Myths of Latin America

The Virgin of Guadalupe Myth: Her Miraculous Appearance in Latin America

-La Virgen de Guadalupe, la tilma de Juan Diego; The Virgen of Guadalupe, Juan Diego’s cloak; Basílica de Guadalupe, 2002

The Virgin of Guadalupe, also known as the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, or even Saint Mary, is one of the most prominent figures in the Catholic religion. She is the mother of Jesus Christ,and plays a large role in Catholic art, music, and literature. One can travel to Latin America and expect to see a shrine, painting, or some sort of depiction of the Virgin Mary in almost every home. Saint Mary can represent a new religion for indigenous people during the time of conquest, but also can serve as a reminder of el requerimiento and the forcing of Catholicism upon the native people. The portrait, now over 470 years old, remains in the Basílica de Guadalupe (the church), in Mexico City where millions visit every year, especially on the feast day, recalling the appearance of her miraculous image on the tilma (cloak) of Juan Diego.

-The church: http://www.genesisturismo.com.br/genesis/central.asp

For many, the Virgin of Guadalupe represents the mother of all Christian beings. Her portrait that appears on paintings, murals, and of course, Juan Diego’s tilma, is a constant spiritual reminder of her motherly role for Catholics. Individuals all around the world bring their own meaning to the Virgin and in keeping with that tradition, I have created my own “myth” about her discovery in the New World , recounting Juan Diego’s story in a fictional diary. But even though the journal is imaginary, the storyline that inspired it comes from an official account of the miracle of the Virgin.

The Story:

The year is 1531, Mexico City . An indigenous man by the name of Juan Diego is about to come across one of the most recognized figures in the Catholic religion in Latin America: the Virgin of Guadalupe. From the days December 9, through December 12, 1531, Juan Diego meets the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tepeyac Hill several times, in which she asks him to be her messenger and build a church in the name of Her in Mexico City . Ironically, Tepeyac, once the site of the temple of Tonanzin, the gentle goddess of Earth and corn whose name means “our mother,” is now the site of the beautiful cathedral named after the Virgin Mary. This is the journal of Juan Diego during the time of his magnificent encounter with the Virgin of Guadalupe. In order to truly try to understand the intensity and importance of the event, it is necessary to dig deeper and consider what Juan Diego might have been feeling at the time when the Mother of God majestically appeared to him. Through the eyes of Juan Diego, one can understand, from his emotions and actions, the brilliance of Our Lady as he saw her on the hill. The feelings Juan Diego might have been having through his experiences are shown in the fantastic journal entries that follow.

December 2, 1531-Saturday morning

Today is Saturday-the day we “new” Christians must attend our obligatory morning catechism class. I am a convert, but with only ten years since the coming of the Spaniards, I am still reluctant in the new belief system. At times I wonder what has happened to our once rich and proud religion of my ancestors, one of many gods, now overcome by Catholicism. I do not condemn this conversion, because I believe there is worth in the Spaniard’s system. But not all in my village are like me, and those who aren’t pay a heavy price of punishment and enslavement. The times have been changing and will continue to change.

-Juan Diego- Oleo de Miguel Cabrera, en el Museo de la Basílica de Guadalupe

-Escalada, Xavier S.J., Enciclopedia Guadalupana, Temática-Histórica-Onomástica

Saturday, December 9, 1531

What a day! I cannot even begin to understand what has happened to me this wonderful morning. I awoke early with the birds, cooked a quiet breakfast and began my weekly journey across Lake Texcoco to the ceremonial center of Tlatelolco for Saturday morning catechism class. All of a sudden, the air became very still, and I began hearing the most beautiful birdlike song. At first I believed it to be my imagination, ‘Could I be dreaming?’ because it was so wonderful, but much to my surprise, the birdsong slowly transformed into a magnificent woman’s voice chanting my name! “Juanito, Juan Dieguito.”

I was a little apprehensive at first but the sweet tone of her voice was so remarkable that I followed it without hesitation. Oh how beautiful she was! Words cannot do her the justice she deserves. Majestic and dazzling, she was brilliantly shining in the golden morning sun. As she stood on the stony ridge that appeared to be covered with jade and shimmering gems, she spoke to me once again, asking me this time where I was going. I replied with sincerity but barely enough breath, in awe of that wonderful sight:

“My lady, my queen, my dearest child, I am on my way to your beloved house in México-Tlatelolco. There I seek the teachings about divine things which are kindly rendered to us by those who are the images of our Lord and Master, our priests.” *

I remember her words exactly when she answered me with her harmonious voice of her own purpose for appearing to me on the hill:

“My dearest child, be assured that I am the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the true God: the One by whom we all live, the Creator of humanity, the Master of all that is close and nearby, the Master of Heaven and Earth. I ardently desire that here you all might be kind enough to build me my little temple.

