Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.

Voltaire

La Virgen de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe) is a Roman Catholic Title of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She holds a very special place in the culture of Mexicans and those of Mexican ancestry. This cultural and religious commemoration takes place every year on the 12th of December. 

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego who was an Aztec convert to Christianity, on December 9 and on December 12, 1531. Juan Diego was walking on the Tepeyac hill when Mary spoke to him in his indigenous language and asked him to go to the bishop and tell him it is her great desire to have a church built in her honor. She said she would bless and protect those who called upon her. 

Juan Diego encountered many obstacles while carrying out his task. First, he was unable to immediately convince the bishop to construct the church because he was by no means an influential person. When Diego told the bishop what the Blessed Mother said, he was told if he saw the apparition again to ask the Virgin Mary for proof to bring back to him. Juan Diego, also busy taking care of his uncle (who was gravely ill), missed a divine appointment he had with the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the 12th of December, Mary reappeared to Juan Diego for the 4th time (5 in total) and reassured him his uncle would be miraculously healed.

She also encouraged him to go back to the bishop despite these limitations and setbacks.

Mary said she would help him and gave him instructions to walk up the hill and find roses and bring them back down to her. Juan Diego was very skeptical of finding roses up the hill because of the time of year. Roses did not bloom during that time of year in Mexico. When Juan Diego got up the hill, he surprisingly found the roses and brought them back down to Mary. The Virgin Mary arranged the roses inside Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak) and sent him on his way to see the bishop.

When Juan Diego met with the bishop, he opened his tilma (cloak) and the roses fell to the floor. This was a  special surprise for the Spanish-born bishop, to whom Juan Diego presented the Castilian roses. The bishop recognized these roses to be from his homeland- not indigenous to Mexico. That wasn’t all, the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously imprinted onto the fabric of Juan Diego’s tilma when he dropped the roses at the foot of the bishop 

The bishop dropped to his knees and gave his blessing for the shrine to be built on the hill. Juan Diego lived in a small dwelling near the chapel for the rest of his life, serving as its caretaker, greeting pilgrims, and spending time in prayer and devotion. In 1548, he passed away and was buried in the chapel. On May 6, 1990, Juan Diego was canonized by Pope John Paul II at the Basilica of Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City.

This shrine is located in a suburb of Mexico City. The shrine is known as the Basilica de Guadalupe and the tilma (cloak) with the image of The Virgin Mary is still on display. The image has become a religious icon throughout Mexican history. The Basilica de Guadalupe is also the most popular religious pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere. Pope Pius Xll gave our lady of Guadalupe the title of “Empress of the Americas.” Here is a link that explains the symbolism of her on the tilma. You may also enjoy this link as well, https://youtu.be/KEhjwCsDDsc

Click to watch how many celebrate this feast day.

photo credit: Artist Raul Berzosa | raulberzosa.com unsplashed: Antonia Felipe

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