“Am I not here who am your mother?”

Virgen de Guadalupe

Pilgrims and faithful have honored her for 476 years, ever since the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego outside Mexico City with the message she spoke and the one etched into every detail of this image miraculously left on his cloak.

The Image of Our Lady is actually an Aztec Pictograph which was read and understood quickly by the Aztec Indians.

Ever hear this explanation? It’s more than fascinating. 

THE LADY STOOD IN FRONT OF THE SUN
She was greater than the dreaded Huitzilopochtli, their sun-god of war.

HER FOOT RESTED ON THE CRESCENT MOON 
She had clearly crushed Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon-god.                          

THE STARS STREWN ACROSS THE MANTLE
She was greater than the stars of heaven which they worshipped. She was a virgin and the Queen of the heavens for Virgo rests over her womb and the northern crown upon her head. She appeared on December 12, 1531 and the stars that she wore are the constellations of the stars that appeared in the sky that day!

THE BLUE‑GREEN HUE OF HER MANTLE
She was a Queen because she wears the color of royalty.

THE BLACK CROSS ON THE BROOCH AT HER NECK
Her God was that of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ her son who died on the cross for all mankind.

THE BLACK BELt
She was with child because she wore the Aztec Maternity Belt.

THE FOUR PETAL FLOWER OVER THE WOMB
She was the Mother of God because the flower was a special symbol of life, movement and deity-the center of the universe.

HER HANDS ARE JOINED IN PRAYER
She was not God but clearly there was one greater than Her and she pointed her finger to the cross on her brooch.

THE DESIGN ON HER ROSE COLORED GARMENT
She is the Queen of the Earth because she is wearing a contour map of Mexico telling the Indians exactly where the apparition took place.

And then there are the eyes…

Several images can be seen reflected in the eyes of the Virgin. It is believed to be the images of Juan Diego, Bishop Juan de Zummaraga, Juan Gonzales, the interpreter and others.

The pagan Indian civilization offered bloody human sacrifices to the gods. Her message was maternal, about life, and peace and faith.

I was there last year, just before this feast day, and wrote this.

It’s interesting that Pope Benedict’s message for the World Day of Peace 2008, released yesterday, called the family “a cradle of life and love”.

I thought of those other words the Virgin of Guadalupe spoke to Juan Diego that day (this day, over four centuries ago).

“Do I not hold you in the hollow of my mantle, the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you; disturb you.”