The Miracles of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady first appeared to Juan Diego on December 9th of 1531. Juan Diego was a peasant farmer. There was no logical reason why the Mother of God would appear to him. Chronicles go back to the 16th century, sharing of Juan Diego and his faithful walk as he passed a hill called Tepeyac. It is then that a radiant cloud appeared with a beautiful maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. 

Our Lady spoke to him in his language. She told him to tell the Bishop from Spain (who had built a Catholic Mission in the middle of the town) that she had appeared with a message. Unbelievable! 

Juan Diego felt unworthy and couldn’t believe he was to barge in on the Bishop, the head honcho, and tell him that the MOTHER OF GOD had a message for him to LOVE the Aztec people and show the way of the catholic faith. 

The message came out of love!

It has been told that Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego four times. 

The message on this day, December 12th, 1951, is still relevant to us today:

“Hear me and understand well, my little son, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. 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. Do not be afflicted by the illness of your uncle, who will not die now of it. Be assured that he is now cured.”

WOW! This message is for all of us. "Hear me and understand… that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish… I am here… I am your Mother".  

And then we all know what happened...Juan Diego gathered the roses and held them in his cloak. He went to the Bishop and asked for an audience with him. When Juan Diego opened his cloak (also known as a tilma), the roses fell out, and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was now embedded into the tilma. 

This image has been scientifically studied and proven that it had not been painted yet it was miraculously infused into the fabric of the tilma. The Bishop fell to his knees in awe and belief, and he listened to Juan Diego and all the messages he had for him. 

The Bishop had wanted to lead the Aztec people out of the storm of violence; however, he did not know how… until now. Mary showed him the way. The Bishop did as Mother Mary instructed, and Our Lady of Guadalupe's message of love replaced the institutionalized violence of the Aztec culture and built a bridge between the two worlds. A bridge of love that led to education and equality among the cultures and the people.

You might be asking, "Why didn't Mary just appear directly to the Bishop?" Maybe just maybe, the Bishop would get in the way of the messages and not allow them in. Mary tends to appear to children or innocent people with childlike hearts. As soon as Juan Diego questioned his worthiness, Our Lady assured him,  “You are my ambassador, most worthy of all confidence.”

Again, a message for all of us—let's pray that we can open our hearts to the messages from heaven and love with childlike innocence and openness. Whenever I look at an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe I am reminded that through her love and the protection of her Son we have nothing to fear!

From her appearance, to the messages, to the image on the tilma… these were true miracles.

Thank you, Mother Mary, for loving us and leading us to your Son through that love. 

Happy Feast Day, St. Juan Diego! 

Thank you for being the humble messenger and believing in Our Mother’s message.

St. Juan Diego, Pray for Us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for Us!

—Amy D’Ambra MSMH Founder/Co-Owner