Flora Cantábrica

Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12 – Mexico

Tweet

Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12 – Mexico
SHARE

«Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, sweet Lady and our Mother, we turn to you to thank you with all our hearts for having chosen that the canonization of your faithful servant, Juan Diego, «the least of your sons,» take place here, in your «sacred house» of Tepeyac.
«Mother, we fervently ask you that this canonization serve to promote the New Evangelization throughout the Americas and throughout the world. May Juan Diego, whom we can now venerate as a saint, be a true model of Christian life for «all the inhabitants of these lands and all those who love you who invoke your name.»
» Supplication to the Virgin of Guadalupe, pronounced by the Holy Father during the Canonization Mass of Saint Juan Diego on July 31, 2002.
THE NICAN MOPOHUA:
This is the account of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Blessed Juan Diego, an indigenous Aztec, which occurred from December 9 to 12, 1531. Originally written in the Nahuatl language, still in use in various regions of Mexico, the two initial words, Nican Mopohua, have been used par excellence to identify this account, although many indigenous documents begin the same way. The full title is: «Here is the account of how recently the Perfect Virgin, Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Queen, miraculously appeared there at Tepeyac, renowned for Guadalupe.» It is the principal source of our knowledge of the Message of the Blessed Virgin to Blessed Juan Diego, to Mexico, and to the world. The oldest copy is in the New York Public Library’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Department. The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation.
THE AUTHOR:
It is attributed to Don Antonio Valeriano (1520?–1605?), a distinguished indigenous sage and disciple of Friar Bernardino de Sahagún. Don Antonio received the story from the lips of the seer, who died in 1548.
THE PLOT:
It narrates the evangelization of a culture through the intervention of God and the Blessed Virgin. Reading between the lines and further, from a Nahuatl perspective, one realizes how this evangelization permeated the most intimate fibers of pre-Hispanic culture.
The union of two irreconcilable peoples takes place. In the fullness of time, the Blessed Virgin Mary, bearer of Christ, appears for America. There is an identification of the essential elements of the Bible: Christ, the center of history (John 3:14-16) with the essential elements of the Nican Mopohua (vv. 26-27) and with the essential elements of the glyphic message of the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe: the Sun Child she carries in her Most Holy womb.
THE PROTAGONISTS:
The Virgin who requests a temple to reveal her Son. Blessed Juan Diego, visionary and confidant of the Blessed Virgin. Bishop Friar Juan de Zumárraga, to whose authority the matter is entrusted. Blessed Juan Diego’s uncle, miraculously healed. The Bishop’s servants who follow Blessed Juan Diego and spy on him. The entire city recognizes the supernatural nature of the image and gives its heart to the Blessed Virgin.
THE APPARITIONS:
Account of the apparitions according to the Nican Mopohua, the oldest extant writing on the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Third Apparition:
The following day, Sunday, very early in the morning, he left his house and went straight to Tlatilolco to learn about divine things and be present at the counting, so that he could immediately see the prelate. At almost ten o’clock, he got ready after Mass had been heard, the counting had been made, and the crowd had dispersed. Juan Diego immediately went to the Bishop’s palace. As soon as he arrived, he made every effort to see him. Once again, with great difficulty, he saw him; he knelt at his feet; he was saddened and wept as he explained to him the command of the Lady of Heaven, that she hoped he would believe her message and the will of the Immaculate Conception to build her temple where she expressed her desire. To be sure, the Bishop asked him many things, including where he had seen her and what she looked like; and he told the Bishop everything perfectly. Even though he explained with precision her figure and everything he had seen and admired, in every way it was evident that she was the ever-Virgin Most Holy Mother of the Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ; nevertheless, the Bishop did not believe him and said that not only because of his talk and solicitude would what he asked be done; that, in addition, a sign was very necessary so that people would believe that the Lady of Heaven herself had sent him. As soon as he heard this, Juan Diego said to the Bishop: «Sir, consider what the sign you are asking for must be; I will immediately go and ask it of the Lady of Heaven who sent me here.» Seeing that the Bishop confirmed everything without hesitation or retraction, he dismissed him. He immediately sent some people from his house, whom he could trust, to follow him and keep a close watch on where he went and whom he saw and spoke to. This was done. Juan Diego went straight and walked along the causeway; those who came behind him, where the ravine passes, near the Tepeyacac ​​bridge, lost him; And