Some really beautiful words from our Blessed Lady to Bolivian Mystic , Catalina Rivas, on the Mass: http://www.all-about-the-virgin-mary.com/catalina-rivas.html 'In 1993, Catalina Rivas, a housewife and grandmother from Cochabamba, Bolivia began receiving messages from Jesus and Mary. Catalina bears the stigmata, the suffering wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. Amazingly, Catalina, who did not finish high school, has written eight books containing the messages of Jesus and Mary – all without a single theological mistake, and all given an imprimatur by the Archbishop of Cochabamba. Dr. Ricardo Castanon, a doctor who had tested Catalina Rivas a number of times, has this to say about her: Catalina Rivas did not finish high school yet in less than three years she has written eight books. In two weeks, she had written by hand 900 pages. The content talks about theology, sociology, the human life and Divine Spirituality. When you see that she doesn’t have the background, she has never written anything and then she comes with notebooks of 200, 300, 400 pages and there is no theological mistake, you know something special is happening. Catalina Rivas says when Jesus dictates to her, her heart begins to beat very fast during this time…'
'Why must you all arrive at the last moment? You should arrive earlier so that you can say a prayer and ask the Lord to send His Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit may grant you a spirit of peace and cleanse you of the spirit of the world, your worries, your problems and your distractions in order that you may be able to live this so sacred a moment… I want you to be attentive to the readings and to the entire homily of the priest. Remember that the Bible says that the Word of God does not return without having borne fruit. If you are attentive, something of all that you have heard will remain in you. You must try to recall all day long those words that have left an impression on you… Savor them for the rest of the day and this will then become part of you, because that is the way to change one’s life, by allowing the Word of God to transform you.'
'Observe. They are the guardian angels of the people who are offering this Holy Mass for many intentions; those who are conscious of the significance of this celebration, those who have something to offer to the Lord… Make your offerings at this moment… Offer up your sorrows, your pains, your dreams, your sadness, your joys… your petitions. Remember that the Mass has infinite value. Therefore be generous in your offering and in your asking.' …At the end of the procession came other angels who were rather sad, with their hands together in prayer, but with their eyes downcast. 'These are the guardian angels of the people who are here, yet they are not here. That is to say, they are the people… who have come here out of obligation but without any desire to participate in the Holy Mass. Their angels go forth in sadness because they have nothing to carry to the altar…'
The moment of the Consecration had arrived, the moment of the most marvelous of miracles… Behind the right side of the Archbishop appeared a multitude of people also in a diagonal line… Their faces were also brilliant, full of joy. They all seemed to be of the same age. You could tell… that there were people of different ages but their faces looked the same, without wrinkles, happy. They all knelt down as well, at the singing of the “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord…” Our Lady said: “ 'These are all the Saints and the Blessed in Heaven, and among them are also the souls of your relatives and family members who already enjoy the presence of God.”
Then I saw her. She was there, exactly to the right of His Excellency, the Archbishop… a step behind the celebrant. She was suspended a little off the floor, kneeling on some very fine fabrics… The Holy Virgin, her hands joined together, was looking attentively and respectfully at the celebrant. And she was speaking to me from there, but silently directly to my heart, without looking at me… 'It seems strange to you seeing me a little behind Monsignor, does it not? This is how it should be… Notwithstanding how much My Son loves me, He has not given me the dignity that He gives a priest, of being able to bring Him in my hands daily, as the priestly hands do. Because of this I feel such profound respect for a priest and for the whole miracle that God carries out through a priest, that I am compelled to kneel here.'
…There began to appear in front of the altar some shadows in human form, gray in color, and they were raising their hands upwards. The Holy Virgin said: 'These are the blessed souls of Purgatory who wait for your prayers to be refreshed. Do not stop praying for them. They pray for you but they cannot pray for themselves… …And to think that there are people, that there are some of us who can be distracted, talking at that moment … I say with sorrow that many men, more than women, stand with their arms crossed, as if paying homage to the Lord from one equal to another.'
By instinct I was about to bow my head and Our Lady said: 'Do not look down. Look up to view and contemplate Him. Cross your gaze with His and repeat the Fatima prayer: Lord, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love you. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love you…. Now tell Him how much you love Him and render your homage to the King of Kings.'
