On the eighth of September I went to the place of the apparitions in hope of the
appointment which had not been fulfilled for me in August. I again went
accompanied by many persons; there were also some children. We were praying the
Rosary, and as soon as we finished I saw a lightning-flash. Only the light from
it was seen. It was clear; there was no sign of rain. I thought and said:
"The Lady is about to arrive!" Another sign was the great interior joy
when I am about to see her. I then saw a second flash of lightning -- which is
always the one in which to see her --and I saw her over a cloud. The cloud was
over the Morisco tree that was already without leaves -- the people of Cuapa had
been taking them little by little -- the little tree, planted in midst of the
(?) and of the (Dormilona?) thorns looked dried up; because the Morisco tree is
brown in color and having been left without leaves, looked more as if it was
dried up. But no, it was not dry; if one scratched the bark which is thin, it
was green inside. In this manner, over all of this, was the Virgin Mary. I saw
her as a child. Beautiful! But little! She was dressed in a pale cream colored
tunic. She did not have a veil, nor a crown, nor a mantle. No adornment, nor
embroidery. The dress was long, with long sleeves, and it was girdled with a
pink cord. Her hair fell to her shoulders and it was brown in color. The eyes,
also, although much lighter, almost the color of honey. All of her radiated
light. She looked like the Lady, but she was a child.
I was looking at her amazed without saying a word, and then I heard her voice as
that of a child ... a child of seven ... eight ... years. In an extremely sweet
voice she gave the message; totally identical. At the finish, I thought that
since she was a child it would be easier for her to allow herself to be seen by
the others accompanying me. That was my effort. I said to myself: "The
others also should see her!" I then told her: "Let yourself be seen so
that all the world will believe. These people who are here want to met
you." The people could hear me, but could not hear her. I talked with her a
great deal trying to entice her to allow herself to be seen, but after listening
to me she said:
"No. It is enough for you to give them the message because for the one who
is going to believe that will be enough, and the one who is not going to believe
though he should see me is not going to believe."
These words of hers have been fulfilled. I can now see the unbelief or the faith
of a person. Individuals have come who are not looking to see any sign; the
message is sufficient for them, they receive it. Some have great needs ... they
do not ask for a miracle, they do not ask for cures, they prefer to trust in the
Lord. There are others who through the signs have come to believe. I knew a man,
who filled with joy, told me: "Bernardo, I now do believe the Virgin
appeared. You are fortunate! I also am seeing her!" And he indicated the
place. It was in the old chapel, where the altar was before. A few feet away
there was another man who, at seeing me pass nearby, told me full of
indifference: "It is true that it is there. But this is nothing more than
beings from other planets. They are (?)"
This occurred on the 7th of May, 1981, the eve of the first anniversary of the
first apparition.
I then no longer insisted that she allow herself to be seen, but rather talked
to her about the church that the people wanted to build in her honor. Father
Domingo told us that this was a decision he could not make, and that we should
tell it to the Holy Virgin. That is why I presented this question to her.
Because a man from Matagalpa had already given us C$80.00 cordobas to this end.
She answered me saying:
"No. The Lord does not want material churches. He wants living temples
which are yourselves.
"Restore the sacred temple of the Lord. In you is the gratification for the
Lord."
And she continued, saying:
"Love each other. Love one another. Forgive each other. Make peace. Don't
first ask for it. Make peace!"
I asked her what I should do with the C$80.00 cordobas that I had on my hands. I
was wondering if I should return them. She told me to donate them for the
construction of the chapel in Cuapa. And added:
"From this day on do not accept even one cent for anything."
Afterwards she told me not to say "church" to material things because
the church and the temples (are) ourselves; that those with chapels are houses
of prayer. At times, out of habit I make a mistake and say "church"
instead of "chapel."
At this moment, a doubt that I had came to mind. I had thought of asking her as
to this doubt because I did not know whether or not to continue in the
catechumenate. I did it to see what she would advise me. She told me:
"No. Don't leave. Always continue firmly in the catechumenate. Little by
little you will comprehend all that the catechumenate signifies. As a community
group meditate on the Beatitudes, away from all the noise."
