Garabandal
One
Mary, the Mother of God has been appearing with a greater frequency and urgency from 1830 until now.
I want to share with you the reported apparitions of Mary to four young girls in Garabandal Spain from 1961-1965 which began on this day, July 2, 1961.
This reported apparition has neither been approved nor condemned.
In 1992 Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI, wrote that the supernatural character is not clear which means the question of Garabandal remains open.
St. Padre Pio, while not the Magisterium or the local Bishop, wrote a letter to the girls of Garabandal, “O blessed girls of Garabandal, they don’t believe in you or your conversations with the White Lady. They will believe when it is too late.”
Like Fatima, the appearances of Mary to the young girls were preceded by that of St. Michael who prepared them to meet Our Lady.
Then on October 18, 1961, Mary appeared to the children giving them this message:
“We must make many sacrifices, do much penance. We must visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently; but first, we must be good and unless we do this, a punishment will befall us. The Cup is already filling and unless we change, a very great chastisement will befall us.”
Two
Three essential parts to the message of Garabandal:
A worldwide warning – Illumination of Conscience - like our particular judgment at the moment of death.
A miracle for all to see, a permanent sign
The world-wide Purification
The Warning – At one moment, God will show every person on earth, the exact state of their soul as an opportunity for conversion.
Jacinta of Garabandal states: The warning is something that is first seen everywhere in the world and then is transmitted into the interior of our souls. It will last for a very little time but seem a very long time because of its effects within us. It will be for the good of our souls in order to see ourselves, our conscience, the good that we have failed to do, and the bad we have done. Then we will feel a great love toward our Heavenly Father and ask forgiveness for all of our offenses. The warning is for us to draw closer to Him and to increase our faith. One should prepare for that day but not await it with fear. God does not send things for the sake of fear but rather with justice and love. He does it for the good of His children so that they might enjoy eternal happiness and not be lost.
The warning will first be some external event in the sky, like the collision of two comets. Then will come the interior illumination of conscience in which God will reveal to every person on earth the state of our soul as it stands before Him. This will be an interior revelation of all the good we have done or failed to do; and all the sins we have committed and the further consequences of those sins.
This personal revelation of the state of our soul while we are alive is a great gift, a mercy and opportunity for conversion while there is still time.
Three
The Miracle
Within 12 months after the warning there will be a miracle for all to see which will result in a tremendous outpouring of grace and healings at the Apparition site of Garabandal Spain. Conchita testified: The Blessed Virgin advised me of a great miracle saying God Our Lord would perform it through her intercession, just as the chastisement will be very very great in keeping with the needs of the world. The Blessed Virgin has told me the date of the miracle and what it will consist of. I am supposed to announce it 8 days in advance so that people will come. The Pope will see it from wherever he is. The sick who are present at the miracle will be cured and sinners will be converted. It will coincide with an event in the Church and with the feast of a saint who is a martyr of the Eucharist. It will take place on 8:30 on a Thursday evening. It will be visible to not only those in the village but also to those in the surrounding mountains. It will be the greatest miracle Jesus has performed. There won’t be the slightest doubt it comes from God and that it is for the good of mankind. There will be no doubt in the mind of anyone who sees this great miracle which God Our Lord will perform through the intercession of Our Lady…and let us see if the world changes so that the chastisement can be averted.
After the miracle will come a Permanent Sign as a testimony to Our Lady’s Presence and Love at Garabandal.
Four
Worldwide Purification
Our Lady made known to the children that if the world did not turn away from sin and return to God it would bring down upon itself a worldwide chastisement – a worldwide purification.
What is the purpose of the message about chastisements? God does not punish us. God does not need to because we are oh-so good at punishing ourselves.
God leaves mankind free. Good choices result in good consequences and evil choices cause evil consequences that affect the good and bad alike: War; famine; persecution of the good.
The Purpose of the Message of Chastisement is this:
The future is not irrevocably set
We can’t change world events by watching the news
We can change world events and help save souls by answering the call of Our Lady with prayer, personal conversion and a deeper love for Jesus in the Eucharist.
This message of a love for the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist was highlighted by the July 1962 Eucharistic Miracle
This miracle was promised two weeks in advance by St. Michael the Archangel when he said he would bring holy communion to the girls in a public manifestation on July 18 or 19th. Then at 1:30 am, on July 19, surrounded by 100s of people, Conchita kneels, extends her tongue, and all of a sudden a host appears for all to see and this was captured on an 8mm video camera.
This miracle was to call our attention to the reality of the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Five
Examination of Conscience and Monthly Confession
What most prevents us from a deeper conversion is a lack of awareness, a lack of reflection upon our lives.
We don’t learn by experience. Rather we learn by reflecting on our experiences.
Every day take a few minutes to do a brief examination of conscience.
It only takes a couple of minutes. It can be done at the end of the day or the beginning of the next day.
Try this:
Look back over the last 24 hours on your thoughts, words and actions. Identify where you did what was wrong or failed to do what was right.
Then ask – why did I do that? What were the feelings or disordered desires that prompted you to fall?
When you can identify those, you are getting to the roots of the problem.
Finish by making a concrete game plan to act differently.
You could incorporate this into your daily resolution from meditation.
Then go to Confession at least once every month
Our Lady has said that Monthly Confession would heal the spiritual sickness of the world.
This is what Our Lady called for at Fatima with First Saturdays of Reparation.