9 Things Few People Know About Our Lady of Guadalupe

December 12th is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is a glorious feast not just for the people of Mexico, but for the USA too and all the people of the Americas. She is the Patroness of the Americas and we should celebrate her feast day with gusto! 

The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe

From December 9th to December 12th, 1531, Our Lady appeared to the Christian Indian St. Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City. Dressed in the royal attire of an Aztec princess and identifying herself as the Mother of the true God, she requested that a chapel be built there on the hill. As proof to the local bishop, the Franciscan Juan de Zumárraga, of the authenticity of her message, she gave Juan Diego roses to take in his tilma to show the bishop.

When Juan Diego let the roses fall from his tilma in the presence of the bishop, the stunning image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on the cloth. It brought about the conversion of millions of the native people and brought peace and unity to the troubled region that is now the country of Mexico.

The image was such an effective conversion tool because it was a visual Gospel to the Aztecs. It contains colors, symbols, and imagery that would have been highly significant to them and proclaimed to them the truth of the Christian faith.

The tilma is still with us to this day, hanging in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in that same city. It is the most-visited Marian image in the world, receiving millions of visitors each year.

The tilma itself is a living miracle. It contains many scientific anomalies that defy explanation. Many studies have been done on it, and its mysteries only deepen the more it is examined.

Read on to find out more about this miraculous image!

9 Amazing Facts About the Tilma

1. The jade of Our Lady's mantle is the color of Aztec royalty and is associated with the sacred in the Aztec mind.

2. Her hairstyle indicates that she is an unmarried virgin and the band around her waist indicates she is with child.

3. The four-petaled flower that appears over Our Lady's womb is the Aztec symbol of their greatest god and of the cosmos. Its placement indicates that Our Lady bears the true Ruler of the cosmos.

4. She eclipses the sun and stands upon the moon, indicating her triumph over the Aztec gods of the sun and of the moon.

5. The tilma is made of cactus fiber that only lasts about 30 years after it is woven. However, the tilma is still with us in excellent condition after 500 years.

6. The tilma was not primed in any way and the image was created using no brushstrokes.

7. In 1921, a bomb was placed under the tilma in an attempt to destroy it. Though the church was badly damaged and a metal crucifix nearby was bent nearly all the way over, the tilma was unharmed.

8. Modern methods of magnification have revealed figures reflected in the eyes of Our Lady - reflections of Bishop Zumárraga and those who first saw the tilma in 1531.

9. The stars on Our Lady's mantle are arranged as they would have been in the sky on December 12th, 1531. However, they are a mirror image, meaning that they appear as one would see them looking down on the earth from above - from God's perspective.

Ways to Honor Our Lady of Guadalupe

You can honor Our Lady of Guadalupe by celebrating her feast day every year. Attend Mass on this feast, pray the Rosary, and thank Our Lord for the wonderful gift He gave us in the events of Guadalupe. 

Many parishes, especially those with Hispanic parishioners, host wonderful celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The goings-on often include a special Mass and a fiesta with plenty of delicious Mexican food!

You can also bring Our Lady of Guadalupe into your life through beautiful sacred art that portrays her image. A print of the tilma in a gold or rustic wood frame brings a prayerful touch to any space in your home. You can also find Catholic earrings, medals, and rosaries that honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us and for the Americas!