NICAN MOPOHUA
(Text of the original account of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego)
The account of the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In order and arrangement, it is told here how the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Our Queen, appeared in a marvelous way, not long ago, at Tepeyac, which is named Guadalupe.
First, she appeared to a poor Indian named Juan Diego; and then, her precious image appeared before the new bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga. It also recounts all the miracles she performed.
FIRST APPARITION
Ten years after the capture of Mexico City, the war was suspended and peace began between the peoples, as well as the flourishing of faith, the knowledge of the true God, by whom we live. In that year, 1531, just a few days before December, there was a poor Indian, named Juan Diego, from Cuautitlán. Concerning spiritual matters, everything still belonged to Tlatelolco.
It was Saturday, very early in the morning, and he was on his way to the divine service and errands. When he arrived near the hill called Tepeyac, dawn was breaking, and he heard singing from above the hill. It sounded like the song of many precious birds; at times the voices of the singers would stop, and it seemed as though the hill responded to them. Their song, very soft and delightful, surpassed that of the COYOLTOTOTL and TZINIZCAN and other beautiful birds that sing.
Juan Diego stopped to look and said to himself: “Am I worthy of what I hear? Perhaps I am dreaming? Am I waking up? Where am I? Am I perhaps in the earthly paradise that our ancestors spoke of? Am I already in heaven?” He was looking east, up at the hill where the precious celestial song was coming from, and when it suddenly ceased, he heard his name being called from the top of the hill, saying: "Juanito, Juan Dieguito."
Then he dared to go where he was being called; he was not startled at all; on the contrary, he went happily up the hill to see where the call was coming from. When he reached the summit, he saw a lady standing there who told him to come closer.
When he approached her, he was greatly astonished by her supernatural greatness. Her clothing was radiant like the sun; the rocky place where she stood, illuminated by her radiance, looked like a necklace of precious stones, and the ground glistened like a rainbow. The mesquite trees, cacti, and other plants growing there seemed like emeralds; their foliage, fine turquoises; and their branches and thorns shone like gold. He bowed before her and heard her voice, soft and courteous, as someone who attracts and holds one in high esteem. She said to him, "Juanito, the smallest of my children, where are you going?" He replied, "Lady and my Mother, I must go to your house in Mexico Tlatelolco to attend to divine matters that are given to us and taught by our priests, the delegates of our Lord."
She then spoke to him and revealed her holy will. She said, "Know and understand, you, the smallest of my children, that I am the ever-Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the true God by whom we live; the Creator of all; the Lord of heaven and earth. I wish very much that a temple be built here for me, in which I may show and give all my love, compassion, help, and defense, for I am your merciful mother; to you, all of you together, the inhabitants of this land, and to others who call upon me and trust in me. I will hear their laments there, and remedy all their miseries, sorrows, and pains."
"And to accomplish what my clemency desires, go to the palace of the bishop of Mexico and tell him that I send you to convey what I desire. Tell him exactly what you have seen and admired and what you have heard. Be assured that I will greatly appreciate it and repay it because I will make you happy, and you will deserve that I reward the labor and effort with which you will strive to accomplish what I have entrusted to you. Remember that you have heard my command, my smallest son, go and put all your effort into it."
At that moment, he bowed before her and said, "My Lady, I will fulfill your command; for now, I will say goodbye to you, I, your humble servant." He then went down to fulfill his errand and set out on the road to Mexico.
Once in the city, he immediately went straight to the bishop's palace, which was the prelate who had recently arrived, named Don Fray Juan de Zumárraga, a religious of the Franciscan order. When he arrived, he tried to see him. He asked his servants to announce him, and after a while, they came to call him, saying that the bishop had sent for him.
Upon entering, he bowed and knelt before the bishop. He then delivered the message from the Lady of Heaven and also told him everything he had admired, seen, and heard. After hearing his account and message, the bishop seemed not to believe him and replied: "You will come again, my son, and I will listen more carefully. I will consider everything from the beginning and think about the will and desire with which you have come."
He left and went away sorrowful because his message was not accepted.
