Incredible day in Guadalupe
As morning was breaking in Mexico City, I popped outside for a quick breath of fresh air before coming in to have breakfast with the group.
We then started our tour with a visit to the plaza of the three cultures. It gives a great idea what culture was like here prior to the introduction of Catholic Christianity and the appearances of Our Lady.
It also gave us a sober reminder that Mexico's strong Catholic culture and its miraculous origin, did not insulate this people from the evils of the world.
In a sickening display of political power, Mexican Armed forces massacred more than 300 people in this very spot.
Only a minute's walk away stands a grand old Cathedral. The Cathedral has had to have the foundation refurbished many times because of settling. It stands on the site of the bishop's residence- the very Bishop visited by Saint Juan Diego with his incredible story.
It is also the very place where Juan was baptized.
Somewhere in the area around this church and plaza occurred one of the 4 apparitions of Our Lady to Juan, though the precise location has not been determined.
We do know where the other three occurred and we visited all 3 sites.
The first was on the top of Tepeyac hill. There is a magnificent Shrine at the very top. 250 steps up. The climb up was absolutely invigorating! The feeling that came over me in that sacred place was profound. The view was also incredible.
The second apparition took place where now stands the new Basilica. Of course, 'new' is 50 years old and carries a special jubilee indulgence. In that Basilica stands one of the most amazing miraculous images the world has ever seen, painted by Heaven. You have most likely seen a replica of it hundreds of times, as have I. Now, my eyes have beheld the actual image.
Some of the replicas are quite good but none of them can really convey it. The brilliant colors and defining lines absolutely contradict the simple material the image appears on. The image actually seems to take on 3 dimensions in brilliance on a canvas that should have broken down into dust at least 450 years ago.
Can we truly say the image is miraculous? Yes.
How did we get the Tilma?
In December of 1531, Juan Diego told his Bishop that the Virgin Mary had appeared to him. The bishop demanded proof. The Lady instructed Juan to go to the top of Tepeyac hill where proof would be provided.
There, on the hill in December were Castillion Roses in full bloom in December. These kinds of roses had never been known in this area, much less in December.
Juan wore a simple cloak made of agave fiber, similar to what you see below. The useful life of this fiber is about 15 years before full deterioration.
Though Juan was cold, he removed his cloak and wrapped the roses in it to protect them. He had his miracle and he walked miles to reach the bishop to show him. When he unfurled his cloak to cast down the roses, all were stunned. On this cloak, was an image that had miraculously appeared. It has been studied by countless experts and the more it is studied, the more stunned they become. It is not the work of human hands, that's for sure.
1. The Survival of the Fabric
Why believers find this extraordinary
The tilma is made from coarse agave (maguey) fiber, a material generally considered far less durable than linen or canvas.
Researchers who support the miraculous interpretation note that agave-fiber garments normally deteriorate much more rapidly than the tilma has. The image remains visible after almost 500 years despite centuries of exposure to smoke, humidity, touching, and candle soot.
2. The Image Appears Unlike a Conventional Painting
Infrared studies
In 1979, researchers Philip Callahan and Jody Smith conducted infrared examinations of the image.
Supporters point to reports that found:
No obvious preparatory sketches.
No clear underdrawing.
No conventional brush-stroke pattern over major portions of the image.
No sizing or priming layer normally used by artists on rough cloth.
Why this matters
Most paintings show evidence of artistic planning or construction. Proponents argue the tilma displays characteristics that do not fit normal painting techniques.
3. Pigment Mysteries
The claim
Several studies are often cited in which investigators reported difficulty identifying traditional pigments in key areas of the image.
Nobel Prize-winning chemist Richard Kuhn reportedly analyzed fibers from the tilma in 1936 and found that some colorants could not readily be classified as known plant, animal, or mineral pigments.
4. The Reflections in the Eyes
This is perhaps the most famous scientific claim.
What researchers reported
Ophthalmologists and image analysts studying highly magnified photographs reported tiny reflected figures within the eyes of the Virgin.
