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Our Lady of Guadalupe (1/6): Our Pilgrimage, and the Beginning of the Narration of What Happened Associate Pastor's Column Sunday, June 25, 2006
In today’s bulletin article, and those of the next two weeks, I wish to introduce our whole parish to Our Lady of Guadalupe, a refresher for those who have a devotion to her already, and new information for those less familiar. Why is Our Lady of Guadalupe important? First and foremost, because she is Mary, the Mother of God. But the next most significant reason she is important, is because Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of America. She has special love and intercession for all of us in all the Americas, so that we can get to heaven, and so that many of our crosses on earth may be lightened. What happened at the apparitions? I will let the ancient text tell the story, today and in the following three weeks. The story itself is called the “Nican Mopohua” (NEE-kahn mo-POH-wa). These two words are not Castilian or Spanish, the language of Mexico, but rather Nahuatl, the Aztec language. I thank http://www.sancta.org/nican.html who had the text in English, enabling me to easily facilitate an English translation of the text. The words nican mopohua simply mean, in Aztec, “Here it is narrated.” It narrates four apparitions, the miracle of the Tilma, and finally a miracle done for St. Juan Diego’s uncle, Juan Bernardino. Juan Diego was canonized on July 31 almost four years ago; the Trailblazers will have Mass on the main altar that day, on that very day, just before returning home, and we will consecrate our lives to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I will carry the intentions of all of us in the cluster with me to Tepeyac (the name of the place of the apparitions) to ask Mary to answer them all.
Nican Mopohua
Ten years after the seizure of the city of Mexico, war came to an end and there was peace amongst the people; in this manner faith started to bud, the understanding of the true God, for whom we live. At that time, in the year fifteen hundred and thirty one, in the early days of the month of December, it happened that there lived a poor Indian, named Juan Diego, said being a native of Cuautitlan. Of all things spiritually he belonged to Tlatilolco. On a Saturday just before dawn, he was on his way to pursue divine worship and to engage in his own errands. As he reached the base of the hill known as Tepeyac, came the break of day, and he heard singing atop the hill, resembling singing of varied beautiful birds. Occasionally the voices of the songsters would cease, and it appeared as if the mount responded. The song, very mellow and delightful, excelled that of the coyoltototl and the tzinizcan and of other pretty singing birds. Juan Diego stopped to look and said to himself: “By fortune, am I worthy of what I hear? Maybe I dream? Am I awakening? Where am I? Perhaps I am now in the terrestrial paradise which our elders had told us about? Perhaps I am now in heaven?” He was looking toward the east, on top of the mound, from whence came the precious celestial chant; and then it suddenly ceased and there was silence. He then heard a voice from above the mount saying to him: “Juanito, Juan Dieguito.” Then he ventured and went to where he was called. He was not frightened in the least; on the contrary, overjoyed. (Continued next week... Click here to view...) Picture: Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe impressed upon the Tilma of St. Juan Diego (1531). |
