Celebrating 470 years of an ongoing miracle, the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe 1531

In the year 1531 in Mexico, the Holy Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a peasant who was converting to Catholicism. It was the 9th of December, the original feast day of the Immaculate Conception, when Juan Diego was on his way to the Church for instruction and to hear Holy Mass. Juan heard someone calling him "Juanito...Juan Dieguito." Juan Diego looked to the top of Tepeyac Hill and saw a lady of overpowering brillance and beauty, who's garments shone like the sun. She appeared to be about 14 years old.

The Lady introduced herself in these words: "Know for certain, dearest of my sons, that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God, through whom everything lives, the Lord of all things, who is Master of Heaven and Earth. I ardently desire that a temple be built here for me where I will show and offer all my love, my compassion, my help and my protection to the people. I am your merciful Mother, the Mother of all who live united in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear there weeping and sorrows, and will remedy and alleviate their sufferings, necessites and misfortunes." She told Juan Diego to go the Bishop Zumarraga and tell him what he had seen and heard.

Juan Diego bowed reverently and said "My Holy One, my Lady, I will do what you ask of me."

Bishop Zumarraga had been sent by Spain to the New World to convert and instruct the native people. At that time in Mexico human sacrifice to the gods Quetelcoatl and Coatlicue, and various other pagan gods were occuring, as many as 20,000 victims would be sacrificed at the dedication of a temple.

Bishope Zumarraga had not been having much success converting the Aztec and native people and distrust and anger was spreading amongst the two. He had been praying to God for assistance and a sign, the sign was that of roses. Roses would be the sign that Bishop Zumarraga wanted in order to know that he was doing the right thing. But now it was December and roses were not blooming.

Juan Diego arrived and was greeted by the Bishop. The Bishop welcomed him warmly but upon hearing his story dismissed him pleasantly. Juan Diego thought he had failed and after hearing Mass and instruction returned to his home.

Our Lady appeared to him again, asking him if he had had success with the Bishop. Juan told Our Lady that he did not think the Bishop believed him and that perhasps she should send someone of greater importance. Our Lady smiled at Juan Diego, telling him that she had chosen him to be the deliverer of the message and urged him to return to the Bishop the next day and again make the request.

Juan Diego did return the next day and again gave the Bishop the message. Bishop Zumarraga was surprised to see Juan Diego again so soon. He questioned him a bit at length and again dismissed him. Now he wondered if there were something too Juans message. Before dismissing Juan Diego the Bishop told Juan that he needed a sign from the Lady to be convinced. Juan asked the Bishop what kind of sign he would like and he would tell the Lady the Bishops reequest. The Bishop told Juan that he would leave the sign up to the Lady to deliver.

On his way back home Juan Diego again encountered Our Lady. He told her that the Bishop had requested a sign but did not say what the sign should be. Our Lady told Juan: "That is very well,my little son, return here tomorrow and you will have the sign he requested." She also told him that he would be rewarded for all he had done on her behalf.

When Dec. 11th came Juan Diegos uncle, Juan Bernardino, was gravely ill and Juan Diego stayed by his side and did not go to the Bishop. All night he prayed and attended to his uncle until the morning of the 12th when his uncle took a turn for the worse. Juan wanted to get a priest to enable his uncle to recieve the sacraments before he died.

Juan now had a dilemma, if he went past Tepeyac hill he was sure to encounter the Lady. He wanted to get the priest in order to bring him to his uncle before he died but did not want to disappoint Our Lady so he decided to go around the other side of Tepeyac hill. He thought that surely Our Lady would understand.

As Juan Diego tried to duck Our Lady he was suddenly intercepted by her, as she called out to him "What is the matter my little son?" "Where are you going?" Juan explained to the Lady "Noble Lady, it will grieve you to hear what I have to say. My uncle, your poor servant, is very sick. He is suffering from the plague and is dying. I am hurrying to the Church in Mexico City to call a priest to here his confession and give him the last rites. When I have done this, I will return here immediately to convey your message." "Please forgive me and be patient with me. I am not decieving you. I promise to faithfully come here tomorrow with all haste."

There was a pause. Our Lady looked at Juan Diego and uttered the words that have rung down through nearly 5 centuries. "Listen and let it penetrate your heart, my dear little son, do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?" She then assured Juan that his uncle would not die from his illeness and at this very moment was cured.

She told Juan to go to the top of Tepeyac Hill and pick as many flowers as he could carry and bring them down to her. Juan climbed the hill and could not believe the multitude of Castilian Roses blooming on the top. They were blooming out of season. He gathered as many as he could carry and brought them down to Our Lady, who arranged them in his tilma (poncho made of cactus plant fibers. Our Lady arranged them and folded them up in Juans tilma. She told him that this was the sign that the Bishop wanted and to take them to him.

Juan Diego finally got in to see the Bishop with his bundle. The Bishop recieved Juan and Juan told him the following. "Your Excellency, I obeyed your instructions, very early this morning, the celestial Lady told me to come and see you again. I asked for the sign which you requested and which she had promised to give me. She told me to climb to the top of the hill where I had previously seen her, to pick the flowers growing there. I knew quite well that the summit of the hill was no place for flowers to grow, especially this time of year, but I did not doubt her word. When I reached the top, I was astonised to find myself surrounded by beautiful flowers. I plucked as many as I could carry and brought them back to her. She arranged them with her own hands and replaced them in my robe in order that I might bring them to you. Here they are. Behold, recieve them." With that Juan Diego released the ends of his tilma and the flowers, mingled with Castillian Roses, cascaded to the floor in a profusion of colour and perfume.

