Guadalupe

Stephen Walkup's Our Lady of Guadalupe's Web Page

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First Apparition

On Saturday December 9, 1531, Juan Deigo was on his long nine-mile walk to mass and catechism with naked feet. While walking past Tepeyac Hill, a hill where a temple to the Aztec mother god Tonantzin once stood, he heard beautiful songbirds. For the Indians, beautiful music indicated something divine would happen.

Juan Diego saw Mary. Mary asked Juan to ask the Bishop to build a chapel where they are standing. Juan Diego went to the Bishop and asked if he could build a chapel on top of Tepeyak Hill. The Bishop said, "NO, not right now. I'll think about it"

Picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe taken by Stephen Walkup, Age 9, November 12, 2004 This is a duplicate of the shroud.

Second Apparition

The next day Juan went back to Tepeyak Hill. Mary said to ask the Bishop again..

Juan said, " I am a nobody, I am a small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf . Why don't you have someone more important talk to the Bishop?"

Mary replied, I could have chosen anyone to deliver this message, but I have chosen you. Go to the Bishop again and say, "It is the ever holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God who sends you. Please build a church."

Juan went to the Bishop and was told, "I need a sign."

Words on bottom right of painting

Third Apparition

That Sunday Juan told Mary that the Bishop required a sign. Mary said, "Return tomorrow morning and I will give you a sign."

On Monday, Juan stayed home because his uncle, Juan Bernardino, was very sick.

Fourth Apparition

On Tuesday, December 12, 1531, Juan went to get a priest. Instead of walking on the west side of the hill, like he usually did, he walk on the east side of the hill. Juan did not escape Mary's gaze.

Mary asked Juan, "What's the matter my dear little Juan."

Juan explained his uncle was sick and needed a priest.

Mary assured Juan that she would heal his uncle. Since Juan no longer needed to run that errand, Mary said, "Now you can run my errand. Go to the top of the hill and cut the flowers growing there."

Juan picked the beautiful Castilian roses that were blooming out of season. Mary wrapped these in Juan's tilma to protect them from the cold. Mary said, "Don't let anyone see these."

Juan went to the Bishop

The guards asked, "What is inside your cape?"

.Juan replied, " I can't show you."

When Juan finally got his audience with the Bishop, he opened his cape and all the beautiful roses fell out. Juan noticed the Bishop was not looking at the beautiful roses. The Bishop's eyes were on Juan's tilma. The Bishop and guards fell to their knees in adoration when they saw the beautiful picture of Our Lady, just as Juan had described her.

He bowed and he saw an exact picture of Mary , as she had been described.

The local people volunteered to build a chapel and it was ready by Christmas

Important Dates
1474	Juan Diego was born
1529	Juan's wife, Maria died
December 9, 1531	First Apparition
December 25, 1531	Chapel completed
May 30, 1548	Juan was buried at Tepeyac.
July 31, 2002	Pope John Paul II canonized Juan Diego a Saint
December 12	Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
1531 to 1538	Eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism

Symbols	Signification
Angel	The angel , that the Indians thought of as an intermediate god, symbolized that a new time would come, and that their time would end.
Christian Cross	The Christian Cross on the brooch around her neck indicates she is both a bearer and follower of Christ who died on the cross.
Cross (Indian)	In the center of the picture is the Indian cross which shows that Jesus will be the center of their universe. The Indian cross was the center of cosmic order to the Indians.
Eyes	On December 11, 1955, doctors publicly announced there were reflections of four people in Mary's eyes.. Doctors when using specialized instruments "see the same eye structure they find in a living person's eyes" (Saint Juan Diego by Josephine Noblisso). The left eye of our mother, Mary, has Juan Diego, the bishop and two guards that were in the room . Her eyes were looking down and that meant to the Indian people that Mary wasn't a god, because Indian gods always looked straight ahead, not down.
Face	Through the eyes of the Indian people, they thought Mary was one of them because her face and hair were a little dark.
Hands	Mary's hands are in an Indian position of offering, showing that something is to come from her. People today think of that hand position as being one of prayer.
Mantle	The mantle represent the blue-green color that is reserved for their Aztec's supreme god, Omecihuatl.That god was both male and female, mother and father, sometimes represented as a woman, and sometimes as a man.
Maternity Band	A maternity band is a band that symbolizes that the person is pregnant and that a baby is coming - that should be honored.
Moon	Mary is standing on the moon. The moon is dark. To the Aztec this mean she was greater than their moon god, who is the god of night.
Pale Red Dress	The red dress symbolizes an Indian princess.
Stars	The stars on the mantle represent the stars in the position they were at on that night. The stars were also a sign that a new civilization was beginning.
Sun	Mary blocks the sun but twelve rays still surround her head and body. That meant to the Aztec people that she was greater than their sun god, who was one of the most important gods.
Temperature	The temperature of the tilma remains at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit
Summary	The image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own! " http://www.maryourmother.net/Guadalupe.html

Links and Sources

http://www.maryourmother.net/Guadalupe.html

http://www.sancta.org/basilica.html (map and photo of current shrine)

http://www.udayton.edu/mary/questions/yq/yq89.html

http://www.sancta.org/ Prayers to Our lady of Guadalupe, Guadalupe online greeting cards & much more

Saint Juan Diego by Josephine Nobisso (book)