“Son behold your mother!” As He died on the cross, Jesus spoke these words to John the Apostle. Not only did Jesus give Mary to John’s care, but he gave His mother to mankind, giving her dominion over us all. Over the centuries, Mary has reached to every corner of the world to spread her arms as our Mother. On December 12th, we celebrate perhaps the most impactful occurrence of her motherly embrace.
Tepeyac Hill ~ 1531.
In December of 1531, a Native-American-converted-Catholic met a beautiful young woman on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. Juan Diego, as he was called post-baptism, was specifically an Aztec Native American. Living under Spanish rule, the former Aztecs struggled greatly with the transition from paganism to Catholicism. Division plagued Mexico as the world struggled to heal the divide of culture and religion. Many Aztecs did not see how they “fit into” this strange religion brought by the foreigners.
When Mary appeared to Juan Diego, she showed herself with brown skin, deep brown eyes, and black hair. She wore clothing similar to an Aztec princess. Mary spoke to Juan about the beauty of nature, the grace of God in the world, principles the Aztecs understood. She asked him to go to the bishop and have him build a chapel where she stood.
The Miraculous Tilma.
The bishop, understandably, asked for a sign from the lady Juan Diego saw. In the dead of winter, Mary showed Juan Diego beautiful roses growing on the hill. She asked him to gather them in his tilma, a cloak he wore. When he brought the roses to the bishop, an image of her appeared on his tilma. To this day, the tilma is displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. We can see Mary exactly as she appeared to Juan.
Mother to Mankind.
Since this miracle in 1531, Mary has been displayed in different cultures across the world. Though we know Mary was Jewish and lived in Nazareth, she is portrayed as every race and ethnicity. We see her as white, blonde, brunette, brown-skinned, even black. She has appeared in France, Italy, Africa, Mexico, to name a few. Mary is our mother, all our mother. She is queen of heaven and earth. On Tepeyac Hill, she showed the Native Americans and everyone else that we belong to her, and she belongs to us. Conversions among the Aztecs skyrocketed following her appearance on the tilma. Natives and Spaniards began inter-racial marrying to create what we know as “Mexican.” The modern culture of Mexico we know today is because of her influence. Mary belongs to us, and we belong to Mary.
