The Church celebrates today the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This feast is preceded by the Feast of St. Juan Diego, celebrated on 9th December.
Blessed Mother appeared four times to a poor peasant named Juan Diego in 1531. She wanted Juan Diego to deliver an important message to the Bishop. That was to build a church on Tepeyac Hill. It is recorded that she appeared to this poor peasant four times. The last time she appeared to him, she asked him to gather roses in his tilma (a cloak) he was wearing. When he opened the cloak as a sign for the Bishop who did not believe him at first, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted on the cloak. This incident occurred in the year 1531 on December 12th. Thus the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on this day.
Let’s take a look at why Our Lady of Guadalupe is important in the church. At the time when Mary appeared which took place in the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation made huge numbers of people in Europe leave the church. During this time Our Lady of Guadalupe helped convert millions of people. Up to date, Our Lady of Guadalupe is incredibly significant in the lives of Mexican people and she is the patron of Mexico and is interwoven into Mexican Culture. At present not only in Mexico but Our Lady of Guadalupe is honoured all over the world. The apparition site draw large number of pilgrims and has become one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage destination.
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not created by humans. The images that you see on the Tilma can be explained in accordance with Mesoamerican pictograph that would have been read by the native people. The moon shows Our Lady defeating the god of the night, Coyolxauhqui and she also crushes the feathered serpent Quetzalcoati.
Behind her you can see the Sun God, Huitzilopochtli, whom Our Lady overshadows. You also can give these images a Catholic meaning where in the book of Revelation and in Genesis, it is said that a woman clothed in sun defeated the dragon, like the serpent that represent Satan. The image Our Lady left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma still brings souls to Christ. Since 1531 the Tilma has been kept in a church at the foot of Tepeyac Hill, where the apparitions occurred. However, due to an earthquake the Tilma was moved to the New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe which was built closer to the old shrine. Pilgrims can view the Tilma hanging above the main altar of this Basilica to date.
