MANILA, Philippines?I was there on Sept. 7 when more than 1,000 Marian devotees huddled for hours in the rain, under umbrellas and tarpaulins on a mountain in Batangas.
They were waiting to see if their beloved Mama Mary would appear once again to Canada-based Emma C. de Guzman, who holds healing sessions twice a year in a shrine on Mount Batulao, which pilgrims call their ?Mountain of Salvation.?
They didn?t wait in vain.
On the eve of the feast that Catholics celebrate as Mary?s birthday, signs and wonders seemed to indicate that she had indeed appeared for the fifth year in a row to this humble woman who had worked for years as an overseas contract worker.
There were signs on the moon and in the heavens, even reports of angels seen in the trees. For many, the fragrance of flowers lingered for hours, as the visionary?s face and veil became covered with gold dust or escarchas. The message she claimed to receive from the Mother of love, peace and joy, was one of hope for this nation.
The prayer vigil was scheduled to start at 6 p.m., but even before noon, pilgrims were making their way up the mountain. By 2 p.m. buses and cars lined the roadside beyond the Don Bosco Retreat House.
Only a few jeepneys and tricycles were allowed to shuttle people to the top of the mountain. A tent had been set up to accommodate those waiting for a ride, but it was no match for the blustery weather that drenched the ever swelling number of bodies that crowded within. Those outside struggled to stay dry under umbrellas twisting in the wind. It would be a long, wet wait, often more than 30 minutes, as some vehicles were already mired in rivulets of thick mud and gravel on the bumpy, narrow road that snaked past the mountain?s precipice.
Though closer to the apparition site, these provided no visual access to the video screens that had been set up above and below. Emma was seen to make her way up through the crowd trying to extend some comfort. Later she made an announcement that she felt in her heart that the many who couldn?t be accommodated within the glade would not be left out, and would perhaps even ?see? more than those below. Prophetic words indeed and those whom she had touched reported that a fragrance of flowers lingered for hours.
By 6 p.m., the priests who were to celebrate the first of two Masses had to struggle to make their way down through the dense crowds just to reach the altar. For some, the signs and wonders would begin.
Angel stories
Monique Lanting, who was seated on the mountain path, narrated this story by text: ?The entrance hymn for the 6 p.m. Mass had started when I looked and saw something white below the cliff. At first I didn?t know what it was, so I looked away. When I looked again, the white figure was still there. I didn?t feel any fear, nor did I get goosebumps as I continued to stare at it. I clutched at Tita (Aunt) Maricar and asked if she, too, could see it. All of a sudden, the figure flapped its wings. That?s when my Tita said that we had seen an angel. We even saw the angel walk upwards. It disappeared when my Tita and I sat down.?
Maricar Ocdol sent this testimony also via text: ?We were singing the entrance hymn when my niece Nikka asked me, ?Tita, did you see that white thing below?? One look and I knew? I thought it was just one of the statues like the Pieta. But when I looked again, I saw its wings open and spread, blending with the plants. Then it disappeared because it moved behind the tree. Nikka asked me: ?Tita, what?s that?? I told her?angel. ?My, it disappeared so fast,? Nikka said. Then I continued to participate in the Mass. Later, I looked down again and I saw the angel coming from behind the tree, flapping his wings. Then he blended again with the plants and disappeared.?
Fatima weather
It rained off and on the entire night. At times there were strong gusts of wind. In these miserable conditions, no one seemed to want to leave and some even commented that this was ?Fatima weather? referring to what happened in the last apparition at Fatima.
It poured during the 10 p.m. Mass. Afterwards, as they prepared the board and sheet on which Emma would kneel, the rain slowed to a fine mist then stopped. By 11:45 p.m., Emma was on her knees, her face slowly moving from side to side like a baby seeking out its mother.
By this time, in full view on the video screens, the escarchas or glitters on her face and hands, began to rapidly multiply, so much so that even her veil began to sparkle.
Her face radiant, she tilted her head and broke out in a chant or what Christian communities refer to as ?tongues.? Later she was to say that the mountain was filled with angels who were joyfully chanting as the Virgin appeared. And since it was Mama Mary?s birthday, she too, couldn?t help but greet her in song.