although they searched everywhere, they didn’t see him anywhere. So they turned back, not only because they were annoyed, but also because his attempt was hindered and he angered them. They went to tell the Bishop this, leaning toward him not believing him: they told him that he was merely deceiving them; that he was merely fabricating what he had come to say, or that he was merely dreaming what he said and asked for; and in short, they decided that if he returned again, they would catch him and punish him severely, so that he would never again lie and deceive. Meanwhile, Juan Diego was with the Blessed Virgin, telling her the answer he had brought from the Bishop; which, heard by the Lady, said to him: «It’s fine, my little son. You will return here tomorrow to take the Bishop the sign he has asked of you; with this, he will believe you, and he will no longer doubt or suspect you; and know, my little son, that I will repay you for your care and the work and fatigue you have undertaken for me; go now, for I will await you here tomorrow.» Fourth Apparition:
«The next day, Monday, when Juan Diego had to bring some sign to be believed, he did not return. Because when he arrived home, an uncle he had, named Juan Bernardino, had become ill, and was very ill. First, he went to call a doctor and he helped him; but it was no longer time; he was already very ill. At night, his uncle begged him to leave early in the morning and come to Tlatilolco to call a priest, who would go to confess him and prepare him, because he was very certain that it was time for him to die and that he would never get up or recover. On Tuesday, very early in the morning, Juan Diego came from his house to Tlatilolco to call the priest; and when he was approaching the road that leads out next to the slope of the Tepeyacac ​​hill, toward the west where he was accustomed to pass, he said: «If I go straight ahead, lest the Lady see me, and in any case, stop me, so that I can take the sign to the prelate, as he warned me; let our affliction leave us first, and let me quickly call the priest; my poor uncle is certainly waiting for him.» Then he turned around the hill, climbed through it, and crossed to the other side, toward the east, to reach Mexico City quickly and not be stopped by the Lady of Heaven. He thought that the way he turned around, She who is always looking clearly in all directions, could not see him. He saw her come down from the top of the hill and that she was looking in the direction where he had seen her before. He went out to meet her on the side of the hill and said to her: «What is it, my youngest son? Where are you going?» He was a little embarrassed, or ashamed, or frightened. He bowed before her and greeted her, saying: «My child, the youngest of my daughters. My Lady, I hope you are happy. How did you wake up? Are you well, my Lady and my Child?» I am going to cause you affliction: know, my Child, that a poor servant of yours, my uncle, is very ill: he has caught the plague, and is about to die. Now I am going in haste to your house in Mexico to call one of the priests beloved by Our Lord, who will go to confess and prepare him; because from the moment we were born we came to await the work of our death. But I am going to do it, I will return here again soon, to go and carry your message. My Lady and my Child, forgive me, be patient with me for now; I do not deceive you. My littlest daughter,
THE MIRACLE OF THE IMAGE:
When Juan Diego arrived at the Bishop’s palace, the steward and other servants of the prelate came out to meet him. He begged them to tell him he wanted to see him; but none of them would, pretending not to hear him, either because it was too early, or because they already knew him, that he was only bothering them, because he was inopportune. Besides, their companions had already informed them that they had lost sight of him when they had gone to follow him. Juan Diego waited for a long time. When they saw that he had been standing there for a long time, head bowed, doing nothing, they decided to call him just in case. Furthermore, it seemed he was carrying something in his lap, so they approached him to see what he was carrying and satisfy themselves. Seeing that he could not hide what he was carrying from them, and that they would therefore bother, push, and beat him, Juan Diego revealed a few flowers. And when they saw that they were all different, and that it wasn’t the season for them to bloom, they were greatly astonished, as well as that they were so fresh, so open, so fragrant, and so beautiful. They tried to pick and take some of them; but they had no luck the three times they dared to take them; for when they went to pick them, they no longer saw real flowers, but rather they seemed painted, carved, or sewn into the blanket. They then went to tell the Bishop what they had seen and that the little Indian who had come so many times was trying to see him; and that he had been waiting for this very long, wanting to see him. Upon hearing this, the Bishop realized that this was the proof, so that what the little Indian was asking for could be certified and fulfilled. He immediately ordered him to come in to see him. As soon as he entered, he humbled himself before him, just as he had done before, and recounted again everything he had seen and admired, and also his message. (Juan Diego) told