www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hello all,

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is nearby, and I'd like to share with this forum some thoughts about this event, without any doubt, one of the most important in the Christian history of these lands.

The way I'd like to do this is to quote fragments of the original narrative of the apparitions, the "Nican Mopohua" ("Here is told").

I will base my translation on the one you can find here:
Nican Mopohua in English [virgendeguadalupe.org.mx]

But I will edit it where I think it is appropriate.

My comments will follow the quotes.

Let's begin with the first apparition. Our Lady speaks to Juan Diego:

To those of us who were born and raised in the shadow of that "little house", these words are as familiar as our heartbeat, more ours than the marrow in our bones, but still, our hearts jump in our chests and our eyes water in awe and gratitude every time we hear them or read them.

How can you surpass the beauty of "He, who is all my love. He, who is my merciful gaze. He, who is my help. He, who is my salvation."? How could we miss the clear echoes from the Magnificat in these words?

And who pronounced these words? None other than the Mother of the Very True God, The Giver of Life, The Creator of People, The Owner of what is near and what is far, The Lord of Heaven and Earth.

I intentionally left the original Nahuatl words to show something all translations will hopelessly miss: These are all proper names.

Originally, they designated distinct Nahua deities, however, just when the Conquistadores were about to arrive, the Nahuas were well on their way to Monotheism. They were coming to believe there was only One True God, they called Him "Teotl", and all other "gods" were nothing but distinct aspects and manifestations of "Teotl".

By using all these proper names, Our Lady was declaring herself to be the Mother of Teotl (yes, she uses the precise word/name of Teotl), the One True God, in a tactic already used by St. Paul when he presented Christ as the God the ancient Greeks venerated as "the unknown god".

God was preparing our forefathers for the Gospel, and Our Lady fully acknowledged that this positive move, as everything good, was from God.

And what does she want? Only a little house (well, today this house is anything but little, but the precise meaning of "little" for the Nahuas needs more explanation, more on this later). Why?

In the Nahua culture, and most prominently in Aztec culture (the Aztecs were Nahuas, but there were other Nahua peoples besides the Aztecs), the temple was, if you pardon the expression, a "sacrament" of the nation. That is, a symbol, but more than that, a symbol fully integrated with the reality it symbolizes.

By demolishing the Aztec temples of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, the Conquistadores effectively and actually demolished the Aztec nation.

Our Lady wanted a new nation to be built, and that nation needed a new temple, but this time, it was to be a Christian temple. A temple in which she could reveal Her Son to us, and then magnify Him, and then present (or consecrate) the temple, and therefore, the nation to Him.

And she wants to do that because she is our compassionate mother. Not only of "Juanito", but, as she said, of all peoples living together in the land.

Please notice the humilty of her language: "I am honored to be your compassionate mother", "It is an honor that you place your trust in my intercession", "Please know", "Kindly agree", "I will reward you for your troubles".

Finally, I need to explain about being little. I've already worte about this, but it wouldn't hurt to go over it again.

Just as some cultures use plural as "royal we", Nahuas used diminutive to indicate respect and rank. Expressions such as "My Lady, My Queen, My Little Girl", are entirely consistent, with the third phrase giving it a formal and respectful tone.

In the Nahuatl language, diminutives are indicated by the suffix "tzin", and you can add as many as you want to the end of the word, each one "kicking respect up a notch".

For instance, the Nahuatl word for "our mother" would be "Tonana" (prefix "to" denotes the first person, plural posesive "our"), however, since a mother always deserves respect, you would never say that in polite conversation. The correct word is "Tonantzin", which litetally would mean "our little mother".

Of much interest is the fact that Our Lady also addresses St. Juan Diego using diminutives. He is "Juantzin" (Johnny), and "my youngest son".

It has been long assumed that St. Juan Diego was a humble peasant, but recent discoveries seem to indicate otherwise:

His Nahuatl name was "Cuahutlatoac", which means "He who speaks like the eagle", quite an impresive name for a farmer, but even more, he is some times refered to as "Cuahutlatoatzin", notice the diminutive suffix. Certainly a name proper of a member of a royal house. Could it be?

It seems to be the case. A study links St. Juan Diego as a rather close relative of Nezahualcoyotl, the poet king of Texcoco, who is famous for this poem:

Is it possible that the Queen of Heaven wanted to meet with one of the highest-ranking noblemen left alive in the country? Yes, it is very possible, and truly a meeting that would give birth to a new nation.


Please feel free to comment, I will continue with the next apparition in a few days.

Shalom,
Memo.

Thank you, Memo,

I had not realized that the story of Guadalupe was available on line. Certainly a lot more detail than I had read before.

John

�Muchisimas gracias, Memo!

Here in Pittsburgh, the Spanish Mass community is having a special Mass on December 12, complete with costumes, music, (I think) a procession and a reception afterward. My wife (from Santiago de Cali, Colombia) and I plan to attend.

Nuestra Se�ora de Guadalupe is the Marian apparition that is closest to my heart and dearest to me.

The power of her appearance to San Juan Diego - as millions were led out of the Church by Luther, Calvin and Henry VII, millions more were brought in by Santa Maria, Nuestra Se�ora de Guadalupe, is amazing to this day.

www.sancta.org [sancta.org] - for more information

Hi,

Shall we continue?

St. Juan Diego left and went to see the Bishop, who was, well, let me put it this way: not very receptive.

That same evening, he meets Our Lady once more:

Please notice the typical dynamic of those who are called to serve the Lord: This is greater than me, I am not worthy, I am not capable, send someone else.

But the choice had been made, it has to be him. Like Moses and Jonah, St. Juan Diego responds with generosity and trust. If the Lady wants him to do it, he will do it. He will do the best he can and leave the rest to God and to the "Little Virgin".

It is worthy of notice that St. Juan Diego doesn't complain about his failure, even more, he attributes the failure to himself. That is typical Nahua education. Also, unlike other "messengers", St. Juan Diego tries to evade the call only once. After the first try, when Our Lady insists, he immediately accepts, and he does so "most gladly", again, this is typical Nahua education. St. Juan Diego is displaying treats of a well educated man with excellent manners, skillfully able to blend formality and familiarity, argumentation and obedience.

Maybe we are not asked to build a temple of stone, but certainly God asks us to do something with our lives.

Are we ready to respond in generosity and trust?

As we can see in (60), God is ready to stop asking and start commanding. Will we wait that long?

Shalom,
Memo.

Dear Memo,

This is all fascinating.

If you have seen my akathist to our Lady of Guadalupe, how does what I wrote square with your insights above?

Was I even close to representing the historical side?

Alex

Hi Alex,

Of course I have. I promised to translate it into Spanish, remember?

I hope that in a few days, two years after, I managed to finish the translation.

Well, your beautiful Akathist is not a historical commentary, so it touches historical issues very briefly, and I can't find anything amiss there.

If anything, I would comment that in K 7 and 10, you seem to favor the view of the Aztecs as boold-thirsty human sacrifice maniacs. There are those who think this is an hyperbole from pious Christian sources.

Yes, human sacrifices were part of the Aztec religion, but maybe they were not as many and/or as cruel as the Conquistadores would like us to believe they were.

Small or big, the Virgencita indeed freed us from that sin.

In K 9 you seem to be crediting the image with the healing of Juan Bernardino (St. Juan Diego's uncle). AS you will see with the upcoming posts, Juan Bernardido affirms to have seen Our Lady herself, and not only her image.

In K 12, you mention "thousands", which is true, of course, but "millions" is more accurate. During the patronal feasts (a Novena, which of course, starts tomorrow), about 8 million souls visit the Basilica. Throughout the year, the number is much, much higher.


Shalom,
Memo.

Dear Memo,

No need to be picky!

Seriously, thank you for the sincere and articulate critique!!

Alex

Hello,

I will continue with the narrative.

Juan Diego went again to the bishop, who questioned him more thoroughly and found no apparent contradiction. Juan Diego's story made perfect sense, and yet, he needed proof, and so, he told Juan Diego to ask the Lady for a sign that it was really her speaking to Juan Diego.

Juan Diego went with haste to the Tepeyac, being secretly followed by some the bishop's aids. Upon reaching the hill, however, Juan Diego lost his followers and spoke to the Lady. The Nican Mopohua only transcribes the last few words from Our Lady, which are basically an acceptance of the bishop's demands, instructions to Juan Diego to come back the following morning to ge the sign that will serve as proof, and a final thank you for Juan Diego's troubles.

That evening, however, when Juan Diego came home, he found his uncle, Juan Bernardino, terribly sick, and he asked his nephew to bring a priest to minister him the last rites.

Next morning, Juan Diego went to Tlaltelolco to find a priest, but he decided to go arround the other side of the Tepeyac hill, so he wouldn't hace to stop to tall with the Lady.

Of particular interest is verse 104:

Of course, that was not going to be so, and surely, the Lady came to find him and spoke to him with these words:

And then she delivered the words that have been in the deepest core of the soul of every Mexican since then. Our names, we might forget, but by God Almighty, we will always remember, and live by:

Yes, my Lady, your words remain egraved in our hearts as an everlasting source of hope and consolation.

We will finish the story tomorrow.

Holy father in faith, St. Juan Diego Cuahutlatoac, pray for us, your spiritual children, and for all the peoples living in these lands!

God Bless.

Shalom,
Memo.

Hi All,

I think it is time to bring back, and finish this thread, which was interrupted by the server crash last year.

Feel free to catch-up and comment. I will make good on my promise and finish the story soon, followed (hopefully), the the translation of Alex's Akathist.

Shalom,
Memo

Yes, please continue this narrative. I read parts of it to my husband and his ears perked up considerably. I would say Our Lady of Guadalupe is important to him. We aren't Mexican or even Hispanic, but didn't she say that she looks out for anyone who depends on her intercession, no matter who their ancestors are?

Thank you, Memo, for this. Our Lady of Guadalupe has long been my favorite Marian apparition; the tenderness of Mary's words have long moved me.
Aztec culture is something of an enigma, isn't it? Arguably one of the cruelest religions in human history, yet the Spanish marvelled at the beauty of their cities. Aztecs loved children and flowers, and the parallels with Catholic Faith in their religion truly prefaced the mass conversions that followed Mary's appearances to St Juan Diego.
-Daniel

Hi,

It is, because it could also be argued otherwise.

The tales of mass sacrifices are an obvious exageration.

And, although it remains totally condemnable to express any kind of belief in the form of human sacrifice, if we manage to see beyond and underneath that, we will see a religious process in the various Mesoamerican cultures, Aztecs included, to prepare for the coming of the Gospel.

