Juan Ramirez
Fr. Henry C. Kricek
Philosophy of Religion 312
October 1st, 2009
Mysticism
(Our Lady of Guadalupe)
Through the whole church’s history has been occurred many apparitions of the Holy Mother. All these apparitions have needed to been proved true by the church. Apparitions or mystical experiences are a largepart of our faith and our tradition as Catholics. Through these apparition or mystical experiences we are able to see God, and his Saints, taking an active within the lives of the people of God’s church. However, many people think that these apparitions are fake. All are entitled to their opinions, however, it is through faith and tradition that we come to believe and accept God’s wondrous. OurLady of Guadalupe is one example of these apparitions.
The Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego, who was fifty-five years old, on December 9, 1531. Juan Diego was rushing down the hill of Tepeyac to go to Mass in Mexico City. The Lady send him to Bishop Zumarraga to have a church built where she appeared. The Bishop, at first, did not believe Juan Diego. He had Juan Diego,cross-examined and watched, and finally the Bishop asked Juan Diego to ask the Lady who said she was the Mother of the true God for a sign. Juan Diego readily agreed to ask for a sign. The next day, however, Juan Diego was occupied with his uncle, Bernardino, who was dying of a fever. All forms of medicine had failed, and it seemed that Bernardino was going to die. On the 12th of December 1531, Juan Diego ranto the nearby church St. James to ask for a priest. Juan Diego ran to the church in an out of the ordinary way to avoid the Lady. However, the Lady appeared to him close the church. First, the Lady assured Juan Diego of his uncle. The Lady briefly appeared to his uncle and he was instantly cured. Now, the Lady called herself, Holy Mary of Guadalupe, and she told him to return to the bishop. JuanDiego asked the Lady for a sign, which the Bishop required. Holy Mary of Guadalupe told Juan Diego to go to some rocks and pick roses. He gathered many roses into the lap of his tilma (a long cloak), and returned to the Bishop, after the Holy Mother rearranged the roses, she told him to keep them untouched and unseen until he reached the Bishop. Once Juan Diego had met with Bishop Zumarraga, JuanDiego offered the sign. As his tilma was unfolded, the roses fell out, and the Bishop and his attendant fell to their knees before him. A life size figure of the Virgin Mother, just as Juan Diego had described, was glowing on his tilma. The picture has been venerated for hundreds of years in Mexico City receiving many favors through the interception of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
After a short summaryof the Our Lady of Guadalupe apparitions, there are many analyses if these apparitions are true, according to Williams James there are fourth ways to explain if the religious experience is true. Ineffability according to William James is that a religious experience can not be explained by words, not anyone who has this kind of experience can not make clear what is happening in this experience.Agreed with James in the way of Ineffability the experience that Juan Diego experimented with Our Lady of Guadalupe follow the Ineffability, because Juan Diego could not explained to the Bishop very well how the Lady appeared to him. He just said that the Lady was very beautiful, full of light, but the Bishop did not believe Juan Diego. The Bishop did not believe Juan Diego until he brought the signthe bishop required. Juan Diego could not explain clearly that experience, because it was something greeter that just the person who has this kind of experience can understand. According to William James this experience that Juan Diego had is an Ineffable experience, because Juan Diego could not explain it with his own words, he should bring a sign to bishop could understand the message of Our…
