THE AGE OF MARIAN APPARITIONS

INTRODUCTION
      Southwest of Lourdes in El Escorial, Spain north of Madrid is another lesser-known apparition site which began at shortly after the Betania apparitions had commenced and just prior to the Medjugorje apparitions. The parallels of El Escorial to Lourdes and Betania are astounding. Today we continue a multi-part series on these visions brought to you by Juan Gonzalez, a linguist and confidant of the visionary Amparo Cuevas. Juan has dedicated his life to translating many works and messages in five languages into English. He has over 2000 pages on the messages to Amparo and has translated many of noted French Mariologist Father Rene Laurentin's books on Medjugojre, Marian Apparitions and San Nicholas. The focus on El Escorial is spreading the need for Prayer, Penance and Sacrifice as Our Lady repeats over and over to her children, not only in Spain but throughout the world as we await the dawn of a new, glorious spiritual age promised by Jesus and His Blessed Mother

      No matter the age, Our Lady has been imparting the same message: "Pray! Pray! Pray!" It is only through constant prayer, taken as a bouquet in loving, motherly intercession before the Throne of God, that the hearts of mankind will eventually be softened and all her little ones brought into accord with the Will of God. This continuing in-depth series on the grace-filled mystical phenomena of Our Lady's appearances through the ages and the meaning of her messages will open eyes and hearts because she is the mother of us all and her words of wisdom and warnings must be taken seriously...very seriously!

"By their fruits you shall know them.".

      The courage and heroism displayed by Luz Amparo Cuevas on that May day in 1983 have won for her the admiration and support of thousands of people who travel to El Escorial for the apparition every first Saturday of the month. Ever since she was first called by Our Lord in November and the ensuing countless apparitions of the Blessed Mother during the past 17 plus years Amparo believes that her function and mission (her Plan of Life, if you will) is to help Jesus save souls through prayer, sacrifices and penance. This has been frequently confirmed in the messages which she receives from Our Blessed Mother and which are published monthly in Spanish and disseminated. She prays and suffers very much, and yet when one sits down to interview her, she communicates humility, simplicity, love, peace, and a deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother and to her Suffering Savior.

      Jesus has given her another mission - one which is designed to put the theoretical aspects of the commandment to love one's neighbor into actual practice. She has begun to care for one of the most abandoned most neglected groups in our society: the elderly. There in El Escorial Amparo has established a Home for the Elderly which provides living facilities for up to twenty of the poorest of the destitute senior citizens (some of whom can hardly walk), so that they can live the rest of their lives with honor, dignity and love. She has also established another Home for the Elderly in Soria with more in the planning. One of the beautiful aspects of this project is that everyone who works at these Homes, and who come from every walk in life have totally volunteered their time and talents.

      In carrying out her twofold mission, saving souls and providing Homes for the Elderly, Amparo Cuevas understands the full significance of Our Lady's request: "I ask you for prayer, penance and sacrifice."

      We have covered who the messenger is in these first four segments on the Visions in El Escorial, Spain. Next installment we will begin to cover the messages imparted to Amparo and how they relate to the whole world in Our Lady's universal request to pray, do penance and sacrifice.

Next installment: Characteristics of the Messages .