The Aztecs were "almost" ready, they just needed a little push, and Our Lady gave them just that, as we will see in the conclusion of the narrative.

Stay tuned.

Shalom,
Memo

Hi,

Absolutely.

Those are precisely her words. She wants to reach out to all the peoples sharing these lands.

Perhaps one day we will manage to imitate her good will towards all.

Shalom,
Memo

Hi,

Let's continue.

Juan Diego accepted Our Lady�s assurances that his uncle was taken care of, so she could resume the task of convincing the Bishop:

Flowers? Yes, it sounds strange to our culture, however, we must realize a few things:

Firs of all, flowers were among the most revered creatures in the Aztec mind. The Heavenly paradise was called �Xochitlapan�, which literally means �Land of Flowers�. To the Aztecs, all good things had roots, and a beautiful flower was both, a sure indication of good roots and a promise of a good fruit. The most fertile area of the valley of Anahuac (where Tenochtitlan used to be, and where Mexico City is today), was dedicated to growing flowers, and to this day, this area is called �Xochimilco�, and even today, a choice name for girls in Mexico is �Xochitl�, which means exactly that: �Flower�.

Also, this hill, the Tepeyac, is not known precisely for its fertile soils. It is part of the northern boundaries of the Anahuac, a rather arid area of the valley.

Finally, it was December. The mountain ranges south of the Anahuac were probably covered with snow. The north hills are not as high as to gather snow, but it was no time to find abundance of flowers anyway.

To give a flower as a present was the ultimate honor. Not even the Aztec Emperor could afford to give flowers to his every guest, and therefore, what he could afford went to his most distinguished and closest acquaintances.

Juan Diego surely guessed that this was it. If the next step involved flowers, then it was time to make it or break it.

And so he went up the hill, and when he finally reached the summit and saw the beauty and variety of the flowers there, the narrative says he was �speechless with awe�, and after a just a brief contemplation, he proceeded to cut the flowers.

Juan Diego was not only allowed to go to �Xochitlapan�, he got to cut its flowers. Juan Diego was doing exactly what all his ancestors dreamt about and never managed to do: partaking of the Glory of God.

He placed the flowers in his tilma, and came down to Our Lady:

The words of Our Lady are here more or less for our benefit. She took the flowers and gave them to Juan Diego to give them to the Bishop. That was so much more than enough.

If flowers were the ultimate present, you wanted to give them personally. If you sent flowers through a proxy, you were giving that person the fullness of your authority.

Again, perhaps Bishop Zumarraga wouldn�t have understood all this, but he was going to get his own sign in due time. This part of the sign was not mainly for Zumarraga�s benefit, but for the Aztecs.

The narrative says Juan Diego went immediately back to Mexico City, it says he went happy, full of joy in his heart, because he knew everything was going to be all right.

He�s got the ultimate symbol, beyond anyone�s wildest dreams, and he�s got the ultimate authority to carry out his mission.

Still, the narrative is clear that he was not day-dreaming, but he went with the utmost care for his precious cargo.

Comments?

More shortly.

Shalom,
Memo

Wow! This is fascinating! It is such a blessing that you can pick out different things in the narrative and give them more depth.

Thank you brother Memo...I have a deep devotion for Our Lady of Guadalupe.

james, currently wandering about in the high desert within the Arizona Territory...

Hi,

Let's move on to the next "episode" to save only the big climax for tomorrow.

When Juan Diego arrived at the Bishop�s palace, it was still dark, and the Bishop�s servants did not allow him it.

So he waited, and since he waited for a long time, the servants began to observe him, and they noticed he was carrying something in his tilma. Initially, Juan Diego resisted their attempts to make him show them what he had, but finally, he was forced to show the flowers.

The servants were amazed of their variety, beauty and freshness, so they tried to seize some for themselves, not once, but three times, but they couldn�t, because the flowers appeared to be painted or embroidered on the tilma.

Because of this, they became afraid, and went to the Bishop to tell him what had happened.

Zumarraga was intrigued because of this, but he knew he�d requested proof, and now Juan Diego was back and strange things were happening, so he immediately called Juan Diego in.

The narrative goes to tell Juan Diego�s own account, and it makes explicit mention that Juan Diego�s demeanor was submissive and entirely respectful. He limits his account to the facts pertaining his encounter with Our Lady, and makes no mention whatsoever of his uncle�s illness (which the narrative then makes clear was still troubling him), nor the hardships he had to endure with the Bishop�s servants.

Juan Diego�s mission was to speak for Our Lady to request the shrine to be built, and he fulfills his mission showing not only willingness and generosity, but politeness and good manners as well.

Here is his account:

It is quite important that we do have Juan Diego�s own account, because it is not only the writer speaking to the native culture, but also the tale told, entirely from the native perspective.

Here we can clearly see some elements discussed before, such as the significance of flowers, and the importance given to the fact the message, and the sign was intended for the Bishop, and for him alone, to the point to having the servants supernaturally prevented from grabbing what was not theirs to grab. The message was clear: the Bishop, even if he was a foreigner and kin to the conquistadores, was a legitimate messenger from God, and if the people of the New World were going to enter into a new, and more perfect relationship with God, they had to accept the Bishop, and the Church he represented.

More on this, later.

I guess we all know what happened next, but we will discuss it tomorrow.

Thanks!

Shalom,
Memo

Dear Friends,

I'm just wondering if Orthodox Christians venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe and if they would consider her image an icon . . .?

An Orthodox website once had my akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe on it - but it was removed when they realized it was a Catholic akathist .

And I got a stern talking-to in an e-mail . . .

Alex

I believe that the Icon image has been scrutinized many times...and was found to be not made by human hands...I do get lost at times with the images within the holy Mother's eyes...amazing.

james, still out yonder...wandering this beautiful desert...

Hi,

So Juan Diego opened his tilma and here is the narrative of what happened next:

By the way, that expression in Nos. 183 and 184 is still true today, we still have the joy to keep the beloved image there at the Tepeyac. This is remarkable, because the material of the tilma should have decayed several centuries ago. These garments were not supposed to outlive their owners, let alone last for over 450 years.

More importantly, we need to understand the significance of images in the Aztec culture.

Aztec writing was ideographic. The Aztecs used images as the main means of communication and an image of the Mother of God was, for them, a perfect catechesis.

Now, the image came to be through a supernatural intervention from God. It was not just any other image, it was an image painted by the hand of God.

On top of that, the image appeared on a tilma. The tilma was the symbolic representation of its owner. Aztec marriage rite consisted in tying together the man�s tilma to the woman�s huipil.

A miraculous image on a tilma was a most eloquent and strong sign of the intimacy and reality of God�s presence among us. To the Aztecs, this was the equivalent of what had been for the Hebrews �The Word was made flesh, and placed His tent among us�.

There is, however, another level of significance of this image.

It is oftentimes overlooked that, despite the pomp and grandeur of the Aztec Emperor, his authority was limited to civil and military affairs.

Even the Emperor (Tlatoani) deferred to the religious authority of the priests or �Tlamatinime�.

The two highest offices among the priests was of the Teomama (plural Teomamaque), which literally means �God bearer�, and who did just that, they carried the idols around for religious ceremonies, which included consultation to the idol, a thing only them could perform.

Even higher than the Teomamaque was the Amoxhua (plural Amoxhuaque), which means �guardian of the codex�, and these where in charge of writing, reading and interpreting Aztec Scripture (Ideograms, remember?), the �Magisterium� of the Aztec religious system.

God intended the image of Our Lady to be the new codex of Aztec Scripture, and by sending the image specifically to Bishop Zumarraga, He was designating the Bishop as the new Amoxhua, legitimately replacing the ones from old, in a similar way Christian priesthood replaced the Levitic priesthood.

�Do what he says�, is the message Our Lady was giving our people with respect of the Bishop, �he legitimately speaks for my Son�.

But also, by sending the image through Juan Diego, he became the new Teomama, subordinated in authority to the Bishop, but not in dignity and value as a human person.

This was a very clear statement that God wanted the natives to be treated as equals to the conquistadores, and the message was given in such a way that it was eloquent to both sides of the equation.

We will continue later.

Comments?

Shalom,
Memo

Not sure about all Orthodox, but down here the OCA parish has a BIG image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but haven't had the chance to ask the Bishop about it.

Hermano Memo, muchas gracias por guardar la historia de Nuestra Se�ora y compartirla.

God bless

Didn't someone write a Byzantine office to the Virgin of Guadalupe? I remember seeing it once in a Ruthenian Church.

Hi again,

Thank you all for your kind words. I am very glad to be able to share these things with you.

Shall we conclude the narrative?

Juan Diego�s uncle was supposed to be very sick, remember?

Juan Diego gave first priority to his mission. He trusted Our Lady with his uncle�s health.

However, after showing the site to Bishop Zumarraga, he decided it was time to move on and to check on his uncle.

He asked the Bishop for his leave, and the Bishop sent him home, but not alone, rather, with an escort.

The narrative mentions the escort only as a special honor, but it is very reasonable to think the Bishop was still being cautious and investigating the details of the event with due care, so it is rather safe to presume these escorts were tasked with the verification of Juan Diego�s story with regards to his uncle and his health.

They were in for another surprise, because they did not only found Juan Bernardino in perfect health, but also, when Juan Diego finally told his uncle about the apparitions, his mission, and the assurance he received from Our Lady about his uncle�s health, Juan Bernardino replied:

Again, we need to understand Aztec culture.

Few cultures in the world have been more respectful of elders than the Aztecs. Even being merely disrespectful to an elder was considered a capital crime and yes, it carried the death penalty.

By appearing to Juan Diego�s elderly uncle and by giving him the precise title with which she wanted to be know, Our Lady was sending the clear message that God did not consider ALL the old ways of the Aztecs to be wrong, that there were many good things in their culture and their way of life, and that these good things were to be honored, preserved and perfected with the Gospel.

Now, it is fairly safe to assume �Guadalupe� was not the original form, which was probably �Coatlaxopeuh�, literally �who crushes the snake�, of quite obvious meaning. However, it is providential that this was the final form of the name.

It is clear that �Guadalupe� is not Nahuatl, as the language didn�t have consonant phonics for G or D. But it was not originally Spanish either.

Although there was already a Marian image called �Guadalupe� in Spain, the name comes from the Arabic �Wadi Al-Lub�, which means more or less �river of black pebbles�.

The Marian image was called that because of the name of a village, where the image was found, after being �lost� for several centuries.

