The legend is that on the 9th of December 1531 (when in Europe the Reformation was just breaking) a young native woman dressed like an Aztec queen, wearing the traditional dress of both a virgin and a pregnant woman (a putative contradiction) appeared to an Indian on his way to mass named Juan Diego. That day is now his feast day. She told him that she was Mary Queen of Heaven, and to go to the bishop and tell him to build a church dedicated to her there. Little Juan Diego did as she asked, but the bishop refused to believe him, and demanded a sign.
There's a theory that because she was speaking to Juan Diego in the Aztec Natuhal that she actually referred to herself as Coatlaxopeuh (pronounced quatlasupe), meaning “the one who crushes the serpent” and that it may be referring to the plumed Aztec serpent god Quetzacoatl. To the Spanish ear that may have sounded like Guadalupe, the name of a black virgin venerated in Hernan Cortes' native Extremadura.. I believe that's true, because it is exactly right: because it is she who crushes the serpent's head, the woman of revelation.
The bishop got his sign. In the form of this icon, painted on Juan Diego's tilma (plant weave) cloak, along with a bouquet of roses, on December 12th, 1531:
She comforted Juan Diego with these words: “ Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, or disturb you.”
No tengas miedo, n'aie pas peur, be not afraid..
Long story short, that church she requested was built, and is now the most visited Catholic shrine in the world. And she - the Virgin of Gualdalupe - is credited with the final conversion of Latin America to the Faith.
As I say, this week leading up to her feast today has been a blur of processions, explosions and general excitement here.
There's a hymn that the Mexicans sing to la Guadlupana (the little virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas). Someone is playing it out the street right now.
The melody is beautiful, I love it:
This is how it sounds when sung by normal Mexicans, which is how you hear all the time in the streets, as groups of pilgrims walk toward the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the hill here. When they get to the church, they usually kneel and make their way down the nave on their knees singing it .. This is a mariachi version, with video of the shrine at Villa de Guadalupe, where some 6 million people (a madhouse) come this week for the fiesta..
Here's a pop version that I like:
These are the Lyrics:
Desde el cielo una hermosa mañana
La Guadalupana
La Guadalupana bajó al Tepeyac
Su llegada llenó de alegría
De paz y armonía
De paz y armonía y de libertad.
Por el monte pasaba Juan Diego
Y acercose luego
Y acercose luego al oir cantar.
Suplicante juntaba las manos
Era mexicana
Era mexicana su porte y su faz.
“Juan Dieguito” la Virgen la dijo
Este cerro elijo
Este cerro elijo para hacer mi altar.
En la tilma entre rosas pintadas
Su imagen amada
Su imagen se digno dejar.
Desde entonces para el mexicano
Ser Guadalupano
Ser Guadalupano es algo esencial.
En sus penas se postra de hinojos
Y eleva sus ojos
Y eleva sus ojos hacia el Tepeyac.
Madrecita de los mexicanos
Que estás en el cielo
Que estás en el cielo ruega a Dios por nos.
Desde el cielo una hermosa mañana...
===
Translation:
From heaven a beautiful morning breaks
The Guadalupana
The Guadalupana comes down to Tepeyac
Her arrival brings joy
Peace and happiness
Peace, happiness and freedom
Up the hill came Juan Diego
The Guadalupana
The Guadalupana comes down to Tepeyac
Her arrival brings joy
Peace and happiness
Peace, happiness and freedom
Up the hill came Juan Diego
As he drew close
As he drew close, he heard singing
As he drew close, he heard singing
Pleading, she clasped her hands
She was Mexican
She was Mexican, both her face and appearance
She was Mexican, both her face and appearance
"Little Juan Diego" the Virgin called
This hill I choose
This hill I choose for my altar to be built
This hill I choose for my altar to be built
On his cloak surrounded by painted roses
Her adored image
Her image she left us
Her image she left us
From then on for all Mexicans
To believe in the Guadalupana
To believe the Guadalupana is to be Mexican
In sorrow prostrate on their knees
They lift their eyes
They raise their eyes to Tepeyac
They lift their eyes
They raise their eyes to Tepeyac
Little Mother of all Mexicans
Thou who art in Heaven
Thou who art in Heaven, pray to God for us
Thou who art in Heaven, pray to God for us
From heaven a beautiful morning breaks..
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I can understand why you love these people, Charlie!
ReplyDeleteTheir culture is so refreshingly unsophisticated. Reading your comments reminds me of what your dad told me happened one day when I was not at home. We were having some landscaping done out back by a 6 person crew. The 5 men were Hispanic (he thinks Mexican). When they saw the statue we have of the Virgin out there they all knelt in front of it and prayed before continuing their work! I think it is because of these immigrants to our country and the devotion they have that our Catholic Church here will not become irrelevant!
d.
They really are great. I think I am going to miss being here.. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating Christmas, seeing a few movies and getting all my affairs in order, but that's it. I have no desire to be in the U.S. as such.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that they are unsophisticated though in any pejorative way, even though I suppose they aren't in the snotty American sense of the word, in that they are not cynical, sarcastic, ironic and jaded. I would say that they are fervent and simple, in the very best way. The "let the little children come unto me" sense. We could learn a lot from them, I think, if we weren't so arrogant.