Wednesday, October 23, 1991 5:15 p.m.
Good afternoon to all.
Father, you are asking me to talk about my experiences with my Mother.
I have such a desire that all of you could experience the sweet emotion you feel when looking at the countenance of your Mother, it is the most beautiful and sweetest face I have seen in my life. It is Mary the Mother of Jesus and our Mother.
The first time she made herself present, I was very small, I was 12 years old and my lips scarcely moved. Behold the miracle… I came back to life, she brought me back, and at that moment, I consecrated myself to her Heart, and I promised her: Mother, I offer to do well to mankind, I do not know how, but you will know what to do with me. It seemed to me that the most logical thing to do was to become a religious, to consecrate myself to her Son Christ, the greatest man who has existed among men, Christ who offered his life, his most precious Blood to save us, and to redeem.
O redemption of Christ, such greatness! Save us, purify us, renew us, and make us new.
Behold, my offering really was attained.
Later, two more very serious sicknesses came; my heart could no longer bear this. At this time, the doctors also deprived me from all hope of life… that I could not live; my poor heart was not in condition. And I would invoke my Mother, and tell her: May your Son penetrate, alleviate, and heal my heart, may He strengthen it so someday, Mother, I may strengthen those who may need me: the sick, the sad, the forsaken, the innocent children, the grieving mothers who suffer because they see their little children getting out of hand, or those children that want to leave home when they have a problem.
I feel tremendous grief in my heart, it was not my sorrow, it was the sorrow of my Mother, the sorrow of Mary who comes to save youth, those mothers… so they can feel again at ease and secure with their little ones.
Then, my life went on, and I went to the Sisters, in Merida, the Franciscans with San Gabriel, Mother San Gabriel, another mother God gave me. She welcomed me with much affection and consideration. She went to look for me at my house, and she said, “Let’s go, Esperancita.” Beautiful…
In fact, my intentions were to give myself to the Lord, but I remember that the day of Saint Therese of the Little Flower, that day at the altar, after Holy Mass celebrated by Monsignor Quintero – later Cardinal Quintero; those days he celebrated Holy Mass every day at 6:30 – we began to pray and to thank the Lord after Holy Mass, and I began to see something, it was Saint Therese. It was then when I felt, “You must not be a religious, you will go throughout the world, you will have to sanctify yourself by suffering, giving yourself, loving, daughter. You must love much and forgive all, give all the warmth and the fire of the love of Jesus.”
Because at the same time that Saint Therese came, I felt Our Lady, and I immediately felt Jesus who told me, “Go to Rome, you must receive the blessing of the Holy Father.”
O, how could I tell Monsignor in those days when… at that time, I am leaving, I am going to leave? It was madness; I was ashamed, I was in pain, but I felt that voice that resounded inside of me with such courage, “Daughter, you were born in the world and in that world you will live fighting, struggling for love. It is living love that I come to offer you, is my Heart that beats for each son who goes astray. I suffer, daughter. Go to the world, but lead an honest, worthy, and modest life. You have to prepare yourself.”
Then, I went to Rome and my life elapsed there. I returned to Caracas – they sent me back –. Then, I went to Father Pio of Pietralcina, who opened my eyes, my life, he helped me so much; and he told me that I needed a spiritual director in Rome, because I could not continue travelling so much. It was Father Felice Capello who guided me, who gave me so much, but so much. This is why I love the Jesuits so much.
Well, I married there. I met my husband in Rome, at the same time I went back to Caracas. And quietly, I have tried to hide frequently this inner something that they have given me.
Before marrying, they sent me seven priests in Caracas: one was from the Holy See, another one from Madrid, and five others were local. They followed me – you know, for me it was very painful… when one is questioned – but then, those who came were so good. Well, I cannot say what happened, but it was beautiful and special for my soul […].
So, time has passed. I married, I have my children, a family with six girls, a boy; I have my husband, an exemplary and worthy man, who has supported me during the battles that the life has given me. But I love this life because of the Lord, because of Mary, because of all of you who are here. Whatever comes does not matter, wherever it comes from does not matter, the only hope is the salvation of the world in these times.