The image was originally given to the Spanish church in the late 6th century, however, it was �hidden� shortly after the Moorish invasion early in the 8th century.

The image was found again in 1326, when the war to reclaim Spain from the Moors was making good progress, so the image became very popular, and associated with Spanish national identity, just as this new �Guadalupe� would become for the Mexican people.

So here we have a Jewish girl, with a Muslim name, Mother of the Christian God, known and beloved in Spain, who will become the very soul of the new-born Mexican nation.

Quite fitting for the one who wanted �to be a compassionate mother to all of you, yours and of all the people who live together in this land, and of all the other people of different ancestries, those who love me, those who cry to me, those who seek me, those who honor me by putting their trust in my intercession�.

The narrative concludes as follows:

The story doesn�t end with a particularly high note. The Bishop carried out Our Lady�s request, and people were interested in visiting the image.

However, veiled between these two lines and in the history of what happened next, lies a most significant fact.

Surely among those who came to see the image and who recognized the divine origin of the image were the Amoxhuaque of old.

They understood God was giving them a message, and they accepted the message, even if the message was that it was time for their religion to give way to the Gospel.

The Amoxhuaque brought back the message to their people and shortly after the �Guadalupe event�, the natives began to request Baptism by the millions.

And to this day, with the impressive scientific progress we�ve accomplished, a satisfactory, natural explanation of the image and the preservation of the tilma is still pending.

But even more significant and wonderful than that is the faith of the people, and the unity the Lady of the Tepeyac inspires in her children.

May her powerful, and loving intercession guard our faith. May our father among the saints, St. Juan Diego Cuauhutlatoatzin pray for us all. Amen.

I saw somewhere in the internet about image Our Lady of Guadalupe symbolism. For instance, her robe texture, stars on her mantle, feather on her robe, etc.
I searched but can't find the site anymore.

Hi,

There is just so much that can be said about the image itself!

Here are just a few bits and pieces:

The image is of a young woman with obvious �mestizo� complexion. �Mestizo� is a Spanish word, which I do not know how to translate very well. It literally means �mixed-race�, and it is the word to describe the children of a Spaniard (usually the father) and a Native (usually the mother).

Originally it had the negative connotation �mixed-race� sometime has in English, but not any more. In Mexico, the vast majority of the population is �mestizo�, not only ethnically, but culturally as well, and we are very proud of it. Not in the least because that makes us like the image of the Queen of Heaven.

The height of the image is 143 centimeters, or a little under 5 feet, consistent with the height of a mestizo girl between the ages of 18 and 20, in that time.

Her face reflects a serene tenderness, freshness and strength. Her almond-shaped eyes are partially closed, and are not looking directly to the front, but through the corner of the eye. This was regarded as the polite way to look to someone you cared about a lot, the way the bride looks at her groom, the way a mother looks at her children. It was the way God looked upon the world to create life and order.

Her hair falls free under her mantle. This was typical of pregnant women, a special honor semi-reserved for them.

Her pregnancy is quite obvious because her abdomen is taller than it is wider.

The image itself shows adherence to an almost universal beauty standard called �Golden Proportion�, which is a height/width ratio consistent with masterpieces from cultures as diverse as the Mesopotamians, the Greeks and the Romans.

In the center of these �architectural� elements, we find her womb, and specifically, the four-petal flower (Flowers! Flowers! Remember?), the Aztecs called �Nahui Ollin�, which represented the fullness, the center of the universe (both conceived as space and time), and the presence of God.

Her hands are over her chest, put together in a posture we could (wrongly) interpret as one of prayer. No, this is not the Aztec posture for prayer, it is the Aztec posture of �I have a gift for you, because I love you, and I have it hidden here, right behind my hands�.

She is clothed with sunshine and standing on the moon, which evokes the Book of Revelations, but it has an additional meaning for the Aztecs. Tonatiuh, the Sun, was one of the major deities of the Aztec religion, he was regarded as an expression of Teotl, the One True God, the One Our Lady is claiming to be the mother of. The Moon, on the other hand, Mezti, was a very close diety, very familiar, because she, with her astronomical cycle, represented the cycle of fertility in the women, and therefore, of the archetype of women, mother-earth. The Nahua roots for �Mexico� are �Metz-xic-co�, which means �on the center of the moon�.

So, the girl clothed with the Sun, pregnant of the new Sun of Justice, is standing on the center of the moon (that is, �right here�), to bring us the New Life.

Her belt, barely visible over her womb has a trapezoid shape, which represents the change of the era, and it belongs to the child in her womb, Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega, Lord of the Old World, and the New one.

She has her left knee slightly flexed. One could think, as if walking towards the viewer. But the Aztecs probably saw something different: She has initiated the sacred dance, and she is expecting the viewer to follow suit. She comes to bring Christ to the New World, however, the next step, that of accepting Christ and live by His Law, that is a step we have to take.

Her mantle is an accurate star map. It depicts the heavens above the Anahuac valley and the positions of the stars are entirely consistent with the ones observed from the Tepeyac during the early morning of December 12th, 1531.

But backwards. That is, the mantle shows the stars as if seen �from above� the firmament, that is, from eternity. She is who she is, not by means or merits of her own, but by the same grace her Son offers to her first, and to all of us.

Her entire image points not to herself, but to Him, who (in her own words) is �my merciful gaze, my help, my salvation�, He who is Nelli Teotl (The Very True God), Ipalnemohuani (The Giver of Life), Teyocoyani (The Creator of People), Tloque Nahuaque (The Owner of what is near and what is far) and Ilhuicahua Tlaltipaque (The Lord of Heaven and Earth).

To Him Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Shalom,
Memo

Happy Feastday of Our Lady of Guadalupe!!

"Rejoice O Lady from Heaven, Virgin Mother clothed with the Sun!" (Akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Alex

Hi Alex,

Finally, here it is. The beautiful Akathist you composed to Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the tongue spoken by those who sojourn this life next to her holy shrine at the Tepeyac.

May God bless you abundantly, and reward your devotion to His Mother with all kinds of spiritual blessings.

AKATISTO
A NUESTRA SE�ORA DE GUADALUPE

Kontakio 1

A Ti, nuestra constante y gran Intercesora delante del Trono de Dios Todopoderoso, nosotros, Tus hijos, te ofrecemos este himno de alabanza, glorificando Tu maravillosa Imagen, revelada a Tu humilde siervo, Juan Diego en el cerro del Tepeyac, y cantamos Tu perdurable y celestial protecci�n a todos los que guardamos tu fiesta. Con los brazos en alto, con j�bilo exclamamos:

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Ikos 1

Los pueblos de Mesoam�rica vieron la Luz Divina cuando contemplaron Tu sagrada y milagrosa imagen, inscrita por el Dedo de Dios en la tilma de Juan Diego. Reconocieron en ella su salvaci�n y la liberaci�n de las tinieblas de la esclavitud a la antigua serpiente. Entre l�grimas de gratitud, con amor exclamaron:

�Al�grate, Inmaculada Mensajera de lo Alto!
�Al�grate, Gran Signo que apareci� en el Cielo y en medio de nosotros!
�Al�grate, Mujer resplandeciente con la Gloria de Tu Hijo, Nuestro Se�or!

�Al�grate, Se�ora que aplastas a la serpiente antigua bajo tus pies!
�Al�grate, T� que venciste al mal!
�Al�grate, Reina de Cielos y Tierra!

�Al�grate, infalible Intercesora de los que est�n perdidos en las tinieblas!
�Al�grate, Estrella del Mar que nos lleva a puerto seguro!
�Al�grate, Defensora de los ni�os!

�Al�grate, Protectora de aquellos a quienes pertenece el Reino del Cielo!
�Al�grate, T� que tienes la Luna a tus pies!
�Al�grate, con tus manos unidas en oraci�n a Dios por nosotros!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 2

Su siervo, Juan Diego, te vio por primera vez en el cerrito. T� le ordenaste que diera testimonio de Tu deseo que se construyera ah� un templo, para traer la salvaci�n a su pueblo. Lleno de gozo por Tu maternal consideraci�n por todos nosotros, Tu siervo corri� a la ciudad, exclamando �Aleluya!


Ikos 2

Tu siervo verdaderamente ha imitado a Juan, Disc�pulo Amado, pues Te tom� por madre en el hogar de su coraz�n, tal como lo dispuso Nuestro Se�or Crucificado. Pidi�ndote la gracia que nosotros hagamos lo mismo, cantamos:

�Al�grate, Templo del Esp�ritu Santo!
�Al�grate, Roca inviolada!
�Al�grate, Frondoso Monte Tem�n!

�Al�grate, T� llamas a todos al Monte!
�Al�grate, como El�as, T� vienes a destruir a los �dolos!
�Al�grate, Tu imagen es nuestro puente al Cielo sobre aguas turbulentas!

�Al�grate, Madre de Cristo!
�Al�grate, Madre de Su Iglesia!
�Al�grate, pues nos hicimos Tus hijos al pie de la Cruz de Tu Hijo!

�Al�grate, Madre del Cimiento!
�Al�grate, Roca inviolada!
�Al�grate, Colina que conduces al Reino de los Cielos!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 3

Las autoridades, en un principio, resistieron las apasionadas s�plicas de Tu siervo que fuera escuchada Tu orden. Pensaron que alucinaba. �Por qu�, se preguntaban, habr�as de aparecerte T� al pobre Juan Diego, y no a uno de su propio pueblo? Confundidos por estos mundanos pensamientos, no pudieron un�rsele para cantar: �Aleluya!

Ikos 3

Dios ha ocultado Sus secretos de los sabios y poderosos del mundo, escogiendo en cambio, revelarlos a Sus humildes siervos y a los ni�os. T� te apareciste en la Tierra a los rechazados, como Madre del que fue Signo, para no ser recibido por los Suyos. Maravillados por la grandeza de la Providencia Divina, cantamos:

�Al�grate, Madre que meditas los secretos de Dios en Tu coraz�n de madre!
�Al�grate, Virgen que recibiste al Verbo de Dios en Tu Vientre sin conocer var�n!
�Al�grate, Arca de la Nueva Alianza!

�Al�grate, Auxilio del afligido!
�Al�grate, Protectora del desamparado!
�Al�grate, Pronta Ayuda de los que sufren!

�Al�grate, Madre del Don Divino!
�Al�grate, Se�ora Compasiva!
�Al�grate, Gozo por sobre todo gozo!

