Pope Pius XI
declared the Lady of Guadalupe as the Patroness of the Philippines on July 16,
1935. This papal declaration did not come out of the bloom. It traced its roots
to the pious devotion and veneration of many Filipinos throughout the centuries
to the Lady who keeps her intercession for indigenous peoples, pregnant women,
children in the womb, for those who long to have a child, for the elders and
for many other Filipino devotees asking her intercession before her Son.
This devotion
began in Mexico and was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards through the
Acapulco-Manila Galleon Trade. Since then, there is a steady growth of such
devotion among Filipinos, who have the peculiar and filial love to Mary. This
strong devotion to the Lady of Guadalupe originates, more so, to the many
answered prayers and miracles that had happened and attributed to her and to
her miraculous image in Mexico. The image of the Lady that appeared on the
tilma of San Juan Diego in 1531 holds a distinct beauty and a certain
characteristics that often related to the image of the woman clothed with the
sun in chapter 12 of Apocalypse, in the last book of the Sacred Scriptures. Can
this relation between the image of the Lady of Guadalupe and of the woman
clothed with the sun in the Apocalypse explain further the deep devotion of
many Filipinos to her? Can the Lady and the woman be one?
This paper seeks
to investigate the image of the Lady of Guadalupe and the image of the woman in
the book of Apocalypse. Furthermore, it shall attempt to identify whether the
two images portray a single person. To do this, we shall present a history of
the images and if possible an exetical analysis of the woman in Apocalypse. At
the end of this parochial inquiry, it is expected to find out if these two
images are representations of Mary.
The
Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe
In an atmosphere
hostile to human life particularly to the unborn and elderly, the Lady appeared
to newly converted Aztec San Juan Diego at the hill of Tepeyac, Mexico on
December 9, 10, and 12, 1531. She is presented herself as pregnant with Jesus.
The beautiful image of our Lady the expectant mother, clearly carrying Jesus in
her womb, appearing to old San Juan Diego, projects the very spirit of the
Gospel of life: that honors life from conception to grave.
The Apparition
of the Lady at hill of Tepeyac involves four primary characters, namely San
Juan Diego, Juan Bernandino, Bishop Juan de Zumarraga and the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Juan Diego was an Aztec Indian born in 1474. He is a small man with a
friendly and reserved nature. His chief virtues were humility and sincerity.
Both virtues were so apparent when he dealt with the Blessed Virgin Mary and
Bishop Zumarraga. Juan Bernandino was unassuming, humble and sincere person.
Conscious of his responsibility as foster father, he took good care of his
orphaned nephew, Juan Diego. Bishop Juan Zumarraga was a Franciscan friar. He
was appointed bishop by Charles V, with powers to protect the Indians from the
abuses of the colonizers. And lastly the Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared to
be a young lady foreign and different from Indian faces not from mestizas.
The first
appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego occurs at the dawn of
December 9, 1531, Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Juan Diego, being pious
and devote newly convert Aztec, rose early morning to attend the Mass. As he
was passing by the hill of Tepeyac, on which the temple of the mother goddess
of the Aztecs stood, he heard a sweet, beautiful music like the mellifluous
chirping of birds, intoxicating his senses. He looked up and to his amazement
he saw a glowing white clouds brighted by the rays of dazzling light streaming
from the cloud. Then he heard a woman’s voice, gentle and sweet, calling him
affectionately in Spanish diminutive Juanito. He climbed the summit of the 130
foot hill. There he saw a young maiden of overpowering brilliance and beauty.
The young maiden introduced herself as “ The Ever Virgin Mary, Mother of the
True God who gives life and maintains it in existence, the Lord of Heaven and
earth.” She expressed her desire that a temple be built on that site, in return
she promise that she would attend to the needs of the people and to who ever
ask for it. Lastly the young maiden commanded Juan to go to the city and inform
the bishop about the things he was told.
Juan humbly and
obediently followed the instruction of the Blessed Virgin Mary . He when to Tenchtitlan, today’s Mexico
City. Upon arriving at the bishop’s palace, he related to the bishop what he
was told by the Blessed Virgin Mary .