him: «Lord, I did what you ordered me, to go and tell my Mistress, the Lady of Heaven, Holy Mary, precious Mother of God, that you asked for a sign so that she could believe me that you would build the temple where she asks you to erect it; and I also told her that I had given you my word to bring you some sign and proof, which you entrusted to me, of her will. She condescended to your errand and graciously accepted what you asked for, some sign and proof so that her will be fulfilled. Very early today she sent me to come see you again; I asked her for the sign so that you would believe me, just as she had told me she would give it to me; and she immediately fulfilled it; she sent me to the top of the hill, where I had seen her before, to go and pick several flowers. After I went to pick them, I brought them down; she picked them up with her hand and again threw them into my lap, so that I could bring them to you and give them to you in person. Although I knew well that The summit of the hill is no place for flowers to grow, for there are only many cliffs, thistles, thorns, prickly pears, and mesquite trees; however, I did not hesitate. When I reached the summit of the hill, I saw that I was in paradise, where all the various and exquisite Castilian roses were gathered together, shining with dew, which I then went to cut. She told me why she had to give them to you; and so I do, so that you may see in them the sign you ask of me and fulfill her will; and also so that the truth of my word and my message may appear. Here they are: receive them.» She then unwrapped her blanket, for she had the flowers in her lap; and as soon as all the different blossoms were scattered on the ground, the precious image of the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God, was suddenly outlined on it, just as it is and is kept today in her temple at Tepeyacac, which is called Guadalupe. After the Bishop saw her, he and all those present knelt; they greatly admired her; they stood up to see her, and they were saddened and distressed, showing that they had contemplated her with their hearts and minds. The Bishop, with tears of sadness, prayed and asked for forgiveness for not having carried out her will and command. When he stood up, he untied Juan Diego’s neck, where it was tied, the mantle in which the Lady of Heaven had been drawn and appeared. Then he took it and went to place it in his oratory. Juan Diego remained for another day in the Bishop’s house, but the Bishop detained him. The next day he said to him: «Go, show me where it is the Lady of Heaven’s will that her temple be built.» Immediately, everyone was invited to do so. THE MYSTERY OF THE VIRGIN’S EYES:
March 27, 1956. In what constitutes the first report issued by a physician on the image’s eyes, he certifies the presence of the triple reflection (Samson-Purkinje effect) characteristic of every normal, living human eye and affirms that the resulting images are located exactly where they should be according to the aforementioned effect, and also that the distortion of the images perfectly matches the curvature of the cornea. That same year, another ophthalmologist, Dr. Rafael Torrija Lavoignet, examined the image’s eyes in more detail, using an ophthalmoscope.

They then brought Juan Bernardino to the Bishop, to inform him and testify before him. The Bishop hosted both him and his nephew in his house for a few days, until the temple of the Queen was erected at Tepeyacac, where Juan Diego saw her. The Bishop transferred the holy image of the beloved Lady of Heaven to the Main Church: he removed it from the oratory of his palace where it was, so that all the people could see and admire her image.
SAINT JOHN DIEGO: «Juanito, Juan Diego,» the Virgin called him, «the smallest of my children… my little son.»
Page dedicated to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
THE GUADALUPAN CULT:
Her cult, initially located in the Valley of Mexico, later spread throughout the vast territory of New Spain and beyond, and everywhere left vivid manifestations of her presence. From a devotion initially limited to the natives, it became that of the mestizos and criollos, and soon became universal. All this is attested by the many reproductions of her image, the temples and altars that were built in her honor, and the devotional, theological, historical, and literary works dedicated to her.
SIGNIFICANCE OF GUADALUPANISM:
The Virgin of Guadalupe, with great popular rejoicing, was recognized by the papacy and the Spanish monarchy as the patron saint of New Spain. The new cult provided an autonomous spiritual foundation for the Mexican Church, as from then on, the idea that American Christianity arose thanks to the intervention of the Virgin of Guadalupe was affirmed. Criollos, indigenous people, and castes united in the veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who represented the criollo homeland. This veneration became a factor of national unity. The image would be invoked and displayed as a remedy for droughts, floods, and epidemics, and later, the insurgents adopted it as a political banner. Thus emerged a national symbol, recognized by the vast majority of the inhabitants of New Spain, a symbol that freed the Creoles from their Spanish origins, detached them from Spain, and allowed them to identify with the land where they lived.
