The language of the messages to visionary Amparo Cuevas in El Escorial, Spain
is very simple and direct. After all, the
visionary is a simple, formally uneducated person. Certain phrases or
sentences are repeated more to stress a point or a theme. As Our Lord
pointed out to another visionary in this country, "I am not bound by the
rules of grammar." What is important is that He touches souls so that they
repent and change their lives.
The length of the message varies. A very small number limit themselves to
two to three paragraphs. In a couple of instances, the Blessed Mother simply comes
to emphasize her request for sacrifice, penance and prayer, gives her
blessing, and disappears. Normally, however, the English translation of
the messages results in from two to seven pages. There are some ten or
twelve messages that contained between nine and twelve pages of
translation. The difference lies in the fact that in the apparitions which
reflected these messages, Amparo was asked to narrate what she saw.
Usually, the speakers in the apparitions are our Blessed Mother and the
visionary Amparo. In a number of the messages, however, Jesus appeared
after His Mother had spoken, and at the end of the messages, Jesus blessed
the multitude, and His Mother blesses the multitude. There are no other
speakers.
Because of the complexity, repetition of themes and variety of topics
presented in the messages to Amparo during the past 18 years, it is
somewhat difficult to categorize or classify the messages. Therefore, this
writer has chosen the messages. Therefore, this writer has chosen a rather
arbitrary way of classification. The four classes are: (1) Messages of
General Concern; (2) Messages containing visions; (3) Messages presenting
episodes with insights into the Life of Jesus and His Blessed Mother; and
(4) Messages which explain a Theme.
The Messages of General Concern are those in which the Blessed Mother requests sacrifice, penance
and prayer for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls. She
encourages all her children to recite her "favorite prayer" the Holy
Rosary. She advises everyone to pray the rosary daily and not to go to bed
without reciting it. Our Lady asks Amparo and those in attendance to
recite all fifteen decades of the rosary, if possible, every day as she
asks at Medjugorje. When Our Lord appears, He too emphasizes the
recitation of the rosary as "My Mother's favorite prayer." (Editor's note:
The Rosary is the Blessed Mother's "favorite prayer" outside of the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass).
Consecrated souls are a popular topic with both Our Lord and Our Lady.
Both are critical of the behavior of those consecrated souls who are
leading the faithful into the abyss. Jesus accuses them of having
abandoned their clerical responsibilities and of having given in to
material things and to the pleasures of the world. He condemns the
relaxation in religious discipline and calls for prayer and sacrifice to
bring them back into their rightful role as shepherds of the flock of
Christ, very of Christ, very similar to the messages of LaSalette over a
century and a half ago. This theme has appeared many times and in at least
two messages, they devote almost an entire message to a discussion of it.
Satan and his work of destruction are another theme, which appears with
great frequency. Our Blessed Mother warns against the power of satan as
the great deceiver who causes division and disunity, chaos, confusion, and
destruction of families. Concerned over the infiltration of satan into the
Church, she asks for much prayer and sacrifice to thwart his efforts in
destroying it. Our Lady requests prayers said with the heart for "the
Vicar of her Son." She stated in one apparition: "How my heart loves Him!"
Satan also uses his power to destroy the youth and lead them to hell. The
Blessed Virgin admonishes young people to stay away from discotheques and
other places of sin and observes that many youth are going to hell because
of sins of impurity. To bring the youth back to God and
to fight the devil, she advises us to use the most powerful weapon: the
rosary. This is to be reinforced with penance and sacrifice.
Sacrifice is stated so many times in the messages that it reinforces what
our lives should be especially since we live in a culture which does not
promote sacrifice as something that is socially acceptable. Many times Our
Lady points out that her life was a life of sacrifice through constant
suffering from the moment she gave her Fiat to the day when God the Father
called her to her eternal reward. Even on that day, at age 73, the
visionary described her as being very frail.
Jesus also set Himself as a model of suffering and sacrifice. He reminds
us that He suffered His Passion, shed His sacred Blood, and died for us.
He further states that even in His glorified state He suffers continuously
because of the sins of mankind, particularly those of consecrated souls,
namely, those whom He has called to be His shepherds to tend His flock.
Both Jesus and Mary point out that many people think they do not suffer
because they are already in Heaven. Our Lord and Our Mother respond that
they continue to suffer because of the sins, which are, committed daily
against them. (Editor's note: Of course Jesus and His Mother cannot suffer
in Heaven, but they express their sorrow for sins in human terms so that we
might understand how offensive our actions, or lack thereof, are to the
Most Blessed Trinity). Our Savior emphasizes that God the Father is
merciful to those who repent and return to Him, but He is also just and His
justice is severe. Because of this justice, God the Father holds all of
His creatures accountable for their actions.
Next installment: Virtues and Devotions asked in the Messages .