Later she added:
I am not going to return on the 8th of October, but on the 13th."
Then the cloud elevated her. As in the other times ... when I had seen her.
THE FIFTH VISION
October 8th [The Place of the Blessing]
I, at seeing the Lady there with her arms extended, said to the people:
"Look at her! There she is!"
No one answered anything. I then told the Lady to let herself be seen, that all
the people present wanted to see her. She said:
"No. Not everyone can see me."
I again said to the people:
"Our Lady is at the pile of rocks over the flowers."
I could hear some of the people crying. I could hear sobbing. A lady whose name
is Mildred told me: "I can see only a shadow, like a statue, over the
flowers." I again insisted to the Lady that she allow herself to be seen
and she again told me no. I then again told the people:
Look at the flowers over the rocks."
I then told the Lady:
Lady, let them see you so that they will believe! Because many don't believe.
They tell me that it is the devil that appears to me. And that the Virgin is
dead and turned to dust like any mortal. Let them see you, Our Lady!"
She did not answer anything. She raised her hands to her breast in a similar
position to the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows -- the statue that is carried in
procession during Holy Week -- and the same as that statue her face turned pale,
her mantle changed to a gray color, her face became sad, and she cried. I cried
too. I trembled to see her like that. I said to her:
"Lady, forgive me for what I have said to you! I'm to blame! You are angry
with me. Forgive me! Forgive me!"
She then answered me saying:
"I am not angry nor will I get angry."
I asked her: "And why are you crying? I see you crying."
She told me:
"It saddens me to see the hardness of those persons' hearts. But you will
have to pray for them so that they will change."
I could not speak. I continued to cry. I felt that my heart was being crushed. I
felt very sad as if I were going to die from the pain right there. My only
relief was through crying. I no longer continued insisting that she let herself
be seen. I felt that I was to blame for having said this to her. I could not
endure seeing her cry. As I continued to cry, she gave me the message:
Pray the Rosary, meditate on the mysteries.
Listen to the Word of God spoken in them.
Love one another. Love each other.
Forgive each other.
Make peace. Don't ask for peace without making peace; because if you don't make
it, it does no good to ask for it.
Fulfill your obligations.
Put into practice the Word of God.
Seek ways to please God.
Serve your neighbor as that way you will please Him."
When she had finished giving her message, I remembered the requests from the
people of Cuapa. I said to her:
Lady, I have many requests, but I have forgotten them. There are a great many.
You, Lady, know them all."
Then she said to me:
"They ask of me things that are unimportant. Ask for faith in order to have
the strength so that each can carry his own cross. The sufferings of this world
cannot be removed. Sufferings are the cross which you must carry. That is the
way life is. There are problems with the husband, with the wife, with the
children, with the brothers. Talk, converse so that problems will be resolved in
peace. Do not turn to violence. Never turn to violence. Pray for faith in order
that you will have patience."
In this manner she has given me to understand that if with faith we ask to be
freed from a suffering, we will be freed if that suffering is not the cross we
are to carry; but when the suffering is the person's cross, then it will remain
as a weight (?) glory. That is why she tells us to ask for faith in order to
receive fortitude and patience.
Afterwards she told me:
"You will no longer see me in this place."
I thought that I would definitely never see her again and I began to shout:
"Don't leave us, my Mother!"
"Don't leave us, my Mother!"
"Don't leave us, my Mother!"
I was speaking for those who were not speaking, she then said to me;
"Do not be grieved. I am with all of you even though you do not see me.
I am the Mother of all of you, sinners.
Love one another.
Forgive each other.
Make peace, because if you don't make it
there will be no peace.
Do not turn to violence.
Never turn to violence.
Nicaragua has suffered a great deal since the earthquake and will continue to
suffer if all of you don't change.
If you don't change you will hasten the coming of the Third World War.
Pray, pray, my son, for all the world.
A mother never forgets her children.
And I have not forgotten what you suffer.
I am the Mother of all of you, sinners.