Our Lady of Guadlalupe
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Posted on 12/12/2002 12:20:45 AM PST by nickcarraway
Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico as the pregnant Mother of God to Blessed Juan Diego, an Aztec Indian, on December 9, 10, and 12, 1531. She left a Miraculous Image of her appearance on his cactus fiber cloak, or "tilma", which still exists today for all to see in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Faith, Hope and Consolation
Our Lady came to offer faith, hope and consolation to the oppressed natives of Mexico and to reconcile them with their Spanish rulers. She put an end to the bloody human sacrifice of the Aztecs and converted ten million natives in the next 10 years!
After the conquest, the Spanish rule of the natives was so severe that a bloody revolt was imminent. Bishop Zummaraga prayed for Our Lady to intervene to prevent an uprising, to reconcile the Spanish and the natives and to bring peace. He asked that he would receive roses native to his homeland of Castile Spain as a sign that his prayer would be answered.
On December 9, 1531, Our Lady appeared to Blessed Juan Diego who was a recently converted Aztec. She asked his to go to the Bishop and request him to build a church for her on the barren hill of Tepeyac which is now part of Mexico City. Our Lady wanted to show her merciful love to all of her children. The prudent Bishop asked Juan to ask the Lady for a sign. Juan did so and Our Lady promised to give him the sign.
On December 12, Our Lady again appeared to Juan on Tepeyac Hill and told him to pick the Castilian roses which miraculously appeared there and bring them to the Bishop as a sign for him to believe her request. Juan gathered the roses into his tilma and brought them to the Bishop.
He opened the tilma to show them and, to everyone's astonishment, the Image of Our Lady appeared on it. The Bishop then built the church as Our Lady had requested and ten million natives were converted and baptized to the one, true faith within the next 10 years. Human sacrifice ended in Mexico forever. Our Lady of Guadalupe, which means Crusher of the serpent's head, brought the light of the true faith, crushed the false gods of Mexico, and established an era of peace.
The Image as Pictograph
The Image of Our Lady is actually an Aztec Pictograph which was read and understood quickly by the Aztec Indians.
1. THE LADY STOOD IN FRONT OF THE SUN — She was greater than their dreaded sun-god "Huitzilopochtli".
2. HER FOOT RESTED ON THE CRESCENT MOON — She had clearly vanquished their foremost deity, the feather serpent "Quetzalcoatl".
3. THE STARS STREWN ACROSS THE MANTLE — She was greater than the stars of heaven which they worshipped. She was a virgin and the Queen of the heavens for Virgo rests over her womb and the northern crown upon her head. She appeared on December 12, 1531, for the stars that she wore are the constellation of stars that appeared in the sky that day!
4. THE BLUE-GREEN HUE OF HER MANTLE — She was a Queen for she wears the color of royalty.
5. THE BLACK CROSS ON THE BROOCH AT HER NECK — Her God was that of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ her son.
6. THE BLACK BELT — She was with child for she wore the Aztec Maternity Belt.
7. THE FOUR-PETAL FLOWER OVER THE WOMB — She was the "Mother of God." The flower was a special symbol of life, movement and deity — the center of the universe.
8. HER HANDS ARE JOINED IN PRAYER — She was not God but clearly there was one greater than Her and she pointed her finger to the cross on her brooch.
9. THE DESIGN ON HER ROSE-COLORED GARMENT — She is the "Queen of the Earth," for she is wearing a map of Mexico telling the Indians exactly where the apparition took place.
The Image and Science
1. The image to this date, cannot be explained by science.
2. The image shows no sign of deterioration after 450 years! The tilma or cloak of Juan Diego on which the image of Our Lady has been imprinted, is a coarse fabric made from the threads of the maguey cactus. This fiber disintegrates within 20-60 years!
3. There is no under-sketch, no sizing and no protective over-varnish on the image.
4. Microscopic examination revealed that there were no brush strokes.
5. The image seems to increase in size and change colors due to an unknown property of the surface and substance of which it is made.
6. According to Kodak of Mexico, the image is smooth and feels like a modern-day photograph. (It was produced 300 years before the invention of photography.)
