Our story begins in the 16th century, the year 1531, in what is now Mexico City. An indigenous man called Coatlaxopeuh, or his Spanish name Juan Diego, had an experience. As he passed through a hilly region known as Tepeyec, a woman he assumed was a goddess appeared to him and spoke. It was the first of multiple encounters.
(All images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and are in the public domain.)
In one encounter, the presumed goddess would say, "I wish that temple be erected here quickly, so I may therein exhibit and give all my love, compassion, help and protection, because I am your merciful mother, to you and to all the inhabitants of this land."
Only later did Juan realize that the woman identified herself as the mother of Jesus, the mother of the deity worshiped by the foreign conquerors and occupiers, the Spanish!
Until this association had been made, Juan Diego had presumed the woman to be the goddess Tonantzin. In fact, once the cult of Guadalupe had spread among the indigenous people of Mexico, this association would continue to be made, as Mary the mother of Jesus and the goddess Tonantzin would become equated in the beliefs of some, a case of inculturation. But that is a future article.
Probably, most of you know the story how Juan was compelled to be the ambassador for Our Lady of Guadalupe before the Archbishop of Mexico City, Juan de Zumárraga. And that in one of the very last appearances, the Lady miraculously caused her image to be imprinted upon the cactus fiber tilma that Juan Diego had been wearing, hence the origin of the icon that is venerated to this day. (I was fortunate to visit Mexico City and see this image just a few years ago.)
I had been reading an English translation of writings by the Greek philosopher and poet Parmenides (late 6th to early 5th century B.C.E.) a few months ago when I encountered something that immediately reminded me of Guadalupe. Parmenides describes, perhaps an imaginary or possibly a real mystical experience. In this encounter, this unnamed goddess grants Parmenides a ride upon a heavenly chariot, borne aloft by the daughters of the sun. The goddess he meets imparts to him words of wisdom: "Learn both the ways of the unwavering heart of persuasive truth and the untrustworthy opinions of mortal human beings." This Elijah-like experience brings Parmenides much sought after enlightenment. It is hard not to see parallels in both the philosophy and mysticism found in the Old Testament or Jewish scriptures, or even ancient Hindu and Buddhist religious texts.
In the book of Wisdom, chapter 7:25-26 for example, "Wisdom, She is a breath of the Deity. A pure emanation of the Almighty's glory...She is a reflection of eternal light, and the untarnished mirror of divine power, the very image of God."
St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) associated the above pericope and many other similar Old Testament passages with St. Mary. Most of the Christian commentators I have read interpret such lines from the book of Wisdom as metaphorical, where Divine Wisdom is personified in the feminine. This tradition is also captured in eastern iconography, where a popular ancient icon is the depiction of Holy Wisdom or Saint Sophia. many examples of this are found within the Russian Icon Museum in Clinton, MA, for example. Interestingly, the first time I encountered such an icon, without knowing what it was depicting, I assumed it to be an image of the Blessed Mother. But I digress.
So, to wrap this up, you have a fuller idea now of where I got the name for this blog and my associated vlog from. As you can tell, I enjoy comparative religion and as one who is no longer serving as a minister of a particular religion, I am unhindered in my studies of world religions and the spiritual traditions of people everywhere. This site is dedicated to dialogue, the pursuit of knowledge, the fostering of understanding and empathy, and also, one's own spiritual journey. Although we all embark upon a voyage that has to be undertaken alone, we can nevertheless benefit from our shared experiences and wisdom.
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