MIRACLE IN MEXICO. BE NOT AFRAID; AM I NOT YOUR MOTHER ?
Smitten By Faith; Issue Number : # 000091; Summer Edition, August 10th 2024
I am writing this in August which is the hottest summer month for many of us who live in the tropics and the northern hemisphere. However, for Catholics all over the world, August has another dimension; it is the month – on the 15th – when, more than 2,000 years ago, at the death of the Virgin Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, instead of the usual physical decay upon death, Mary’s physical body was ‘assumed’ into Heaven. The word ‘assumed’ is used instead of the word ‘ascended’ because it was God himself who brought Mary into Heaven.
Since the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, in different centuries throughout time, the Virgin Mary has chosen to appear in hundreds of supernatural apparitions all over the world - in Europe, South America, USA, Africa and in Asia. Some appearances known as ‘Marian Apparitions’ have been officially recognised or ‘confirmed’ by the Vatican as worthy of belief after going through formal evaluations for assessing claimed apparitions.
The apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1531 on the hill of Teyepac ( also known as Guadalupe ) just outside Mexico City to Juan Diego, a poor indigenous peasant, is one such recognised Marian apparition - the Miracle in Mexico.
Left : Our Lady of Guadalupe © Pat Fok. To understand the marvel of Pat Fok’s photograph of the Lady of Guadalupe, one has to have some knowledge of the surroundings of the Basilica where the tilma ( cloak of the peasant Juan Diego) with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe hangs. The Basilica is an enormous cavernous place; a circular structure which can seat 10,000 people venerating this miraculous almost 500 year old tilma now covered in a bullet proof glass frame and placed high up above the altar for all to see. On December 12th, 2016 which was the feast day of the Lady of Guadalupe, Pat Fok was standing there among the thousands of pilgrims near the front but not exactly at the front; she was but a tiny little ant amongst the multitude of humanity. From the distance, she took some photographs of the Lady of Guadalupe encased in the glass frame. She was not at all hopeful for a great picture in view of the distance and the protective glass. And yet, later when Pat developed the photograph, she found to her total astonishment that one of the pictures was a perfect picture of the Lady of Guadalupe, an image which seemed as if Pat had stood right next to the original tilma to take it. And in that photograph, there was no reflection nor hint of a glass frame at all! Astonishing!
Right : Our Lady of Guadalupe photograph © taken by Fr. Thomas Montanaro LC who was standing closer to the Holy Image since as a priest, he was able to be in the altar Sacristy area. This photograph shows a good perspective of the Image of Our Lady in the Basilica - where she can be seen by all the 10,000 in the circular space. The crowds are permitted to quietly line up and go down -below the altar area- to view the image more closely. There, when the faithful stand quietly on a travellator conveyor belt to look upwards, this is the perspective of the Holy Image which they see. Incredible!
I have just returned from an inspiring, spiritually nourishing and most wonderful few days spent at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. So, what I am writing today is fresh in my heart and mind even though when I wrote my book about the life of the Virgin Mary, ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ in 2020, I was already totally immersed in all the many Marian Apparitions, including the Miracle in Mexico. For this article, I have taken the liberty of using some excerpts from my book and also including here some artworks from my friend Tan Lim Heng and photographs from the well-known international photographer, Pat Fok and my friend, Fr. Thomas Montanaro LC.
In Mexico’s tumultuous history, the 16th century saw the fall of its proud Aztec Empire under Emperor Moctezuma with the brutal invasion in 1519 by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes who finally conquered Mexico in 1521. The conquest was cruel and the occupation by its Spanish conqueror was catastrophic for Mexico, especially for its indigenous Aztec Indian population who were decimated by battles and diseases. However, 10 years later, a miraculous event happened which would forever bring hope not just to the people ( especially the indigenous Indians ) of Mexico, but also to the entire South American continent.
No estoy yo aqui soy tu madre ? Do not be afraid; am I not your mother ?
Above : The Lady of Guadalupe appears to the peasant, Juan Diego; oil on canvas by Jorje Sanchez Hernandez (1926-2016); Salon de la Reina, Hacienda Molino de San Jose del Puente; Puebla, Mexico. Jorje Sanchez Hernandez was a Mexican neo-Baroque artist known for his 18th century aesthetic style of Spanish Baroque painters.
The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to an indigenous Mexican peasant - as one of them - a Mexican Meztiza woman - was a powerful symbol of Mexican identity and faith. The proof of her apparition was her image emblazoned upon Juan Diego’s tilma, his traditional Indigenous cloak. And look – Mary is brown-skinned, with a black ribbon around her waist which according to Aztec tradition indicates that Mary was pregnant. Here she was - Mexico’s sacred mother herself - mother of Jesus and mother of all humanity. An interesting fact, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the only Marian apparition depicted as pregnant. Mary’s appearance in Guadalupe as a Mexican mother also shows that Mary’s intercessions for all of humanity to an ever compassionate and merciful God - have no boundaries.
