Nothing was the same now. If you looked at the TV, there was news about a boy from our little town can see the mother of Jesus. The same in the newspapers. We had so many people coming to the town and praying at the park. There were people from all over the world. It was like every day that more and more people came. They all thought this was history and wanted to be a part of it!
The town was confused as if this was a good thing. There were more tourists than people that lived in the town and people were making money off of the whole thing. Hotels and Restaurants were full and every store experienced a huge increase in sales. There were even souvenir shops that opened up, where people could buy statues of the lady and pictures of me visiting her, as well as every religious thing!
Some people did not like the circus. They lived in a small town because it was not so busy and they could have a private life. They did not like the town became a circus and all the eyes of the world and media were pointed towards us. They felt like the town became a zoo and it was really a PR stunt.
Of course, they blamed me.
I was affected by all this. Dad left one day, saying he could not live with us anymore. That left mom and I back in the house. We never went out as people flocked around me and did weird things. Some sick people thought they would be healed if the touched me. Others would beg to hear what the lady said or ask me to say this or that to her. Besides all that, there were those that said that I should be ashamed because I was a con-artist and all this was just some childish prank.
I forgot to mention the journalists that camped outside our door and flooded me with questions every time they could. I do not understand why people thought I planned all this and wanted all the attention. I was a prisoner in my home and lost my Dad. I could not go out, even to school. I did not ask for any of this, and it was getting worse every day!
It was announced that the Catholic Church was sending some priests to the town. They moved into an old farmhouse and turned one of the barns to a church, where the Catholics could come and pray. This of course annoyed some town people that could only wonder what would happen next.
One of the Catholic priests came to visit me. He wanted me to tell him in detail everything that the lady has said and looked like. He kept on asking the same questions. Then he told me that I should convert and be a Catholic. When we have done this, and if I still spoke with the lady, we could meet with the bishop, so the Church will investigate the whole thing.
Mom and I were silent when he went. Then mom asked me did I want to be a Catholic? I said I was happy the way I was. Mom laughed and said the priest had some nerve. The Catholic Church was just confused and jealous as to why the lady picked a protestant.
Friday came, and we made our way to the park. The police were now helping me through the crowd, but the people were nice enough. They moved when they saw me coming. It took longer for me to reach the bush. I smiled that the flowers that suddenly appeared were still there. I stood before the bush waiting. I could hear some people praying behind me. The park was full of people and there were even people standing outside the park.
The lady appeared as she usually did. When I knelt down, everyone did the same. They could not see anything and the place was so quiet, as people waited and waited for me to say something.
She told me she is happy more and more people were coming to worship her. She also said that the following Friday will be the day when no one would doubt and then she could do her work. This made me happy as then I would not be called a prankster.
She kept on talking and to be honest I did not know what to say. I apologized that the whole town was now like one big circus, where some people wanted just to make money. This just made her smile and say it was only the start. She also told me that my job was soon done.
When she went, I told everyone what she said. Then we went home. I kept on thinking what the lady said. She said my job was nearly done. This made me both happy and sad. Did it mean she no longer wanted to speak with me? I thought that she was a friend. It would be nice not to be the center of attention, but I would miss meeting her.
We could not go out all week, as more and more people flocked to the town. We even had to turn our telephones off. Mom and I felt like prisoners, and we missed Dad so much. In a way, I was happy that he escaped and could do what he wanted to. I knew that he loved us and I felt very guilty that he left. This made me sad most of the time. In a way, seeing the lady has cost me a lot. The worse was that I lost my dad. My friends did not speak with me and many in town were mad at me.
The Pope was on the news one night. He heard about the lady and he was asked what he thought. He warned us to be cautious about appearances and when we believe it is Mary.
The pope warned that faith “finds its roots” in the Gospels, in Revelation, and in Tradition, but never in apparitions. One must beware of the Marian shrines that transform the Blessed Virgin into a “heroine” without reference to her Son. He warned that the lady told people to worship her and there was no mention of Jesus. He also said the town is making a lot of money from it.
