Vigils Reading – Our Lady of Guadalupe

THE APPEARANCE OF THE

BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

AT GUADALUPE

From the first written Aztec account of the apparition

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Upon his reaching the top of the hillock, Juan Diego catches sight of a

woman, one who has been taking her stand there. She beckons him to come on,

closer up to herself. Upon reaching her presence, he greatly marvels at her

extreme, her surpassing, her perfect wonderfulness.

Her garments are as the sun, gleaming, glittering. Even the boulder, the

crag, on which she takes her stand sparkles in resplendence, like fine emerald

jade or a bangle when it shines, like the swarming glow of a rainbow in the

gloom. Even the soil, the brambles and prickles and the rest of the varied weeds

that struggle to survive there are shining like emerald, like divine turquoise, to

the tip of every leaf; are glittering like the golden scourings of the gods up every

stalk and twig and thorn.

In her presence he prostrates; he listens to her utterance, her declaration.

These are as of one who sets others at ease, one whose manner is to attract, one

whose attitude is to esteem. She addresses him: “Do listen to me, my littlest one,

Juanito!… “Do know this, do be assured of it in your heart, my littlest one, that I

myself, I am the entirely and ever Virgin Saint Mary, Mother of the True

Divinity, God Himself: Because of Him, life goes on, Creation goes on; His are

all things afar, His are all things near at hand, things above in the heavens,

things here below on the earth. How truly I wish it, how greatly I desire it, that

here they should erect me my temple! Here would I show forth, here would I lift

up to view, here would I make a gift of all my fondness for my dear ones, all my

regard for my needy ones, my willingness to aid them, my readiness to protect

them. For truly I myself, I am your compassionate mother, yours, for you

yourself, for everybody here in the land, for each and all together, for all others

too, for all folk of every kind, who do but cherish me, who do but raise their

voices to me, who do but seek me, who do but raise their trust to me.

For here I shall listen to their groanings, to their saddenings; here shall I

make well and heal up their each and every kind of disappointment, of

exhausting pangs, of bitter aching pain… Therefore, to realize all that my

clemency claims, go to the palace of the Bishop of Mexico, and say that I sent you

to make manifest to him my great desire; namely, that here in the valley a temple

should be built to me. Tell him word for word all that you have seen and heard and

admired. Be assured that I shall be grateful and that I will reward you, for I will

make your life happy and cause you to become worthy of the labor you have taken

and the trouble you perform to do what I enjoin you. Now you have heard all my

bidding, least of my sons. Go and do your utmost.’

“At this point he bowed before her and said, ‘Lady, I go to do your bidding.

As your humble servant, I take my leave of you.’ Then he went on to accomplish

her will, taking the causeway that leads directly to Mexico City.”