?My Mother is here?
At this point, Raffy Villongco broke out sobbing, ?My Mother is here, I can feel her presence!? Raffy, who works with the 101 Foundation, had come all the way from New Jersey, with his parents, a friend and Fr. John Marie Siilips, an American priest from the Society of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Steubenville, Ohio.
It was a lengthy apparition. Midway through, the reverential silence was broken by Frances Sablan Arriola from Saipan who cried out: ?It?s dancing, can you see it??
She then began to describe what she was seeing: ?It?s moving, it?s getting bigger, now it?s smaller ? Now it?s changing again!?
Brenda Padilla, in a text message, said: ?I saw the clouds separate and I saw what I thought was the moon become big, then small. It was pulsating gracefully and twirled like it was dancing. Then it disappeared into the dark night when Emma finished conversing with Mama Mary. It was awesome!?
Quite a number of people saw the same thing. Those who were on the side and top of the mountain were rewarded for their constancy, for they had a better view. Vicki Belo, Hayden Kho and friends were seated on the mountain path and apparently had captured the moon on camera. Vicki was overheard exclaiming over what she had seen.
Something extraordinary
According to Marie Cancio, the moon didn?t look like the moon at all. She said: ?What I saw looked like the moon becoming alive. It lost its shape and from its center burst rays of light against the dark sky.?
Her friend Marivic Ochoa had this to add: ?Before the 6 p.m. Mass, I saw what I thought were fireworks behind the dark clouds. The lights were just gold and silver but they were beautiful.?
Others on the mountain like Lydia Sison and Rory Martin of the Center for Peace saw streams of what looked like silver dust floating against the trees and in the sky. Frances Salva and his wife Alice, both American citizens, were overwhelmed by the fragrance. The leaves of the trees looked like Christmas décor. They also saw a ?different light ? at least 15 feet long and maybe 6 to 8 inches wide.?
Joe Concepcion and Flor Villongco (Raffy?s mom) were adamant that they had seen something extraordinary. Joecon had been sitting inside the hut that sheltered the altar and stepped outside to get a better view of Emma. When the commotion began, he turned to look and instead of the moon, he clearly saw the very bright silhouette of Mama Mary against the sky. Flor, nearby, also saw the same apparition, adding however, that she couldn?t see the Virgin?s face.
Moon check
Days later, Winnie Austria, checked the phases of the moon. She called the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) to verify if what she had seen on the calendar was accurate?that on the night of Sept. 7, it wasn?t a full moon, only a waning moon.
Mario Palafox, in an e-mail in Filipino, said: ?Based on the images I have seen, it was really cloudy in Batangas at that time. Yes, it?s possible for the moon to peek from the clouds but it wouldn?t be that bright.?
A few minutes after the apparition ended, it began to rain again. As umbrellas went up, the faithful stayed in place, waiting to hear what message Mama Mary had given Emma.
Visibly exhausted, Emma apologized for the many escarchas that had fallen and were lost due to the weather (the glitters are always collected and distributed to the sick and needy). Then she said Our Lady acknowledged the sacrifices of her children who suffered through long hours of bad weather just to be there. It made her happy, Emma said. Mother Mary also wanted them to know that just as rain would wash away grime and make all things new, so would their sacrifices and prayers help destroy evil and even renew the land.
Mary went on to say that she wanted them to stay simple, and not to judge who is right or wrong, or be taken in by who or what many people consider to be praiseworthy as ?all praise must be given to my Son, Jesus. Thank you for loving me, but I would prefer that you love my Son more.?
RP loved by her Son
She reiterated part of the message that was given on the Mountain of Salvation on Dec. 8 and in Cebu on Dec. 12, 2008?that the Philippines had already entered a time of grace and that something good was going to happen to the country. ?The Philippines has a special place in my Son?s heart. My Son has opened blessings for the Philippines.?
Emma went on to say that with regards to the soul of somebody who is special to the country and to Jesus Christ, Mama Mary said that she is happy. ?She is in my Son?s place, in heaven.?
Roughly translated, the rest of the message said: ?If you follow God?s will, His light will shine from the heavens. The years 2011-2015 will be filled with blessings and grace. Change will come to your country so loved by my Son.?
