TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1961: VISION OF A MYSTERIOUS "SHINING CLOUD"

After school and the homework being done, the girls, as on the previous evening, wanted to go to the calleja. In spite of the worry caused by the situation, their families let the girls go. They almost sneaked their way out of the village to the site of the mysterious rendezvous. When they finished the rosary, the Angel had not yet showed up; the girls were about to go down to the village. . . "when, suddenly, we saw a very bright light that hid us from one another. We were completely dazzled by this light, and we started to scream for we were terrified ('asustadas', an adjective here that describes a sort of sacred fear). But this shining light had already disappeared" (Conchita's Diary, p.25). In this context, it is impossible not thinking about the biblical theme of the "(shining) cloud," which, following the apparition of the Angel on the previous 18th of June, denotes the second of the four manifestations of the Shekinah. As was the case in the Transfiguration of Christ, the cloud is also the sign of the tangible presence of the Glory of the living God. It thus recalls, thanks also to the famous "pillar of smoke and fire", the pilgrimage, the crossing of the desert, in other words, the exodus of the Jewish People, more, of the People of the New Covenant, the "eschatological Israel" towards the ultimate "Promised Land." This is also the basic structure of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation). . . [Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, pages 30, 31.]

Shekinah means Divine Presence. At Fatima, the Angel appeared as a white light, Lucia said his garments were "white as snow"! And the three children were filled with the 'Divine Presence' that left them almost paralyzed, unable to even speak. It took about three days for them to get back to normal. It's interesting that Lucia's parents were against her going to the apparition site, whereas the girls of Garabandal were immediately allowed to go back again! 'Different strokes for different folks', as they say . . .
Deacon John