However, the bishop doubted the authencity of the apparition and the request to
built a place of worship in that deserted place. He asked Juan to go home and
think over the things he was saying. Frustrated, Juan when back to the hill of
Tepeyac. He informed the Blessed Virgin Mary
of the negative answer by the bishop regarding her request. The Blessed
Virgin Mary asked Juan to go back
tomorrow to the bishop’s palace and say once more the request she related to
him. Hesitatingly, Juan obeyed.
On December 10
of that year, Juan when back to Bishop Zumarraga. He delivered the message to
the bishop from the Blessed Virgin Mary. This time, Juan asked the bishop’s
plan regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary
‘s request. Annoyed of Juan, Bishop Zumarraga asked him to ask the
Blessed Virgin Mary for a sign. Perhaps
that sign would convince the doubting bishop. Juan when to the hill and
informed the Blessed Virgin Mary about the desire of the bishop for a sign that
would prove the genuineness of the apparition. The Blessed Virgin Mary asked
Juan to return on another day for Bishop Zumarraga’s request.
On December 12,
Juan found his uncle to be very sick and almost in danger of death. Being a
Christian, he immediately thought of asking for a priest to give the extreme
unction. He hurriedly left his home and directed himself to a priest. He
decided not to pass through the Tepeyac hill, tso that he would not be able to meet the Blessed Virgin Mary.
But along his different route, he saw the Blessed Virgin Mary coming to him.
Upon approaching him, the Blessed Virgin Mary told Juan not to worry about his
uncle for surely he would get well. The Blessed Virgin Mary asked Juan to go up
to the hill and gather some flowers and bring them to the bishop. It was then
winter. And no flowers were expected to be in bloom during that season.
However, Juan saw the hill filled with roses of various colors and fragrance.
He picked several roses and place them on his tilma, the cloak he is wearing.
Running down the hill with the roses on his cloak, he showed them to the
Blessed Virgin Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary arranged the flowers on the tilma
and tight its lower corner to the neck of Juan to hide the roses. The Blessed
Virgin Mary gave Juan the instruction not to reveal the roses until he is in
the presence of Bishop Zumarraga. Juan obeyed whatever the Blessed Virgin Mary
said to him. Though many people, along his way, smelled the fragrance emanating
from Juan, he never revealed what was in his tilma. In the presence of Bishop
Zumarraga, Juan untied the tilma from his neck and roses fell from the tilma
onto the ground. Before even Juan knew it, the bishop with his attendants were
all in their knees venerating the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was
embossed on the tilma of Juan. The bishop untie the tilma from Juan and brought
it to his chapel and later was placed on the wall of the church. In no time,
the news about the apparition and miraculous embossment of the image of the
Blessed Virgin Mary on Juan’s tilma spread like a wildfire from one village to
the next.
Bishop Zumarraga
favored the construction of the chapel at the site of apparition on the hill of
Tepeyac. From then on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary who had introduced
herself as Santa Maria de Guadalupe, grew not just in the Aztec colony but in
the whole world, as we know the magnanimity of the devotion today.
The
Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Blessed
Virgin Mary in the image of the Lady of Guadalupe, has a lot of peculiar
characteristics in the time and place when and where it appeared. It is not
painted and printed by any human hands. It appeared on the tilma of Juan Diego
as he untie it to show the roses to Bishop Zumarraga. Thus this portrait of the
Blessed Virgin Mary can rightly called as a divine gift. It is gift that had
proven the divinity of its origin as it survives for almost 500 years, when
ordinarily a fabric of its kind last for at most 20 years. But to date, the
tilma has not shown a slightest sign of decay. Its endurance for so long a time
affirms its divine origin. The Blessed Virgin Mary’s appeared, in this portrait
as a young, about fourteen years old. Her complexion was dark, similar to the
pearly dark semitic people. Her face was not Indian, nor mestiza, but Hebrew.
