From Guadelupe to Fatima a Prophetic Mystery

The First in a Series of Modern Apparitions

 over the past  500 Years

Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of all the modern apparitions over the past 500 years. If we understand the implications of this statement then it will lead us to meditate on each of our Lady's appearances in the light of the Fatima Message. 

Over time the church with the help of the Holy Spirit reflects on these appearances of Our Lady uncovering these hidden mysteries. She discovers God’s finger writing a story within the symbols contained in these Marian events. They are not coincidences! God has a purpose in everything he does. A message to proclaim in the timing of the appearances as well as within the historical context of these Marian events meditated on in the Light of Fatima.

  

Our Lady of Guadalupe 1531

The first apparition of Modern Times  

A mystery is hidden within each  approved Marian Apparition outside of their historical significance that can, need we say must, be learned through prayer and meditation. Throughout history there have been supernatural apparitions and signs which, to the surprise of believers and non-believers alike, play their part in the unfolding of human history.

   

Guadalupe is considered to be the greatest place of pilgrimage in the world after Rome.  As well as the first apparition which established a sanctuary of influence, national and worldwide.  It was estimated that in 2009 more than 6.1 million pilgrims visited the Basilica of Guadalupe on December 11-12  marking the 478th anniversary of the apparitions  of the Virgin to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac.  
 

Guadelupe is one of the most significant  of the approved Marian apparitions in the Church rich with symbolisms. The symbolism's on the tilma. although primarily directed to Juan and the Aztec people of the time,  are speaking, or rather shouting, to us in our modern era. 

They echo without words or sound in modern time. A prophetic marker for our era.  The imprint of Mary on the tilma speaks to us prophetically in a  manner as the scriptures. Speaking in the language of the Holy Spirit. The drama around the Tilma also gives witness during the course of the apparition. The events between our Lady, Juan, the bishop and Juan’s uncle. Later in the witness Juan Diego gave with his life after Our Lady appeared. All of these give testimony!

Guadalupe linked to Fatima as

the book of Daniel is linked

with Revelation or Apocalypse. 

Daniel is considered by biblical scholars to be the apocalyptic book of the Hebrew bible, the first apocalypse.  A  Divine revelation concerning things to come. Preparing the way for its sister book Revelations. After Daniel received his visions he was instructed by the Angel with these words:

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, knowledge shall be increased. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand Daniel,12:9-10

If Guadalupe is on the same historical plane with the Book of Daniel it  is also pointing to a future messianic event since Jesus already appeared it has to be the return of the bridegroom for its church the second coming of the Lord.  Fatima is alongside the book of Revelation and is preparing the church for the return of her bridegroom at the end of time. Recall how Our Lord told the   apostles in John Chapter 16:12-13

“I have many more things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now
But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, 
He will guide you into all the truth;
for He will not speak on His own initiative,
whatever He hears, He will speak; and will 
disclose you to you what is to come." John 16:12-13

We know that in the interpretation of scriptures there is a historical significance that the writers were inspired to write for. Later, as the church reflects on these events in the unfolding of human history we see a foreshadowing of future messianic times in the writings of the ancient prophets. The mysteries are hidden in the timing of the event or in the actions and words that are spoke by the persons involved in the drama being recorded.        

This same principal may be

applied to supernatural events

in all Approved Apparitions

Contemporary men are in some sense blinded to reading these signs and symbols. Outside of our own neglect to pray and meditate, another reason for modern mans failure to penetrate these unspoken mysteries in Marian Apparitions could be that the interpretations may be sealed until the time appointed as in the book of Daniel.  Take Fatima for instance. As we examine the secret of Fatima it was revealed slowly by degrees over time and not completely disclosed until the year 2000. And the symbolisms contained within the recently revealed portions of the secret are also prophetic in nature pointing to a possible future calamity or apocalypse if men do not stop offending God. The Message of Fatima also predicted that if the requests at Fatima are not honored, many souls will be lost, "the Holy Father will have much to suffer", there will be further wars and persecutions of the Church and "various nations will be annihilated." The annihilation of nations predicted at Fatima has not yet occurred, but many fear that it will soon happen, given the growing immorality and corruption of the world.

