your blanket with the flowers and show him what you are doing." What are you wearing. Tell him that I sent you to cut them on the top of that hill”.

5 - THE BLACK MOON

Her foot is supported on a black moon, (Symbol of evil for the Mexicans) and the angel that holds her with a severe gesture, has his eagle wings open. Also in the conceptionist shield is the moon, symbol of time and female fertility, located "under her feet" is a sign of the union of motherhood and virginity, and her victory over time and earthly vicissitudes.

THE STORY BEHIND THE BLACK MOON

That was how Juan Diego set out for the Bishop's palace, while enjoying the aroma emanating from the roses pressed against his lap. Arriving at the Bishop's palace, he asked again to speak with him, but the butler and the other servants did not let him enter; he begged and begged but no luck. He stood waiting to be called, at least out of curiosity, to see what he was carrying on his lap. The intrigued servants peeked through the folds of the blanket, and disconcerted they saw those beautiful flowers that - when they wanted to touch them - vanished. They ran to tell the Bishop what they had seen and he immediately understood that it was a test and immediately sent for him.
Juan Diego entered and humbly knelt down to recount what he had experienced and convey the message of the Virgin to them; he went on to say: Lord, I did what he asked me to do. I asked the Lady of Heaven, Holy Mary Mother of God, for a sign so that they would believe me and finally build the Temple where she asked for it. They patiently listened to her account as he continued: She told me to give you these beautiful flowers, well, here they are. And he unfurled the blanket in one motion; the flowers were scattered on the ground and suddenly the image of the precious Virgin Saint Mary of Guadalupe was drawn on the blanket.

Reflection:
Among the indigenous people, the tilma is a very important garment. The Virgin of Guadalupe when she captures her image on Juan Diego's tilma, She, with her own image, her drawings and her colors, dignifies the macehual's tilma, ennobling it; She, when reflected in the tilma of the indigenous, manifests her protection and care for her. She makes a real encounter with the people, since by capturing her image on her cloak, She ties her life, she gives herself fully in the soul and in the being of the lover of the simple and humble people represented by Juan Diego. .
January 26, 2022

6 - THE EYES

Ophthalmological studies carried out on María's eyes have detected that when light is brought closer to them, the retina contracts and when the light is withdrawn, it dilates again, exactly as occurs in a living eye. Science discovered that Maria's eyes possess the three refractive effects of the image of a human eye. In Maria's eyes (only 7 and 8 mm) tiny human images were discovered, which no artist could paint. There are two scenes and the two are repeated in both eyes. The image of Bishop Zumárraga in María's eyes was enlarged using digital technology, revealing that the image of the Indian Juan Diego is portrayed in her eyes, opening his tilma in front of the bishop. The size of this image? A quarter of a millionth of a millimeter. It is radically impossible that in such a small space, like the cornea of ​​an eye located in a life-size image, even the most expert miniaturist managed to paint all those images that had to be enlarged two thousand times to be able to see them.

THE STORY THAT THE EYES HIDE

The Bishop knelt down, wept with emotion and also asked his forgiveness for not having believed the man he sent to bring his mandate. He took the blanket that Juan Diego had tied around his neck, and quickly took it so that it could be admired by all, and addressing Juan Diego he said: very well, show me where it is the will of the Lady of Heaven that they build her Temple. They reached the hill and Juan Diego showed them the beautiful place where the Virgin told him that she wanted her Temple. With great haste, Juan Diego said goodbye to everyone, and explained that he should run to his house to see how his uncle, Juan Bernardino, was doing. Anyway they wanted to accompany him and great was the surprise when they arrived and saw him happy and without any pain. That was when Juan Bernardino told his nephew that the very Virgin of Heaven had been there, and had healed him. The Bishop invited Juan Diego and his uncle to spend a few days with him while the beautiful Temple of the Virgin of Guadalupe was being built on Mount Tepeyac. In addition, he ordered to transfer the Holy image of the beloved Virgin of Guadalupe to the main Church, so that all the people could see and admire it. That image lasted for many years, and today, it continues to be a Divine Miracle that the Virgin gave us so that we always remember and love her.

7- THE RAYS OF THE SUN
January 26, 2022

The sun's rays completely surround Guadalupana as if to indicate that she is her dawn from the sun that is Christ. There is also the sun on the conceptionist shield: The sun refers to the Woman of Revelation 12, "Clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet", (Ap.12, 1) represents the holiness of God that surrounds Mary and it makes her “full of Grace”, this is enveloped by the Divinity, dressed in Salvation, Immaculate, “all holy”.