THE STARS OF THE MANTLE:
The Virgin of Guadalupe’s mantle faithfully depicts the sky of the winter solstice of 1531, which occurred at 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, December 12, Mexico City time. All the constellations are represented, which extend across the sky visible at sunrise and at the moment when Juan Diego shows his tilma (Aztec cloak) to Bishop Zumárraga. On the right side of the mantle are the main constellations of the northern sky. On the left side, the southern constellations are visible in the early winter morning from Tepeyac. The east is located above and the west is located below. Since the mantle is open, there are other star clusters that are not indicated in the image but are present in the sky. Thus, the Corona Borealis is located on the Virgin’s head, Virgo on her chest, at the level of her hands, Leo on her belly, just above the sign of Nahui Ollin, with its main star called Regulus, the little king. Gemini, the twins, are located at the level of her knees, and Orion, where the Angel is located. In short, the main stars of the winter constellations can be identified on the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All of them are in their proper place, with very minor modifications.
THE IMAGE FROM AN AESTHETIC POINT OF VIEW:
Regarding an analysis of the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe, it can be said that it is a painting of extraordinary beauty. According to Alberti, a painting should generally consider color, line, and composition. The latter is defined as the harmonious union of parts to form a whole, constituting unity in the diversity of objects. One of the most beautiful ways to achieve this is through the so-called golden, or divine, proportion. It is formed by a square to which a rectangle is added, forming a space where the shorter side corresponds to the longer side in a ratio of 1 to 1.6181… known as the golden ratio.»
Starting from the central seam of Juan Diego’s Tilma, the golden ratio is clearly identified in the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It gives it a special beauty and, furthermore, by coinciding in its development with virtually all the elements of the figure, reinforces its integrity and strongly refutes the strange idea that any additions have been made to it. It is also an important argument to demonstrate the great aesthetic value of the image, to which no element can be added or removed without deteriorating its beauty. It also makes it improbable, from a statistical point of view, that so many signs of different disciplines are found in the painting and that they were the result of chance.

he Guadalupe Event is a true Gospel. This word, coming from the Greek, means «Good News.» And truly, the Event contains different Good News, not just one. The Virgin of Guadalupe -Tlecuauhtlapcopeuh- is «She Who Proceeds from the Region of Light as the Eagle of Fire.» And the Fire that transforms her into the Sun is the Sun-Child she carries in her womb. She is the News that brings Joy. She is Good News because Guadalupe vindicates Juan Diego in his dignity as a person, as a responsible protagonist, capable of bringing a mission to its successful culmination. Her Good News is an effective word. It undoubtedly cures Uncle Bernardino who is already dying from a deadly illness. Juan Bernardino personifies the conquered, beaten, infected Mexican People. But Guadalupe transforms Tepeyacac ​​into a garden of rare, exquisite, fresh, aromatic, and significant roses. It was neither the time nor the appropriate place for them to be there. Our Lady also transforms the hearts of those who were located in the Fray Juan de Zumárraga Religious Center, to accept the instructions that come from the periphery. Tlatelolco would recognize The power of truth that emerges from the world of the conquered. The Holy Mary of Guadalupe will echo and voice from all of them from TEPEYAC.
THE FESTIVAL
For Mexicans, the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe is the most important national feast. A large number of people from different parts of the country make a pilgrimage to the shrine or Basilica of Guadalupe using various means of transportation, ranging from cars, buses, bicycles, or simply on foot. They do so to give thanks for favors received, to ask for help, or simply out of tradition.
On the esplanade outside the temple, you can see pre-Hispanic, colonial-era, or somewhat modern dances. However, all attendees agree on one thing: the great love they profess for the «morenita» (little dark-skinned woman). The night before the big day, the Virgin receives «mañanitas» (morning songs) at her home from a large number of people, all of them willing to express their great love for her through songs (there you can see a large number of artists and groups). of famous people singing to their queen and mother of heaven).
On December 12, 1998, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe was visited by approximately 6 million faithful.
In 1910, Pius X declared her «Celestial Patroness of Latin America,» and in 1945, Pius XII called her Empress of the Americas.
MARY – THE CHURCH – LITURGICAL YEAR – BIBLICAL TEXTS – ADVOCATIONS – PRAYERS
Enviar comentarios