There I will reveal to the people, and exalt before them, and bestow upon them, the One who is all my love, my compassion, my help, my salvation.

For it is truly my honor to be the merciful Mother of you all: of you personally and of all of you who dwell together in this land, as well as of the other diverse groups of peoples who love me, who cry out to me, who seek me, granting me the honor of loving me.

For there I will deign to hear their weeping, their sadness so that I might purify, might heal all their different afflictions, pains and sorrows.” *

At that moment I was overwhelmed with disbelief. The Virgin Mary! She then proceeded to ask me, yes me, Juan Diego, to be her personal “ambassador” to Fray Juan de Zumárraga, (the bishop-elect of México), and ask him to fulfill her desire to build a church for her at Tepeyac Hill. I was to go to the bishop and tell him all that I had seen. Before I accepted the task, she left me with these words:

“And be sure that I will greatly appreciate your efforts and repay you; wherefore I will make you blessed and will give you happiness. Thus you will greatly deserve my rewarding your fatigue, your toil, your inconvenience in discharging the commission that I confer upon you.

Now that you have heard me, my most beloved child, I ask you to go and do everything in your power.” *

-Juan Diego and Saint Mary: http://www.corazones.org/maria/america/mexico_guadalupe.htm

I set off walking quicker than usual, thinking that the bishop would be astonished and receive me well, ready to fulfill the Virgin Mary’s request at once. But much to my surprise, the bishop dismissed me, telling me to come back at a different time when he could receive me more calmly. Why didn’t he trust me? I am neither criollo nor wealthy, but I have seen the Mother of God! Extremely discouraged and saddened by the bishop’s reaction, I returned to the Virgin Mary who was waiting for me and begged her to find someone more worthy of this task:

“Therefore I beg you most heartily, my lady, my queen, my dearest Virgin, that you confer the responsibility of communicating your message on someone from among the distinguished nobility, someone who is well known, respected and honored, someone who will be believed.

For truly, I am a poor little man, worth little. I am contemptible, small fry, a vassal. It is not my place to go to the spot where you sent me or to linger there, my dearest Virgin, my most beloved daughter, lady, queen. Please forgive me; I will only cause you sorrow and fall into your disfavor, lady, my mistress.” *

But instead of dismissing me, she consoled me:

“Listen, my dearest child, and be assured that I have no lack of servants and messengers to whom I could entrust my message and the carrying-out of my will. However, it is absolutely necessary that you in particular be the one who goes and speaks, the one by whose means my will should be carried-out and accomplished.

Heartily do I beseech you, my dearest child, and strictly do I command you, that you go back to the bishop tomorrow. Advise him most clearly in my name to listen to my desire, to build me the house I have requested. And tell him once more that it is I, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who sends you there as a messenger.” *

And with that I returned home and here I am now, thinking and reflecting about this wonderful yet strange event had happened to me, and about how I will be able to make the bishop hear me- believe me.

-Statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the Hill of Tepeyac, 2002

Monday, December 11, 1531

I have failed the Mother of God once again! Oh what do I do now? I suppose I should start from yesterday morning when I went to Tlatelolco for Sunday mass and tried yet again to tell the bishop about my encounter with the Holy Lady. He asked me a series of questions about my meeting with the Virgin before dismissing me once again, not convinced. But before he told me to go, he requested that I bring to him a sign from the Virgin Mary in order to confirm my truthfulness. I returned to Tepeyac Hill to the Mother, where I informed her of the bishop’s desire for a sign:

“Very well, my most beloved child, tomorrow you will come here once more in order to take to the High Priest the proof, the sign that he asks of you. By its means he will immediately believe you and he will not distrust you nor suspect you in its regard.

