“And
now, tell the Lord that you are here to listen, that you want Him to
speak to your heart today.”
Once
again I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to hear His Word. And
I asked Him for forgiveness for having had such a hard heart for so many
years, and for having taught my children that they had to go to Mass on
Sundays because it is commanded by the Church, and not for love and the
need to be filled with God.
I had attended so many Eucharistic Celebrations mostly out of obligation
and, because of this, I believed I was saved. But I did not live it and,
much less, did I pay attention to the readings or to the priest's
homily!
How much pain I felt for so many years of needless loss because of my
ignorance! How
superficial is our attendance at the Mass when we go only because
someone is getting married, or for a funeral Mass, or because we have to
be seen by society! How much ignorance about our Church and the
Sacraments! How
much waste in trying to instruct and enlighten ourselves about the
things of the world, which in a moment can disappear, leaving us with
nothing and, at the end of our life, not serve to extend a minute to our
existence! However,
we know nothing of that which will give us a little of heaven on earth
and, afterwards, eternal life. And we call ourselves cultured men and
women!
A moment later the Offertory
arrived, and the Holy Virgin said: “Pray
like this: (and I repeated after Her) Lord,
I offer all that I am, all that I have, all that I can. I put everything
into Your Hands. Build it up, Lord, with the little thing that I am. By
the merits of Your Son, transform me, God Almighty. I petition You for
my family, for my benefactors, for each member of our Apostolate, for
all the people who fight against us, for those who commend themselves to
my poor prayers. Teach me to lay down my heart as if on the ground
before them so that their walk may be less severe. This is how the
saints prayed; this is how I want all of you to do it.”
Thus,
this is how Jesus asks us to pray, that we put our hearts as if on the
ground so that they do not feel its severity, but rather that we
alleviate the pain of their steps.
Suddenly some characters, whom I had not seen before, began to stand up.
It was as if from the side of each person present in the Cathedral,
another person emerged, and soon the Cathedral became full of young,
beautiful people. They were dressed in very white robes, and they
started to move into the central aisle and, then, went towards the
Altar.
Our Mother said:
“Observe.
They are the Guardian Angels of each one of the persons who are here.
This is the moment in which your guardian angel carries your offerings
and petitions before the Altar of the Lord.”
At that moment, I was completely astonished, because these beings had
such beautiful faces, so radiant as one is unable to imagine. Their
countenance was very beautiful with almost feminine faces; however, the
structure of their body, their hands, their height were masculine. Their
naked feet did not touch the floor, but rather they went as if gliding.
That procession was very beautiful.
Some of them were carrying something like a golden bowl with something
that shone a great deal with a golden-white light. The Virgin Mary said:
“They are the
Guardian Angels of the people who are offering this Holy Mass for many
intentions, those who are conscious of what this celebration means. They
have something to offer the Lord.”
“Offer
yourselves at this moment; offer your sorrows, your pains, your hopes,
your sadness, your joys, your petitions. Remember that the Mass has
infinite value. Therefore, be generous in offering and in asking.”
Behind the first Angels came others who had nothing in their hands; they
were coming empty handed. The Virgin Mary said: “Those are the angels of
the people who are here but never offer anything. They have no interest
in living each liturgical moment of the Mass, and they have no gifts to
carry before the Altar of the Lord.”
At
the end of the procession came other angels who were rather sad, with
their hands joined in prayer but with their eyes downcast.
“These
are the Guardian Angels of the people who are here, but do not want to
be, that is to say, of the people who have been forced to come here, who
have come out of obligation, but without any desire to participate in
the Holy Mass. The angels go forth sadly because they have nothing to
carry to the
Altar, except for their own prayers.”
“Do
not sadden your Guardian Angel.
Ask for much, ask for the conversion of sinners, for peace in the
world, for your families, your neighbors, for those who ask for your
prayers. Ask, ask for much, but not only for yourselves, but for
everyone else.