Despite what the pope said and the hard life it caused me, I went to the park again when Friday came. There were even more people and journalists from all over the world.
I stood before the bush and waited.
The lady appeared and I fell to my knees. She was not smiling much that day. I had to ask if she was sad. She told me that the Pope was a fool and it was about time she got rid of all the doubts. She reminded me that from today that people would be worshipping her. She told me that she hoped I would still come. She knew that Dad left and my life was hard. Then she smiled and called me her “brave messenger”
The lady rose her arms and the light around her started to become brighter. I had to cover my eyes because it was so blinding. I could hear the people gasp and whisper saying they could see the light. Everyone was now on their knees praying. The light dimmed and the lady stood there. However now, everyone could see her. This was the big sign she was talking about. She was just standing there, smiling as people were on their knees praying. She called everyone her children and told them to worship her every day and to visit the park on Friday. Then she started to fade and was gone.
I got up. I didn't have to tell everyone what she said. They already knew.
I should have been happy. Now no one could call it a prank as everyone could see her. Besides that, it made everything worse. It was like the whole world was coming to our small town and there were so many journalists. Dad did not come home and we were still like prisoners. The strangest thing was that some considered me as a living saint because I was the one she picked. This meant that they did not know me. I was just an ordinary boy that was stuck in this.
The Pope's message also bothered me. I was not that religious, but it did bother me why she wanted people to pray and worship her, and not Jesus. She never talked about people repenting or trying to live a better life. The only thing she said was that people should worship her. Maybe I was too young to understand.
The town confused me as well. The people were not all concerned that she appeared. They just wanted to make money out of it. There was Madonna mania in the town and it was a game of getting as much money as possible. I kept asking myself if this was what God wanted.
Mom knew that I was thinking a lot and she went as far as to say that my mind is not at peace with itself. She suggested we sneak out and go to the church and pray. We could not go to the usual Church, as that was near the park. So she asked me if I wanted to go to the Catholic Church.
It couldn't hurt.
Mom and I knelt down in the old barn they converted to a church. It was quiet and it was so peaceful. It had a nice altar and lots of statues on the side.
I walked up to one of the statues of Mary. She looked like the lady and yet was different. I asked her what she really did want.
A tear came on the statue's face and I could her speak, “This Madonna lady is not me. She used you! This lady in the park is Satan himself pretending to me. People believe the deception and the lies. They will now worship her and not God. Satan will lie to them and slowly they will become his followers and part of his army!”
The statue of Mary told me to warn everyone about the lady in the park and to pray for the people that believe in the lies.
I could not believe it. The devil picked me and now everyone was praying to the devil. She lied to me and now she will lie to the whole world. The Pope was right all along.
Friday came and I did as I usually did. I went to the bush. While everyone waited, I faced the crowd and told them what the statue told me. I told them that we should all go as this Madonna lady was just the devil trying to deceive us. I asked them would the true mother of Jesus tell us to worship her and not her son? Would she not tell us to be better people?
The people started yelling and shouting at me to be quiet as the lady slowly appeared. They obviously did not believe a word I said and I was once again called everything from a troublemaker, a brat and an attention seeker. People were telling me to leave and let them worship Madonna. Some were even throwing things at me, and the things they were throwing became bigger and bigger. All this time, I was trying to say that a statue of Mary told me that this Madonna is nothing except the devil. I suppose they found it hard to believe that I wanted them to know that the Madonna lady appeared to me, and now since everyone can see her, I was telling them a statue spoke to me. They would not believe me.
I started walking out of the park. I looked behind for the last time. People were on their knees and the Madonna lady was looking at me and smiling.
Her eyes were glowing red.
We went back to the Church. I told the statue that I failed. She was not crying or anything. She was now just a statue.
Mom and I knelt down and started praying for the people that were deceived. I whispered to mom that the Madonna lady used me and I let her. I failed at warning the people.
Mom gave me a hug, saying I did not totally fail.
I looked behind me. Six people came in to join us in praying.
One of them was Dad.
The End
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