Engineer José Aste Tönsmann spent decades analyzing the eyes and claimed that at least thirteen human figures could be detected in the reflections.
The figures are said to correspond to individuals who may have been present when Juan Diego presented the tilma to the bishop.
The alleged figures are microscopic and reportedly appear in both eyes with distortions consistent with the optical behavior of real human eyes.
Supporters argue that no artist in 1531 could have painted such details on rough cloth.
5. Optical Characteristics Resembling Human Eyes
Researchers studying the eyes have claimed:
Reflection patterns similar to those found in living eyes.
Distortions matching corneal curvature.
Features consistent with the Purkinje-Sanson effect, an optical phenomenon involving reflections in the eye.
The argument is that these qualities were not scientifically understood in the 16th century and therefore would have been extraordinarily difficult to reproduce intentionally.
6. The 1921 Bomb Incident
One of the best-documented events occurred on November 14, 1921.
A bomb hidden in a flower arrangement exploded near the tilma.
The blast damaged nearby items, including a metal crucifix, but the image itself survived without significant damage. This event is widely cited by devotees as evidence of divine protection.
7. Astronomical and Symbolic Details
Many researchers and theologians have noted sophisticated symbolism in the image:
The stars on the mantle.
Indigenous visual symbols.
The black maternity sash.
The flower over the womb.
Imagery communicating Christian theology while remaining understandable to indigenous peoples.
Supporters argue the image conveyed a remarkably effective religious message to both Spanish and native cultures simultaneously.
8. The Massive Conversion of Mexico
While not a scientific claim, believers often regard the historical impact itself as miraculous.
Within a relatively short period after the reported apparitions, millions of indigenous people embraced Christianity. The image of Guadalupe became the central symbol of that transformation.
Many Catholics argue that the tilma's greatest miracle may be its role in ending human sacrifice and bringing together peoples who had been divided by conquest and violence.
Since Mexico means "of the center of the moon" and the Lady in the image is shown standing on the moon, it is a remarkable fulfilment of Revelation Chapter 12.
12 And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.
3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems:
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son.
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.
Clearly, the image fits every detail and has astonishing characteristics.
In fact, there is a popular interpretation that suggests the original name may have been:
Coatl : Serpent
Xopeuh: to crush or step on.
From this comes the interpretation of "she who crushes the serpent".
Saint Jerome famously translated Genesis 3:15 to convey that the head of the serpent would be crushed by "The Woman". Subsequent translations have differed in this. Some render it as "He" : The Woman's offspring (Jesus). The KJV rendered it as "they". Catholic tradition and iconography have long maintained Mary as the one who crushes the Serpent's head and her appearance to Saint Catherine Laboure in 1830 confirms this. Every miraculous medal shows this image.
The last apparition occurred at the so-called Church of the Well where we celebrated Mass,
This Pilgrimage with LP Pilgrimages has been incredible and Yvette, Crystal and the rest of the team have done everything to make this an extraordinary experience. Our tour guide Ivan is incredibly knowlegable and engaging and willing to go into those deep dives of information to give us the back story.
I have seldom met people more devout and on fire for the faith than the 28 people in this group and I am humbled to be included.
If you are considering a Catholic pilgrimage, you really can't go wrong with them. Their packages are very comprehensive and the costs are surprisingly reasonable. I also just love that they build in that quiet time into the package so pilgrims can have a chance to pray and absorb the immensity of the things they are witnessing.
I mean....we just looked at an image painted by heaven. Try to process that.
The mystery of these people, places and things goes so much deeper than "X happened at Y place on Z date". The prideful and boastful will not enter heaven because they totally miss the Hand of God in everything.
Juan Diego was a man the world would not have even noticed, like Therese of Lisieux, Bernadette or the Fatima kids. God has a way of raising up the least ones to bring the greatest messages.
In the coming days, we are going to see more of those and I cannot wait..
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