Monday, may 19, 1997 3:40 p.m.
. . . she takes them to her Heart. She is so generous, so compassionate, so humble that she gives herself to everyone and it is our duty to follow her, and also talk about what she does. Of course, she is the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, our Heavenly Mother. It is impossible to resemble her, but we have to imitate her in our duties, without saying we will do things later, tomorrow . . . today, as a soldier, as a true son who knows how to appreciate his Mother, who loves and feels her. When we feel our Heavenly Mother our impulse it is to fall on our knees and ask her for much humility and patience.
So be patient with me.
(Laughing.)
We all need each other, some are good for some things, others are good for other things, but we all are useful. We have to give what we have inside, the aptitudes that God has given us for different motivations.
So, I believe that I like this. It is a good group, you are good people. You are truly looking for your God, your Blessed Mother, our Heavenly Mother and this is necessary in these times, especially in these days, in these years, because we truly have to prepare ourselves.
The Lord is coming closer and you may ask me: “But, my lady, how can this be?” Yes, sir, Jesus lives among us spiritually, but He is approaching the world in an unexpected way for man. I said so last night, I don’t know if you noticed.
Thus we have to be prepared. It is not to get ready for war; that we are going to be killed, no. Whatever comes, may God’s will be done. But we have to prepare ourselves to truly assimilate what God wants of each one of us, and understand why He is coming, why He is coming to us in our search. So, we must think about this and notice firstly that the Lord wants to prepare us, because it is the precise moment in which we all have to unite; regardless of our race or faith. Our faith is the important thing, our Church, our Pontiff, our priesthood. They are the ones who take us by the hand and teach us the commandments of the Law of God.
So, we must love the Church. We must draw closer to her with much humility, with great heartfelt generosity finding a brother in each one of us. I see you like my brother. I see you like a daughter. I see you like my superior.
It is necessary to respect the people and hierarchy, each one in their place, each one where God has put him to develop a task of brotherly unity, of an encounter in which we shake hands. It is beautiful to be able to shake hands and say: You are my brother. I am looking for you, brother. I can offer you my prayer. I beg you to do this same for me.
An act of humility is being accomplished here, an act of brotherhood, an act of just truth, something that we all need.
This is why I am here, because I wasn’t feeling well this morning, but when one loves our Lord and loves our Mother ailments do not matter, nothing matters. What matters is to love, to love continuously, to save souls, souls for God.
We all need each other. Perhaps you have something that I don’t have. Perhaps I have something that you don’t have, but you have your graces. We all have the grace of the Lord. We all have the lights and the graces of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is blowing upon the world in a particular, grandiose, and unique way in the history of the Church, in the history of the world.
These are the greatest moments in the history of the world – you must know – because in these times many people are seeking the Lord, are seeking the truth. Of course, there will be other men who cannot understand and who do not want to understand. But there are many, so many who right now are standing up and shaking hands to work everywhere in the world.
And do you know why all this is taking place? Because Mary, our Mother is offering her Heart, she is surrendering it again as when she was before the Cross, at the foot of the Cross with her Son, with such great pain. And all this is to soothe us, to make us better in life and to enable us to understand the greatness of her Divine Son Jesus.
Jesus in his Divine Mercy, one of the greatest apparitions in the world, I would say. Sister Maria Faustina, a humble nun. She did so much – this moves me so much – with her hardship, with those days that were tremendously cold in which she could hardly stand up, and with her iron will she was able to leave a seal of a true saint here on earth. A saint because she is a servant, she is a servant of God who gave it all, she left the world behind. She left everything behind to serve the Lord. These are the things that touch the heart, these are the things that move us. And also great figures of the Church who are offering themselves and are working.
Hence, this is today’s call.
Sit down because you must be tired.
(Laughing.)
One can work this way with small groups, not very big ones; one group today, another one tomorrow doing spiritual exercises. Because right now people everywhere are coming to Betania to do spiritual exercises.
Before coming, I had a meeting – oh, how beautiful! – with people from all over the United States; from Miami, Washington, everywhere; from Mexico. They are very good, very well prepared. Some had already gone to Betania three times. For others it was their first time. It was beautiful, it really was something beautiful.
So, I would like to do this very much . . . spiritual exercises. I know you will do them, there are methods; each one has his own. I love St. Ignatius of Loyola a lot. His spiritual exercises are very fruitful, great. Righteousness is at hand, an exact awareness of our duties, and this is love and fidelity to the Church. This is the greatest thing, to be faithful to our Mother the Church.