�Al�grate, atravesada por la Espada del dolor!
�Al�grate, causa de nuestra libertad en Cristo!
�Al�grate, Se�ora a quien todas las naciones llaman Bienaventurada!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 4

Una y otra vez regresando a Ti, Tu siervo, Juan, no sab�a qu� decir o qu� hacer para cumplir Tu deseo. T�, entonces, le ordenaste traer rosas frescas y hermosas de la cima del cerro para el obispo, como se�al milagrosa de Tu aparici�n en la Tierra. Levantando las perfumadas flores en su Tilma, Juan exclam�: �Aleluya!

Ikos 4

Verdaderamente eres maravillosa en Tu milagroso poder, Se�ora Madre de Dios, pues por medio de Ti, vida nueva nace de la tierra est�ril. Por tu constante y santa intercesi�n, nos conduces, a quienes tenemos el alma moribunda por nuestros pecados, a los campos f�rtiles de la fe y las buenas obras, haci�ndonos vivir de nuevo para Dios, y cantar:

�Al�grate, Rosa de Siria!
�Al�grate, Lirio del Valle!
�Al�grate, Flor del Carmelo!

�Al�grate, Perfumada Jonquilla del Deleite Celestial!
�Al�grate, nuevo B�culo de Aar�n, cuajada de la Flor Divina!
�Al�grate, Manto cargado del roc�o de la Gracia Divina!

�Al�grate, Mirto de Constancia!
�Al�grate, Fragancia de Incorrupci�n!
�Al�grate, nuevo Mois�s que haces brotar agua de la roca en el desierto!

�Al�grate, Santa Nube que nutres la Tierra con la lluvia de la Gracia Divina!
�Al�grate, Sembradora de la Semilla del Verbo Encarnado en nuestras almas!
�Al�grate, Jardinera que la cultivas en nuestras vidas hasta rendir fruto!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 5

Tu humilde siervo fue con alegr�a y gran expectaci�n al palacio del obispo con las rosas que T� le diste como evidencia de Tu aparici�n. Creyendo que las flores eran la se�al definitiva para que todos creyeran en Tu venida a la Tierra, Juan extendi� su tilma. Al ver el milagro todav�a mayor de Tu imagen hecha no por manos humanas, todos exclamaron: �Aleluya!

Ikos 5

El obispo y todos los dem�s se arrodillaron con fervor delante de Tu Icono milagroso, inclinando la cabeza ante la revelaci�n que Dios hizo de Su salvaci�n de Am�rica por medio de Su Sant�sima Madre. Maravillados y llenos de asombro por el gran amor que tienes por aquellos por quienes Tu Hijo muri� en la Preciosa y Vivificadora Cruz, todos cantaron:

�Al�grate, Icono que revelas a Tu Hijo y Se�or, Jesucristo!
�Al�grate, Imagen que reflejas Su Gloria Celestial!
�Al�grate, Se�al del Cielo que nos traes Vida en Abundancia!

�Al�grate, Manto protector!
�Al�grate, T� que nos cubres con una cascada de Gracia!
�Al�grate, T� que te nos apareces sin que sepamos el d�a o la hora!

�Al�grate, T� que de pronto nos llamas al Reino de Dios!
�Al�grate, T� que imprimes la imagen de Tu Hijo en quienes Te honran!
�Al�grate, T�nica de salvaci�n!

�Al�grate, Armadura de Cristo!
�Al�grate, Testigo de la Encarnaci�n Divina!
�Al�grate, Santa Prenda sin costura!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 6

Reconociendo finalmente Tu aparici�n en la Tierra por medio de Tu santa imagen, los que la contemplaron con asombro, vieron que significaba la visi�n de Juan, el Disc�pulo Amado, en el Apocalipsis. Entendieron, por fin, que T� viniste a llamar a la salvaci�n y a liberar a muchos de las tinieblas del error pagano. Alabando a Dios por estos y muchos otros favores manifiestos, cantaron �Aleluya!


Ikos 6

Dios Te consagro a Su servicio desde Tu concepci�n en el vientre de Tu santa madre, Ana. Te honramos como verdadero Templo de la Santa Trinidad y como la Fuente por la cual, Tu Hijo, Nuestro Se�or Jes�s, derrama su Misericordia en el mundo y con gozo exclamamos:

�Al�grate, Santa Hija de Dios Padre!
�Al�grate, Preciosa Madre de Dios Hijo!
�Al�grate, Templo Sagrado del Esp�ritu Santo!

�Al�grate, Causa de la alegr�a de Tus padres, Joaqu�n y Ana!
�Al�grate, concebida en santidad en el vientre de Tu madre!
�Al�grate, Vaso preparado por Dios para recibir Su Palabra!

�Al�grate, Jarro Sagrado del Man� Vivo!
�Al�grate, Sant�sima e Inmaculada Madre de Dios!
�Al�grate, L�mpara que traes la Luz que ilumina a todos!

�Al�grate, T� en quien Dios se complace habitar!
�Al�grate, pues El Se�or est� verdaderamente contigo!
�Al�grate, bendita entre todas las mujeres!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 7

Constantes predicaciones y misiones no alejaron al pueblo de sacrificar a sus hijos a los demonios, pagando tributo a la serpiente antigua. En Tu imagen de Guadalupe, Te revelaste como �La que aplasta a la serpiente�, quitando de la Tierra la maldici�n incurrida por derramar la sangre de ni�os inocentes. Los antiguos esclavos de la serpiente, ahora nos convertimos por millares en siervos de Tu Hijo, por Ti, inspirados en Tu imagen, y ahora cantamos: �Aleluya!

Ikos 7

T� eres la gran Se�al que apareci� en el Cielo, Madre de Dios de Guadalupe, la que aplastas a la serpiente bajo Tus pies, rescat�ndonos de su enemistad. S�lvanos por tu intercesi�n de todo mal, ahora que Te cantamos:

�Al�grate, Terror de los demonios!
�Al�grate, Vencedora del maligno!
�Al�grate, Destructora de sus aliados!


�Al�grate, T� que eliminaste su soberbia!
�Al�grate, T� que nos conviertes a la Luz que viene del Oriente!
�Al�grate, T� que iluminas nuestra oscuridad!

�Al�grate, revestida del resplandor de Tu Hijo!
�Al�grate, coronada con las estrellas de Tus virtudes!
�Al�grate, T� que tienes a la Luna a tus pies!

�Al�grate, Tabern�culo Sagrado!
�Al�grate, Flor que no se marchita!
�Al�grate, Manantial que das vida!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 8

Tu sagrada imagen de Guadalupe manifiesta muchas se�ales milagrosas, todav�a el d�a de hoy, Santa Madre de Dios. Hasta Tus ojos reflejan tu amor por las familias que se arrodillan para rezar y suplicar Tu benevolente amparo. Meditando en c�mo nos conservas a todos en Tu coraz�n de madre, rogando por nuestras necesidades y confiando en tu ayuda, te cantamos: �Aleluya!

Ikos 8

La tilma de Juan Diego, Tu santo siervo, es como el Manto de tu Protecci�n Divina, que extendiste sobre tus hijos en Constantinopla y muchos otros lugares, protegi�ndolos de los enemigos de sus vidas y de su salvaci�n. Lo honramos como la muestra predilecta de tus cuidados amorosos y tu solicitud por nosotros y cantamos con alegr�a:

�Al�grate, Escudo que repeles los ataques del mal!
�Al�grate, T� que nos revistes del Se�or Jesucristo, liber�ndonos de la carne!
�Al�grate, Manto de salvaci�n!

�Al�grate, Protecci�n contra potestades y principados!
�Al�grate, T� que dispersas al ej�rcito invisible cuyo nombre es �Legi�n�!
�Al�grate, Derrota del Infierno!

�Al�grate, Alegr�a de quienes corren a refugiarse en Tu Manto!
�Al�grate, Salvaci�n de quienes mueren bajo �l!
�Al�grate, Aliada invencible en nuestras luchas espirituales!

�Al�grate, Estandarte de Amor que hondeas sobre la Mansi�n del Banquete Divino!
�Al�grate, Se�al de Gracia!
�Al�grate, Baluarte de Fortaleza Divina!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 9

Empezando por Juan Bernardino, el t�o de Tu siervo, Juan Diego, Tu imagen maravillosa de Guadalupe ha sido una inagotable fuente de sanaci�n. Nadir que busca tu ayuda o que invoca Tu auxilio queda con las manos vac�as, Madre de Guadalupe, los miembros se restablecen, la vista se recupera, y la enfermedad abandona los cuerpos de Tus hijos. Pero sobre todo, nuestras almas recuperan la salud espiritual por tu intercesi�n que todo lo puede, y te cantamos: �Aleluya!

Ikos 9

Tus hijos vienen con l�grimas a Tu Santuario de Guadalupe, Madre de Dios, y regresan a casa con la alegr�a de haber sido alimentados con el Pan Divino de la Sagrada Comuni�n y con una mayor uni�n con Dios medio Tuyo y de Tu milagrosa imagen. Inspirados por estas maravillas de la Gracia Divina, con fuerte voz exclamamos:

�Al�grate, Ap�stol, que llevas al mundo a Cristo!
�Al�grate, Escalera que nos conduces al Reino de la Santa Trinidad!
�Al�grate, C�liz en el que encontramos al Pan de Vida!

�Al�grate, Brasero del Fuego Divino!
�Al�grate, Altar que llevas al Creador del Universo!
�Al�grate, Prenda que nos revistes de Gracia!

�Al�grate, T� que conviertes las almas!
�Al�grate, Causa de nuestra conversi�n!
�Al�grate, T� que a todos impartes la gracia santificante!

�Al�grate, Inspiradora de la oraci�n!
�Al�grate, Tabla en la que Dios inscribe Su ley en nuestros corazones!
�Al�grate, Salud del cuerpo y del alma!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 10

Protectora de los ni�os que desde antiguo eran sacrificados a la serpiente. T� secaste los r�os de sangre y l�grimas sobre la Tierra cuando arrojaste a la serpiente al infierno del que vino. Te pedimos, Sant�sima Madre de Guadalupe, protege a los ni�os en nuestro tiempo de un destino similar, por el pecado del aborto que los asesina en el vientre de su madre, T�, que eres Madre para todos tus hijos y a Ti te cantamos: �Aleluya!


Ikos 10

Tu imagen de Guadalupe, Sant�sima Madre, revela que T� eres el cumplimiento de la antigua profec�a de la Virgen que concebir�a a un Ni�o. Sabiendo que todo ni�o lleva en s� mismo la imagen de Dios, T� eres la fiel defensora de aquellos cuyos �ngeles est�n siempre delante del Rostro de Dios Padre, y nosotros te cantamos:

�Al�grate, Protectora de los peque�os indefensos!
�Al�grate, Defensora de los ni�os en el vientre de sus madres!
�Al�grate, pues de ellos es el Reino de Dios!

