These are the words of the Blessed Mother on this day:
Children of God, I will again ask you about your suffering and what you do with your suffering. Too often, many amongst you believe that suffering is a punishment from a cruel and severe God. Rather, suffering is as much a gift of the Father as is happiness and well-being. You have been told that everything in your life is a gift of the Father, joy as well as sorrow and suffering. But many of you say this cannot be since God cannot be so cruel as to visit suffering and death on His children and on too many innocents.
I will explain it to you differently: a sin exists from the beginning of time and it is a sin which is an element of the world which is limited by time and where the children of mankind are awaiting salvation. This sin is the cause of the ills in the world, where you must stay until the Lord, Jesus, my son, comes to bring you justice. Know that it is this original sin to which death and suffering can be attributed. This sin was confined to your temporal world by the will of God the Father, the Almighty.
The suffering caused by this sin can be alleviated when you invoke divine help. This sin which causes suffering amongst you all, is very different from the sin of which each of you is capable of, the personal sin. Personal repentance alone can free you from the suffering which this sin causes you, and restore your lost wisdom. Jesus died that you and your world may be freed from the ravages of sin.
It is how you deal with your suffering that is important to your salvation. If you accept your suffering and offer it to the Father, the Almighty towards the redemption of mankind, then your suffering becomes a benefit and all sorrow becomes bearable: and more so, you are able to achieve for yourselves that mysterious union of virtue and happiness.
Please remember that you must never accuse the Father when you experience difficulty and suffering. Rather, examine your actions in full conscience, that you may be able to perceive that which causes your suffering so that you may call on the Providence of the Father to assist you. Jesus, the Lord sends me to remind you of that knowledge which the Church has the duty to teach you and about how important suffering is regarding your salvation.
I pray that you may never forget how to return to the Father so that all death may be defeated finally and forever!
She moves towards me, with her arms outstretched. I cannot resist her smiling invitation and I rush towards her. She takes my hands into her own and tells me that some sufferings are about to end. She holds my hands as if to give me strength to undertake some future sacrifice.
When she leaves I realise that I have been standing knee-deep in the water. I do not feel cold. Rather a sweet warmth courses in my veins. However, Mario takes my shoes and socks off and puts his own shoes on me.