21 week baby clasps doctors finger from the womb during operation. Photo ©Speramus-We Hope

Symbolisms linking

Guadalupe to Fatima and our era: Culture of Life vs. Culture 
of Death

Five centuries ago, cruel human sacrificing rituals were performed by the Aztecs on a scale never approached, even remotely, by any other peoples. Men, Women and Children, were offered to appease their serpent gods. No one will ever know how many were killed this way. Estimates start from 20,000 to 50,000 a year in several sources. The leading authority on the demography of Mexico at the time of the conquest, has revised the estimated number of persons sacrificed in central Mexico in the fifteenth century to 250,000 per year and an early Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico were sacrificed. Click for more details on the Aztec Sacrifices

These ritual killings peaked around 1487 during dedication of their new serpents temple in Mexico City. A single ceremony lasted four days and four nights, with the constant beating of giant drums made of snakeskin that could be heard for two miles. More than 80,000 men were sacrificed. No where else in human history had the ancient serpent, Satan so formalized his worship with so many of his symbols. When Our Lady appeared to Juan Deigo she called herself Guadalupe. The word Guadalupe similar to the Aztec Nahuatl word of coatlaxopeuh pronounced "quatlasupe" sounds like Guadalupe. The Nahuatal word of coatlaxopeuh is translated Coa = serpent, tla="the” and xopeuh= “to crush or stamp out. So Our Lady called herself the one "who crushes the serpent. The Aztecs understood this and hearing her name while viewing the Image she left behind they converted by the millions to the faith. Certainly, in this case our Lady crushed the serpent. So it is not surprising that for the Christian one cannot help but identify Our Lady of Guadalupe with the Woman of the Apocalypse. This interpretation was first recorded by Father Miguel Sanchez in 1648.

"A great sign appeared in the sky,
a woman clothed with the sun,
the moon at her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Revelation 12:1

The following description of the symbolism's contained within the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and how she spoke to the Aztecs without words is related by a Fr. Elizondo who writes: "Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer. Her pale red dress is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature. Most important are the two crosses and the black maternity band that were present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture is found an Indian cross, the center of the cosmic order to the Indian. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, and our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind.  Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture is found an Indian cross, the center of the cosmic order to the Indian. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, and our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind.”

Providence of God in
The Unfolding of Time

    The Stars on Our Lady's Mantle

                                                                                                                                                             Scientists were also amazed to discover that the pattern of stars on the mantle of  the tilma reflected the exact position of the constellations on the day her image appeared on the tilma, December 12, 1531,10:40 am The Boreal Crown is located above the Virgin's head,Virgo is on her chest, in the region of her hands; Leo is on her womb; Gemini the twins are in the region of her knees and Orion is located on the Angel at her feet. Go to the following link for detailed explanations on the New discoveries on the Tilma and more diagrams on the constellations reflected on the Tilma. Heaven does nothing by chance! 

The Aztecs recognized this and It was a great sign for them who followed the passing of time with the stars. It is also a sign for our era giving another historical date for the apparition even the exact time! Could it also be a marker for a future time? Has this same lineup of stars occurred since? Will it take place again?

  
Other miracles present on Tilma
Discovered after Fatima

Miracles within A Miracle 
Linking Guadalupe for Our Generation

There were other miracles also present on the tilma  that would not be discovered for another 400 years!  In 1929 images reflected in the eyes of the Virgin were discovered for the first time. To think that this miracle within the eyes of the Virgin was present for all these centuries just waiting to be discovered and were not discovered until after the Fatima drama began. What am I saying here? That God is also speaking to us through his line of providence in the various Marian Apparitions.  God also knew that he was already known by God and in a sense reawakens Guadalupe and links it to the drama of Fatima. 

In more recent times with the appearance of modern photographic technology and advances in the science of opthomalolgy images reflected in the eyes of the Virgin were discovered in 1929 we have the first documented note of an apparent reflected image of a man's head in the right eye of the virgin by photographer Alfonso Marcue who was advised to keep silent by the bishop.

  

     The Mystery of Our Lady's Eyes

It has been said by pilgrims

 that it appears
that the eyes on the tilma are living!
Our Lady is actually seeing you

When you come before her image

She looks at you with a mothers love!

The photo shows the bearded man

Juan Diego on the right corner

discovered in 1929, 1956 and 1958.

The dark circle shows all the people present

discovered in 1979 under high magnification.