The hairstyle was similar to what the Jewish women of Mary’s time wore. Her
height was four feet and eight inches accurate for her nation and era. In fact,
if one should isolate the face on the tilma from the veil and garment and show
it among a selection of the modern Jewish women portraits, and it will fit in
easily.
The portrait of
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a pictograph. Each feature of the said portrait has a
meaning. It is a picture writing wherein every detail has a meaning and
symbolism. The Blessed Virgin Mary is brighter than the sun; her foot rests
upon the moon; the stars on her mantle are in the same relative configurations
as the stars in the heavens on the morning of December 12, 1531; the northern
constellations on her right - the southern constellations on her left. Further,
the golden filigree over her rose colored gown matches the topography of the
Mexican lands.
Her blue-green mantle was the color reserved for the divine couple Ometecuhtli
and Omecihuatl; her belt is interpreted as a sign of pregnancy; and a
cross-shaped image, symbolizing the cosmos and called nahui-ollin, is inscribed
beneath the image's sash.
The
Woman of Apocalypse 12
The chapter
12 of the book of the Apocalypse is considered as the heart of the said book. It
contains pagan myths purified by Jewish usage and borrowed by John.
These myths, example of which come from India and Rome, speak of a savior-king
who would liberate their land from their oppressors. This savior-king is to be
borne by a goddess who would be chased by a dragon-monster; a personification
of evil. The woman was able to escape from the dragon, through a protection by
an extraordinary source, and was able to give birth to a son. The son grew and
in time slew the evil monster, thereby giving joy and victory to his
people.
Throughout
the history of the Church, the figure of the woman clothed with the sun had
been interpreted as a symbol of two outstanding figures in the Christian life. The
Woman is a Symbol of Mary, Mother of Jesus. This was widely held in the Middle
Ages. In the contemporary times, Mariologist and Exegists pick-up this idea and
interpretation. However, the following contextual data are ill-suited to such
an explanation, namely: In verse 2, we are scarcely to think that Mary endured
the worst pains of childbirth. Verses 6 and 13ff - that she was pursued into
the desert after birth of her child. This woman had other children, through
whom she was persecuted.
The woman
is the symbol of the Church. The woman described as bearing a child and chased
by the evil-monster can be a symbol of the Church. The facts and history are on
this opinion as the Church is historical been persecuted by the Roman Empire
and other kingdoms whose agenda run contrary with that of the Church. The image
of a woman too is often use in the Oriental context as someone who represents a
nation, kingdom, group of person etc. It is fitting then, to see in this woman
the People of God, the True Israel in the OT and the NT. The Apocalypse made no
clear distinction between Israel and the Church. On the other hand, the woman
can also be interpreted as one who symbolizes God’s people in the Old and the
New Testament. The Israel of old gave birth to the Messiah and then became the
New Israel, the church, which suffers persecution by the dragon.
The Woman stands for the Church and Mary. This view is more tenable
than the previous two. It is possible that the author of Apocalypse presents a
twofold view. That is a collective and individual; implying at one and the same
time the People of God, the Church, and Mary, the member of Israel who gave
birth to the Messiah.
Our
Lady of Guadalupe and the Woman clothed with the Sun: Face to Face
With the
description of the Lady of Guadalupe, as portrait on the tilma of San Juan
Diego, it seems that she is the woman mentioned in the book of Apocalypse,
chapter 12. The presence of the sun around her, stars on her mantle, moon on
her feet, and her pregnancy in the portrait of the Lady of Guadalupe seems to
compliment this supposition that the Lady of Guadalupe and the Woman of the
Apocalypse are one.
However, upon
studying the historical context in which the Apocalypse was written and the
supposed intention of the author, the Woman clothed with the sun cannot be
the Lady of Guadalupe, in a strict sense. Should one look closely on the
text, one would realize that the text conveys the message of God’s abiding love
and presence to His people. In verse 6 of the said chapter, woman flees to the
desert, place known as a refuge of those persecuted. It shows God’s caress
towards His people as they suffer persecution by the ‘dragon.’ This woman then
is a symbol of the suffering Christian community in John’s time.
Early Christian,
to whom we can include the fathers, understood this woman as the Church.