SECOND APPARITION
On the same day, he returned; he went straight to the top of the hill and met with the Lady of Heaven, who had been waiting for him, exactly where he had first seen her. Upon seeing her, he knelt before her and said, “Lady, the smallest of my daughters, my Lady, I went to the place where you sent me to fulfill your command; although with difficulty, I entered the residence of the prelate; I saw him and delivered your message as you warned me. He received me kindly and listened attentively, but when he responded, it seemed that he did not believe it. He said, ‘You will come again, my son, and I will listen to you more carefully. I will consider your request from the beginning and reflect on the desire and will with which you have come.’”
I understood perfectly from the way he responded that he thought it might be my own invention that You wanted a temple built here, and that perhaps it is not in Your orders. Therefore, I humbly ask You, Lady and my Little One, to send someone of greater stature, someone respected and esteemed, to take your message to him so that he may believe. I am just a small man, a cord, a wooden ladder, a tail, a leaf, a tiny person, and You, my Lady, my Little One, send me to a place where I do not go and do not stop. Please forgive me for causing you great distress and anger, my Lady and my Mistress."
The Blessed Virgin replied, "Listen, my smallest son, know that I have many servants and messengers, to whom I can entrust my message and my will; but it is absolutely necessary that you yourself make the request and assist, and that through your mediation, my will is fulfilled. I beg you, my smallest son, and I command you firmly to go again tomorrow to see the bishop. Tell him in my name and let him know my will, that he must put into action the temple I am asking for. And again tell him that I, the ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, send you.”
Juan Diego replied, "Lady and my Little One, do not be upset with me; I will gladly go to fulfill your command; I will certainly not fail to do so, and I do not mind the journey. I will do your will, but perhaps I will not be heard favorably; or even if I am heard, perhaps I will not be believed. Tomorrow in the afternoon, when the sun sets, I will come to report your message with the response from the prelate. For now, I bid you farewell, my Little One, my Lady. Rest in the meantime." He then went to rest at his house.
The next day, Sunday, very early in the morning, he left his house and went straight to Tlatelolco to attend to divine matters and be present at the account to see the prelate. Around ten o'clock, after hearing Mass and after the crowd dispersed, Juan Diego went straight to the bishop's palace. As soon as he arrived, he made every effort to see him. Once again, with great difficulty, he saw him, knelt at his feet, was saddened, and cried as he delivered the message from the Lady of Heaven, hoping that the prelate would believe his words and the will of the Immaculate One, to build a temple where she had requested it.
The bishop, to verify this, asked him many questions, about where he had seen her and what she looked like. He gave a perfect account of everything he had seen, admired, and explained clearly that it was the ever-Virgin Holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, the bishop did not believe him and said that not only would he not act on his words and request, but also that it was necessary for him to have a sign in order to believe that the Lady of Heaven had sent him. After hearing all this, Juan Diego said to the bishop, “Lord, look at what sign you ask for; I will go and ask the Lady of Heaven for it, the one who sent me here.” Seeing that Juan Diego was confirming everything without doubt or retracting anything, the bishop dismissed him.
The bishop immediately ordered some of his trusted servants to follow Juan Diego and watch where he went and whom he saw and spoke to. This was done. Juan Diego went straight and walked along the path, but when the people who were following him reached the ravine near the Tepeyac bridge, they lost sight of him. They searched for him everywhere, but they could not find him. Therefore, they returned, not only because they were frustrated, but because they were angered by their failed attempt.
They reported back to the bishop, urging him not to believe Juan Diego, saying that he was deceiving them; that he was fabricating what he was saying, or perhaps just dreaming of it. In the end, they decided that if he came again, they would catch him and punish him severely, so he would never again lie or deceive.
THIRD APPARITION
Meanwhile, Juan Diego was with the Most Holy Virgin, telling her the response he had received from the bishop; when the Lady heard it, she said to him: "It is well, my son, you will return here tomorrow to bring the sign that the bishop has asked for; with this, he will believe and will no longer doubt you nor suspect you. And know, my little son, that I will reward your care and the labor and exhaustion you have undertaken for me; now, go on your way; I will be waiting for you here tomorrow."
The next day, Monday, when Juan Diego was supposed to bring a sign to be believed, he did not return because, when he arrived at his house, an uncle of his, named Juan Bernardino, had fallen ill and was very serious. First, he went to call a doctor to help him; but it was too late, he was in a critical condition.
