In memory of St. Juan Diego's feast day, today

St. Juan Diego is very closely linked to our Lady.  In his memory, I think it is appropriate to review in Scripture, the sign that he received and which was depicted on his mantle, the Tilma of Our Lady, and which, to my mind, authenticates his revelation.

St. John's book of Revelations

Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab

God's temple in heaven was opened,

and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

The Ark of the Covenant is a pre-figuring of the Mother of God.  Why?
1.  The Ark of the Covenant contained the Manna or the Bread of Heaven.
Mary contained, in her womb, Jesus the True Bread of Heaven.
2.  The Ark of the Covenant contained staff of Aaron which symbolized the Asronic His Priesthood.
Mary contained, in her womb, the eternal High Priest, Jesus.

3.  The Ark of the Covenant contained the Word of God carved by the finger of God into stone tablets.
Mary contained, in her womb, the Word of God made flesh.

That is why Mary is called the Ark of the New Covenant.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,  
and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

This is the sign which was given to St. Juan Diego.  Along with the Shroud, the Mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a powerful sign given us by God.

It also confirms the doctrines of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the Crowning of the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven and the Virgin Mary as Mother of God. 

Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.

This dragon is Satan, who is attempting to kill the Christ.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.

Jesus, although He was killed on the Cross, overcame death and was ascended into heaven.

The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.

In his prophetic way of speaking, St. John goes back and forth in time.  Here he mentions the evacuation of Mary with Jesus and Joseph to the desert of Egypt.  Egypt is a desert literally speaking and spiritually, because it was a land of gentiles where God was not recognized.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed."

And when the Dragon was defeated, the voice of an Angel rang out in heaven to declare the victory.