�Al�grate, pues no te afrentas de traer a los peque�os hasta Tu Hijo!
�Al�grate, pues miles de ni�os fueron martirizados por Herodes para salvar a Tu Hijo!
�Al�grate, pues sus almas te rodean como una preciosa Corona!

�Al�grate, pues eres el auxilio de las madres en todo lugar!
�Al�grate, pues eres su sustento y esperanza!
�Al�grate, pues T� las alimentas, a ellas y a sus hijos, con la Leche de Tu Gracia!

�Al�grate, pues un Hijo se nos ha dado!
�Al�grate, pues su Nombre es Emmanuel!
�Al�grate, pues Dios est� con nosotros en un Ni�o peque�o!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!


Kontakio 11

Los pueblos de M�xico y de Am�rica se sorprenden del amor y ternura de Dios al mandarnos la imagen de Su Sant�sima Madre, que no fue hecha por manos humanas, para que nos acompa�ara en nuestros sufrimientos y necesidades. La Iglesia, en el Nombre de Cristo Crucificado, tambi�n nos instruye para que llevemos a nuestra Madre a nuestro hogar, en esa santa imagen, para ser nuestra Gu�a y Protectora y, como siervos fieles, con amor obedecemos y cantamos: �Aleluya!

Ikos 11

Tu imagen es fuente de bendiciones para todos, Madre de Guadalupe. T� llenas de gozo a todos los que se acercan con fe y temor de Dios, concedi�ndonos lo que sea para nuestro beneficio, mientras proclamamos con gozo:

�Al�grate, Fuente Inagotable de Milagros!
�Al�grate, Maternal Intercesora que el Hijo nunca rechaza!
�Al�grate, T� nos mandas hacer todo lo que Tu Hijo nos dice en el Evangelio!


�Al�grate, T� llenas las vasijas vac�as de nuestras almas con el Vino de la Alegr�a!
�Al�grate, llev�ndonos a la Cruz de la que pende el Divino Racimo!
�Al�grate, Campo Virgen en el que germin� el Trigo Celestial!

�Al�grate, Protectora de M�xico!
�Al�grate, Defensora de los pueblos Ind�genas!
�Al�grate, Patrona de Am�rica!

�Al�grate, Esperanza Nuestra!
�Al�grate, A�oranza Nuestra!
�Al�grate, Gu�a Eterna!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 12

�Por millares acuden peregrinando a Tu santo Santuario de Guadalupe, Sant�sima Madre De Dios! Todos somos peregrinos, viajando a nuestro hogar, que es el Cielo y el Reino del Padre, del Hijo y del Esp�ritu Santo. Gu�anos Tu, con tu poderosa intercesi�n delante del Trono de Tu Hijo, Nuestro Se�or Jesucristo, a quienes cantamos: �Aleluya!

Ikos 12

Sant�sima Madre, Tu eres la Madre de la Luz y la Fuente de la Iluminaci�n por la Gracia y la Misericordia de Tu Hijo, Nuestro Se�or, Dios y Salvador, Jesucristo. Al contemplar continuamente tu milagrosa imagen de Guadalupe, nos perdemos en el amor y el asombro de cu�nto, en verdad, nos ha amado Dios, al darnos a tan grande y exaltada Madre, Su propia Madre. Con humildad cantamos:

�Al�grate, Madre de Cristo!
�Al�grate, Madre de Dios Encarnado!
�Al�grate, Madre de la Verdadera Luz que nos ilumina a todos!

�Al�grate, Poderosa intercesora!
�Al�grate, Alegr�a de las Alegr�as!
�Al�grate, T� que siempre nos escuchas!

�Al�grate, T� que vigilas las Puertas!
�Al�grate, T� que eres nuestra Protectora Celestial!
�Al�grate, Se�ora del Monte Si�n!

�Al�grate, Faro en la Monta�a!
�Al�grate, Rayo de Luz emanado del Sol!
�Al�grate, Madre Amad�sima!

�Al�grate, Se�ora del Cielo, Virgen Madre vestida del Sol!

Kontakio 13

Sant�sima Madre de Dios, que revelaste tu milagrosa imagen a Tu humilde siervo, San Juan Diego, en el Tepeyac, para traer la Luz de Tu Hijo a los pueblos de Mesoam�rica esclavizados por la serpiente antigua. Prot�genos y gu�anos durante toda nuestra vida, derramando en nosotros la Divina Gracia de Tu Hijo por medio de Tu intercesi�n, hasta que lleguemos al lugar de donde T� viniste a nosotros, el Reino Celestial de Tu Hijo, Nuestro Se�or Jesucristo, pues cantamos: �Aleluya! (3 veces).

(Se repiten el Ikos 1 y el Kontakio 1).

Oraci�n a la Madre de Dios de Guadalupe

Madre de Dios de Guadalupe, acepta este humilde himno de alabanza de nosotros, Tus siervos en honor de Tu milagrosa imagen que no fue hecha por manos humanas. C�brenos con el Manto de Tu Protecci�n y gu�anos con las suplicas de tu infalible intercesi�n. L�branos del poder de la serpiente antigua, y destruye su dominio sobre las naciones y personas de nuestro tiempo. Cond�cenos a Tu Hijo, cual Escalera Divina, Zarza que arde sin consumirse y Arca de la Nueva Alianza. Sant�sima Madre de Dios, intercede por nosotros y s�lvanos por Tus s�plicas. Am�n

Brother Memo,

Thank you for all the info, it is much appreciated...at least by me.

james, grandpa to seven, all with Hispanic heritage !

As I left the doctors office this evening I looked up at the moon and thought what a lovely halo around it. My daughter looked and saw it, but the other people who walked out at the same time didn't (they aren't Catholic either), she thought it was awesome. Something that if you see it is usually in the fall. I kept being drawn back to the halo if I took my eyes off for too long and wondering how these wonderful colors were there...yellow, green, red, and brillliant white in the middle. Then I shouted out, it is the colors surrounding Our Lady of Guadelupe. The colors like in this picture http://community.theolympian.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album156&id=lady2

Then the moon bagan to dance like the sun does. Sometimes I was able to see a trail of like eight peices of the moon with the full moon. My daughter and I watched with amazement, sometimes they were in a line, sometimes like we use to do with the design maker things that we used pencils with and spun the wheel about, and sometimes like a cross.

I also the thought the formation of the clouds were very unusual tonight. They seemed to be very bright, and like rows of square puffs, very different, very organized in shape and form.

A very interesting sky to behold on 12/12/1005.
Glory to God!
Pani Rose

Hello all,

As the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is coming up, I thought that this may be of interest to our members, especially the ones who joined us within the last year, so I am posting on this thread to bring it to the top again.

Enjoy, and feel free to continue posting on the topic.

Shalom,
Memo

Today's opening collect...

"God of power and mercy, who blessed the America's at Tepeyac with the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, grant we beseech you through her intercession, that we may accept one another in Christ and through the out pouring of Your justice into our hearts, come to rejoice in the gift of Your peace".

james

A beautiful story, Pani Rose. Thank you for posting it and sharing it.

I tried to get on the board yesterday but for some reason it was not working. The missus and I attended Mass at a nearby rural parish that is the home for many migrant Mexican farm workers. They had a mariachi band and a celebration after Mass. The missus wants to teach CCD there next year. We will see if she can, or cannot, as we are waiting to see if she is - embarazada .

I am posting here to bring the thread up to the first page, so our brother Tertulian can find this more easily.

Shalom,
Memo

Memo,

Muchas gracias por toda esta relacion, y especialmente por sus contribuciones personales de los detallos!

Shalom,
Michael

De nada!

Hey Memo,

I received a request for you from a friend that works in youth ministry in Canada. Could you please post any resources that you have on here. THANKS! Here is her request....

Hi there, I was asked to find info on Our Lady of Guadalupe and it led me to your forum online. (THAT IS THIS TOPIC)
https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=160741

I don't know what source that person is quoting on and I don't know where he got his story but I would like to be able to access it for myself since I need the information for the upcoming retreat. I have not found any direct quotes concerning Juan Diego.

If you could find out where he got the information it would be a great asset to this retreat where we will be displaying this image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in February 15-16-17 for about 80-120 teens....

I liked the way he puts in little tidbits of culture that make the encounter more fascinating and shows a greater depth to the encounter. The flowers were not mere flowers but a show of wealth and importance.

Awesome.. I am trying to cut and past the information into come kind of coherent report the teens can read when they come up to venerate the image...learning more about he culture is important in order to understand the depth of the meeting between Juan and the Mother of God.

Pani Rose,

Email this link to your contact in Canada. It is the English translation of the Aztec language of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

http://www.virgendeguadalupe.org.mx/apariciones/Nican%20Mopohua/Nican%20Mopohua%20ingles.htm

Oh THANK YOU JOHN!

Here is a link to the ministry she is involved with
http://catholicanada.com/web/index....=viewlink&link_id=2990&Itemid=27

They have kids doing retreats for other children. They go to schools and such and do weekend retreats. They are from elementry to high school age kids doing this.

It is an amazing work of the Lord!

Thank you Pani Rose,

More stuff to read, so I don't have any time to do anything useful!

Just a couple of clicks, and I wished I was there before Christmas. See this page:

http://home.golden.net/~wts/words/otherwords/wts-thehuroncarol.html

Hi,

I just want to publicly acknowledge the interest in this topic. I have already sent Pani Rose a PM with specifics, but in general, anybody should feel free to use and distribute any of my postings in this forum.

I am honored by anybody even considering my postings useful

As for the English translation posted above, I will offer publicly the same comment I sent Rose earlier. This is a very good, but very literal translation. It doesn't carry over th culture of the Nahua people.

What I did in my original posts was to use the Spanish translation and translated that into English. The Spanish translation was done and annotated by a priest who is not only fluent in both Spanish and Nahuatl, but also profoundly familiar with the Nahua culture, so he was able to offer additional insights into the meaning and implications of some of the details of the original text, which are bound to be lost in translation, if we only translate words and sentences. I used his notes heavily in my own comments.

Thank you all!

Shalom,
Memo

Memo and everyone,

Does anyone have a picture of an icon of our lady of guadalupe? (I know about the image and the tilma, I am looking for an icon)

[Linked Image]
Please go to this link on my website. http://www.theologyincolor.com/ray/olg.jpg
You may use it for non-commercial purposes if you give me www.theologyincolor.com [theologyincolor.com] credit.