That night, his uncle begged him to go early in the morning to Tlatelolco and call a priest, so that he could confess him and prepare him, for he was certain that it was time for him to die and that he would not recover. On Tuesday, very early in the morning, Juan Diego left his house to go to Tlatelolco to call the priest; and when he was arriving at the road that passes by the side of the hill of Tepeyac, heading west, where he usually passed, he said to himself: "If I go straight ahead, perhaps I will be seen by the Lady, and in any case, she might stop me, so I should go quickly to call the priest first, because my poor uncle is certainly waiting for me."
Then, he turned around the hill, climbed between it, and passed to the other side, heading east, to reach Mexico quickly so that the Lady of Heaven would not stop him.
FOURTH APPARITION
He thought that by taking a different route, he wouldn’t encounter her who was watching carefully all around. He saw her coming down from the top of the hill, looking in the direction where he had seen her before. He went to meet her at the side of the hill and she asked him: “What is it, my smallest son? Where are you going?” Was he a little ashamed, embarrassed, or scared?
Juan Diego bowed before her and greeted her, saying: “My Lady, the smallest of my daughters. Lady, I hope you are happy. How did you wake up today? Are you well, Lady and my Little One? I will cause you distress: know, my Little One, that a poor servant of yours, my uncle, is very ill; he has caught the plague and is about to die. Now, I am hurrying to your house in Mexico to call one of Our Lord’s beloved priests to come and hear his confession and prepare him, because since we were born, we come to await the work of our death. But once I do this, I will return here to bring your message. Lady and my Little One, forgive me; have patience with me for now; I do not deceive you, my Little Daughter; I will come back quickly tomorrow.”
After hearing Juan Diego’s words, the most pious Virgin replied: “Listen and understand, my smallest son, that it is nothing to be frightened or distressed by. Let not your heart be troubled. Do not fear this sickness, nor any other sickness or distress. Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow? Am I not your health? Are you not in my embrace? What more could you need? Do not let anything else trouble or distress you; do not worry about your uncle’s sickness. He will not die from it. Be sure that he has already been healed.”
(And indeed, Juan Diego’s uncle was healed, as it was later known). When Juan Diego heard these words from the Lady of Heaven, he was greatly comforted and filled with joy. He begged her to send him quickly to see the bishop and bring him some sign or proof, so that he would believe.
The Lady of Heaven then ordered him to go up to the top of the hill where he had seen her before. She said: “Go up, my smallest son, to the top of the hill, where you saw me and where I gave you instructions. There you will find many flowers; pick them, gather them, and bring them to me.”
Immediately, Juan Diego climbed the hill, and when he reached the top, he was astonished to see so many beautiful and exquisite roses from Castile, even though it was not the season for them, as it was still freezing. They were very fragrant and full of dew, like precious pearls.
He began to pick them, gathered them in his cloak, and quickly descended to bring the flowers to the Lady of Heaven. When she saw them, she took them with her hand and placed them again in his cloak, saying: “My smallest son, this variety of roses is the sign and proof that you will take to the bishop. Tell him in my name that he should see in these flowers my will and that he must fulfill it. You are my trusted ambassador. I strictly command that you only open your cloak in front of the bishop and show him what you carry. You will explain everything well; you will tell him that I sent you to the top of the hill to cut the flowers; and everything you have seen and admired; so that you may convince the prelate to help you, so that the temple I requested can be built.”
After the Lady of Heaven gave him her instructions, he set out on the road to Mexico, now happy and confident that everything would be fine. He carried the flowers carefully in his cloak, fearing that they might slip from his hands, while enjoying the fragrance of the beautiful flowers.
When he arrived at the bishop’s palace, the steward and other servants came out to meet him. He asked them to tell the bishop that he wanted to see him, but none of them wanted to listen, pretending they didn’t hear him. It was either because it was too early or because they already knew him and considered him a nuisance, since he had only bothered them before. Also, his companions had already informed them that they had lost track of him when they had been following him. He waited there for a long time. When they saw that he had been standing there for a long time, with his head down and doing nothing, probably waiting to be called, and that he seemed to have something in his cloak, they came closer to see what he was carrying.
