From Our Associate Pastor
Why did Mary appear on the Hill of Tepeyac? Are these Apparitions true?
There are many studies on the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and some of these investigations are objectively close to the “truth,” but other speculations lead us to a factual reality. The historical context is very precise because the Aztec people are the perfect choice to talk about the important role of women among indigenous tribes. Before 1531, the Aztecs had a female god called Tonantzin, which in the Nahuatl language means “venerable mother.” What does this mean? Indeed, the role of mother was so important that she even had priority over the father. I think that is why evangelization among the indigenous people became easy with the presence of “Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac” in the Aztec Empire.
I see a huge and important connection between Aztec culture and the image of “Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac.” The missionaries did not understand the knowledge that the Aztecs had of their deities, which is why they rejected them as idolaters. However, the image of Santa Maria de Guadalupe includes its principal gods such as the Sun and the Moon. This sacred image appears bringing forward the God of gods. Our lady comes in a festive dance to meet her children who suffer the yoke of slavery and crowns that cosmic world by giving birth to Jesus.
This factual event is an utmost miraculous event of faith and conversion, because the profane and cosmic city of Tenochtitlan is now the sacred abode of “the merciful mother.1” Several times the Gospels present us with deep feelings of admiration, in fact amazement, from the crowds for the works of Jesus. Such amazement is a gateway to conversion if people have the capacity for wonder and awe and it is an excellent attitude to take to be touched by the power of divine grace.
The events that we have heard about Mary’s apparitions on the hill of Tepeyac have awesome nuances; not of ostentation but of splendor. Something like what happened the day Moses saw the “burning bush” (Exodus 3). The bush attracted his attention, it amazed him, and from such amazement a dialogue, an alliance, a path, a liberation began. The God of wonders is a magnificent God, a marvelous God who attracts, and even exceeds our attention as a way to indicate to us that He can elevate our lives too.
Non-Catholic Christians, although even some Catholics, complain, criticize and doubt the celestial origin of the apparitions to St. Juan Diego, and therefore doubt the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, believing that they have an irrefutable argument against what the story says about the apparitions. Some people say that “such supposed apparitions were an invention of the Spanish conquistadors! At this point it is not a question of whether those apparitions really happened or not. If it were the case that the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was painted by hands human, it means that whoever painted it was highly educated, theologically speaking, and was also very familiar with the sociopolitical-religious context in that precise period of time. For example, take the task of studying all the meanings. hidden2 that the image has: colors, figures, postures, images in the pupils of her eyes, the four-petaled flower in the belly of our Lady, etc. all of which are related to the context of the people at that time.
There is another question: Isn’t it true that God speaks to us in many ways? Are we to deny that God speaks through people in very mysterious and effective ways? So, if it is the case that Guadalupe was painted by human hands, I say that God speaks through the artist who was truly inspired by the same Holy Spirit, the same one who visited Mary to announce the miracle of the Incarnation. Is it not true that God also speaks to us through the Holy Scripture and those different authors who were also inspired by God? It is exactly the same with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is the reason why the Guadalupe event is called “the Gospel of Guadalupe” (good news) because she gave us her Beloved Son to bring us salvation, liberation, and justice, especially to those who were not treated with dignity and respect.
Whether the apparitions happened or not, the second great miracle is that the image of Our Lady moves hearts, moves an entire nation, brings together multitudes from different parts of the planet to experience her love; thousands and thousands of indigenous people were baptized and converted to Christianity. Our Lady of Guadalupe also inspired and moved popes as happened to Saint Pope John Paul II. What other types of miracles do we need to see to believe in the celestial origin of Guadalupe in Tepeyac?
In December 1531 (493 years ago, today) “the Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14) once again and was born, not in Bethlehem but on the humble hill of Tepeyac, where the Word became flesh in a new culture. Therefore, the Gospel was inculturated because Jesus, and by extension his Church, were incarnated in a different culture. Furthermore, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a school of evangelization, a place to admire, a reason for thanksgiving and celebration. It is also a way of learning to proclaim, profess and announce the mystery of Christ, who is “the great God of Truth who gives us life” as Mary said to Juan Diego. As members of the same continents of the Americas, we must proclaim with joyful hearts: “Blessed are you, Holy Virgin Mary, worthy of all praise, especially because you are the highest honor of our race!”
Fr. More Torres, OFM
Associate Pastor
Sign up to Join Our Flock!
Do you want to stay updated with text and/or email notifications about upcoming events, Mass times, and more?
Would you like to get your weekly bulletin by email? Or connect with one of our ministries?
We have you covered! This is the best way to get the latest information from Mission San Luis Rey Parish.
then select "Add to Home Screen" and click "Add."