Our Lady of Guadalupe

Fr Dominic’s Homily

This is one of the most famous images of the Catholic world.

The Spanish army tried to convert the Latin Americans and Azteks because of their tradition of human sacrifice – especially of children but with little success. Then following this apparition of Our Lady within 10 years all of Mexico was converted – almost 9 million people.

The first apparition occurred on the morning of Saturday December 9, 1531 when a Mexican named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin “Quote la towatzin” experienced a vision of a young woman at a place called the Hill of Tepeyac, in a suburb of Mexico City.

The woman, speaking to Juan in his native language (the language of the Aztec Empire), identified herself as the Virgin Mary, "mother of the very true deity". She asked for a church to be built at that site in her honour.

Juan Diego met the archbishop of Mexico City to tell him what had happened. The bishop did not believe him, but on the same day Juan Diego saw the young woman for a second time.

On Sunday, December 10, Juan talked to the archbishop for a second time who instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill, and to ask the lady for a truly acceptable, miraculous sign to prove her identity.

That same day, the third apparition occurred when Diego returned to Tepeyac and seeing the same woman, he reported back to her the bishop's request for a sign; she agreed to provide one on the following day.

On Monday, December 11, however, Juan’s uncle had fallen sick so Juan went to him. In the very early hours of Tuesday, December 12 Juan Diego set to fetch a Catholic priest to hear his confession and help minister to him on his death-bed.

In order to avoid being delayed by Mary and ashamed at having failed to meet her on the Monday as agreed, Juan Diego chose another route around the hill, but Mary intercepted him and asked where he was going (fourth apparition); Juan explained what had happened and Mary gently told him off.

In the words which have become the most famous phrase of the Guadalupe event she asked, "Am I not here, I who am your mother?" She assured him that his uncle had now recovered and she told him to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill, which was normally barren, especially in the cold of December. Juan followed her instructions and he found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, blooming there

Mary arranged the flowers in Juan Diego's tilma, or cloak, and when Juan Diego opened his cloak before archbishop on Tuesday December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

The next day, on Wednesday December 13, Juan found his uncle fully recovered, as Mary had assured him, and he recounted that he too had seen her, at his bed-side (fifth apparition); that she had instructed him to inform the bishop of this apparition and of his miraculous cure; and he said that she had told him she desired to be known under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The bishop kept Juan Diego's mantle first in his private chapel and then in the church on public display. On December 26, 1531 a procession took the miraculous image back to Tepeyac where it was installed in a small chapel. 

She stands on the moon and blocks out the sun. For the Aztecs these were Gods. Yet she is not a goddess. She has her head bowed and her hands folded in prayer. She looks towards a higher power who is God. Stars correspond from Sun not earth. Stands on moon.

The Aztecs could read this image like a book. It had great meaning to them. The belt symbolises pregnancy. She comes as the Mother of Christ. Her knee protruding shows that she is dancing in the presence of God which had a powerful ritual meaning for the Aztecs.

Her temperature is a constant 36.8 degrees. Colours float. Unearthly dye. With a stethoscope placed above her abdomen you can hear a heartbeat that corresponds with that of a foetus.

In her eyes you can see a snapshot reflection of the Bishop and priests who were in the room when the flowers were presented. The tilma is made of cactus fibres that rarely last for more than 10 years. This has lasted 500 years and shows no sign of deterioration.

So much to say about the image. Similar to Shroud of Turin. Juan Diego's tilma has become Mexico's most popular religious and cultural symbol.

Let this image always remain in our hearts so that its meaning may produce miraculous effects in our lives and lead us ever closer to God.