BLESSING OF
AT PRADO NUEVO OF EL ESCORIAL (MADRID)
OUR LADY:
Raise all your objects; all will be blessed
for the sick…
I bless you, my children, as the Father
blesses you, through the Son and with the Holy Spirit.
"My child, my
child, my Heart is sad because men are ungrateful and cruel; they take
advantage of my mercy and they have turned the world into a stage of crimes and
pleasures, my child. I spread my mercy everywhere but they- ungrateful- don't
want to save their souls" (Our Lady)
Humankind
is so ungrateful! We offend God ungratefully and cruelly with every kind of
sins in return for so much mercy! Our Lord always forgives us, and what do we
do in return? "They have turned the
world into a stage of crimes and pleasures", God's Mother says, "Mother
of piety, love and mercy" as we say at the end of every mystery of the Rosary.
As
well as the Divine Mercy's spirituality, Prado Nuevo's messages talk about this
precious divine attribute; "the
greatest of the attributes and perfections of God"[1],
John Paul II said in his Apostolic Letter Dives in Misericordia; dealing
with this message and the wrong views about mercy and justice, he also said "However, such opinions about mercy fail
to see the fundamental link between mercy and justice spoken of by the whole
biblical tradition, and above all by the messianic mission of Jesus Christ.
True mercy is, so to speak, the most profound source of justice"[2].
The
Pope finishes his Letter invoking the Mother of God, also Mother of Mercy: "We
pray for this through the intercession of Her who does not cease to proclaim mercy...from
generation to generation," and also through the intercession of those for
whom there have been completely fulfilled the words of the Sermon on the Mount:
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."[3].
After
reading these words, we understand much better what The Lord said on April 6th
1996: "I say, my children: repent
and convert, these times are grave and men have not understood God's justice
because they only think of his mercy, my children. I will use my justice with
the unjust and my mercy with the just".
"I have appeared in lots of places in
the world but my Church representatives make my name disappear, my child. They
are so ungrateful, my child! I manifest myself to warn all Humankind because I
want them to save their souls. My child, what are they doing? My child, what
are they doing to my Church? They want to make my name disappear everywhere I
manifest myself because they don't believe in my existence, my child" (Our
Lady)
With
the words "I have appeared in lots
of places in the world", She mentions other apparitions in different
places of the earth at that time, and She also says, "They want to make my name disappear everywhere I manifest myself";
consequently, we may doubt whether Our Lady is really appearing. The Sacred
Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith wrote a document (February 25th 1978)
upon this subject which sets the points of reference; taking them into account,
as well as what the eminent theologian René Laurentin says in his book Apariciones
Actuales de
1-
Enough information: currently, there
are technical means to collect information: audio and video recordings,
transcription of messages, interviews, etc
2-
Orthodoxy: do these apparitions
follow the faith and good customs? A significant mistake on these aspects would
leave them aside ("every kingdom that is divided by civil war will fall
apart" Mt 12, 25; Mk 3, 24)
3-
Transparency: do apparitions and
people who claim to see Our Lady and Our Lord talk about Jesus Christ, the
Gospel, the service of God and men, faith, happiness and peace? Or do they talk
about themselves, the peculiarities of their options and views, their
inspirations, the extravagance of their rites?
4-
Significant signs of God's presence.
In other words, the fruits: healings, conversions, miracles (for example, the
dance of the sun at
5-
Discernment of experts: doctors,
psychiatrists, etc who study their health and pathology, especially when the
ecstasy occurs.
This
last point is being discussed because it cannot be applied in a rationalist way
as some theologians have done; some of them have thought, of the ecstasy as
pathological phenomena withouth the supernatural intervention.
6-
Attitude of the ecclesiastic authority:
for or against the phenomena?
Although
the Church do not use its infallibility when expressing its views, its
qualified judgment is really important. It is essential when referring to the
orthodoxy of the doctrine; even the bishop can approve the cult officially.
To
conclude, the apparitions at Prado Nuevo and Luz Amparo (we consider her as a
chosen soul and an authentic instrument in God's hands). René Laurentine writes
about this case in his book in a very positive way; besides, he also talks
about it in an article in Chrétiens Magazine for the 25th anniversary of the
apparitions of El Escorial.