It wasn't until 1951 when another photographer Carlos Salinas examined the tilma and he observed the same reflection of a man’s head in the right eye of the Virgin. In 1956 and 1958, Dr. Torroela-Bueno and Dr. Rafael Torija-Lavoignet, both ophthalmologists examined the eyes of the Virgin on the tilma and published a study on the Purkinje-Sanson effect that is found in living human eyes. In 1979 another ophthalmologist Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann used the latest sophisticated image processing techniques taking digitized photographs of both eyes he enlarged the image of the Virgin's eyes by 2500x magnification and said he saw not only the aforementioned single figure, but rather images of all the witnesses present when the tilma was shown to the Bishop in 1531.  Click on the following link for more Details on the Mysteries in Our Lady's eyes . Mary came in her glorified body at Guadalupe and her physical hands rearranged the roses in Juan Diego’s tilma, which makes this apparition so special like Miraculous medal apparition when St. Catherine Laboure put her hands on Mary’s lap who was sitting in a chair. An incredible list of miracles, cures and interventions are attributed to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It has been widely recognized for centuries that the preservation of the tilma is miraculous since it has maintained its integrity for nearly 500 years when similar garments normally last only about 15 years before suffering damage.

Guadalupe and Fatima reflect
Our Lady in Revelation 12:1-6  

And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns: and on his head seven diadems: And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her a thousand two hundred sixty days. Revelaton:12:1-6

For the evil one and for his followers there is not much that they hate and fear more than the image of the Woman clothed with the sun the moon under her feet. This Image was shown to them before the whole creation was completed, and triggered their final rebellion and fall. This image of the one who will crush his head. But we also have a part to play in this drama, St Paul taught this when he exclaimed that we must fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. We must help our Lady with our prayers and sacrifices that she requested at Fatima. The outcome is up to us and what we choose to do with what we know. 

At Guadalupe Our Lady was hiding the sun only it's rays penetrated around her. At Fatima in the 3rd secret during the miracle of the sun she reflected a light brighter than the sun and this light from our Lady prevented the Angel of God's wrath from chastising the earth with the flames from his sword. 

There are prophetic meanings to be gleaned here. Heaven does nothing by accident. If Our Lady is prefigured in these appearances as the woman clothed with the sun in the book of Revelations she is also then the Queen of prophets. As our Lord came into the world for the first time through Mary. He will also come his second time through her. Mary the Queen of Prophets will prepare the world for his final coming at the end of time. Is this not what is happening today at Fatima and other approved Marian Sites?

What have we learned in 500 Years 

from Guadalupe to Fatima?

Granted in examining the apparitions of our Lady over the years there exists a certain correlation between Marian apparitions and specific historical situations of the times. For example Lourdes and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. La Sallette and the approaching famine. Fatima and the World Wars.  Our Lady the spouse of the Holy Spirit is sent to convey a message from the finger of God to help us see the writing on the wall.  With sometimes a dire warnings in the book of Daniel Chapter 5: Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand in fear as it wrote: "This is the inscription that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. "This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." Daniel 5:26-28 

Our Lady spouse of the Holy Spirit is the Hand of God conveying a message to the world powers  and the kingdoms of our era. "Some I will cure others I will not. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins." Looking very sad, Our Lady said: "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended." Fatima October 13,1917

Do we think we will not see the justice of God if we continue on in our sins? If God allowed the Jewish nation to be scattered throughout the world and their temple destroyed because they did not recognize the time of their visitation.  Do we think we can continue to disregard the warnings from Heaven to ammend our lives and not have consequences to pay?  

In future posts we hope to detail the conditional prophecies at Fatima if the requests of Our Lady are not heeded. 

Our Lady said that Russia would "spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated.
 
There is not enough time to go into each apparition in order to glean the prophetic message from each one and apply them for these times. The Holy Spirit if invoked will unveil the hidden mysteries  and demonstrate their significance or connection to the Fatima Message and the Woman Clothed with the Sun in Revelation.
 
If the Apparition of Guadalupe resulted in the conversion of an entire Aztec native population from the worship of idols and human sacrifice to Christianity. Could we not hope for no less with the appearance of Our Lady at Fatima? We can and we should. She did say that in the end her Immaculate Heart will Triumph. If we follow the simple request God has asked of us from her we will see The Triumph of her Immaculate Heart and Victory over this culture of death? -Let us hope! 

Also Read: 

The Historical Story of Guadalupe translated from the Aztec Language Nahuatl

For another Historical Account of Guadalupe 

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadelupe in LaCrosse, WI 

  

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