Day 99 -- Our Lady of Guadalupe

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."
Revelation 12:1

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Over the years, I have come to pray to and love Our Lady more and more. We the Cursillo Community, pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe. And when I was teaching Spanish I made sure I always included a lesson about Our Lady of Guadalupe. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is quite amazing.

We learned a little bit about Our Lady and her apparition to Juan Diego the other day when it was his feast day. I particularly love the symbolism of the image. This was the image that was left on Juan Diego's tilma when he dropped roses for the Bishop. This tilma is in the basilica in Mexico. These tilma's would have long deteriorated, after only 15 years, but it is still in existence after 500 years. In 1791 ammonia was spilled on it and caused considerable damage, but it repaired itself with no external help. In 1926 an bomber destroyed the altar but the icon was unharmed.

Our Lady represents the Immaculate Conception--a lone woman with the sun, moon, and stars and an angel under the crescent moon. Upon her head is a crown of twelve stars. Mary's blue-green mantle was the color for the divine couple. She is wearing a belt which is a sign that she was pregnant. Even the stars represent the stars of the Mexican sky.

In 1929 and 1951 photographers found a figure reflected in the Virgin's eyes after inspection they said it's reflection is common found in human eyes; the Purkinje effect. An ophthalmologist, Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann, later enlarged an image of the Virgin's eyes by 2,500 times and found images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was first revealed before Bishop Zumaragga in 1531. In addition, a small family group of mother, father, and a group of children, in the center of the Virgin's eyes, fourteen persons in all.


"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything." -Mary's message to Saint Juan Diego


PRAYER
Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, intercede for the Church, protect the Holy Father, help all who invoke you in their necessities. Since you are the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from your most holy Son the Grace of a firm faith and sure hope amid the bitterness of life, as well as an ardent love and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.