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by Brother John M.
Samaha, S.M.
With her head
tilted to the right, her hazel eyes are cast downward in an expression of
gentleness and concern. The mantle
covering her head and shoulders is turquoise, studded with gold stars and
bordered in gold. Her hair is jet black
and her complexion is olive. She stands
alone, her hands clasped in prayer, an angel at her feet.
We have all
seen her image. She is Our Lady of
Guadalupe, a life-sized portrayal of the Virgin Mary as she appeared in 1531 on
the cactus-cloth tilma, or cape, of St. Juan Diego, an Aztec peasant and devout
convert. This happened merely a dozen
years after Hernan Cortes had conquered the land that is now Mexico for the
monarchy of Spain. Almost five centuries
later the colors of that portrait have remained as vibrant as if painted this
year. The coarse, woven, cactus cloth
shows no signs of fading or deterioration, although that type of material
seldom lasts 20 years.
Today the
image is preserved behind an impenetrable glass screen in the basilica at
Mexico City. Pilgrims can view it from a
distance of 25 feet. Each year more than
10 million persons venerate the mysterious image of the Virgin of Guadalupe,
making this shrine the most popular in the Catholic world after St. Peter’s
Basilica at Vatican City. The Mexican
faithful refer to her lovingly as La Morenita.
In 1979 when
Pope John Paul II visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he
acknowledged the enduring appeal of this unique portrait, addressing the Virgin
directly: “When the first missionaries who reached America . . . taught the
rudiments of the Christian faith, they also taught love for you, the Mother of
Jesus and of all people. And ever since
the time that the Indian Juan Diego spoke of the sweet Lady of Tepeyac, you,
Mother of Guadalupe, have entered decisively into the Christian life of the
people of Mexico.”
Accounts
abound of the miraculous events attributed to the Virgin of Guadalupe. In the early 17th century when
floods almost destroyed Mexico City, her image escaped unharmed. In 1921 during the Mexican Revolution, a bomb
was planted in flowers placed before the altar behind which the image hung. When the bomb exploded, no one was hurt, but
the altar was badly damaged. Yet not
even the glass covering the picture was broken.
This
venerable icon has come to be regarded widely as the national symbol of
Mexico. Her image is found everywhere,
even in unlikely places.
Forty years after
La Morenita appeared to St. Juan Diego, she may have been responsible
for a significant turning point in the history of Western civilization. Throughout Europe copies of the holy image
had been circulated. One of the first
copies was given to Admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria, grandnephew of the renowned
Admiral Andrea Doria. The young admiral
took the picture aboard his flagship when he assumed command of a flotilla of
ships sailing from Genoa to the Gulf of Lepanto.
Some 300 Turkish Muslim ships stood in battle array blocking
entrance to the Gulf. A Christian massed
navy of almost the same number of ships attempted to meet the Turks head on,
but were outmaneuvered by the Turkish force.
Doria’s
squadron was cut off from the rest of the Christian fleet. At this crucial hour Doria went to his cabin
and knelt in prayer before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He implored her to save his men and his
ships. Miraculously by nightfall the
tide of battle turned. One Turkish
squadron was captured, and others were thrown into panic and disarray. Much of the Turkish fleet was destroyed. That day 15,000 Christians enslaved in the
Turks’ galleys were freed. The Christian
victory in the Battle of Lepanto was the last great naval battle fought under
oars.
To this day
Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to work wonders large and small, noticed and
unnoticed.
Why hasn’t
the holy image deteriorated after almost five centuries? Why do the colors remain bright? Why hasn’t the crude fabric shown signs of
disintegration? The search for answers
to these questions, regularly pursued by experts, persists from generation to
generation. What they have learned is
fascinating. However, the scientific
investigations defy natural explanations.
Although the
picture has been touched up from time to time, there is proof that the original
image is made in a manner no artist has been able to imitate or to
explain. Of particular interest is the
fact that the eyes of the Virgin are done in a way never seen before in any painting.
Yet the
greater, ongoing miracle is how the lives of millions are touched by Our Mother
of Guadalupe.
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