Arranging The Roses Of Our Lives - Our Lady of Guadalupe
She takes our prayers, these roses we offer Her, and just like how She arranged the roses within Juan Diego’s tilma; She arranges and makes beautiful our prayers, the roses we give Her.
I recently went on a pilgrimage to Mexico City to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe.
( If you are not familiar with the incredible, miraculous story and facts surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe I highly recommend reading these articles, and doing further research to educate and familiarize yourself. To not know this information, is a disservice to your soul. )
- The Amazing Truth of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Ten Amazing Facts About The Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- What's To Be Seen By Looking Into Our Lady of Guadalupe's Eyes?
- All the Amazing Things about Our Lady of Guadalupe: The Essential Guide to Our Lady of Guadalupe
A sampling of the incredible miracles surrounding the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe :
The tilma with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is made with cactus fiber. The average lifespan of a tilma made with cactus fiber is roughly 30 years. The tilma with Our Lady of Guadalupe has remained completely intact for over 475 years retaining its original color, (the colors of which do not exist on earth) and has survived a bomb blast which harmed everything around the sacred image, including bending a Crucifix that was placed near the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. - Jesus protects the living image of His Mother!
A stethoscope was placed over Our Lady of Guadalupe’s womb, and a heartbeat of 115 beats per minute, the same as that of an unborn baby was discovered. - Our Lady of Guadalupe is pregnant with Baby Jesus. The image retains the temperature of a human person, 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Our Lady of Guadalupe is alive!
The stars on Our Lady of Guadalupe’s mantle coincide with the constellation of the sky on the date She appeared to Juan Diego. The constellations are shown as if looking down from heaven to earth.
The eyes of Our Lady of Guadalupe show the moment Her image appeared on Juan Diego’s tilma. The people there witnessing the event can be seen in Her eyes!
Our Lady of Guadalupe said to Juan Diego, “Nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear illness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? What else do you need? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.” Consoling words, from a consoling Mother.
“¿No estoy yo aquí, que soy tu madre?” - “Am I Not Here Who Am Your Mother?” These words from Our Lady of Guadalupe, are displayed in the front of The New Basilica that houses Juan Diego’s original miraculous tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
I got the opportunity to kneel and pray in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe for a good half an hour, within the space of rare silence, before a new crowd of people entered for the next mass.
As I kneeled, gazing at Our Lady of Guadalupe, I began telling Her what was on my heart, the things that I want, and what I came to Her seeking. I hear Her respond to me, simply saying “Relax.” Her words “Am I not here who am your Mother?” Echoed within my soul, confirming to me that I could simply rest, soaking in Her relaxing presence, and be at peace.
Me kneeling down praying in the New Basilica before Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Later on, I walked up Tepeyac Hill, conversing with my beloved Priest. We were discussing how we both love the detail of Our Lady of Guadalupe personally arranging the roses within Juan Diego’s tilma. Some backstory - Our Lady of Guadalupe asked Juan Diego to climb Tepeyac Hill, to retrieve Castilian Roses to bring to The Bishop as a sign to him, that She was appearing. Castilian Roses are native to Spain, not Mexico, and it was the middle of winter; so the fact that Juan Diego climbed the hill and found Castilian roses in bloom is a miracle in itself. Once Juan had gathered the roses and put them into his tilma, Our Lady of Guadalupe personally arranged the roses for him. Juan Diego brings the roses in his tilma to the Bishop, and when he opens it to show him the roses, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appears on his tilma.
Juan Diego opening his tilma, presenting the Castilian roses to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Here we behold a woman’s attention to detail. A man would simply toss the roses into his tilma, a woman would take the time to arrange them and make them beautiful. This little detail of Our Lady of Guadalupe arranging the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma shows Her womanly and motherly attention to detail, a display of true femininity. Our Lady truly is the Eternal Woman, The Woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 11:19-12:6) and She pays attention to the details of our lives.
This little detail of Our Lady of Guadalupe arranging the roses, got me thinking about how She arranges the roses of our own lives. We pray the Rosary to our Blessed Mother, and it’s said that each Hail Mary you pray is a rose you offer to our Heavenly Mother. Now, often when we pray the Rosary we have a specific intention or multiple intentions in mind. Each Hail Mary, that is each prayer intention, is a beautiful rose offered to Our Lady. She takes our prayers, these roses we offer Her, and just like how She arranged the roses within Juan Diego’s tilma, She arranges and makes beautiful our prayers, the roses we give Her.
Juan Diego presenting the Castilian Roses arranged by Our Lady of Guadalupe in his tilma to the Bishop, when miraculously, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appears on the tilma.
“The word Rosary means “Crown of Roses” - that is to say that every time people say the Rosary devoutly they place a crown of one hundred and fifty-three red roses and sixteen white roses upon the heads of Jesus and Mary. Being heavenly flowers these roses will never fade or lose their exquisite beauty.” - Saint. Louis de Montfort
Our Lady of Guadalupe wants to arrange the roses of our lives, carefully and attentively answer our prayers, and make great beauty blossom forth. She asks that we relax in Her presence and understand Her words, “Am I not here who am your Mother?” Who can arrange things better for us, then our own Mother? Especially our Heavenly Mother, who is The Queen of Heaven and Earth.
So let’s relax, without worry, without discouragement, and let Our Lady of Guadalupe arrange the roses of our lives. Our Blessed Mother is winking at us, saying, “Trust me, I have good attention to detail.”
The beautiful, miraculous, Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!
Serviam.
November 3rd is The Feast Day of Saint Martin de Porres & Saint Winifred
“Everything, even sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and waiting on the sick could be a prayer, if it were offered to God.” - Saint Martin de Porres