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Geo, her loving husband of 42 years, concurs 100% with this and all that Maria is asked to do. He is a man of strong faith who, by his own admission, insists on being very realistic, "and at times this makes it difficult for me to get in touch with the Divine." He's seen many signs, but by and large goes on pure faith, totally trusting in God.
Through the early years of their marriage, the Blessed Mother guided the family, slowly preparing both for the mission ahead. Through interior vision, Maria was shown the property where Our Lady would appear, describing every detail from the cascading water to the Grotto to the foliage and river flowing through the land. With the assistance of friends, they discovered this special acreage and purchased it during March 1974. Two years later on the feat of the Annunciation, Our Heavenly Mother appeared for the first time in Betania to Maria. No one else who was with her at the time saw Our Lady but felt the Virgin's presence and witnessed such supernatural phenomena as the pulsating of the sun, a mist covering the mountain behind the grotto, a bright light, a profusion of flowers where none had grown before and singing from an invisible choir of angels. These signs still transpire today.
For Maria it was like déjà vu since she had experienced on August 22, 1954 as a postulant some of the phenomena that occurs in Betania: the Heavenly choir of angels and smell of roses. She experienced that which she described as "something like a star (that) fell from the roof and landed on my chest; it was like a dart that passed through my heart and I fell senseless to the floor, as if I was dead. At that moment I was in ecstasy and I had no idea what was happening…(Our Blessed Mother) was saying that in the future we would obtain a piece of property. Time had to elapse and during this time I would marry and be the mother of many children. When these children were finally grown up, she would appear in the "Promised Land." It was at this time that she said, "When you are on your way to the grotto with my image I shall appear as a blue butterfly."
True to Our Lady's words, in this place of prophecy - Betania - twenty-two years later (when most of Maria's children were grown) the blue butterfly was seen as she and a small entourage of believers processed to the grotto with a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. To this day, the blue butterfly is visible to the pilgrims as it flutters over the crowd when Our Lady is present. Our Lady has said the smaller azure butterflies are the angels who accompany her.
In early 1977 Maria was told by the Mother of God to speak to then bishop of the diocese of Los Teques - Bishop Juan Jose Bernal about taking care of the spiritual needs of the people in the area, seeing that the Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion, as well as Matrimony be administered to them. Maria was assured by Our Lady that she herself would touch the Bishop as well.
On February 7 of the same year, after struggling with the message which Bishop Bernal had received (while in Rome) he contacted Maria and indicated to her that Our Lady of Lourdes had gotten through to him and he was willing to help.
Maria's mission had barely begun for Our Lady had much more in store for her. Again, on the feast of the Annunciation in 1978, which in that year fell on Holy Saturday, Maria was given a special message from the Mother of God:
It was an affirmation of Maria's role as ambassador of reconciliation and victim soul in reparation for the sins of others. But Maria was not the only one chosen to be an "Ambassador of Reconciliation" or that would see Our Lady as we shall see in the next installment entitled, Our Lady Manifests Herself to Many.
Please say to all of my little ones that it is not sufficient to know with the intelligence of your mind the Sacred Scripture; it is not sufficient to say with words you know God.
My little ones, you must have heart-knowledge of God if you are to truly know Him. This is why I say to you pray with the heart.
My faithful little ones, do you not yet realize how useless are your human words? These words do not bring peace, for they do not bring you closer to my Son. Human expressions more often cause division among my children than harmony.
Yet when you live and speak from your heart there is a harmony of celestial love which is heard by God and by the soul. This is the real and lasting knowledge of God.
My little ones in your time mankind has reached the apex of his human intellect. Never in the history of man has the mind explored, tested and achieved such an advanced way of life. But what has it availed you, my little ones?
It has brought you to that moment, known from all eternity, when those who would be faithful must shake off the world of the human intellect and dwell continually in the world of the heart.
Soon, very soon, God shall strip from you all that your human mind knows and has developed into a god. Soon you shall not recognize your physical world, and in its place God shall purify and reclaim all Creation. My little ones, do not allow my heavenly tears to be shed uselessly for you. Amend your broken lives. Leave behind the sophistication of your world and embrace the child-like faith of sainthood. If you resist my plea, then you shall likewise perish with your world, which you have made god.
I solemnly tell you that in the days ahead you shall witness the fulfillment of all my words. I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!
My children, I have sent to you My Holy Mother as a Beacon of Light in your dark world. Yet so deeply has satan penetrated that you do not respond, and remain mired in evil.
Therefore, I solemnly say to all of you. The moment of My Justice is fully prepared. I am ready to strike, for no longer will I tolerate the hideous sins of My children.
Daily these sins grow in number and kind. You do not even recognize them as sins, for your souls are dying; many consciences are already dead.
You transgress My Laws. You blaspheme My Name. You come to Me in My Church filled with unrepentant sin and add yet another sin by mockingly receiving Me in the Holy Eucharist. You call Me by name - only to spit on Me. You put on the airs of one who is holy, while in truth you are decaying flesh, maggot-eaten flesh filled with sin.
My Holy Mother has pleaded for each of you. She has invited, begged, counseled you to come home to Me while there is time. She has held out her arms, inviting you into the refuge of Her Immaculate Heart. Still you stubbornly refuse. You profess your faith only in man, and in the world of men.
Therefore, I say "Woe". The earth trembles. Soon it shall be pulled apart. On every continent great will be the terror of My children. Their sorrow will be as vast as the ocean, their tears as countless rivers. They shall call out to Me, but I will not answer them. It is the Hour of Justice, the moment of Great Sorrow.
My children, heed My words. I allow My Mother to remain among you lest you fall into the abyss. Only for a short time yet will She be with you. Yet in this time I solemnly say to you She will come to many more of My little ones. She will speak to many throughout the world, that all might be prepared.
I will for you to heed Her words. Believe in simple faith that you might persevere in the Heart of Justice.
I am your God, the Savior of the World, and I reclaim all of creation. It shall be swept clean in a wave of Justice. And in that time you will know My Glory for you shall see it. Then shall those who are alive in that hour raise their voices in glad song of praise, as I come as Glorious King and Just Judge.
Believe as little, humble children. Heed My Laws and return to Me. I love you. I ask you to wait and watch. The evil one will strike at the lamps of your faith.
Do not grow lax, for I AM COMING!
The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned.
"We want to see the president," the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the lady replied.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted to do. "Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. And he sighed in exasperation and nodded.
Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.
The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The president wasn't touched; he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly, "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly, "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard."
For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now.
And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded.
The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the University that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