However this ecclesiological understanding changed or evolved into a
mariological one. As humanity enters the medieval age, so also is the
understanding that the Woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Medieval Catholicism
identified her as Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It can be said that the
interpretation and understanding of the symbol of woman varies from era to
another, perhaps depending on the thrust or focus that a particular age would
like to emphasize. Early Christians understood the woman to be the Church under
persecution as this is the event that they themselves experience. The Medieval
Christians understood the woman to be the Blessed Virgin Mary as it is during
this epoch that interest on Mary flourished, as a manifestation of some
remnants from the Patristic era e.g. issues on Theotokos.
To take into serious
consideration the original intention of John, most likely the Lady of Guadalupe
and the Blessed Virgin Mary cannot be the Woman in the Apocalypse. It does not
seem that John had Mary in his mind or intended any allusion to the physical
birth of the Messiah in the incarnation. Though it can be
understood in that way, that the Lady of Guadalupe can be the Woman in the Apocalypse,
but only in accommodated and adapted sense. Such accommodation is primarily
because the portrait of the Lady of Guadalupe corresponds to some of the
features mentioned in the Apocalypse 12, but not to all the features mentioned e.g.
pain in child birth, flee to the desert after giving birth. Miguel Sanchez, in
writing the first account of the apparitions and miracles of the Lady of
Guadalupe entitled Imagen de la Maria,
Madre de Dios de Guadalupe, Milagrosamente aparecida en la ciudad de Mexico,
identifies the Lady with Woman in Apocalypse. It is not just because of
the physical features evident on the portrait. Sanchez pointed-out the fact
that the Lady had been instrumental in the birth of the Latin American Church.
Sanchez saw the New Spain as the New Jerusalem bore by the Lady of Guadalupe.
Through her intercession and miracles attributed to her prayers before her Son,
for the intention of the Aztec people, The Aztecs communities were converted to
Christianity. In an incredible magnitude, eight million Aztecs were converted
in the span of seven years. Sanchez thus in his book, presents the Lady of
Guadalupe as the woman clothed with the sun in Apocalypse by virtue of Her help
in the establishment of a Latin American Church.
The
accommodation in this sense can still be stretch out to the point of saying
Mary is a type of the Church, as the concluding section of Lumen Gentium does.
From purely mariological issue being accommodated, now an ecclesiological issue
being accommodated by the mariological issue. Mary is the preeminent and
singular member of the Church. She is the Church’s type and excellent exemplar
in faith and charity. Mary, then is a mother to
the family of God. She is a model for the family and she actively participates
in the childrens birth and education. As a mother, she is a member of the
family as, with the Father, she gives the family its particular identity. The
Church too is a mother, but this is a function of its relation to Christ and
Mary. The Church depends upon its intimate union with Mary and the Church
fulfills its own motherhood only insofar as it imitates and honors Mary’s
virginal motherhood.
Conclusion
On the onset of
this paper, it seeks to understand the Lady of Guadalupe and the woman in the
book of Apocalypse. Furthermore it inquires and hope for the understanding of
the devotion of Filipinos to the Lady of Guadalupe.
This paper found
out that that the Lady of Guadalupe and the woman in the book of Apocalypse are
not the same person, in a strict sense, and taking into consideration the
intention and context of the author of the Apocalypse. However the Lady of
Guadalupe and the woman in the book of Apocalypse can be the same, in an
accommodated and adapted sense. The similarities of the features compliment
this supposition. The accommodated sense can also bridge the motherly
characteristics of Mary to the Church, making the Church a Mother, more than a
Teacher.
With this
understanding, we can infer the reason behind the deep devotions of many
Filipinos to the lady of Guadalupe. More than the miracles witnessed and
experienced, more than the answered prayers, it is the maternal love Mary has
for the Filipinos that kept the latter always in love to Mary. It is that
maternal love that encourages the Filipinos to establish a unique and distinct
bond with Mary. It is the motherhood of Mary that enables the Filipinos to continual
seek her intercession, making the Filipino truly madly in love with her. Pueblo
Amante de Maria.