7. The image has consistently defied exact reproduction, whether by brush or camera.
8. Several images can be seen reflected in the eyes of the Virgin. It is believed to be the images of Juan Diego, Bishop Juan de Zummaraga, Juan Gonzales, the interpreter and others.
9. The distortion and place of the images are identical to what is produced in the normal eye which is impossible to obtain on a flat surface.
10. The stars on Our Lady's Mantle coincide with the constellation in the sky on December 12, 1531. All who have scientifically examined the image of Our Lady over the centuries confess that its properties are absolutely unique and so inexplicable in human terms that the image can only be supernatural!
(Dan Lynch is the National Guardian of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. To receive his free newsletter, click here.)
Our Lady of Guadlalupe
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Have any of you visited this?
The images are not coming up.........so click on the link to view them. Sorry.
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The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe Map of the Shrine
1. Chapel of Tepeyac - On this site once stood the Aztec temple to Tonantzin, our venerated mother, mother of the gods. It is here that the true Mother of God chose to appear to Juan Diego and supplant the idolatrous worship of the indigenous peoples with worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit. In this chapel the holy image initially was venerated, cared for by Juna Diego, who lived on the premises. Today only a replica hangs here, the original image is in the modern basilica.
2. Old Basilica - begun in 1695 and finished in 1709 this basilica succeeded the Chapel of Tepeyac as the shrine of the Image. However, because Mexico (City) is built on a lake bed the basilica has both settled and been subject to the ravages of the earthquakes experienced by the city. Today it is leaning considerably and has been closed for the safety of the public.
2a. Statue - Standing adjacent to the Basilica, between the old and new one, is a statue of Pope John Paul II, dedicated in 1981 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the apparitions and the first anniversary of the Pope's initial visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
3. New Basilica, with its round Baptistry (3a)- dedicated in 1976 the new basilica can hold 20,000 people and gives an unobstructed view of the Image and the altar to all. There are 1000 subterranean pillars to support the structure, but no internal ones. Between the altar and the wall upon which the Image hangs is a space where the people can pass on a conveyor belt system to view the Image above. Each day from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Holy Mass is celebrated each half hour for the sake of the pilgrims.
4. Plaza of the Americas - a great open plaza permits the attendance of many hundreds of thousands beyond those who can enter the Basilica. On such occasions the front walls of the Basilica can be rolled aside permitting a view of the interior from the Plaza. Here often can be seen various peoples singing, dancing and exhibiting the culture and costumes of their regions for visitors - a testimony to the unity of the various indigenous peoples in the Catholic faith which has been accomplished by the Virgin of Guadalupe. Here also, as at other religious shrines in Latin countries, can be seen penitents completing the last stage of their journey to Our Lady on their knees.
5. Capuchin Chapel - the parish church of the region, it has also suffered from sinking. It is believed that Juan Diego is buried on the site.
Old Basilica and Capuchin Chapel 6. Carillon - Completed in 1991 this bell and clock tower shows computerized images representing the four apparitions of Our Lady to Juan Diego, as a means of catechesis. Standing 76.5 feet tall, it can play 38 different chimes and 23 melodies.
7. Chapel of the Indians - this first church on the site is a especially frequented by native Americans. 8. Chapel of the Well - dedicated in 1777 this chapel is built over a sulphurous spring from pre-Columbian times, one that is reputed to have medicinal properties.
9. Galleon - the masts of a ship were carried to the site in the 1700s, in fulfillment of a vow to build a shrine on Tepeyac if Our Lady would save the ship's crew from a tropical storm. The masts were carried on the backs of the sailors from Vera Cruz on the coast to Tepeyac and today are encased within the modern monument. |
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Interesting -- the images in #9 don't immediately show up, but you can view them by clicking on the empty spaces. Go figure?
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December 12, 2006
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The feast in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes back to the sixteenth century. Chronicles of that period tell us the story.
A poor Indian named Cuauhtlatohuac was baptized and given the name Juan Diego. He was a 57-year-old widower and lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning, December 9, 1531, he was on his way to a nearby barrio to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared. Eventually the bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. This led poor Diego to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego, nevertheless, assured him that his uncle would recover and provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531. Quote:
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