Ray

That's a gorgeous icon!

Indeed!

Hello,

As usual around this time of the year, I do something to bring this thread back to the top, so people interested in a Mexican’s view of Our Lady of Guadalupe may have something to read.

This year, I am going attempt to sketch an interpretation of the graphic elements in the image of the tilma itself, from the point of view of the Aztec culture.

The first thing I am going to mention is that the Aztecs were a very graphic culture. This should not be hard to understand to the Eastern Christian mentality. The Aztec “codex” is functionally equivalent to the Eastern “icon” in religious and cultural contexts. It is not just a picture, but actually a story-telling object of devotion and knowledge.

The Aztecs were highly educated, all children went to school and learned how to read and write a codex, so these pictograms were both the Icon and the Scripture of their religion. An important element in Aztec codex writing is that the codex would normally express not only the timing of the story, but also its geographic placement.

Now, we also need to understand a little bit better the Aztec religion. The common understanding is that Aztecs were polytheists, in the same sense as the ancient Greeks or Romans were. This is not precise. The various Aztec “gods” were understood to be expressions or emanations of the One True God, Teotl. Aztec polytheism was closer to Hinduism, in this regard.

Yes, there were human sacrifices, but they were not understood as a way to appease an adverse deity, but rather as a way to repay the sacrifices God/the gods made in favor of the world: The sun rose every morning to give light and warmth, but in order to do that, it had to die and shed its blood every evening (hence the red evening sky).

Finally, the Aztec cosmovision was firmly planted in dualism: Night and Day, Male and Female, Heaven and Earth. All things had two elements in mutual opposition and tension (that is way all representations of Teotl are dual in one way or another, but that is not in contradiction to Teotl’s unity – somewhat analogous to the Christian notion of One God who is a Trinity).

The first symbol I want to talk about is called the “Nahui-Ollin”, literally that means Four-Movement and it is in reference to the Aztec belief that they were living in the 5th era of the world, with 4 previous eras ending in cosmic cataclysm.

The symbol has a number of variants, but in its purest form looks like this:

[Linked Image]

This is the Aztec’s expression of their macro-cosmos: God, represented by the circle in the middle is the center of everything. God is dual, that is why the circle is divided in half, the top part is plain, that represents the sun and the bottom part has an inner circle because two concentric circles represent a star, symbol of the night. The two round shapes at the right and the left of the central circle symbolizes God’s embrace of all.

At the top, there is a chevron shape pointing upwards, this represents the dawn, the East, the chevron represents the divine light received from the rising sun.

At the bottom, the symbol of a war shield with the symbol of a star represents the sun’s combat during the day that ends with sunset, when the sun sheds its blood to give life to the next day.

The four square shapes represent the four past eras, epochs or movements of history, also embraced by God.

This symbol is also an expression of the Aztec’s micro-cosmos: At the center of the human body there is the heart, where God lives and which expresses the totality of the person. Above the heart, the head is where God sheds His light, life and wisdom on us, beneath the heart are the reproductive organs, with which we give life to the next generation and the four squares are our four limbs with which we move and work.

With this introductory material, we are ready to take a look at the tilma itself.

Stay tuned!

Shalom,
Memo

What I find interesting is that in the Aztec and Mayan way of looking at things, East, not North, is up.

Also, the world is going to end on 21 December 2012 according to the Mesoamerican calendar.

I await your analysis of the Tilma. I am amazed to see the images in Our Lady's eyes.

I look forward to Memo's info & opinion every year at this time...seems my data banks leak a bit

Hi again,

Let's get started with the tilma.

The tilma portrays a young woman clothed with the sun. In Aztec mythology, only two groups of people live close to the sun, in the 13th or highest heaven: The warriors who die in combat, who then lift up the sun from dawn until noon and the women who die at childbirth, who bring the sun down from noon until sunset.

But nobody lives inside the sun. Here we have a woman who doesn’t live near the sun, she is actually clothed by the sun, more glorious than the slain warriors and more honorable than the self-sacrificing mothers.

The woman is standing on the center of the moon. This is significant because of the etymology of the name of “Mexico”. The name comes from three Nahuatl roots: Metz-xic-co, literally, on the belly-button of the moon (meaning, on the center of the moon). By standing on the center of the moon, the woman expresses here presence here, on this very land, and she is bringing the sun down to the land: Sun and land together in harmony, speaking to the Aztec’s dualism.

The woman has her sight slightly lowered in the customary deferential way to look when you are not the principal person. By doing so, she is proclaiming herself not as a goddess, but rather as a servant of God. However, not just any servant, because of two elements: The turquoise mantle she wears is fitting only of the highest of the high royalty: she may not be a goddess, but she is certainly a queen or a royal princess. Also, just under her robe, you can see a shoe. Only two persons in the Aztec culture were allowed to wear shoes: the emperor and his chief of staff. It has been established she is not the sovereign, so these elements taking together mean: This woman is of royal birth and she is the chief of staff of someone greater than the sun.

The mantle allows a little bit of hair to show underneath, it is not braided, which means the woman is a virgin, however the black belt the woman is wearing is an indication of her pregnancy. As in many other cultures, a pregnant maiden faced severe punishment, but it had been established this woman is highly exalted with holiness. The only “holy” pregnant virgin in Aztec culture was “Tonanzin”, Our Mother Earth, who by the way, was worshipped precisely at the Tepeyac, where the apparitions took place.

This gives us two important clues: There is a connection between Earth and the woman. More on this later, but even more so, the woman who identified herself as the Mother of Teotl, is also Our Mother, thus making Teotl our sibling, fulfilling one of the ancient longings of Aztec spirituality: When, O Teotl, will you come and dwell with us; when will we be able to see your face? (sounds familiar? Yes, of course, the Aztecs thought the same when they heard about the Incarnation)

More to come.

Stay tuned!

Shalom,
Memo

Hi again,

Yes, I will mention the eyes towards the end of this series.

For the time being, let's continue...

The blue mantle is dotted with stars. This indicates, of course, that the mantle represents the heavens. It is important to note that the stars actually follow the visible constellations in the Mexican night sky on that time of the morning of December 12th, 1531. The star map is properly oriented with East being “up”, but it is reversed. The stars seen on the mantle appear as if seen from “above” the firmament.

This actually strengthens the connection between Earth and the woman, as explained before, however, there are a few more details accentuating this relationship even further. On the rose-color robe the woman is wearing, there are 9 symbols of “mountain”. The position of these symbols coincides with the positions of the 9 tallest peaks around the Anahuac valley. Furthermore, three of these are directly by the cuffs and the collar of the rose robe. The cuffs and the collar are, of course, a much lighter collar, almost white and the three peaks these mountain symbols coincide with have perpetual glaciers on their peaks.

An interesting feature about the mountain symbols is that all nine of them are seem to stem from the blue mantle. In Aztec spirituality, the mountain is the place to enter in contact with the divine. In this regard, the mountain symbols teach about the concept of revelation: The place to enter in contact with the divine is now provided or revealed by the heavens, by God.

The mountain symbols and, in fact the rest of the robe, is covered with flowers, symbols of heavenly blessings. The coming of the woman will fill the land with blessings.

Right on top of the woman’s womb there is a very unique symbol that could be mistakenly interpreted as yet another flower, but it looks more like a 4-leaf clover. This is a variation of the Nahui-Ollin, giving a new, greater meaning to the entire image.

More to come.

Stay tuned!

Shalom,
Memo

Hi again,

Moving along...

The presence of the Nahui-Ollin indicates the presence of God. The symbol is very appropriately shown over the woman’s womb. She is the Mother of Teotl. In Him, who is in her womb, all things and all ages have their fullness and their harmony. He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and Owner of what is near and what is far.

In Aztec mythology, Mother Earth, perpetually a virgin, was cleaning a temple one day, when from heaven descended a ball of Quetzal feathers (one of the most precious objects for the Aztecs, these feathers symbolize the life and wisdom of God), she picked up the ball of feathers and put it inside her dress. Later, when she looked for it, the ball was gone and she was pregnant.

Her children, the moon and the stars decided to execute justice on their mother, who disgraced them by getting pregnant and began climbing the steps to the temple. The child in her womb was reassuring her, telling her he would take care of things and at the very last minute, when the moon and the stars were about to reach her, she gives birth to the sun and with light-darts he slew the stars and with his club, he dismembered the moon, all of this so that Mother Earth could live.

Later, the sun had to shed his blood so that the rest of Mother Earth’s children could live and then the stars and the moon came back and the cycle then repeats itself over and over.

This is the Aztec “theological” foundation for human sacrifice: the victim’s blood aids the sun in his eternal combat with the forces of darkness and helps maintain balance and harmony in the universe.

The tilma also speaks to this ancient myth: On the tilma, the sun, the moon and the stars are not fighting each other, but in harmony around the woman/Mother Earth and her unborn Child. The time of warfare is accomplished; it is now time for harmony and peace.

Fittingly, the woman has her hands in front of her chest, covering her heart. To the western mentality, this appears to the posture for prayer, but the Aztecs used this gesture to signify a gift, which is hidden behind the hands. The woman is offering her own heart as a gift, first to her unborn Child, but also to the rest of her children who come to her in their need.

Her hands double as a protective shield for the heart, the heart of the land, the heart of every inhabitant of the land. The “sacrificial economy” of the Aztec religion is no longer required, the blood sacrifices may stop because harmony has been restored by the blood of Teotl Himself, who incarnate, shed His blood so that all may have eternal life.


More to come.

Stay tuned!

Shalom,
Memo

Wow, this analysis makes clear the international importance of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and yet she seems so co-opted by nationalism in a way that Lourdes and Fatima are not.

Keep 'em comin' Memo. These little articles are great!!!

Hi,



Yes, the “international” element is built into the Guadalupe event from the very beginning. Not only the image speaks to different people "from the inside" of their own culture, but the message has an explicitly inclusive directive. When Our Lady asks for a shrine to come and live with us, she uses these words:


By the way, the request for a shrine in itself is a sign: When the Aztecs saw Huitzilopochtli’s promised sign to establish Tenochtitlan, the eagle standing on a cactus, growing on an islet and devouring a snake, they immediately offered a sacrifice and built a shrine for Huitzilopochtli, to indicate his established, permanent presence in their midst.

To this day, the eagle devouring the snake while standing on a cactus growing on an islet is our National Seal, however, our first attempt at a flag, the standard Miguel Hidalgo carried when he started the movement that would eventually become Mexico's Independence War, was an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Just like Tenochtitlan, and by extension all the Aztec empire was built around Huitzilopochtli’s shrine, Mexico City and the Mexican nation still has at its physical and spiritual core the shrine of Our Lady.