And be absolutely sure, my most beloved child, that I will recompense you or the care that you have lavished on this task, and the fatigue that you have incurred, all for love of me. Take heart, my dearest child! Tomorrow I will be awaiting your arrival here eagerly.” *

But when I arrived at home last night, Uncle Juan Bernardino, my father’s brother, had come down with a serious illness. Today, sadly, my uncle’s condition is still very poor, and I was not able to go and visit the Virgin to obtain the sign to bring to the bishop.

Uncle Juan’s health has deteriorated to the point where he would like me to go to Tlatelolco in search of a priest to hear his confession in his great gravity; I do fear for him. What do I do? If I go past the hill where the Virgin stands she will wonder why I did not come to see her, and furthermore, she will wonder why I do not have enough time to talk with her? I am extremely worried-how did I get involved in all this? I must be going to bed now, I shall start early tomorrow morning to find a priest for my uncle.

Tuesday, December 12, 1531

I cannot begin to express the feelings I am feeling today. But I shall try, for what has happened today I will need to keep in my memory and pass down as a story to my children and their children. It started when I set foot on my journey to find the priest for my terribly ill Uncle Juan. Deciding to take a shorter route to make haste (and also to avoid seeing the Virgin Mary whom I had failed to see the previous day), I tried to maneuver past the hill without being seen by her. It did not work. In fact, she came down from the hilltop and stopped me, asking me once again where I was going and what I was doing. I was quite nervous, not wanting to have insulted the Mother of God, and so I quickly explained the grave nature of my uncle’s health and that I was seeking a priest to come to his death bed. But with the utmost assurance, she calmly stated:

“Please heed this, my dearest child, and be absolutely convinced: the thing that frightened you and caused you such anguish is absolutely nothing; do not be distressed. Please do not fear this illness or any other sickness or affliction whatsoever.

Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not on my lap, enfolded in my arms? Do you have need of anything else?

Please, let nothing else distress you or disturb you any longer. And let the illness of your dear uncle cause you no anguish, for he will in no wise perish from it. Be absolutely certain that he is already cured.” *

I had to believe her. Her kind and promising words eased my stresses and tensions, and I was then more than ready to bring to the bishop the sign of the Virgin Mary. She sent me to the hilltop where she had first appeared to me. There on the hill, I was to gather in my cloak (tilma), the flowers that I would find in that spot. It is interesting that even though it is December, and there is not fertile soil on the hilltop but rather rocks, that when I ascended the hill, there were breathtaking Castillian Roses. I cut and gathered them as told, for this was what the Lady wanted. She arranged the flowers in my tilma, and fastened them around my neck, advising me to go and see the Bishop, not opening the cloak until I arrived:

“My dearest child, these various flowers are the proof, the sign that you will bear to the bishop. In my name, tell him to see signified in them my will; through them let my will, my plan be effected.

You are my messenger in whom I place all my trust. I charge you strictly to unfold your cloak only in the presence of the bishop himself; to him alone are you to reveal what you bear.

You will give him a full account of how I sent you to the hilltop to cut the flowers; of all that you have seen and all that has amazed you. Thus must you move the heart of the High Priest to build me the temple I have requested of him.” *

I was overflowed with happiness. Finally! My dearest uncle was healed, and I had the sign to bring to the bishop to fulfill my promise as messenger. But when I arrived at the bishop’s house, he would not see me. His co-workers were refusing to attend to me! But my patience paid off, for soon the servants sent for Bishop Zumárraga to inform him of my presence and wishes. I began recounting the story of how I had seen the Virgin Mary and how I was to be the messenger to help build a church in the name of the Holy Mother of God. What happened next can only be explained as being an act of the wondrous Virgin. As I stood unfastening the ties of my tilma to show the bishop the proof, the flowers, I said:

“Here they are: please accept them!” *

-“El señor Obispo, con lágrimas de tristeza, pidió perdón de no haber puesto en obra su voluntad y su mandato…” (Nican Mopohua): “The Bishop, with tears of sadness, asked forgiveness for not having put to will his command…”

-Escalada, Xavier S.J., Enciclopedia Guadalupana, Temática-Histórica-Onomástica

And as the roses fell to the ground, a magnificent image appeared on the cloak-that of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, just as I had seen her on the hill of Tepeyac. We were all overwhelmed, and the bishop and is servants fell to their knees, struck by the beauty and preciousness of such an image. The temple, her “little house,” her shrine, is to be built! And we shall call it Guadalupe.

*Actual quote from Mexican Spirituality: Its Sources and Mission in the Earliest Guadalupan Sermons.