BLESSING OF APRIL 1^ST 2006. FIRST SATURDAY OF MONTH.

AT PRADO NUEVO OF EL ESCORIAL (MADRID)

OUR LADY:

Raise all your objects; all will be blessed for the union of families ...(1)

COMMEMTARY UPON MESSAGES

December 4^th   1982

“At these moments, my child, I’m making a very urgent appeal, my child. This appeal is for all God’s disciples; disciples of God Alive, King of kings in Heaven. I also appeal to all those who imitate Jesus Christ on earth, all those who live in poverty, humbleness, sacrifice and chastity, al those who have forgotten themselves and the world has forgotten. I also appeal to my true children, those who are devout of my Immaculate Heart and those who trust  me” (Our Lady)

Here, Our Lady makes an appeal to “all those who imitate Jesus Christ” and She sets out some of the virtues they have to practice: poverty, humbleness, sacrifice and chastity. Later, She  mentions them and others several times; On September 5^th 1987, in an emblematic message, She gives the rules – virtues- for those who want to be part of this Work:

“I want all those who want to belong to this Work to fulfil these rules, my children:

            Silence, obedience, humbleness, charity, purity of heart, spirit of poverty among you. Chastity is very important in this Work. I also want joy to reign among you.

            You mustn’t think, my children, you are better than the others; if you think you’re greater than the others, you have to become the smallest of all.

I want meekness in this Work. Off with pride and arrogance.

            This work must be spirit of humbleness; the proud and the arrogant can’t receive the grace.

            I want deep prayer.

I also want your mind on prayer, and work most of the day. Leisure is a danger for your souls”.

            Then She talks about the aims of this appeal: “I want you, my children, to go out to carry the light everywhere on earth, that light of faith, my children. These are the apostles of the last times (…). Don’t feel ashamed, my children, of preaching God’s Word in every corner of the earth (…). Go out, my children, go out and spread the light and prayer; this prayer is the Holy Rosary”

            Some messages refer to the apostles of the last times. Saint Louis Maria Grignion de Monfort, a great Marian apostle, talks about them in several points of his Treaty on True Devotion for the Blessed Virgin (nn.55-59), a work read by John Paul II in his youth, which produced authentic spiritual fruits in him. He said to André Frossard in Don’t be Afraid,  interview published in 1982 (2): “reading this book was a decisive turning in my life”. In his booklet – which you should read, Saint Louis Maria gives the features of those apostles (3): “they will carry the gold of love in their hearts, the incense of prayer n their spirit, and the myrrh of sacrifice. Everywhere they will be the good fragrance of Jesus Christ for the poor and simple (…). They will be the thundering and flying clouds in the sky at the least blow of the Holy Ghost. They will not be attached to anything, they will not be afraid of anything, they will not be uneasy about anything, they will make the rain of God’s Word and the everlasting life fall down; they will thunder against the demon and his henchmen (…). They will be the authentic apostles of the last times. The Lord of the Armies will give them the necessary word and the strength to make marvels” (nn.56-58)

            The end of times, the end of ends has come, my children; hasten to save souls, my children; pray for consecrated souls” (Our Lady)

            The stage characterized by general commotion and tribulation is called in  Prado Nuevo’s messages “ last times”, “the end of times”, “ the end of ends”, etc. These are different to the end of the world; indeed, Our Lady made a distinction between both terms on  May 20^th 1984, when She talked about a great danger threatening Humankind and atomic devices, and She said, “several nations will be destroyed”; however, She adds, “ they will not destroy all the world till the end of the world, my child…”

Therefore, the purification of the world or Trial of Nations is not the Last Judgment, which will happen at the end of the world. It is not easy to distinguish both concepts; the Sacred Scripture talks about the “day of Yahweh” and the conversion that will occur “at the end of times” (cf. Is 2, 2; Jr 30, 24; Ez 38, 16; Ho 3, 5; Mi 4, 1).

The Book of Daniel does not mention “the day of Yahweh” but “the time of the end” (Dn 8, 17), when the wrath comes to an end, for the end is set” (Dn 8, 19); when this time of the end happens, there will be anguish everywhere, more than ever

            The Book of Isaiah (6, 11-12) says, “Then I said, For how long, O Lord? And He answered, “Until towns have been laid waste and left without inhabitant; until the houses are deserted and the fields ruined and ravaged, until Yahweh has sent away the people and the fields are left deserted”

            From some biblical passages it is inferred that there will be a trial of nations ( Is 4, 3; 6, 12-13; 24, 6; Zec 13, 8-9). If a number of inhabitants who live in sanctity are left after this trial that will come aT the last times or the end of times, it is obvious that the end of times is not the end of the world, as the prophecy of Zephaniah says, “I have wiped out the nations, demolished their watchtowers, their streets abandoned, and no one walks in them; their cities have been levelled, and no one lives there (…). Therefore, wait for me says Yahweh, for the day when I come to accuse, when I have the nations gathered and the kingdoms assembled to vent my wrath on you with all the fury of my anger. Then the fire of my jealous wrath will burn the whole land. At that time I will give truthful lips to the pagan nations that all of them may call on the name of Yahweh and serve him with the same zeal (…) I will leave within you  poor and meek people who seek refuge in God. The remnant of Israel will not act unjustly nor will deceitful words be found in their mouths. They will eat and rest with none to threaten them” (3, 6. 8-9. 12-13)

         When will the end of times come? Only God knows; However we can analyze from a Christian point of view the signs to get to a discernment as Our Lord asks us to do in the Gospel, “When evening comes, you say: “It will be a good day for the sky is red” And the morning you say: “Stormy weather you say, for the sky in the east is red” If you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, why can’t you interpret the signs of times?” ( Mt 16, 2-3; lk 12, 56)

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