BLESSING
OF OCTOBER 4TH, 2003. FIRST SATURDAY OF MONTH.
AT
PRADO NUEVO DE EL ESCORIAL (MADRID)
OUR LADY:
Raise all your objects; all will be blessed with special blessings for dying people.
I bless you, my children, as the Father blesses you, through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.
COMMENTARY UPON MESSAGES
November 25th, 1981
While she was working, Luz Amparo – in ecstasy- suffered Christ’s Passion and He spoke these words we are commenting on. Firstly, He explains her what happened the day before, during the Rosary at Prado Nuevo, when she also suffered the Passion’s pains, with sores but without blood.
" My daughter, you know what I did to you yesterday. Do not think it was a proof, it was not a proof; it was as if you had endured the Passion. What will happen from now on is that you will suffer those pains, I will suffer them too, but I will shed My Blood to strengthen you and to purify you with that Blood of Mine, my daughter". Besides, He assures her his love and his Mother’s despite being proved in many different ways and sorrows: "My daughter, be strong, do not think that My Mother and I do not love you, you are always in Our Heart". Indeed, the Lord treats his preferred souls this way: he gives them the mysterious privilege of being crucified with Him, which is a certain sign of his love, although we do not understand it. Even with joy, chosen souls accept it when they are close to God.
Once, Saint Theresa of Jesus facing a new other adversity exclaimed: " Lord, that would be the last straw!" The answer was: " I treat my friends this way". The saint doctor added with spontaneity and wit: " Now I understand why you have only a few!
"My daughter, search for humiliation; this is what I mainly entrust you many times. Search for your simplicity; only this can save you from the demon’s cunnings. My daughter, be humble and simple". These words of the Lord demand a lot, but they are necessary for those who search for evangelic perfection; they refer to humbleness and simplicity, both virtues are joined and essential get to sanctity, they are also an antidote to the demon’s cunnings just because they are opposed to the evil’s usual style, full of pride, deceitfulness, lie and darkness. " You belong to your father the devil – Saint John writes in his gospel- and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies" (Jn 8,44)
Then, Our Lady explains something to Luz Amparo’s "spiritual father"; in the last part, She complains about those priests who do not live according to their vocation " Maybe, sometimes the Body of my Beloved Jesus is not consecrated because the priest, with his hands dirtied by sin, have lost their faith in my Most-Beloved Child and he does not have the intention to consecrate"
What can we say about this? Regarding the Church’s doctrine, it is true that a minister, as priest and representative of Jesus Christ, is obliged in conscience to appropriately provide people with the sacraments, that is to say, in a state of grace. Leaving apart differences between the priesthood of the New Testament and that of the Old one, some quotations from the Scripture referring to the last one support this idea: " The priests, too, who approach the Lord must sanctify themselves; else he will vent his anger upon them" (Ex19, 22). "The priests (…) to their God they shall be sacred and not profane his name" (Lv21, 5-6). If he lets the Holy Ghost inspire him, how much good a virtuous priest can do to men’s hearts! On the contrary, if he is not faithful to his priestly pledges, how much harm a minister can do to souls!
Therefore, administering sacraments in a state of mortal sin is a sacrilege. "What is saint – we will not stop repeating it- must be treated with sanctity and respect"1. However, the effectiveness of sacraments does not depend on the state of grace of a minister because Christ is the primary minister of their administration; in other words, the priest does it in virtue of Jesus Christ and- consequently, the effectiveness of sacraments does not depend on the moral situation of the person who performs them. Moreover, the Church says to those who do not agree with this statement: " If someone says that a minister in mortal sin – by only accomplishing all the essential things to do or place the sacrament - does not perform the sacrament, it is anathema"2.
With respect to "the intention to consecrate" mentioned by Our Lady, the ecclesial doctrine also teaches it is necessary that the minister performs appropriately all the sacramental signs; moreover, he must have the intention to do- at least- what the Church does3. For this reason, there will not be any consecration if the priest has no intention to consecrate.
Let us pray daily for consecrated souls, especially for priests, so that they resemble more and more Jesus’ Priestly Heart, their master and model. To finish with, Our Lady proposes this prayer: " My Jesus, for your most loving Heart, I beg you that you inflame with zeal for you love and your glory all the priests of the world, all missionaries and all the people in charge of preaching your Word so that, burnt in holy zeal, they conquer souls and guide them to Your heart’s home, where they glorify you unceasingly".