Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Americas

The Virgin of Guadalupe with the Four Apparitions - painting by Nicolás Enríquez (MET, 2014.173)

“Who is she that comes forth like the rising dawn; fair as the moon; bright as the sun; like the rainbow gleaming amid luminous clouds, like a blossom of roses in the spring.”

 These words are inscribed underneath the mosaic of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the National Shrine in Washington DC. They poetically describe Mary’s perfect embodiment of power and beauty. As I have shared before, as a cradle Catholic, Mary has always been an important figure in my life. Our Lady of Guadalupe holds a special place in my heart because it is the first Marian apparition that I deeply connected with. I am inspired by the power and the beauty that Mary role modeled and I aspired to engage with the others in the way that Mary did on the hillside of Mexico City.

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

In December of 1531 Mary appeared to Juan Diego, an native peasant of Aztec descent, on a hill in Tepeyac, outside of Mexico City. In his own native language she asked that a “sacred little house” be built on that spot. This tells Juan Diego that this house would be a place where she would share the love of her son, and, as a compassionate Mother, where she would hear and remedy the cries of all who trust in her. Juan Diego took that request to the local bishop, but he refused. The bishop told him that he needed to provide a sign. Mary appears to Juan Diego three subsequent times, during the last visit she instructed him to pick Castilian roses, a flower not indigenous, and she arranged them in his tilma, or cloak. When Juan Diego presented the flowers to the bishop, an image of Mary was miraculously imprinted on his tilma. 

Three Lessons from Our Lady of Guadalupe: Motherhood, Dignity, and Unity

Mary’s role as our Mother is at the heart of our relationship with her. Following in this longstanding tradition, Our Lady of Guadalupe calls herself the mother. When speaking to Juan Diego she says “Let not your heart be disturbed… Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection?” While the image of Mary as our Mother is certainly not unique to this Marian apparition, what is striking is that she is depicted pregnant. Theologians and historians connect the black belt worn by Mary in the image found on Juan Diego’s tilma to an Aztec maternity belt. There is a unique power to Mary’s, and all women’s, ability to bring forth life. And, as the archetype for motherhood, she continues to protect and care for all her children. 

Nahui Ollin,  a four-petaled flower found on the tilma.

Secondly, when Mary appeared on the hill in Tepeyac, she didn’t appear to the bishop or to the European settlers. She didn’t appear to someone with social, economic or political power. Rather, she appeared to a native peasant.  While many people would have written off Juan Diego, she sought him out and used him as her advocate. Mary calls us to cultivate a respect for the poor in our hearts. The respect that Mary shows to Juan Diego only deepens when she speaks to him in his native tongue and embraces some of his ancestral images in the miraculous image imprinted on the tilma. For example, this nahui ollin,  a four-petaled flower found on the tilma, is rooted in Aztec cosmology and the Aztec maternity belt discussed previously. Mary honoured the history of the Mexican people while simultaneously inviting them into a new life with Christ.

Lastly, Our Lady of Guadalupe represents a call to unity. Unsurprisingly, she is incredibly significant to Mexican Catholics. She is also a patroness of the Americas. Pope John Paul II has a deep devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and December 12, 1999, in his homily at the National Basilica in Mexico City, he entrusts all of the continent to her protection. She is meant to be a unifying symbol; she is meant to build bridges and unite all Americans to participate in her mission. Pope John Paul II concludes his homily by saying, “Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace! Save the nations and peoples of this continent. Teach everyone, political leaders and citizens, to live in true freedom and to act according to the requirements of justice and respect for human rights, so that peace may thus be established once and for all.” May his prayer be our prayer, and may the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego inspire you as it does for me.