Ways to Pray with Our Lady of Guadalupe

Discover the history of this miraculous Marian apparition, Our Lady of Guadalupe’s essential lessons for evangelization, and ways to continue drawing close to her maternal protection through prayer today.

Who is Our Lady of Guadalupe?

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the unborn, is one of the most well-known titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her apparition in 1531 to St. Juan Diego was instrumental in the conversion of millions to the Catholic faith, and countless souls continue to invoke her aid today.

History of Apparition

On December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican convert to Catholicism, was walking near Tepeyac Hill on his way to Mass when he saw a radiant woman appear, surrounded by heavenly light. The woman was dressed as an Aztec princess and spoke to Juan Diego in his native language. She asked him to go to the Bishop of Mexico and request a chapel be built on the site of the apparition.

Obedient to Our Lady, Juan Diego went to the bishop communicating her request. After two more apparitions, and a request from the bishop requesting a sign, Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego on December 12th, saying:

“Climb again, my beloved son, to the summit of this hill, to the place where you saw me and heard me speak. You will find flowers growing there. Pick them and gather them and bring them down to me.”

Juan Diego did as Our Lady instructed and though it was winter when normally no flowers bloom, he found an abundance of flowers he had never seen before. Our Lady placed the flowers in Juan’s tilma, and he then returned to the bishop. As he unfurled his tilma, not only did the bishop see the exotic flowers, he also saw a vibrant image of the Virgin Mary miraculously imprinted on the tilma. The bishop fell to his knees. He ordered a church to be built on Tepeyac Hill just as Our Lady had requested.

The Miraculous Tilma

Juan Diego’s tilma, made of cactus fiber native to the area, typically should have disintegrated after 30 years, yet the tilma and miraculous image show no signs of deterioration after nearly 500 years. In the image, Our Lady stands as she appeared to Juan Diego, as a native princess, her head bowed and hands folded in prayer to God. On her blue cloak is an array of stars as they appeared in the sky at the time of her first apparition. Under her feet is a crescent moon, a symbol of the Aztec religion, showing she is more powerful than the Aztec gods, yet not God herself. The symbolism of the Our Lady’s image spoke clearly to the Native Mexicans: she is brighter than the sun, more powerful than any Aztec god, yet not a god herself as she bows her head and folds her head in prayer to God. Millions of natives converted as a result of the apparition, and millions more continue to journey on pilgrimage to see the miraculous tilma today.

Our Lady of Guadalupe and Evangelization

In 1999, Pope St. John Paul II declared that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was to be celebrated in every Church in the Americas since she is the Patroness, Evangelizer and Mother of the Americas. Echoing St. John Paul II’s call to look to Our Lady of Guadalupe as a model for evangelization, Bishop James Conley highlighted three ways we should seek to imitate Our Lady in sharing the Good News:

Respect for the Poor: When Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on Tepeyac Hill, she chose to appear not to nobility or elites, but rather a simple, humble man with no connections or influence. As Our Lady saw the dignity, holiness and ability of Juan Diego, may we, too, show a preferential respect for the poor and invite them to share in Christ’s mission to the world.
Commitment to the Dignity of Life: When Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego, she wore a black sash around her waist - a symbol of pregnancy in Nahuatl culture. As Our Lady pointed to the dignity of the unborn child, Jesus, in her womb, may we imitate her witness, honoring and defending the dignity of every human life, especially the most vulnerable.
Evangelization through Beauty: The miraculous tilma bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is strikingly beautiful with vivid colors and rich theological symbolism. As we strive to share the Good News with others may we learn from Our Lady that beauty captures hearts and leads to the One who is Beauty itself.

Why Pray with Our Lady of Guadalupe?

When Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego she said to him:

“Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest and dearest son, that the thing that frightens you, the thing that afflicts you, is nothing: do not let it disturb you…

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 something more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe’s message is that of a loving mother who protects and leads us to peace in her Son. We can approach her through prayer as our mother, confident that she will intercede for our every need.