I have offered my life for the Church, for the priests, for the nuns, for the Pope, my life for them and for the People of God, of course, but for them because they left everything behind: their mother, their father. I adore my children. Oh, my God! To imagine that a child will be leaving is horrible… my grandchildren. That is hard.
Imagine to leave the family and to leave everything. I was going to leave my mother. I was going to leave everything behind, but I was going to because I loved my Lord, I loved Jesus in such a special way, but then He sent me to the world: “You have to be a mother . . .” How hard, and He told me: “. . . so this way you can feel all my children. Locked inside here you won’t be able to do so.” For me it was hard. People scared me. I was very shy with people. Imagine a spiritual person who is launched into the world; it is hard.
This is why, I understand each one of you: mothers, wives, everyone, because there are so many people who need to live the Gospel. So of hope is carried out we have to touch it, feel it, share it together. It is not that you want to brag that you are a saint by being in seclusion. No, not anymore! We can no longer do this. Now we have to face the world, the people, the creatures, everyone in a constant sharing of faith, of love, of fidelity to Christ, of fidelity to the people, to our brothers.
So, I would like to tell you: get together, continue meeting with your priest. The day you can be with a priest have him conduct an exercise; and you too, so everyone may have the opportunity. In that moment, the grace of the Holy Spirit comes and then you may speak inspired by that grace, because it comes. It is necessary, because it shapes us, it teaches us, it gives us a certain spiritual authority, and it helps us truly discern what God wants of each one of us.
This is why I am speaking of this, because it is very interesting, because there are many praises. Glory be to God! You know? But the person has to be ready for whatever comes. Your faith, no one can take it, it is yours. The Lord has given it to you, you have prepared yourself. It is not to have culture, a great preparation, no; it is about the small things of our daily life, it is to know how to live: to share.
Sharing is so difficult, but how beautiful it is when one can share! Right now this is the most fundamental aspect.
People have their head in the clouds, thinking about things; that war is coming, that we are going to die, that there is an atomic bomb, that we will be exterminated; no, no, no! I don’t doubt that things will come. Things are happening in the world, but not those things that astonish you and make you get nervous. Do not believe in those things. We as Catholics have to have a path and that path leads us to the Church, and that Church teaches us to share with everyone living the Gospel.
Hence, evangelization is necessary and to open the Bible everyday when you get up to see what the Lord tells you, what part is for you; either in your spiritual meditations or in the holy Bible. Open it and see, and that is what the Lord wants to tell you. This is the way you can dedicate your day to do something good, something that will give glory to the Lord, and will make Mary smile, that we are truly working.
This is essential in this moment, because I believe that people are looking here and there, and do not know where to stop. “No, because so-and-so, and this person and the other.” No, no! When you enter in the ring with the Lord, you do not have to examine the eye of the other one, their flaws, no. Let us believe that we don’t have flaws, that we are good, soft, generous, simple; that I understand you, I understand your problem, you understand mine; and in short, we are brothers, we are children of God.
The children of God have to meet the expectation in these times, so tests may be more benign and merciful. Let us not have the fixed idea that something is going to happen. I don’t doubt that things are happening, but we have to live filled with hope, we have to live with spiritual soundness, and with an open heart for those who need and call us.
I am no one to speak of these things, but this is what I feel. I feel we need to prepare ourselves more, to polish ourselves more, to defend ourselves from those who howl during the night, from the ferocious wolves. “Those Catholics who are fools, who are like saints . . .” No! You must be impeccable, let nothing touch you, not even slightly. It could, but what you have to do is follow your path.
- I am going toward God, He is my crazy love, and if I am with him, what can harm me? Nothing, because I have an exact awareness of my duties and his love feeds me, his mystical Body fills me completely. That is my food, that is my love and my life. My life is life through him, because every morning I get up and I seek him. If I cannot go in the morning, I go in the afternoon, but I look for him. I cannot be without him.
Remember this: Daily Communion is the greatest thing that exists. And I say this because I have seen this in me. I am standing because God wants me to, because it is not that I enjoy perfect health, not at all. This is in a bad condition, but this heart is working, it still is working.
So, children, and ladies and gentlemen, I am truly very moved, it is a Marian center, but come to an agreement, hold hands with everyone, help each other with a word, with a smile, with a handshake, with a glance; give, give, always give. Do not stand cold, as if you deserve everything, no; bear with extreme humility, with infinite generosity, with the same tenderness Mary has, the tenderness that touches, that reaches, and forbids you to draw back from her presence.