This world must be saved; men must correct their weaknesses, their frailties, all their sins. I believe that when there is blood, flesh, and senses the soul cannot be perfect. We are weak and sometimes our faith, instead of growing it weakens, it diminishes. Behold when we must really live the Gospel of Jesus, his commandments… specially the young ones.
I have been surrounded by young people, by children, by the elderly too, all my life. I love the elderly because they remind me of my mother, my mom, who I loved so much.
Thus, I am speaking to you with my heart in the hand, with a heart that feels each one of you with your families, homes, sharing with your children, as I have shared with my family.
Family is so beautiful, family is so splendid! Love your parents, be good, generous; please them. It is beautiful to have a father and a mother. The emptiness when one of the parents leaves forever cannot be satisfied… cannot be filled by anyone.
So, take advantage of your time: study, learn, be courageous and especially humble, because humility is what is going to save us. I always I say: Humility is the crystal bridge that leads us to heaven.
Heaven is waiting for us. No matter the battles, preoccupations, slander, evil. This is nothing, before the power and the majesty of God, before the grace of Mary, our Mother who comes to cover us with her mantle, who comes to save us, who truly asks us to be better, to convert, to heal, and to make ourselves worthy of her motherly love. It is the love of the Mother who defends her children at all times when she sees them fall or weakened.
Therefore, brothers, I have come to Maracaibo by an invitation that the Rotary Club made me, their president: Dennis. Other people also had previously asked me when they went to Betania to be with my Mother, to feel her, to plead to her, to pray… There have been so many beautiful cases of people from Maracaibo, people who have been cured with the waters of Betania, with the love of my Mother, with her presence among them; so many cases.
Betania is so beautiful! I invite those who have not gone. In Betania we feel renewed –living the Gospel – we feel new. What is the world, what is all this? No, everything ends, the only truth that we take to heaven is our good performance in life, our small deeds; not the great pompous works, no; the small things of our every day life, we give these small things to the Lord, these small things.
He… How much does He give us with the graces of his Mother, with his love that springs from his side? He gives us his Blood to drink, Blood that is new life for us.
I feel Jesus in my heart in a special way telling us, “I thirst, I thirst for souls.”
My Jesus is thirsty, He thirsts for souls, He thirsts for noble and generous hearts, my small ones, yes, like the hearts of the innocent children. This is how we should be.
We should not see what is external; let us see what there is inside. Let us never judge, it is a serious sin, without knowing, never, never, children. It is difficult for God to forgive slander.
We must make ourselves submissive until finding the Lord, and after our conversation, surrender ourselves unconditionally, firmly, decided; may He give us strength and a great spiritual capacity. Someone else would say, “Intellectual.” No, we need to be intellectual, yes, but it is the spiritual part, it is the donation of a soul that gives itself, the person who looks for his God and finds Him, and He says, “You are going to forge ahead, do not fear, be strong, son. I am with you, I accompany you, I open the path so you may walk better in the future days, and you may thirst no more, you shall not hunger, son, because I live among you, I am within you.”
So, if the Lord promises this to us, if He says such beautiful things to us, beautiful, as He did to his apostles… Such beautiful phrases, yes, when He pronounced that wonderful commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Children, let us love, let us love, let us hold hands unconditionally. The Lord is in all social classes. That you are greater and the other one smaller, no, we all are equal before the eyes of God. He receives all of his children, regardless of how they come, of where they come from, He receives them, He gives them his hand, He encourages them, He strengthens them, He vivifies them, the great Master of masters teaches them, Jesus.
My people of Zulia, I thank you for coming to Our Mother of Chinquinquira yesterday. What a beautiful, unforgettable, and splendid afternoon full of lightning, thunder and torrential rain! But it was so beautiful inside the chapel in our Church. It is so beautiful, Lord! Such beauty!
And today we are all gathered here, a smaller group, but all are following my poor word, the word of a poor humble woman, but a woman who loves you, who feels you because our Lord, our Jesus and his Mother come to gather you, come to look for you. They are the ones; They are the ones who are always concerned of all our acts, of our inner life.
How is that inner life going? I beg you, make an inner examination of your conscience, reflect. “What do You want me to do, Lord” “What do You want, Lord” “Whatever You say, wherever You want me I will go. Grief does not matter, Lord.” How much have You undergone and suffered, giving and giving for centuries? Man still has not understood You, Lord, He continues defying You, He continues resisting You, and why? I now ask, why?
