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Today is December 12: the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
What is the story, and why is it so very important? After all, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the Patron Saint of the Americas. I'm going to give an abbreviated version os the story.
Juan Diego was an Aztec Indian who lived after the conquest by the Conquistadors. He was a Christian, but at that time, Christianity (Catholicism) was the religion of the conquerors. Presentation of Mary was in the image of Spaniards: white Europeans. To become a Christian meant to give up Aztec culture and assimilate the culture of the Spanish conquerors.
When Juan Diego saw his vision of the Virgin Mary, she was clothed in a light as bright as the sun. She did not speak to him in Spanish, but in the Aztec language. She asked that a church be built on that hill so that the AZTECS may know compassion, and she sent him off to the bishop.
The Spanish bishop was full of pride and treated Juan badly, making him wait many hours, and not taking him seriously.
Then ensued a back and forth between the Bishop and Our Lady. At one point, the Bishop asked Juan what she looked like, and Juan replied that her face was the face of an Aztec -- that made the Bishop even more skeptical. Finally, what it boiled down to was that the Bishop demanded a sign before he believed.
Our Lady had Juan cut roses from the top of the hill and carry them to the bishop. When he opened his poncho, imprinted upon the poncho was a picture of Our Lady, standing on the moon, clothed in the sun, and surrounded by roses.
This cloth is still on display in Mexico city to this day. Although it has been repeatedly scientifically examined, including by NASA scientists, no one can explain it. There are no brush strokes, no known source for the coloring, and numerous other oddities.
What sets this visitation of Our Lady apart from all others is that it was a watershed for the spread of Christianity in the Americas. She spoke in the native tongue and "her face was the face of an Aztec.".Before her appearance, Christianity was the religion of the conquerors. After her visitation to Juan, Christianity became the religion of the Indians. Today,Christianity spreads from the tip of Alaska to the bottom of Patagonia, while Europe has gone secular.
What is the story, and why is it so very important? After all, Our Lady of Guadalupe has been declared the Patron Saint of the Americas. I'm going to give an abbreviated version os the story.
Juan Diego was an Aztec Indian who lived after the conquest by the Conquistadors. He was a Christian, but at that time, Christianity (Catholicism) was the religion of the conquerors. Presentation of Mary was in the image of Spaniards: white Europeans. To become a Christian meant to give up Aztec culture and assimilate the culture of the Spanish conquerors.
When Juan Diego saw his vision of the Virgin Mary, she was clothed in a light as bright as the sun. She did not speak to him in Spanish, but in the Aztec language. She asked that a church be built on that hill so that the AZTECS may know compassion, and she sent him off to the bishop.
The Spanish bishop was full of pride and treated Juan badly, making him wait many hours, and not taking him seriously.
Then ensued a back and forth between the Bishop and Our Lady. At one point, the Bishop asked Juan what she looked like, and Juan replied that her face was the face of an Aztec -- that made the Bishop even more skeptical. Finally, what it boiled down to was that the Bishop demanded a sign before he believed.
Our Lady had Juan cut roses from the top of the hill and carry them to the bishop. When he opened his poncho, imprinted upon the poncho was a picture of Our Lady, standing on the moon, clothed in the sun, and surrounded by roses.
This cloth is still on display in Mexico city to this day. Although it has been repeatedly scientifically examined, including by NASA scientists, no one can explain it. There are no brush strokes, no known source for the coloring, and numerous other oddities.
What sets this visitation of Our Lady apart from all others is that it was a watershed for the spread of Christianity in the Americas. She spoke in the native tongue and "her face was the face of an Aztec.".Before her appearance, Christianity was the religion of the conquerors. After her visitation to Juan, Christianity became the religion of the Indians. Today,Christianity spreads from the tip of Alaska to the bottom of Patagonia, while Europe has gone secular.