This is what our Mother is asking of us: to be successful and certain of the steps we are giving, especially to have a great desire to learn everyday, because everyday we learn something; not big things, small things, things about our daily life, but things that are good for us, things that we can take advantage of, in order to truly give of ourselves the best, or because this will make the Virgin truly happy, and Jesus will open his Heart and will tell us: “Come to Me, my children, enter into my Heart, I will keep you here and you will learn from this Son of God.”
Mary is so humble that she is concerned with each person’s details, of each human being who invokes her, who calls her, who receives her Son in their heart, who lives with their family in peace and in harmony, and tries – although there are concerns and anguishes – to give serenity, love to the family, dreams, even though it is in small things.
I already said this, it is not about the big things you do, the great deeds – of course, deeds have to be done because they are very beautiful – but, it is all about the divine gifts of love that she offers us which have to be taken and offered to those who need them with much humility, with much love and above all with a great desire of growing spiritually.
Our growth must be daily; our longings of spiritual mastery must be intense, yes, because if we overcome all the small things of daily life we will be able to give the best we have, the capacity with which He teaches everyday in which Mary pleases herself in making us the small children of her Heart.
She speaks to us as follows: “My small children.” She doesn’t say: “My great child.” No: “My small ones.” As if she had her Divine Son in her motherly bosom. This is the way Mary loves us. It seems like a fantasy, but it is a truth everywhere in the world. This is why she is appearing, she continues appearing, because she is calling the world to rectify, to recognize what her Divine Son is about. He is the Son of God. He is the greatest thing. No one will ever replace him. No one can carry on their shoulders the weight of humanity; being the Son of God He bears that weight on his shoulders.
In these times, from the year 2000 on, the peace of the world has to begin, unity, fraternity. It is not to say: “You are from this religion, I cannot stand you, you are this.” No, no one! Because when you were born your parents were Hebrews, they were Jewish, they belonged to a religion and they raised you as such, as we who love our religion were raised. I would surrender my life. I do not mind giving my life for my Church, my faith. So we have to be very understanding, asking God to enlighten us, because Christ is the truth and until everyone recognizes him we will not attain peace in the world; we will live in constant warfare.
We have to have an exact awareness of our duties in life, of what we have to do. We must not be forced to go with the tide: Because these are like this . . . this is going on there. Oh, no, no! People can come against us, but we as Catholics cannot.
Do you not see how the Holy Father is going from one place to another pouring his blessing and graces? He was wounded. People have tried to kill him. He has undergone so many things, and he has remained humble. This is what touches my heart: his humility, his simplicity. This is great! We have something very beautiful in history for the future. He is surrendering and giving of himself. He can barely stand the pain, because he is undergoing something that is horrible. What he has is still not right, but he moves forward. This is what moves me. It has to be the work of God; God cannot give such energy to someone who does not deserve it. He deserves it.
So, let us observe this living example. There are small weaknesses in some people, some men make mistakes, but we are not exempt from making mistakes so we must forgive, and help, especially our priests, we must help them with humility and try to understand them, because their life is different from ours, they have to surrender to our Lord and this is difficult, because He is strong. It is not that easy.
We must trust Mary, trust the Mother so she may lead us; help us to truly think what is true in all these things, because we are seeking the truth. Where is the truth? Because they said this, so-and-so said this other thing . . . some say the world will come to an end, that war is coming, bu-bu-bu. Oh, my God, poor things! It concerns me because tragedy . . . No! We’re up to here with tragedies, wars, death, strange things, no, no, this cannot continue.
We have drugs that are horrible that are destroying so many people, so many young ones. Have you seen how people are doing? The life they are leading? There are people who lead a double life, and they appear before you with a very pretty face, and it turns out to be that inside . . . . Lord, this scares me.
So, we have to be very honest with ourselves and reprimand ourselves. It should not be that I make a mistake and then believe I am a very holy person, no sir. Reprimand yourself. You are responsible for your actions. You have to try to improve your inner life. No one can help you, only yourself . . . listen to good advice, but you are the one who has to try to improve, to feel that you can lift your eyes to heaven and look at it with a clean face, that nothing can stop you, that you do not have to feel ashamed, that your life has not suffered alteration due to so many things.
Forgiveness and mercy is what you receive from God if you repent, if you wish to live a life in harmony with the Mother Church.
We especially have to care for – I spoke of this last night – our families, families must be recovered. Families are much divided. There are some members that cannot see each other, who do not understand each other, the children are rebellious. Sometimes mothers abandon their children, sometimes fathers do.
