Quite a Symbol

It is quite a story, that of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a.k.a. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or la Virgen de Guadalupe, in Spanish-ruled colonial Mexico, to an Aztec peasant, San Juan Diego.  The local bishop had requested Juan present a sign as evidence of her appearance, to convince him to build a church on the site of Tepeyac Hill, which was her request.  La Virgen, Mary, had already appeared to Juan a couple of times before, as a dark-skinned woman, wearing an aqua/greenish cloak, and in brilliant light, at a spot on that hill.  When Juan told Mary of what the bishop said, she told him to gather up some of the freshly blooming roses from the hill in his cloak and open up it up before the bishop.  When Juan did so, the roses fell out, and the image of the apparition of Mary appeared on the cloak.

From that time on, la Virgen de Guadalupe has been revered as an important symbol in Mexico, and has also been designated as the Patroness of the Americas.  She is celebrated each year on December 12, which aptly comes just days after the Feast of Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Patronness of the United States of America.

Owing to myself being half-Mexican, and that being the ethnicity that most distinctly surfaces to the top for me, I regarded it as just the thing to do to participate in the festivities for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe yesterday.

First, I went over to my home parish, where the school students assembled for a special Mass, during which a few students did a reenactment of the story of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego.  While I was familiar with the story, this rendition brought to my attention a few details of which I was previously unaware.

Later, in the evening, I went to St. Mary of Celle Parish, nearby in Berwyn, for Mass for the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe--in Spanish.  This was actually the second time I've been to Mass in Spanish.  Having good command of the Spanish language, and regularly experiencing the Mass, it's quite an experience to combine both, as it gives me an opportunity to be both drawn into both.  (Fortunately for me, it all happens not that far from home.)

For the occasion, there was a display set up near the altar at the front of the sanctuary of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego on the hill.  At the start of Mass, flowers were distributed to all the mothers present.  Right before the offertory, all the mothers processed up to the display to place their flowers there.  The Mass also featured many festive songs for the occasion.

Afterwards, there was a reception in the parish school next door.  There was food consisting of tamales (of the green chile chicken and red chile pork varieties), pan dulce, and Mexican-style hot chocolate.  Some dancers also came out to perform at the reception, some wearing Aztec-style garments and dancing to the loud beat of drums.

I was pleased to take part in these celebrations yesterday, knowing that what was before me was that which represents part of who I am.  The aboriginal Aztec culture and Spanish Roman Catholic traditions combine for something specially Mexican on this occasion.  And it all gets caught up the experience of Christian faith.  To think that he works out His glorious plan of salvation, involving such humble and lowly people as San Juan Diego, to propagate the faith, that all peoples may come to know Him.

Image of La Virgen de Guadalupe in the chapel dedicated to her at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.