Marie de Nazareth
To Jesus, through Mary
January 12, 1982: A Sorrowful Vision
The first apparition to Nathalie (Anathalie) happened on January 12, 1982, after supper. She felt like she was leaving Kibeho for another place resembling a plain, where she found herself alone. She was scared, due to a feeling of solitude and dereliction, but also because of a vision of "red balls." Nathalie cried. She then saw a great light and heard a sad voice coming out of it:
"Child, I am sad; and what makes me sad is that I sent a message, and you did not receive it the way I desired it."
The voice spoke of the possibility of a chastisement. Nathalie cried a lot, shivering all ove. She was agitated while feeling at the same time overwhelmed with sadness. Then, the Virgin asked Nathalie to get the book of the Imitation of Jesus Christ in the corner of the dormitory's small chapel, and read the page she would open randomly. She opened it on a passage saying that the things of this world are transitory while those of heaven are eternal (I, 1-14).
That same evening, Alphonsine heard the voice of the Virgin asking her to call Anathalie over to her, which she did.
On March 13, 1982:
"My wish is for you to pray without ceasing, with all your heart, and for you to want to call upon me. Then you would truly become my child."
On May 15, 1982:
"The path to heaven always leads through suffering." [Or again:] "A true child of Mary cannot be separated from suffering."
Accepting crosses must go hand in hand with patience, courage, humility and docility, and of course, love and joy as well.
May 31, 1982:
On May 31, 1982, Nathalie asked for a miraculous spring, with a somewhat irritating insistence. Her request wasn't granted. It was in that context that at the next apparition a strong rain fell suddenly over Kibeho. An unusual, quick-passing rain.
Anathalie's fast
During the Lent of 1983, Anathalie was "invited" to live an extraordinary period of fasting and silence without eating or drinking, except receiving each day the holy Eucharist, "to follow Jesus in the desert," and to remember and meditate on the suffering of the passion of Jesus on Good Friday, when he also was hungry and thirsty. Anathalie had warned the school director. She thought she could practice her fast discretely, but a medical commission watched her closely.
February 15: 55 kg, beginning of the fast. No food or drink, until February 24. (Abstention from drinking can kill an individual in 3 days, but Anathalie didn't drink until the morning of February 24!)
February 19: 49 kg, glycemia of 41.4 mg%, but she behaves as someone who is in top shape...
February 23, 9 PM: Nathalie hears that she "can drink," but waits until the next day, then drinks moderately.
February 25: Her voice is weak. During the rite of benediction, she falls 6 times, and one last time at the end of the apparitions. Her blood tension is 7/6. But each time she get up with energy, which surprises everyone. She holds on for 1 hr. 45 minutes under a very hot sun.
March 2: She resumes eating.
Anathalie regained her initial weight in a few days.
In spite of the rare exploit of a two-week fast, including one week without water(!), Anathalie always kept an attitude of humility and realism. She didn't pretend that fasting was easy for her. She didn't pretend either to have suffered as much as Jesus when he was in the desert; or to be the only one in the world to have suffered after Jesus. Finally, in the days following her fast, she didn't betray any ambition to repeat the same experience of her own initiative, or advise anyone to do so. Which doesn't mean that she isn't fasting any more when she deems it necessary: there are indications that she does, but very discretely.
Excerpt from: Augustin Misago, The Apparitions of Kibeho in Rwanda, facultés catholiques de Kinshasa, 1991, p. 39-50 & p. 242-252