THE STORY HIDDEN BY THE RAYS OF THE SUN

Everyone contemplated the Sacred Image with amazement and listened full of emotion to the story of how the Mother of God had appeared and each one of the signs of her wonderful Image. Thus began one of the most impressive and wonderful conversions, unprecedented in the history of the universal Church; in about eight years approximately nine million people were converted. In a humble and repentant heart, the authentic home of God is formed; as Pope Benedict XVI expresses it when he presents the conversion of the prodigal son: “he walks towards the truth of his existence, « home ».
This is the true fruit of the encounter with God, through Saint Mary of Guadalupe: a true conversion from the depths of the heart; that not only occurred in that sixteenth century, but continues to be constant to this day. Putting Jesus Christ at the center of existence disposes us to act as a true family united with our neighbor. This is the true freedom to build this country, this nation, to know how to build this town of humble people who know how to open their hearts to be free, giving their lives for others, following their Lord and Savior, so that with his power we know how to forgive and , in this way, be free.
Both the Image of Saint Mary of Guadalupe printed on Juan Diego's humble cloak, as well as the narration he expressed with all its particularities, manifest a true encounter with that one God, living and true, who touched the hearts of all, both indigenous like Europeans.

8- THE STARS ON THE LEFT

The stars visible on the Mantle of Mary reflect the exact configuration and position that the Mexican sky had on the day the miracle occurred. On the left side of the Virgin's mantle (to our right because we see her from the front) the constellations of the south are “compressed”: Four stars that are part of the constellation of Ophiuchus (Ophiucus). Below is Libra and to the right, the one that looks like an arrowhead corresponds to the beginning of Scorpion (Scorpius). Intermediate with the lower portion, two of the constellation of Lobo (Lupus) and the extreme of Hydra (Hydra) can be pointed out.
Looking down, the Southern Cross (Crux) is evident without any doubt, and to its left appears the slightly tilted square of the constellation of Centaurus (Centaurus)

THE STORY HIDDEN BY THE STARS ON THE LEFT

The Maiden of Nazareth, the Morenita del Tepeyac, is the Mother of God and our Mother and since she took our blood and our color, she took our identity and our person, our history and our soul, giving us her Son, Jesus Christ, Lord of life and true freedom. She is the first disciple and missionary of the Love of God, and the one who knew how to place her beloved Son in every heart.
The thinker of Chilean origin Fr. Joaquín Alliende says: “As a divine pedagogy, the Incarnation is decisively prolonged in the linking of the place, because it is tangible, because the motherhood of the earth cannot be forgotten. In Guadalupe, that tangible maternity is Juan Diego's blanket, the "tilma" where the sky paints the mestizo image of Mary, and it is the "Casita", the Tepeyac temple that the Blessed Virgin demanded as the chest of the new icon that she gave away The Tepeyac maternity establishes the meeting house of the mestizo peoples in the past, today and tomorrow of Latin America and the Caribbean.

9- THE STARS ON THE RIGHT

On the right side of the Virgin's mantle the northern constellations are shown: On the shoulder, a fragment of the stars of the constellation Boyero (Bootes), down to the left follows the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Maior ) in the form of a frying pan. They surround her: on the right above, the hair of Berenice (Coma Berenices), on the right below, Greyhounds (Canes Venatici), on the left Thuban, which is the brightest star in the constellation of Dragon (Draco). Below two stars (which are still part of the Big Dipper), another pair of stars from the Charioteer constellation (Auriga) can be seen, and to the west, down, three stars from Taurus (Taurus). In this way, the 46 brightest stars that surround the horizon of the Valley of Mexico are fully identified and in their place, a little compressed.

THE STORY HIDDEN BY THE STARS OF THE RIGHT

Just as Saint Juan Diego presented himself to Bishop Zumárraga in 1531 to tell him about the message and affection of the brunette, in the same way on December 12, each one of the Mexicans presents himself in the Churches to place himself under the starry and loving mantle of his little mother from Tepeyac.
January 26, 2022

The holiday of December 12 is a celebration that expresses joy and gratitude. There are many people who today approach a Marian image to congratulate it. Adults and young people tell her: thank you little virgin. While the children, with that great simplicity that characterizes them, whisper to her: thank you mommy. This is the way in which the Mexican people today address their patron saint and queen. The streets dress up and the city smells of roses. Once again, those sweet and tender words that will remain engraved for eternity are heard in the heart of every Mexican: "Am I not here who am your mother?

January 26, 2022

January 26, 2022