Shalom,
Memo

Hello again,

Some final considerations about the image's symbolism:

The figure under the moon, that our western mentality identifies as an angel is also very significant. The Aztecs would not see an angel there, at least not in the Judeo-Christian sense of the word. The winged figure is an Eagle Knight, one of the two highest ranks of warriors (remember Aztec dualism). Eagle Knights are associated with the morning; they are the ones who carry the sun up from dawn until noon. The presence of this knight is an indication of dawn, the dawn of a new era.

The feathers of his wings, which symbolize his prayers, show multiple colors, signifying this figure’s great holiness and piety. His face has disproportionately large ears and forehead. Large ears to signify his attentiveness, large forehead to signify wisdom.

With one hand he is holding the turquoise mantle, the heavens; with his other hand he is holding the rose robe, the earth.

This is a holy, pious, attentive and wise person, who brings a message from the heavens to the earth. This is, naturally, the iconic representation of our father in faith, St. Juan Diego Cuahutlatoatzin, who received the vision, the image and the message. The message is delivered at dawn, to signify the dawn of a new age, the age of the Gospel not as the conqueror of their old religion, but rather as the true fulfilling of the Aztec people’s hunger for God.

Finally, we have the rose robe's collar. All Aztec women wore a collar with a distinctive symbol identifying them as members of their family. The symbol on this collar is a cross, identifying the woman as a member of the Christian family. This, together with her declaration to be “Our Mother” is an invitation to join the family, to join the Church. It’s right in there, but it is subtle, mindful of the person’s freedom and each one’s timetable. This woman has an urgency to deliver her message, but unending patience to wait for our response.

Our last article in this series will talk about some amazing facts about the image.

Stay tuned!

Shalom,
Memo

Hi,

A few amazing facts about the tilma:

The tilma is made from a fabric of maguey (century plant, similar to the agave and aloe plants). These garments are not designed to outlive their owners. Under natural circumstances, normal wear and tear would render these garments unusable within 30 years.

However, this particular one has not been subject to normal wear and tear. For over a century, the image was kept inside a shine, but otherwise unprotected and within hand reach from the people, people who quickly developed a custom of touching it with their hands and/or various objects.

Furthermore, originally, the Tepeyac was right at the shore of the lake of Texcoco. Its waters were rich in minerals, which of course, is very corrosive on paint and other materials.

The fabric of maguey is very coarse; paintings on such a material usually end up being very dull, because the paint goes easily through the fabric. In order to prevent this, a technique commonly used by artists is to apply a coating of a whitewash material (could be even plaster) to the fabric. The colors on the image of Our Lady are very bright and vivid, but there is no such whitewash material underneath the colors (in fact, a few small areas are not even colored at all, the color of the image on those areas is the natural color of the fabric).

What’s more, infrared studies show that there are no other “coats” of painting at all. No corrections or do-over’s. The image was painted on the fabric using single strokes from beginning to end.

The image suffered a spill of a cleaning fluid that was being used to clean the frame. If I understand correctly, the liquid was nothing less than muriatic acid, but even if this was not the case, the liquid was a potent solvent that should have destroyed the fabric. The stains (along the right side of the image) are still visible, but faintly.

Some 80 years ago, during the “Cristiada” war, a bomb was planted and detonated inside the basilica. A wrought iron crucifix placed directly in front of the image is still preserved in the new basilica. It is torn and twisted. The image is still there.

The image is still there! More than 476 years after the events and surviving more than 15 times the expected lifetime of the fabric itself, let alone a painting on the fabric.

There are some other myths about the image, such as that it maintains normal body temperature or that it has a pulse. These are not true.

Kind of in a gray area (at least in my opinion) is the issue of the eyes.

Microscopic images of the eyes of Our Lady show shapes inside the eyes similar to the reflections we can see in the eyes of other people if we get very close.

Moreover, the reflections on one eye are always different from the reflections on the other eye because of the different position of the reflected object relative to each eye.

The shapes in the eyes of the image of Our Lady are consistent with these reflections, they are different from eye to eye and the differences are consistent with what modern optics would predict.

These are facts and are amazing enough.

Now, people look human figures into these shapes. Some of these interpretations are very compelling, but I would not say they are conclusive. There appears to be St. Juan Diego himself, Bishop Zumarraga, a translator (who must have been there, since the good bishop did not speak Nahuatl) and also a family group in the center formed by a male and a female adults and at least one child.

Some people might need this last piece of scientific evidence to find themselves in the apple of Our Lady’s eye. Personally, the rest of the image and the story do more than enough for me.

Mexicans are fully aware that in spite of the proliferation, even more so in recent times, of Marian apparitions, “God has not done this for other nations”, and that makes us responsible for bringing the words, the intention of Our Lady to all need her motherly love and protection.

May we all have a very blessed feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Most Holy Mother of God of Guadalupe, save us!

Shalom,
Memo

Dear Memo:

Again, thank you for bringing us to comprehend the "mysteries" surrounding the tilma and to properly understand the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Amado

Fr. Mark @ Vultus Christi has good taste...


Again this year, I want to present this beautiful Akathist to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. It is the work of Dr. Alexander Roman.


Akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe

1
Kontakion 1
To Thee, our great and constant Intercessor before the Throne of Almighty God, do we,
Thy children, offer this hymn of praise, glorifying Thy wondrous Image revealed to Thy
humble servant, Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac, as we sing of Thy enduring heavenly
Protection of all who keep festival, joyfully exclaiming with arms uplifted: Rejoice, O
Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Ikos 1
The peoples of Mesoamerica saw a most Divine Light when they gazed upon Thy sacred
and miraculous image inscribed by the Finger of God upon the tilma of Juan Diego.
They recognized in it their salvation at last and liberation from the darkness of
enslavement to the cunning Serpent of old and they cried with grateful love amidst tears:

Rejoice, Most Immaculate Messenger from on High!
Rejoice, Great Sign that appeared in Heaven and in our midst!
Rejoice, Woman shining with the Brightness of Thy Son and our Lord!
Rejoice, Lady crushing the Serpent of old beneath thy feet!
Rejoice, Victor over evil!
Rejoice, Queen of Heaven and Earth!
Rejoice, unfailing Intercessor for those lost in darkness!
Rejoice, Star of the Sea bringing us to the harbor of safety!
Rejoice, Defender of children!
Rejoice, Protector of such as are of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Rejoice, Standing with the moon at Thy feet!
Rejoice, with hands enfolded in prayer to God on our behalf!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

2
Kontakion 2
Thy servant, Juan Diego, first saw Thee in Thy appearance on a hill. Thou didst
command him to witness to Thy desire to have a temple raised there to bring salvation to his people. Overjoyed by this Thy maternal condescension on earth toward us all, Thy
servant ran into the city, crying: Alleluia!

Ikos 2
Thy servant has truly imitated the Beloved Disciple, John, for he likewise took Thee as
his Mother to the home of his heart at the command of our Crucified Lord. Asking Thee
for the grace to do likewise, we sing:

Rejoice, Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, Rock Unhewn!
Rejoice, Densely wooded Mount Thaeman!
Rejoice, for Thou dost call everyone to the Mountain!
Rejoice, for like Elias of old, Thou comest to destroy idols!
Rejoice, for Thy Image is our bridge over dangerous waters to Heaven!
Rejoice, Mother of Christ!
Rejoice, Mother of His Church!
Rejoice, for we became Thy children underneath Thy Son's Cross!
Rejoice, Mother of the Foundation Stone!
Rejoice, Rock Unquarried!
Rejoice, Hilltop leading to the Heavenly Kingdom!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother Clothed with the Sun!

3
Ikos 3

God has kept His secrets from the wise and powerful of the world, choosing, instead, to
reveal them to His humble servants and to children. Thou didst appear on earth to the
rejected as the Mother of the Sign that was rejected and accepted not by His own.

Marveling in wonder at God's Divine Providence, we sing:
Rejoice, Mother Who ponders God's secrets in Thy maternal heart!
Rejoice, Virgin Who received God's Word in Thy Womb without knowing man!
Rejoice, Ark of the New Covenant!
Rejoice, Helper of the afflicted!
Rejoice, Guardian of those without any to care for them!
Rejoice, Quick help of those who suffer!
Rejoice, Mother of Divine surprises!
Rejoice, Lady of Compassion!
Rejoice, our Joy above every joy!
Rejoice, pierced with a Sword of sorrow!
Rejoice, the cause of our freedom in Christ!
Rejoice, Lady whom all peoples call 'Blessed!'
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 4

Returning again and again to Thee, Thy servant, Juan, knew not what to say or do to
fulfill Thy request. Thou then didst command him to bring fresh, beautiful roses from the parched mountain to the bishop as a miraculous sign of Thy appearance on earth. Lifting the aromatic flowers into his tilma, Juan cried: Alleluia!

4
Ikos 4

Thou art truly all-wondrous in Thy miraculous power, O Lady-Theotokos, as through
Thee new life is born from dead earth. By Thy holy and constant intercessions, bring us
whose sins have deadened our souls to the fertile fields of faith and good works, making us live once more unto God, as we sing:

Rejoice, Rose of Sharon!
Rejoice, Lily of the Valley!
Rejoice, Flower of Carmel!
Rejoice, Aromatic Jonquil of Heavenly Delight!
Rejoice, new Staff of Aaron, budding with the Divine Flower!
Rejoice, Lady's Mantle bearing the droplets of Heavenly Grace!
Rejoice, Myrtle of constancy!
Rejoice, Fragrance of Incorruption!
Rejoice, new Moses that calls forth water from the desert rock!
Rejoice, Holy Cloud that nourishes the earth with the rain of Divine Grace!
Rejoice, Planter of the Seed of the Word Incarnate in our souls!
Rejoice, Gardener Who cultivates it to fruition in our lives!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 5
Thy humble servant went with joy and great anticipation to the palace of the bishop with the roses Thou didst give him as evidence of Thy appearance. Believing the flowers to be the final signal to all affirming Thy coming on earth, Juan unfurled his tilma. Upon
seeing the greater miracle of Thy image not made by human hands, all cried: Alleluia!