There is much trouble in the world, many problems. Responsibility does not exist, and we have to be responsible and mindful.
Our message should be about love and reconciliation, because we have to reconcile. As long as there is no reconciliation we will live in war in the world, we will go around saying: You said this to me, and I will answer this back to you.
So, then, I truly hope that this community becomes a community of hope, dreams, joy. It should not be that you are the community called . . . Who told you that was right? Be joyful. It is your community, it is where you speak, where you talk with your friends, with your loved ones, where you meet to pray, to discern the holy rosary, where Holy Mass is celebrated with your brothers, where you talk about your problems, you speak about yourself. So, then, we must unite as the waves of the sea do.
. . . what people want is to know about their future, to hear someone telling them about their personal things. Well, it’s a human thing, but is should not be. Formation is what interests me, is to form people for that Mother Church of which we are servants.
Not only the priests are the ones who have the right, right now all the laity have the right. It is the hour of the laity in the world – you must know this – of getting up as a soldier serving the Church, the religious communities of where we live, of the towns where we live; of working, giving of ourselves, and talking. You must know this, because sometimes people belong to a group, but they do not know each other, they keep a distance, they barely speak to each other.
Well, then, I truly invite you to come to Betania to do the spiritual exercises. They are beautiful because everyone talks about their experience, their things. It is very beautiful. Well, God gives the souls the inspiration; that we must not doubt. It is controlled from up above. You can see each person’s spark. It is very beautiful.
The one they were talking about, oh, it was one of the most beautiful we have had. Five priests went, and fifty five people; we were sixty in all. They were so happy when they left. Oh, my God, such joy! Yes, because over there it is something else. Right now it is something . . . but over there it is very beautiful, it is very beautiful to feel the Lord and his Mother in the environment. You come to know they are there with a breeze that is very . . . Oh, how beautiful! And the smells, the soft kind of fragrances. Oh, my God, it is precious, it is very beautiful!
So, I hope and trust that this Marian center truly may come to live the Gospels and may hold hands among yourselves, bear each other, love each other, care for each other, and help each other. “Brother, what do you need, what’s wrong? Because sometimes you need to be asked: “What’s wrong?” Because sometimes people are all alone and have no one to talk to. It is not that you will speak about your problem out loud, no; but you should have someone who can understand you, a person who has the proper understanding, and the Holy Spirit will give the person the exact words that are required. We all have to invoke the gift of counsel, the gift of understanding to truly understand what God wants from us and where He wants us to be; that of piety, constant prayer. There is no rest.
I love all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all of them, but I say that the gift of understanding is for you to comprehend. If you have an understanding you grasp things without hearing them explicitly. If you have the gift of good counsel, you have it all. If you have pity, you have the spirit of prayer. Well, wisdom is very beautiful; science is a beauty; but the gift of fortitude to strengthen our souls. All of them are beautiful, but I choose the gift of understanding, of piety which is that of prayer, and of good counsel, because you then can have them there when you need them. When you need advice it comes. Pity, the spirit of prayer, constant prayer without rest, you rest for a while and meditate. Meditation is necessary.
I would like to tell you something: It is the time of the awakening of consciousness, it is the hour of preaching, it is truly the time to live in harmony with the Mother Church, is the hour of Christ. You are going to see this very soon, sooner than later, because we will need many teams of holy souls, souls that are given to prayer, penance, the Eucharist. So we have to think a lot about this, we will be in the need of this very soon, perhaps, because of something that is very good.
I am nothing, a woman as any of you, but time and life have taught me that we must stand firm as the soldiers, because you do not know when God will need you to act. He asks us for things and we need to know what He wants. It cannot be that I like this. I would have liked to be at ease, but it is not about that, if I would have liked to live a less hectic life: one thing after the other, thousands of things. Imagine, I have seven children, seven in-sons, seventeen grandchildren and another one who will be born this week in Caracas . . . eighteen, a big family.
There is not time for anything and you have to have time for everything. Now I am traveling because the Virgin has asked me: “Go, my daughter, you have to go, spread the message of this Mother. It is the time of reconciliation; it is the supreme moment in which God, our Heavenly Father, his Divine Son and the Holy Spirit are in every community of the world, with all the People of God, in every Marian center, They are everywhere entering the hearts in order to conduct all their children.”
So, the priest you have here has been appointed from above.