Well, I believe, brothers, that this is the time of rectification, the true hour of correcting ourselves, of making an examination of our consciences, of going to confession, and of receiving the Body of Christ, to be able to begin a new life full of joy, youth, because when we have the Lord we feel we are capable of everything through his love, and this everything is leaving everything behind to serve Him and to make Him be acknowledged by all of his children, so they may fully feel Him in their hearts defining each one of our profiles.
So, thank you, Father, thank you for giving me the honor this afternoon to speak to these beautiful and splendid youngsters, to these gentlemen, to all the men, women and children who have my Mother in their minds.
Because it is she, Mary, whom you must love, not a woman that also is like you with flesh, bones, and senses, where perfection does not exist. Because while there is blood and flesh we cannot be perfect; we always have something and it is necessary to correct that something – the small things of our daily life –.
So, love Mary, pray to her who has come to reconcile you, who comes to look for us, who comes to donate us the grace of the Holy Spirit, it is Maria who pleads for us so that we may awaken from our indolence, and she will stop you from continuing to sin, from following that path, the path – we are not going to say – of the perdition, but yes, an uneven path where we must know how to step in order to save ourselves.
So, I encourage youth to work in their religious communities, in the communities of the lay, in the communities that will be fashioned.
Remember something that I am going to tell you today: today everyone has their big house, has this, has that, we all do… there are so many that do not. Therefore, a time will come in which we will have to live in communities; like religious communities where everyone tolerates and forgives everyone, and where they withdraw into prayer and forgiveness. Thus, we will have to do so, continuously praying and asking for forgiveness of our weaknesses and frailties, and of those of our brothers. And will share our bread, we will sit at a great table. And we will be there because Jesus is calling us to his great table to sit and share with Him. This table will be in every home, we will have to unite. And it is necessary to do so immediately beginning by uniting our families, bearing one another, sowing. It is necessary to do this as soon as possible.
Difficult moments will come in the world; man continues forgetting that there will be war. Enraged by the love of a man they feel weak, religions and things that are not just arise.
If we are Catholics we must follow our correct and clean goal, calling us to be righteous, correcting the flaws that are inside. I am no one to speak like this, because I am like anyone of you, but I try to call myself within, telling myself: “Daughter, rise and walk. Follows my steps, do not forget that there is much to do.”
So, let us all rise to walk together, to hold hands, to love one another, to come to know us better, to identify with each other. We truly need to meet… dialog.
What is happening in our homes? Children are leaving. The father must speak to his son; he must correct him with character, with much willpower. Children cannot be left on there own, if they like it or not, because otherwise they leave, no! Observe on time. It is necessary, children, because they may go astray. When we come to see, there is no longer anything we can do; it is in time that the bad roots are exterminated forever, but if that root continues growing it withers, it makes things impure with sin.
With sin souls will not be able to arise, priestly vocations. We need a little bit of everything in the villa of the Lord.
We the lay must work also, helping our parishes, helping our priests; they are not the only ones, we must work too. The Holy Father calls us, our Holy Father John Paul II is signalling that Jesus Christ truly lives among us. He is not concerned with going from one place to another in search of his children: the ugly, black, pretty, white, of all colors, of all races.
This is what we all must do: give to our brother, and not fight saying that you… No, no; we all have to be saved, we all are going to be saved, we all are going to be saved of all the faiths of the world, because Jesus will make Himself fully felt with love.
Jesus is coming, children, we do not want to acknowledge this. Jesus is among us.
Thank you, thank you again, Father. May the Mother of God keep you, and lead you by the hand, covering you with her mantle.
And may all of you, children, cover yourselves with the mantle of Mary for she is going to save us all.
Thank you.
May God keep you and bless you.
I keep you here, in my poor heart, here cradled with my Mother.
Thank you, thank you all.
I am touched to see each and every heart waiting for my Mother. Here you have her, place yourselves at her feet, ask her for anything you want and you will see miracles of love, immense miracles in your homes, the cells of this town will be renewed.
May God keep you, children.