AM I NOT YOUR MOTHER ? Indeed – Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a MOTHER TO ALL.
In Mexico today, her image is everywhere and is associated with so many themes – motherhood, compassion, social justice, feminism and equality. Our Lady of Guadalupe even played a role in the revolution against Spanish rule in 1810 when Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a priest called for an end of Spanish rule, racial equality and redistribution of land with a famous speech which effectively launched the Mexican War of Independence. He promoted Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of the uprising against the Spanish and the Mexican armies went to war with banners of her. In 1821, after 300 years of Spanish rule Mexico finally achieved its independence from Spain.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MIRACLE IN MEXICO ?
It was 1531, just 10 years into the harsh Spanish rule of Mexico and an indigenous peasant named Cuauhtlatoatzin, a Catholic convert who was baptized as ‘Juan Diego’ was to receive a miraculous encounter. Juan Diego was walking up the Hill of Tepeyac, near Mexico City, a normal route for him. Suddenly, in front of his path stood a lady (with Mexican Mestiza features) who spoke to him in his native Aztec dialect ( Nahuatl ) and identified herself as the Virgin Mary. The Lady said:
‘Be not afraid; am I not your mother? The Mother of the Very True Deity?’ The Lady then requested of Juan that a chapel be built on the Hill of Tepeyac in her honour. The awestruck Juan ran back to the local bishop, Don Fray Juan de Zumarraga with this information. He was not believed. But Juan had faith; he tried again and again to convince the bishop.
Juan Diego went back to the same spot on the hill and when he saw the Lady again, he knelt down and explained to Mary that no one had believed him. He needed to bring a specific sign back to the bishop in order to verify what he had encountered. At that moment, Juan who was wearing his native peasant ‘tilma’ or long cloak made of a native agave fibre in the manner of all Mexicans as a wrap against the cold weather (it was December), was told by the Lady to go and pick some flowers from the same arid infertile spot where they were standing and where normally only cactus could grow. He stooped down to obey, not knowing how he was to find any flowers. Then, to his astonishment, the entire area in front of his eyes was filled with fragrant Castilian roses (a flower which was not at all indigenous to that part of Mexico). Mary told Juan to fill his ‘tilma’ with as many roses as he could gather and take them to his bishop. Juan excitedly scooped up in his cloak, as many roses as he could manage and ran back to show this miracle.
Then, when Juan was standing in front of the bishop, further miracles manifested. As Juan opened up his tilma to show the bounty of overflowing sweet-smelling roses inside his cloak, a massive cascade of roses literally tumbled out of his tilma – more and more and more! But that was not all, as the last rose emptied out of the tilma in Juan’s outstretched hands, the exact image of the Lady who had appeared to Juan suddenly appeared, indelibly imprinted on the tilma of this simple peasant. This tilma bearing the image of the Virgin Mary as the Lady of Guadalupe would henceforth be venerated forever as a religious artefact.
Many international experts have thoroughly examined the tilma of the peasant Juan Diego imprinted with the image of a Virgin Mary with Mexican features, now known as the ‘Lady of Guadalupe’. Francis Johnson, one of the experts wrote, ‘…this is the only true portrait of the Mother of God in existence - the counterpart of the Holy Shroud of Turin’. Today, 500 years later, the tilma of the peasant Juan Diego ( he was canonized as Saint Juan only in 2002 ) with the image of the Lady of Guadalupe remains in perfect condition. It has withstood the ravages of time, humidity, touch, earthquakes, smoke and even a bomb. Mary’s image is as bright and as glorious as it looked in 1531.
The miracle of the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe energised not just Mexico; not just South America but the whole world. Our Lady of Guadalupe is today venerated by hundreds of millions of faithful Catholics everywhere. However, for all Mexicans in particular, the unassailable significance and importance of the Lady of Guadalupe and the Basilica which was built (in 1709 and rebuilt in 1974 ) at the Hill of Tepeyac cannot be underestimated as a powerful symbol not just of faith, but also of the resurgence of the Mexican cultural identity at a low point in its history. The miracle of Guadalupe also saw the world’s largest number of conversions – more than 9,000,000 people converted over a space of 7 years from the date of the Marian Apparition with more continuing each day and each year.