We all have needs – changing the subject. Let us surrender these necessities to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I gave her my heart when I was young and on August 22, celebrating the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I had a great experience. Pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I love all her titles, but the Heart of Mary is so sweet, so soft, so tender and generous that there are not enough words to truly proclaim her divine protection, because she is present in all the hearts of the mothers, she is in the hearts of the children, of men; she is in every heart.
I wish she would touch the hearts of the rebels, the most rebellious, those who do not have a belief, and of those who resist the grace, especially today.
Currently you are growing and will continue to grow – not because of my visit, I was not expecting . . . because of the visit of my Mother who has come to look for you with the humility of the Mother who loves everyone who is surrounding her, her legs, her knees. She wishes to run her hand through your hair, down your shoulders to relieve your pain, to sweeten the hearts, so they may become tender and merciful with your brothers, so all may unite in the Body of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, because she leads them: “I give them to you. Here they are for my Father; the Holy Spirit is at work.”
Now, then, for the sick, for those who are thinking of something they want to achieve, something that has not yet been achieved. For those who have something in their heart: pain, a severe illness. For those who are fighting with their studies, so the Holy Spirit may enlighten them. For the elderly who are sick and have problems with their legs; someone in mind. For those who have to solve a problem and do not know how to solve it, may it be solved and may you see the light, may you obtain the divine knowledge to act with certainty in regard to what you have to do . . . the best option for your spiritual, material conflicts, in short, for everyone. For whoever wants to fulfill himself serving God, may you fulfill yourself, may you find a generous hand to help you. For the mothers who are under pressure at home either because of the children, of this, of the husband who has a temper, may you bear that cross, because it is a cross when the man’s character is strong. For those who are alone, for whom joy has not arrived yet, who have not yet reached the incentive of finding the Blessed Virgin, may you find your happiness. This goes for everyone. For someone who is in trouble, in regard to their house, not knowing what to do, may everything go well at work. For anyone who is sick, may he or she be healed and if it is your mother or father may they be relieved.
In short, may your souls feel free as the soul of an innocent child who only wishes to do the will of He who created him, and be able to live with the Church, the Gospels, the Eucharist by receiving it, and spreading the Word to his brothers. May you all receive, everyone, everyone, everyone receive.
Your homes will be cleansed, the places where you work, your ideas will be clear with the gift of understanding to understand what God wants of us, how we should behave, how we should live, what is the most important thing for our souls, for everyone. Fill yourselves with strength and joy of the innocent child; and I say, the joy of the innocent child, because it is the most beautiful thing that exists, the innocent children who do not know about pain, or sorrow, or grief, or illness. They are just the way they are.
Now, let us thank God.
I am nothing, but the Lord loves us very much and leads us by the hand so we may receive the graces of the Holy Spirit, and He in the Eucharist feeds us in this very moment, fills us with strength and with the virtues of faith, life-giving faith; with hope, the dream of our daily living; and, with charity, love that sublimates it all because love is a dream in the Heart of Jesus of his children.
“In the Name of my Father, I bless you, my children.
In the name of my Mother, I heal your body and soul,
and I keep you here in my Heart, I shall keep you, keep you, keep you,
I shall keep you here in my Heart from today on and forever.”
May peace be with you, and may the light of the Holy Spirit enlighten your souls. You are in peace and in harmony with the whole world.
May the peace of the Lord be with all of you, and may any negative power be cast away to give way to light. May God bless you.
The sick will be healed, perhaps not today, but in time they will be cured. Those who feel they have a concern it will be as if everything passes softly. God’s love is gentle, the love of God is the greatest thing, the gentleness of Jesus is immense, and Mary, our Mother, brings back peace and generosity.
May God bless you.
- Oh Mary conceived without sin.
Glory be to God at this very moment.
Be happy.
(The Venezuelan group sings: Ave Maria of Finca Betania.)
. . . and his loyalty is immense, as if he were saying: “Here I am, children, here I am. I am touching your hearts. I ask you: Live the Gospels, be humble, very humble, simple and more than anything else, have an open heart to the grace. The heart must be modeled. Unite your forces all together so the vineyard may grow, and you may serve one another as one forever. ”
May God bless you.
(Mrs. Maria Esperanza received a present on behalf of the Marian Center.)
May God bless you and may God give you the strength to continue working and spreading the Word of God, because now we, the entire People of God, need to prepare, we truly need for all Marian centers to be reconstituted with the nourishment of Holy Communion. This is our weapon; it is our life because it is the Body of Jesus Christ; it is his life that is most important thing: his love, his charism, the charism of the Holy Spirit so we may act righteously.
May God keep you all.