Zumarraga gazed speechless at the roses, the sign that he had been praying for peace in the country. Full of wonder he lifted his eyes back up to Juan Diego to find that the tilma now had an image of Our Lady appearing on it.

From that day, December 12th 1531, the tilma has survived, miraculously. At that time 8 million Mexicans and Aztec Indians converted to Catholicism. The human sacrifice to the pagan gods ceased.

For nearly 500 years there have been miracles through Our Lady and the tilma. Scientists have studied it, socialist revolutionaries tried to destroy it, there have been volumes written about the tilma, which is very much like the Shroud of Turin.

On this feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which means to the Aztecs "she who crushes the head of the serpent" I would urge you to read the story, say some special prayers to Our Lady, particularly to end the human sacrifice of abortion in this country.

I read through some of it all ready..obviously a lot of well read people contributing to that thread with historical facts to back up statments. I like studying biblical archaeology and history of christianity,judaism, catholicism and even more recently islam and even been reading a little bit about Hinduism due to the recent death of George Harrison. Theres a lot of info out there and it is hard to discern at times. The recent completed publication of the dead sea scrolls is very interesting as well. I enjoyed our exchange thoroughly...best regards...dale

Needless to say, I dont subscribe to that point of view, apparently nearly every Pope since Benedict XIV in the 1700's has honored Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope John Paul II was the first to visit the Basillica in 1979.

You can probably pick up a book at a library. Or you can catch EWTN if you have cable. You can go to a catholic book store and get books or videos.

Or, you can go to the Basillica in Mexico and see the tilma for yourself. It's still there. If you make it this week I'm sure there will still be much celebrating going on.

Any confusion you have probably is my fault, I typed the post from my memory and part from a book I have. I was in a bit of a hurry and things didnt turn out as good as they could have.

If your interested I recommend reading some books yourself (as you can see LOL) I'm not a great writer.

It took you how many posts to show that you truly hold nothing sacred?

We now know more about you than you probably wanted us to. And don't try the "can't you take a joke" tack. You are relegating the Lord's stepfather on earth, a role for which he was chosen because of his decency, to the role of cuckold and implying that his suggested celibacy added insult to injury.

You make a dirty joke of the Holy Family. This in spite of your more pious earlier posts.

Arent there some suggestions that these apparitions could be demonicly inspired to take focus away from Jesus Christ...to get as many people to stray from Christ centered worship by getting them to focus elsewhere? i did read over the website posted on #57. Interesting...not going to slam it and offend you. I've been reading alot lately and with renewed vigor....I was a bit upset by the death of George Harrison and the way several folks mandated that he was going to hell because of his krishna/hindu based faith. I try to read as much as possible and pray that God grants me knowledge to discern all gathered info. My main source of is the bible....hasnt failed me yet...although I have failed it repeatedly : ( , but that is the good thing about forgiveness and grace isn't it?

you are wrong..you dont think that people on the street were talking about Mary being in a "family way". You dont think that people were saying ...she's pregnant? yeah right, and it's God's baby? you dont think Joseph was in precarious positon being torn by devotion to his wife, devotion to what he was told by god's angel about his wife being with child, and more or less embarrassed about her being pregnant before they were married let alone having not consumated their marriage. you dont think joseph and mary consumated their marriage after the birth of christ....you dont think joseph and mary had sex ever? he was a man with natural desires and he had a wife , but he's not going to ever have sex with her?

Joseph was a man, Mary was a woman..Neither was devine, both completely 100% human with human wants and desires and needs. Neither of them were holy.Jesus Christ(Yeshua-yes folks he was Jewish)was the only one that was Holy . He also was a man, but he was also God and therefore able to withstand earthly temptations unlike Joseph and unlike Mary. They wre chosen by God to bring forth his son Jesus (Yeshua) into the world because they were found by God to be worthy of doing so, because they were worthy of this does not mean they were worthy of being worshipped or acting as a mediator between Man and God. And I do hold a lot of things sacred and one of them is to try and have an open mind and try to look at things from someone elses perspective while I try to maintain a steadfast faith. However when I read a post like yours, I will spar anytime. You show me one verse in the Holy Bible where it says that we are to worship and or follow anyone but Jesus Christ and I will humbly accept your chastisement!

Sorry I'm a bit late arriving to this little fracas, but here goes... I am not Catholic, but some of my dearest friends are, so I don't consider myself a Catholic basher, even though I disagree with most of the theology. I've been to the basilica in Mexico City and seen the tilma as close as I could get. It sure looks like a painting to me. Some also call it the Black Madonna because Mary's skin tone doesn't look like a lily-white European's -- the indians were said to be more attracted to the image and its message for that reason. I'm sure the image served its purpose of conversion, even though it wasn't divine in origin -- but then I don't accept the Shroud of Turin as divine, either. I don't require manifestations, apparitions, signs, or "miracles" to believe the Gospel -- just the internal evidence of Truth contained therein.

Missed the point entirely didn't you? Your faith is not in question. Just your good taste.

We agree on the humanity of Mary and Joseph. But, they were chosen, out of the billions of people who have walked the earth, to be the guardians of our Saviour's childhood. If you find their challenge of faith to be a subject for schoolboy humor then go right ahead. Just don't think that it doesn't reveal elements of your character.

I've yet to see a Fundamentalist thread disrupted by Catholics, yet you Bible-beaters troll this place, literally jumping offside in your efforts to belittle your fellow Christians

The problem is many of the "Bible believing" Christians don't see Catholics as Christians.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.