The Miracle of the Tilma: When Roses Bloomed in Winter

Mary as the Tabernacle

Saint Augustine described the Incarnation of the Son of God as the "Flesh of Christ, flesh of Mary." The Church contemplates Mary with joy as the purest image she desires and hopes to be in her entirety: a tabernacle, womb, and pyx (SC, 103). This deep veneration of Mary is evident in the story of her apparition in Guadalupe, where she appeared wearing a gown fastened with a black belt, similar to the attire of pregnant women in the region.

The Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The First Encounter

At dawn on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a young indigenous man, was heading to Tlatelolco for his catechism lesson. As he climbed the hills of Tepeyac, he heard a soft song and turned towards its source. He encountered a radiant young woman who revealed herself as the Virgin Mary. She requested that Juan Diego ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a temple at the site of her appearance so that people could honor her Son, Jesus.

The Request for a Sign

Juan Diego conveyed the Virgin's request to Bishop Juan de Zumárraga, but the bishop did not believe him and asked for a sign. On the Virgin's third appearance, she promised to provide a sign the following day. However, Juan Diego's uncle fell gravely ill, requiring him to seek a priest for the Last Rites, causing him to miss the appointment.

The Miracle of the Roses

On his way to find a priest, Juan Diego tried to avoid the hills of Tepeyac but encountered the Virgin again. She reassured him of his uncle's recovery and instructed him to gather flowers from the top of the hill. Despite it being winter and the land arid, Juan Diego found the hill covered with marvelous roses. He collected the flowers in his tilma and presented them to the Virgin, who then told him to take them to the bishop as proof.

The Revelation

Juan Diego obeyed and went to Mexico City, where he showed the bishop the roses. As he opened his tilma, the flowers fell, revealing a blazing image of the Madonna imprinted on the fabric. The bishop, witnessing this miracle, fell to his knees, asked for forgiveness, and placed the tilma in the chapel. The next day, Juan Diego's uncle was completely healed and recounted that the Madonna had appeared to him, identifying herself as the Holy Mary of Guadalupe and announcing his cure.

This miraculous event not only affirmed the faith of the local population but also led to the construction of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which remains a major pilgrimage site to this day.