Ikos 5
The bishop joined with everyone in kneeling prayerfully before Thy miraculous Icon,
bowing to God's revelation of His salvation of the Americas through His Most Holy
Mother. Spellbound in wonder and amazement at Thy great love for those for whom Thy
Son died for on the Precious and Life-giving Cross, they all sang:

Rejoice, Icon revealing Thy Son and Lord Jesus Christ!
Rejoice, Image reflecting His Heavenly Glory!
Rejoice, Sign from Heaven, bringing us the Abundant Life!
Rejoice, our Mantle of Protection!
Rejoice, covering us with an outpouring of Grace!
Rejoice, Who appears to us when we know neither the day nor the hour!
Rejoice, for Thou didst call us to the Kingdom of God suddenly!
Rejoice, Who imprints the image of Thy Son on those who honour Thee!
Rejoice, Robe of salvation!
Rejoice, Armour of Christ!
Rejoice, Witness to the Divine Incarnation!
Rejoice, Holy Garment without seam!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 6
Acknowledging finally Thy appearance on earth through Thy holy image, those who
gazed in wonder at it saw it to signify the vision of the Beloved Disciple, John, in the
Apocalypse. They understood, at long last, that Thou came to call all to salvation and
free many from the darkness of pagan error. Praising God and Thee for these and many
other manifest mercies, they sang: Alleluia!

Ikos 6
God consecrated Thee to His service from Thy conception in the womb of Thy holy
mother, Anne. We honour Thee as the true Temple of the Holy Trinity and the Fount
through which Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, pours out His Mercy upon the world and
joyfully exclaim:

Rejoice, Holy Daughter of God the Father!
Rejoice, Precious Mother of God the Son!
Rejoice, Sanctified Temple of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, Cause of joy to Thy parents, Joachim and Anne!
Rejoice, conceived in holiness in the womb of Thy mother!
Rejoice, Vessel prepared by God to receive His Word!
Rejoice, Sacred Jar of the living Manna!
Rejoice, Most Holy and Immaculate Mother of God!
Rejoice, Candlestick bearing the Light that enlightens all!
Rejoice, She in Whom God was pleased to dwell!
Rejoice, for the Lord is truly with Thee!
Rejoice, for blessed art Thou amongst all women!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 7
Constant preaching and missions could not sway the people from sacrificing their
children to demons and paying tribute to the cunning Serpent of old. In Thy image of
Guadalupe, Thou didst reveal Thyself as "She who crushes the serpent," removing from
the earth the curse received through the spilled blood of innocent children. As the former slaves of the Serpent now flock in large numbers to become the servants of Thy Son through Thee, inspired by Thy image, we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 7
Thou art the great Sign that appeared in Heaven, O Mother of God of Guadalupe, that
crushes the Serpent beneath Thy feet, delivering us from his enmity. Deliver us now
from all evil by Thine intercession as we sing to Thee:

Rejoice, Terror of demons!
Rejoice, Vanquisher of the evil one!
Rejoice, Destroyer of all his wiles!
Rejoice, bringing to nought his pride!
Rejoice, turning us firmly toward the Light that comes from the East!
Rejoice, Enlightenment of our darkness!
Rejoice, enrobed with the brightness of Thy Son!
Rejoice, crowned with the stars of Thy virtues!
Rejoice, with the moon at Thy feet!
Rejoice, Holy of Holies!
Rejoice, Unfading Bloom!
Rejoice, Life-giving Spring!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 8
Thy sacred image of Guadalupe manifests many miraculous signs and wonders to this
day, O Holy Mother of God. Even Thy eyes reflect Thy love for families kneeling in
prayer and asking Thy benevolent assistance. Pondering how Thou dost keep us all in
Thy motherly heart, praying for our needs and coming to our aid, we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 8
The tilma of Juan Diego, Thy sainted servant, is like unto the Mantle of Divine Protection which Thou didst extend over Thy children at Constantinople and many other places, protecting them from the enemies of their lives and salvation. We honour it as Thy very special token to us of Thy loving care and concern for us and sing joyfully:

Rejoice, Heavenly Cover against which the darts of the evil one rebound!
Rejoice, Putting on us the Lord Jesus Christ, leaving no provision for the flesh!
Rejoice, Cloak of salvation!
Rejoice, Protection against dominions and principalities!
Rejoice, warding off the invisible armies of those whose name is "Legion!"
Rejoice, Defeat of the spiritual Tartarus!
Rejoice, Joy of all who run to Thy Mantle!
Rejoice, Salvation of all who die under it!
Rejoice, Invincible Ally in our spiritual struggles!
Rejoice, Banner of Love flying above the Divine Banqueting House!
Rejoice, Signal of Grace!
Rejoice, Fortress of Divine strength!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 9
Beginning with Juan Bernardino, the uncle of Thy servant, Juan Diego, Thy miraculous
image of Guadalupe has become an inexhaustible source of healings. No one seeking
Thy assistance or invoking Thine aid is turned away empty-handed, O Mother of
Guadalupe, as limbs are restored, sight is regained and illness is banished from the bodies of Thy children. Most of all, spiritual health is restored to our souls through Thy allpowerful intercession as we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 9
Thy children come with tears to Thy Shrine at Guadalupe, O Mother of God, and return
home in the joy of being fed with the Divine Sheaves of Holy Communion and a greater
union with God through Thee and Thy miraculous image. Inspired by these wonders of
Divine Grace, we loudly exclaim:

Rejoice, Equal to the Apostles, bringing the world to Christ!
Rejoice, Ladder leading us up to the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, Chalice in which we find the Bread of Life!
Rejoice, Censor that contains the Divine Coal!
Rejoice, Altar bearing the Creator of all!
Rejoice, Garment which clothes us in Grace!
Rejoice, Converter of souls!
Rejoice, Cause of our repentance!
Rejoice, imparting the grace of sanctification to all!
Rejoice, inspirer of prayer!
Rejoice, Tablet through which God inscribes His law on our hearts!
Rejoice, bringing us health of body and soul!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 10
Thou didst protect the children of old who were sacrificed to the cunning Serpent. Thou
didst dry up the streams of their blood and tears over the earth as Thou didst cast the
Serpent into hell from whence he came. We ask you, Most Holy Mother of Guadalupe,
to protect the children of our time from a similar fate - through the sin of being killed in their mother's wombs through abortion. As Thou are a Mother to all Thy children, we
sing to Thee: Alleluia!

Ikos 10
Thy image at Guadalupe, O Most Holy Mother, reveals Thee as the fulfillment of the
ancient prophecy that a Virgin shall be found to be with Child. Knowing each child to
bear the image of God, Thou art a sure defender of those whose angels are ever before the Face of God the Father as we sing to Thee:

Rejoice, Protector of the helpless little ones!
Rejoice, Defender of children in the wombs of their mothers!
Rejoice, for of such is the Kingdom of God!
Rejoice, for Thou dost not suffer the little ones to come to Thy Son!
Rejoice, for thousands of children were martyred by Herod to save Thy Son!
Rejoice, for Thou art surrounded by their souls as with a precious Crown!
Rejoice, for Thou art the support of mothers everywhere!
Rejoice, for Thou art their mainstay and hope!
Rejoice, for Thou nourishes them and their children on the Milk of Thy Grace!
Rejoice, for unto us a Son is born!
Rejoice, for His Name is Emmanuel!
Rejoice, for God is with us in a little Child!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 11
The peoples of Mexico and all the Americas wonder in amazement at God's lovingkindness in sending us the image not made by human hands of His Most Holy Mother to be with us in our suffering and need. The Church, in the Name of Christ Crucified, also commands us to take our Mother home with us, in that holy image, to be our Guide and sure Protection as Thy faithful servants. And we lovingly obey, as we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 11
Thy image has become a true well-spring of blessings to us all, Mother of Guadalupe.
You fill with joy each one of us who approaches in faith and the fear of the Lord, giving
us all that is to our benefit, as we joyfully proclaim:

Rejoice, Unquenchable Source of Miracles!
Rejoice, Motherly intercession that the Son will not refuse!
Rejoice, telling us to do all that Thy Son, in the Gospel, tells us!
Rejoice, filling the empty jars of our souls with the Wine of Joy!
Rejoice, leading us to the Cross to which is fastened the Divine Cluster!
Rejoice, Unploughed Field in which grew the Heavenly Wheat!
Rejoice, Protector of Mexico!
Rejoice, Defender of the Native peoples!
Rejoice, Patron of all the Americas!
Rejoice, our Hope!
Rejoice, our Expectation!
Rejoice, our Eternal Guide!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 12
Thousands flock in pilgrimage to Thy holy Shrine at Guadalupe, O All-Holy Mother of
God! We are constantly in a great pilgrimage, travelling to our home that is Heaven and
the Kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Be Thou unto us our Leader
who guides us with Thine all-powerful intercession before the Throne of Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, as we sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 12
Thou art the Mother of Light and the Source of our Enlightenment through the Grace and
Mercies of Thy Son, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, O Most Holy Mother. As
we continually gaze at Thy miraculous image of Guadalupe, we are lost in love and
wonder at how much God truly loves us in having given us such a great and exalted
Mother Who is His own. Humbled by these thoughts, we sing:

Rejoice, Mother of Christ!
Rejoice, Mother of God Incarnate!
Rejoice, Mother of the true Light that enlightens us all!
Rejoice, Intercessor most powerful!
Rejoice, Joy of all Joys!
Rejoice, Quick to hear!
Rejoice, Keeper of the Gates!
Rejoice, our Heavenly Protection!
Rejoice, Lady of Mount Zion!
Rejoice, Beacon on the Mountain!
Rejoice, Ray of Light emanating from the Sun!
Rejoice, our beloved Mother!
Rejoice, O Lady from Heaven, Virgin-Mother clothed with the Sun!

Kontakion 13
Most Holy Mother of God, Thou didst reveal Thy miraculous image to Thy humble
servant, St. Juan Diego, at Tepeyac to bring the Light of Thy Son to the peoples of
Mesoamerica enslaved by the Serpent of old. Be our sure protection and guide
throughout our lives, pouring on us the Divine Grace of Thy Son through Thy
intercession, until we reach the place from whence Thou didst come to us, the Heavenly
Kingdom of Thy Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, as we sing: Alleluia! (3 times).

(Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are repeated here).

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos of Guadalupe

O Theotokos of Guadalupe, accept this humble hymn of praise from us Thy servants in
honour of Thy miraculous image not made by human hands. Cover us with the Mantle of Thy Protection and guide with the prayers of Thy all-powerful intercession. Deliver us from the wiles of the Serpent of old, and break his hold on nations and individuals in our time. Lead us to Thy Son as the Divine Ladder, the flaming Bush unconsumed by fire
and the Ark of the New Covenant. Most Holy Mother of God intercede for us and save
us by Thy prayers. Amen.