The original article was first published in The Bosun on September 21, 2021.
Last September 15, the College of Arts and Sciences – Office of the College Secretary and Alab* organized a talk on the miraculous tilma (an outer garment worn by Aztecs as a cloak) of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Mrs. Luchie Cuerva, a member of the Society of the Holy Mary of Guadalupe, shared the story of St. Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe. Her talk was followed by a Q&A portion, where Fr. Noel Garrido, University Chaplain, joined as a panelist.
Two points from the talk stood out for me.
The conversion of sinners
Prior to the occupation of the Spaniards in the New World, the Mexican natives lived radically contrary to the moral precepts taught by Jesus Christ. The native pagan Aztecs sacrificed their own people and their war captives to pagan gods. It is said that thousands were ritually slaughtered every year. Even more grievous, one out of five Aztec children was sacrificed.
When the Spaniards arrived, they, unfortunately, treated the natives “as servants, not as equals.” Mrs. Cuerva said that it came to a point where “[the natives] didn’t know where to turn for help.” However, in 1531, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Juan Diego in Tepeyac Hill, ordering him to gather roses in his tilma and bring them to the bishop, Don Juan de Zumarraga. When he unfurled his tilma in front of the incredulous witnesses, the roses dissolved and its colors bled into the tilma and began to form an image of a Lady: she was clothed with the Sun, and the Moon was at her feet. Understanding that the phenomenon was a message from the Blessed Virgin, Bishop Zumarraga and the other witness fell down on their knees in veneration.
From then on, the miraculous tilma with the glorious image of Our Lady became a source of devotion and encouragement to the natives; now they knew who to turn to. In the span of just 15 years after the miraculous event, nine million natives were baptized and welcomed into the true faith. St. Juan Diego lived for 17 more years after the miracle and dedicated the remainder of his life to spreading the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Fr. Garrido noted that in Europe, at the same time the miraculous events in Mexico were unfolding, they were experiencing hundreds of apostates daily because of the onslaught of Protestantism, but Mary’s apparition to a native convert on a humble hill in the New World prompted the conversion of not just hundreds of souls, but millions. How great is she!
The mysterious details of the tilma
First, around the late 19th century, when scientists were examining the nearly half-a-millennium-old image before encasing it, they found something odd: there were no brush strokes seen on the tilma. It was as if it was a painting that existed without having been painted. It certainly could not have been painted by human hands as the brush strokes were not evident. Moreover, the colorants of the image are of an unknown origin. Scientists cannot determine where the pigments came from or how they came to be. This unexplainable occurrence further adds to the authenticity of the miraculous tilma.
Second, the eyes of the Blessed Virgin, which has a diameter less than 7mm, apparently shows another scene with 13 identifiable figures, some more conspicuous than others. Mrs. Cuerva juxtaposed a painting of Bishop Zumarraga and a figure depicted in the Virgin’s eyes. The similarity between the proportions of the figure was astounding; there was no doubt that the figure in the Virgin’s eyes is Bishop Zumarraga himself. It was like a painting within a painting. This minute detail certainly could not have been painted by human hands. The diameter of the Virgin’s eyes is as small as a grain of rice—no human hands could have painted a scene in such a small space.
Last, when different optical devices were used to examine the eyes of the Virgin, her eyes “acquired brilliancy and depth.” Despite the coarseness of the tilma’s fabric, those who have examined it concluded that the image reflects real human eyes. It is not just a two-dimensional depiction of human eyes; it is a living image. “Looking at the eyes of Mary [on the tilma] is like looking at the eyes of a living human being,” Mrs. Cuerva remarked.
The miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe happened almost half a millennium ago, so it may seem difficult to connect with. Some even remain unconvinced of the amazing details on the tilma. Mrs. Cuerva reminded her audience, however, that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is the only image that the Blessed Virgin herself gave to humanity. At none of her other apparitions had she given an image of herself, save to St. Juan Diego. Her image, therefore, on the miraculous tilma is the authoritative depiction of Our Blessed Mother’s appearance because she herself gave it to us. Until now, the miraculous tilma resounds with those tender words she spoke to St. Juan Diego, “Am I not here, who am your Mother?”#
* Alab is a student interest group under the supervision of the University Chaplaincy.
Banner photo by Marcaroni from Pixabay.
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