This December 12, millions of faithful in Mexico and throughout the American continent celebrate the 492nd anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the indigenous Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, which occurred on the Hill of Tepeyac in the ancient Valley of Mexico. This episode, central to the Catholic faith and national history, marked a moment of encounter between two cultures and continues to be a source of devotion and pilgrimage.
First apparition: Saturday, December 9, 1531
At dawn, Juan Diego heard bird songs and a voice calling him by name. Upon climbing to the top of Tepeyac, he encountered a young woman of radiant beauty, who identified herself as the ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the true God. She asked him to go before Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga to request the construction of a temple on that site, where she promised to hear the weeping and sorrows of her children.
Second apparition: Saturday, December 9, at dusk
After the bishop’s refusal, Juan Diego returned to the hill and asked the Virgin to choose another, more worthy messenger. However, she confirmed him in his mission: «My little son, the smallest: it is essential that it be entirely through your intervention that my desire is carried out. I earnestly beg you and strictly command you to go again tomorrow to see the bishop.»
Third apparition: Sunday, December 10, in the afternoon
Juan Diego informed the Virgin that the bishop still did not believe him and asked for a sign. She ordered him to return the next day to receive the proof that would convince the prelate: «Tomorrow you will come again here so that you may take to the Great Priest the proof, the sign he asks for. With that, he will immediately believe you.»
Fourth apparition: Tuesday, December 12, very early in the morning
Due to the serious illness of his uncle Juan Bernardino, Juan Diego avoided meeting the Virgin by circling the hill. But she came out to meet him, reassured him that his uncle was already healed, and asked him to climb to the top to gather Castilian roses, which miraculously bloomed in the arid terrain. Upon returning, the Virgin placed the flowers in Juan Diego’s tilma and said: «My dearest little son: these different flowers are the proof, the sign that you will take to the bishop.»
Fifth apparition: Tuesday, December 12, at the same time
While Juan Diego was heading to the episcopal palace, the Virgin appeared to his uncle Juan Bernardino at his home, healed him of his illnesses, and revealed her name: «Her precious image is precisely to be called, known as the ever Virgin Holy Mary of Guadalupe.»
The imprint on the tilma
At noon on December 12, before Bishop Zumárraga, Juan Diego unfolded his ayate to show the roses. At that instant, the image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared imprinted, as it is venerated today in the Basilica of Tepeyac. This event, known as the Guadalupan miracle, is remembered each year by millions of pilgrims who come to the sanctuary to give thanks or ask for favors.
Original source: www.informador.mx (published December 12, 2023)
Photo: Emmanuel Acua on Unsplash
