Our Mother's Intervention

Kimberly Andrich finds inspiration for her own walk with Mary through the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

It was 1531 Mexico, and the mission to the native people was about to fail. Bishop Zumárraga of Mexico issued an ultimatum and a prayer. “If God does not provide a remedy from His hand, this land is about to be lost,” he wrote to the king of Spain. They were on the cusp of abandoning the area and the hopes of spreading the message of Christ to the people there. 
 
The Spaniard missionaries’ primary aim had been the conversion of the Aztec people. The Aztec nation had been known for its brutality, including its sacrifice of both their own people and captured foreigners to their pagan gods. The Spanish had destroyed their temples ten years prior, and tensions continued to mount. A bloody revolt was imminent.  

God intervenes through Our Mother

God heard the bishop’s prayers and did something miraculous. Something no one could predict. He sent His Mother, dressed as an Aztec princess, carrying a message of hope and peace.  
 
Our Mother appeared to an Aztec Christian man named Juan Diego in December of that year. She directed Juan to pick roses from the winter hillside and then arranged them herself in his tilma, instructing him to bring the roses to the bishop. Juan did so, and, as he allowed the roses to drop to the floor in front of the bishop, the holy image of Our Lady was revealed on his tilma.  
 
The Castilian roses were a sign for the bishop himself, a favorite of his from his native Spain. And the image of Our Lady spoke of God’s intervention. 
 
The symbolism on the tilma was brilliant, as only God can orchestrate. Every detail spoke to the Aztec people through their native traditions and beliefs. Mary’s eyes were downcast, indicating her humanity. Her hair was loose and flowing, representing her virginity. The stars and blue of her mantle represented the heavens and communicated both that she had been sent from Heaven and that she was royalty. The black ribbon, tied high around her waist, indicated she was pregnant, while the four petaled flowers on her dress over her womb represented the highest of all deities.

One foot in front of the other as if dancing indicated a posture of worship, while her hands, clasped in prayer, and a cross, on a medallion around her neck (symbolizing consecration), showed that she is consecrated to and worships the Christian God. The rays of the sun behind her communicated that she is the “Mother of Light” and is greater than the Aztec’s sun god, and the moon she stood on indicated she is also greater than their moon god. The angel with eagle-like wings was carrying a holy sacrifice — her child — so as to present Him to the Almighty. 

 
As word spread and more native people viewed the tilma, they became convinced. Within ten years, nine million had been converted, and, within thirty years, tens of millions more were converted.  
 
Now the Mexican people — the descendants of the Spanish and native peoples — are counted among the most faithful in the world, and the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with the tilma on display, is the most frequently visited Marian site and is credited with countless miracles. 
 

God Continues to Work through Our Mother 

The Spaniards of 1531 were not the only ones to have ever felt hopeless and ready to throw in the towel. I’d bet most of us have felt that way as well.  
 
Sometimes life feels hopeless. Only by faith do we know it is not. I am learning that in those times, Our Lord likes most to work through His Mother. 
 
The last four years, it has felt like one thing after another has dragged me down and made me question what I am doing and what God is possibly doing in it all. Multiple times, I have felt close to throwing in the towel and abandoning the things for which I had worked so hard. Trials, criticism, health issues, financial difficulties, and just plain old desolation. “Can I just catch a break?” I often asked as more pressure piled on. One of the most difficult things was feeling completely directionless. Feeling at a loss as to what God was asking of me or where He was leading me. 
 
In my confusion and wandering, I began to turn more strongly to Our Lady than ever before. Little by little, a path forward became clear. I don’t fully understand why things had to happen the way they did, and little is “fixed,” but Mary is helping provide the answers I had been seeking for some time. 

 
Mary does not always work in big ways, in Spanish roses and an image on a tilma. Like God, she can work in a whisper or a nudge. A door opening, a realization, a phone call, or a new opportunity. But, by the grace of God, Our Mother remains close to us and guides us in the ways of her Son. 

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Copyright 2024 Kimberly Andrich
Images: Canva