Seeing that Juan Diego couldn’t hide what he was carrying and knowing they would bother him, push him, or hit him, he revealed a little that it was flowers. When they saw that all of them were different roses from Castile, and that it wasn’t the right season for them, they were amazed by this, especially since they were so fresh, open, fragrant, and beautiful.
They tried to take some, but they weren’t successful the three times they attempted it. They failed because when they tried to take them, the flowers no longer appeared to be real but seemed to be painted, carved, or sewn into the cloak.
They then went to report to the bishop what they had seen and told him that the little man who had been coming many times wanted to see him. He had been waiting for a long time and wanted to speak with him. Upon hearing this, the bishop realized that this was the proof he needed to verify and fulfill the request made by the little man. He immediately ordered that he be brought to him.
Once he entered, he knelt before the bishop, just as he had done before, and once again told him everything he had seen and admired, as well as his message. He said: “Lord, I did as you ordered. I went to tell my Lady, the Lady of Heaven, the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, that you requested a sign to believe that you will build the temple where she asked it to be erected. I also told her that I had given you my word to bring you a sign and proof of her will.
She graciously received your request and agreed to give me the sign so that her will might be fulfilled. Very early this morning, she sent me again to see you. I asked for the sign that she had promised, and immediately she sent me to the top of the hill, where I had seen her before, to cut several roses from Castile.
I went up to cut them, and I brought them down. She took them with her hand and again placed them in my cloak so I could bring them to you. Even though I knew the top of the hill was not a place for flowers, as there are only many rocks, thorns, cacti, and mesquite, I didn’t doubt. When I arrived at the top, it seemed like paradise, with all the beautiful and exquisite roses of Castile, sparkling with dew, which I then cut.
She told me to deliver them to you and said this was the sign you asked for, to fulfill her will and for the truth of her message to appear. Here they are: receive them.”
He then unfolded his white cloak, which held the flowers in his lap, and as he spread them on the ground, the image of the ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of God, appeared suddenly, as it is seen today in the temple at Tepeyac, called Guadalupe.
When the bishop saw this, he and everyone present knelt; they were greatly amazed; they rose and became sad, showing that they contemplated her with their hearts and minds.
The bishop, with tears of sadness, prayed and asked for forgiveness for not having acted on her will and command. When he stood up, he untied the cloak from around Juan Diego’s neck, in which the image of the Lady of Heaven had appeared. He took it and placed it in his oratory. Juan Diego stayed in the bishop’s house for one more day, as the bishop had detained him. The next day, he said to him: “Now, show where the Lady of Heaven wishes to have her temple built.”
Immediately, everyone was invited to do so. As soon as Juan Diego pointed out where the Lady of Heaven had ordered the temple to be built, he asked permission to leave. He wanted to go to his house to see his uncle, Juan Bernardino, who had been very ill when he left, and had gone to Tlatelolco to call a priest to prepare him for confession. The Lady of Heaven had told him that his uncle was now healed. But they didn’t let him go alone; they accompanied him to his house. When they arrived, they found his uncle very happy and in no pain. He was very surprised to see his nephew arriving with such honor and asked the reason why they treated him so respectfully.
FIFTH APPARITION
His nephew replied that, when he left to call the priest to hear his confession and prepare him, the Lady of Heaven appeared to him at Tepeyac. She told him not to be distressed, that his uncle was already well, which greatly comforted him. She then sent him to Mexico to see the bishop and have a house built at Tepeyac. His uncle confirmed that he had indeed been healed at that moment and that he had seen the Lady in the same way she had appeared to his nephew, knowing from her that she had sent him to Mexico to see the bishop.
The Lady also told him that, when he went to see the bishop, he should reveal what he had seen and how he had been miraculously healed. She told him that she would be rightly named, just as her blessed image should be named, the ever-Virgin Holy Mary of Guadalupe.
They then brought Juan Bernardino before the bishop, so that he could inform him and testify in front of him. Both he and his nephew were hosted by the bishop in his house for several days, until the temple of the Queen of Tepeyac was built, where Juan Diego had seen her. The bishop transferred the holy image of the beloved Lady of Heaven to the Main Church; he took it from the oratory of his palace, where it had been, so that everyone could see and admire her blessed image. The entire city was moved: they came to see and admire her devout image and to pray to her. It greatly amazed them that she had appeared by divine miracle, because no person in this world had painted her precious image.