Our Lady Of Guadalupe Essay

Our Lady of Guadalupe is a large feast day celebrated in Roman Catholicism, with a strong rich history and narrative that dates back to the 1500s in Mexico. The scriptural, historical, and spiritual significance, the holiday practices, and its role in shaping the role of Christianity in today’s society contribute to the importance of this feast day and what it represents to the Catholic faith.

On December 9th, 1531, the apparition of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, appears to Blessed Juan Diego, a poor Native American Aztec, on Hill of Tepeyac. She asked him to go to his Bishop to request to build a church on that hill, in which the Bishop was at first skeptical (Matovina, 267). On that same day, Our Lady appears again to Juan Diego,

requesting him to insist again. The next day on December 10, The Bishop asks Juan Diego to ask Our Lady. She appears once again to Juan Diego, and she promises to give a sign. Our Lady delivers her promise and appears to Juan Diego on December 12, and Castilian roses appear. She instructs him to pick up and show the roses to the bishop as a sign. Once he arrived to the Bishop, he opens his tilma, or cloak, to show him the roses. The roses fall, and an Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appears on the tilma. Now believing in the appearance of Our Lady, the Bishop begins the construction of the requested church (Matovina, 268). This significant last day is the annual holiday that is celebrated annually by many believers.
Because Our Lady of Guadalupe is an apparition of the Virgin Mary, who is present and widely known in the Holy Bible, many verses show the scriptural significance of this holiday. Many verses in the Bible include and describe the Virgin Mary, and some believe that a number of verses predict the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe. One example is Isaiah 7:14, which states, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel,” (New International Bible, Isa. 7.14). This verse not only describes Jesus’ birth to Mary, but it can also be interpreted as a prediction for the appearance of Our Lady, with “the Lord himself shall give you a sign.” Another verse states, “...The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God,” (Lk. 1.35). This verse explains that Mary’s child, Jesus, will be the Son of God, thus showing Our Lady’s importance in the Holy Bible.
As a landmark event of Catholicism, the holiday of Our Lady of Guadalupe also holds a major historical significance.

The appearance of Our Lady brought some new culture to Christianity, as Our Lady is represented by as Native American, and her dress contains many Aztec pictographs, understood and translated by many. Also, as a result of the appearance of Our Lady, ten million people were converted and baptized to the Christian faith. Shortly after, Aztec human sacrifices were halted. Many say that she started an era of peace throughout the surrounding areas. Another example of Our Lady’s historical significance is that she played an important role in Mexican nationalism and identity. In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic priest, promotes her as supporter of revolt against the Spanish. Thus, her image was seen on many of the banners the people

carried.
As a religious holiday, Our Lady of Guadalupe there is no doubt a spiritual significance to many. Our Lady strengthened the Catholic faith and hope of many, as the miracle of her appearance to Juan Diego was the proof that turned many to Christianity. Again, within ten years, over two million people have converted to Christianity. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site and the third most visited religious site in the world today.
Another example of spiritual significance with Our Lady is her image on Juan Diego’s tilma. The image is actually an Aztec pictograph, in which many of its elements were translated and understood quickly. Because Our Lady is standing in front of the sun, it shows that she is greater than sun-god "Huitzilopochtli”, who was the Aztec god of war. The foot rested on a crescent moon shows that she defeated the feathered serpent "Quetzalcoatl,” who is credited as one of the Aztec creators of the universe. The woven stars along her dress match the constellations that were seen at that night on December 12, 1531. The turquoise color of her dress means that she is of royalty. The black cross around necklace show her Christian faith. The black maternity belt shows her pregnancy with Jesus and her virginity. One single four-petal flower above her waist is an Aztec symbol of for the center of the universe, describing Jesus as that center inside of Mary. Her hands in prayer show that she is not God, but someone is greater than her - the Holy Trinity. Lastly, some designs of her dress form a topographic map of Mexico, showing Mexican landmarks accurately, being a miracle to explain how the tilma was not created by human hands, but by Our Lady. These are only some of the main pictographs recognized by many, as some have different interpretations of parts of the artifact (User, "The Amazing Truth of Our Lady of Guadalupe").
Although the history of the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12 does not necessarily point out any specific practices, many followers still have their own significant practices that are widely accepted and performed. The main practice of the feast is a huge traditional Mexican feast. Families decorate their tables and homes with bright colors, along with images of Our Lady. Family and friends are invited to each other houses to take part in this large feast.
Other practices occur within a few days before the actual religiously observed holiday.

Although most of the celebrations and festivals occur on the main day of December 12, some events begin before, as many people dedicate multiple days to their celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. An example of this is the pilgrimage many Catholics take to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in present-day Mexico City, to pay their honor and respects to Our Lady, along with viewing the original Image of Juan Diego’s tilma, which is well-housed and preserved in that church. Another practice that some do is recite the prayer to Our Lady written by Pope St. John Paul

II.
Christianity is one of the most popular religions in the world, with half of the Christians being Catholic. Our Lady of Guadalupe exhibits an increase in faith and hope in the Christian community, as its history is the proof that many believers hold as their reason for staying with the faith. The holiday greatly impacted culture, especially in the Americas, and as a result, Our Lady has shaped Christianity in today’s society with ongoing traditions, practices, and beliefs as not only a faith-based religion, but one that also promotes culture as well. Our Lady of Guadalupe shows the compassion and care that many Christians would like to be known for in today’s society(Matovina, 267).
Our Lady of Guadalupe is an amazing feast day which brings about the significance of its history scriptually, historically, spiritually, through practices, and shapes the role of Christianity in today’s society. Through its detailed, important history to the Roman Catholic religion, the holiday serves as a reminder to why many firmly hold their beliefs in the Catholic faith.