Left : The interior of the Basilica which seats 10,000 people.© Pat Fok
Centre : The exterior of the new massive Basilica – circular in shape – no pillars anywhere so you can see Our Lady from any angle. Pat’s picture shows the Basilica with what seems to be heavenly clouds above. The roof of the Basilica resembles the draped mantle of the Virgin Mary.© Pat Fok
Right : The words ‘No estoy yo aqui soy tu madre ? Do not be afraid; am I not your mother ?’ is huge and clearly written in one of the exterior walls of the Basilica.© Joan Foo Mahony
Left : My book, ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ is a biography of the historical Virgin Mary. I try to tell the story of Mary through Artworks with commentary by 80 millennials from 40 countries who have been invited to reflect on the artworks and give their own personal stories and commentaries, articulating from their own lives, their hopes, fears and aspirations as they ‘meet’ the Mary of 23 BCE; the young Mary whose life is just as significant, relevant and important even today in the 21st century for our Millennial generation.
Right : After the launch of Millennials Meet Mary at the Vatican Museum in 2020, here I am celebrating with a great big cake.
Left : The international photographer, Pat Fok in Switzerland © Pat Fok
Right : Pat Fok at the open square in front of the original ‘old’ Basilica in Guadalupe, Mexico City celebrating with a joyful Mexican pilgrim on December 12th 2016. © Pat Fok.
Pat Fok is an internationally-renowned photographer, author and philanthropist from Hong Kong ; a photographer blessed by grace as the radiant and unusual light phenomena in some of her photographs show. She visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City on her feast day on December 12th 2016. Some of the incredible photographs which Pat took that day are in ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ and in Pat’s latest book, ‘In the Footsteps of the Pilgrims. She has kindly allowed me to use some of them for this article. Pat Fok’s stunning photography on other various subjects can be viewed in her books which include: ‘Hong Kong Through the Looking Glass’, ‘The Englishman’s England’, ‘Faces of China’, ‘ Cina Bellezza Silenziosa’, ‘Enchanted Light’, ‘Journey of Light’ and her latest book just published this year 2014, ‘In the Footsteps of the Pilgrims’.
Left : The stunning ‘Cascade of Roses’; 2020 acrylic on paper by Tan Lim Heng
Centre : ‘Mother and Child’ 2024 acrylic on paper by Tan Lim Heng. His recent painting of the ‘Mother and Child’ is a joyous painting which he was inspired to paint when I showed him my pictures of my recent visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. His colours remind me so much of the very vibrant Mayan colours in Mexico.
Right : The prolific artist, Tan Lim Heng at his home in Hong Kong in front of some his more recent paintings - unframed.
Tan Lim Heng first showed me his painting, the ‘Cascade of Roses’ when it was still wet with paint. He had just finished it and I happened to be there in Hong Kong when he showed it to me. It was fortuitous. I had just finished my book, ‘Millennials Meet Mary’; the Marian Apparition in Guadalupe was fresh in my mind and the painting right in front of me was what I thought to be – Castillian roses ! An abundance of roses ! But to Tan Lim Heng, it was just another of his abstract works of art. He had not been painting roses. But to the naked eye, his painting was irresistibly and obviously the ‘Cascade of Roses’ from the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe when the roses poured out of the cloak of the peasant Juan Diego as he prostrated himself before the Bishop. An interesting note about my friend, Lim Heng. He is not even a professional artist. An established executive in the financial and investment banking industry until his retirement, Lim Heng re-invented himself as an artist, painting with a passion unbeknownst even to himself.
The ‘Cascade of Roses’ surely displays this passion and he kindly agreed to let me use his painting for the end papers of the front and back covers of ‘Millennials Meet Mary’.
And for the end of this article, I would like to include a lovely poem in Spanish called ‘MADRE’ or ‘MOTHER’ by Mexican poet, Maria Luisa de Jesus Crucificado Calderon Hernandez which speaks about the eternal maternal quality of Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Here is a stanza :
MADRE
He deseado mirarte
para olvidar mis penas
para sentirme nina
entre tus finos brazos,
para olvidar que existen
durezas en la vida
y deshacer la nieve
al calor de tus abrazos.
MOTHER
I have longed to look at you
To forget my sorrow
To feel like a girl
Between your fine arms
To forget that they exist
Hardships in life.
And melt the snow
In the warmth of your hugs.
______________________________________________________________________
Editor’s Note :
Dear Reader
Thank you for reading this edition of SMITTEN BY FAITH.
We publish every fortnightly on a Saturday except during the Summer holidays when we publish only once a month. This issue is the August issue. There was no July issue. Apologies ! ALL articles in every issue are FREE so you can simply click and subscribe as a FREE Subscriber to continuously receive the articles automatically by email.