Our Lady of Guadalupe (also Virgin of Guadalupe) is the name given to Mary the mother of Jesus when she appeared to Juan Diego on hillside outside Mexico City. The Virgin appeared to Juan Diego on Dec 9, 1531 and spoke to him 5 times in Nahuatl, Diego’s native language. The account of her apparition is found in the Nican Mopohua. At the end of the encounters her image appeared on Juan Diego’s tilma (cloak) which still hangs at her Basilica in Mexico City. The Virgin of Guadalupe was a significant part of my upbringing and continues to be both a cultural and Christian touchstone in my life.
(The Tilma)
I grew up in a border town, San Ysidro, California. The house I grew up in has a name in the community: “La Casa Blanca.” It’s a historical house that has been lived in by family since the 50’s. Throughout my childhood, I can’t remember a time when there were less than three families living there. I had more cousins than friends, more noise than silence, and more busy than calm. I am often met with surprise when I tell people where I am from. You could not go further south from the house I lived. The Tijuana hill was our skyline to the south with the ocean to our west.
My skin color is what people call white. I didn’t realize until much later that white culture was a thing, and I did not grow up in it. I can still vividly remember a tia whispering in my ear, “Remember, you are not white.” I had no idea what that meant at the time. It wasn’t until college that I understood.
A part of my heritage and lived culture was the Roman Catholic Church. My parents sent me to Catholic School for most of primary education. I went to mass more often than not, and sometimes I was sent to mass with my grandfather, even when I didn’t really understand Spanish (yeah, I am no sabo kid). Spanish was all around me, but my parents didn’t really teach it to me. It wasn’t until high school when I started really wanting to learn it so I could at least understand my family at gatherings. Spanish for me does not sound like a foreign language. There are things I don’t know how to say in English; there are words I don’t know. Similarly, there are things I don’t know how to say in Spanish – just a lot more unknown words in Spanish than English. Being Mexican Catholic was both culture and religion. As a part of that, we had crucifixes in the house, ofrendas with candles, and The Virgin of Guadalupe was everywhere. The Virgin of Guadalupe is an important figure in my life and for brothers and sisters of Hispanic origin.
(The Original Basilica)
(The New Basilica)
Last year I had the opportunity to go to Mexico City to worship in Our Lady’s Basilica and adore The Virgin of Guadalupe. The experience was deeply moving. I couldn’t help but think of all the icons, photos, rosaries, and cement statue of her in the front of the house of my childhood. In her basilica I had to offer up a Hail Mary or two. Our Lady’s appearance has brought countless people to Christ and provides a path for people to come to faith in Christ. The fruit of her manifestation to Juan Diego is evident in the continued faith of Latin America.
For Protestants in the United States, there is a deep suspicion of Our Lady. Many see her veneration as idolatrous, and most don’t have any kind of theological framework to make sense of asking her to intercede for us in prayer. Yet, many of those same Protestants take no issue with talking to their loved one who has died.
Hebrews 12 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witness right after naming some of the ancestors in our faith. It gives a very real sense that these people are with us currently. To ask our Mother Mary and the saints to intercede for us is to trust that the Body of Christ, the Church, is unbroken. When we ask the saints for their prayers, we are confessing that death doesn’t separate the body of Christ because Jesus has overcome death. We as Christians believe that the saints are not really dead, but are alive in Jesus Christ, who is life itself (John 11:25). The saints are alive in heaven because of the life they have received through their faith in Christ Jesus. In a beautiful image of heaven in the the book of Revelation, we read about the saints worshipping God, singing hymns, playing instruments, making requests to Christ to avenge their martyrdom, and offering prayers for the saints on earth (Rev. 4:10, 5:8, 6:9-11).
(Chancel of the New Basilica)
Can you as a Protestant Christian in good conscience ask the saints for their prayers, petition them for help, and seek their intercession? Can you talk to our Mother Mary and adore her faith and witness to Christ? Can you ask her for prayers? ABSOLUTELY. In fact, you are making a strong confession when you do so-The Body of Christ is unified across the chasm of death and remains one body.
Peace.
For more info on Our Lady of Guadalupe, I recommend Guadalupe: Mother Of New Creation.