She Went in Haste to the Mountain (Page 186)

Following are the most interesting answers to Fr. Retenaga's questionnaire:To the question as to whether the interior voices had been heard by their physical ears, the two girls responded definitely: «No Señor.»Also they absolutely rejected any suggestion that it could have been their imagination or that they could have been dreaming. Opposing this latter idea, Conchita stated: «It was during the day», and Loli: «It was when I was wide awake.»

They denied likewise that they could have these interior voices when they wanted . . . «Listen Lolita» — Fr. Retenaga said — «since Jesus is in the tabernacle and you receive Him every day, holding Him that way, you are able to hear His words whenever you want, isn't that right?Oh! No Señor. If I could hear His words whenever I wanted, I would be hearing them all the time.»Conchita said that her locutions always came when she was in prayer: sometimes in her home, but ordinarily in the church. Loli said the same thing, declaring that twice she heard them in her room unexpectedly; another time, while she was praying at the Cuadro in the calleja; and the rest of the time in the church, one of these times after receiving Holy Communion.Most interesting was the response to Fr. Retenaga's question as to whether they would choose an apparition, a Communion, or a locution. «Communion! » They responded without hesitation.«Understand» — noted Fr. Retenaga — «the words of that answer, taking into account the state of happiness and the effects that followed for them from the apparitions and locutions, in contrast with the aridity and dryness that so often accompanied their Communions.»

During their locutions, many things must have been discussed by the visionaries that we will never know. This is clear from some of the remarks made by Father Retenaga:«One day Conchita told me that she gave a reply to a man who wasn't a Catholic; she also took another reply — which she was required to keep secret — to a young man who overtly didn't believe in God or in priests.(13) And with regard to herself, she had been told secrets concerning her actual life and her future, but she didn't specify what they were, since she lacked express permission from the Virgin.»

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But still more expressive was what happened to Loli:
«I had asked Loli to put some things in writing . . . I was speaking with her on the afternoon of July 25th when she told me that very morning she had wanted to write what I had asked her, and she was all set to begin. But a force from above held back her arm. At the same time, she was told in a locution: Do not write anything for him right now.

I hid my astonishment and told her that it was natural for her not to write anything about it, since what she wanted to tell me had slipped her mind. She answered that she remembered everything perfectly, but that she wasn't able to write because of the force from above that held back her arm . . . And that she had many other things that she couldn't mention either.»

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From these incidents, it can be seen that we still do not know a considerable portion of what actually happened in Garabandal . . . Is that surprising?
Everything there was of such extraordinary proportions, both in duration and in intensity.

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The Most Holy Virgin was the first to intervene in the locutions that extended throughout 1963; later Our Lord took part.The locutions of the Virgin were imbued with her magnificent maternal attitude. In the locution of July 25th that was mentioned — the feast of St. James the Apostle, Patron Saint of Spain — the Virgin called Loli's attention to an attitude of the girl that could well be defined as a fault of vanity. «Change your ways» — she said — «and do not do it again.» With regard to this, here is an interesting dialogue:

FATHER RETENAGA — «After that reprimand, were you hurt, like a child who is disciplined by his parents?LOLI — No, Señor.

FATHER RETENAGA — Then, you didn't take it seriously?LOLI — No Señor. I can't explain it; but what I felt was a mixture of pain and consolation, or confidence, since there is no mother who is so understanding and good as the one we have in heaven, the Most Holy Virgin . . .»The locutions of Jesus had their own particular singularity. Conchita points this out in the last lines of her diary:But I like even more to have Jesus within me . . .
— Jesus, who give me the cross to purify me,
— And also to see if with my crosses I can do something for the world.

Two and a half years later (November 9th, 1966), she said to Sister María Nieves at her school in Burgos: «The apparitions and locutions of the Virgin fill me with happiness; but the locutions of Jesus are even better . . . They seem to be something superior.»

We have an illustration of these locutions, since one day Conchita wrote down in front of Father Retenaga, who was in Garabandal at the time, what she heard that very day(14) after having received Communion during the Mass he celebrated on July 10th, 1963:

(Though not part of Conchita's Diary, the girl wrote this shortly after her unfinished diary and its importance dictates the heavy print given to it here.)

I was making my thanksgiving and praying for things. He answered me . . .I asked Him to give me a cross since I was living without suffering — except the suffering of not having a cross.And he answered: Yes. I will give you a cross.And with much feeling, I went on praying . . .And I said to Him, Why is the Miracle coming? . . . to convert many people?He answered, To convert the whole world.— Will Russia be converted?

— It also will be converted; and so everyone will love Our Hearts.(15)

— Will the chastisement come afterwards?

(He didn't answer me.)

— Why do you come to my poor heart, without my meriting it?— I certainly do not come for you; I come for everyone.— When the Miracle comes, will it be as though I were the only one who saw the Virgin?— He answered me, By your sacrifices, your patience, I will allow you to
intercede for the accomplishment of the Miracle.

And I said to Him: Wouldn't it be better for me to be with all the others; or if not, that You don't use any of us to intercede?— No.

— Will I go to heaven?

— You should love much and pray to Our Hearts.— When will You give me a cross?

(He didn't answer me.)

— What will I be?

(He didn't answer me; He only told me that everywhere that I would be, I would have much to suffer.)— Am I going to die soon?

— You have to stay on the earth to help the world.— I am very small. I couldn't help in anything.— With your prayers and sufferings, you will help the world.(16)— When does one go to heaven? . . . when one dies?— One never dies.

( I thought that we didn't go to heaven until we were resurrected.)(17)I asked Him if St. Peter was at the gate of heaven to receive us; and He told me No.(18)While I was in this conversation, in this prayer with God, I felt myself out of the world.Jesus also told me that now His Heart should be loved.Concerning priests . . .

He told me that I must pray much:

* so that they would be holy and fulfill their duties;* so that they would make others better;

* so that they would make Me known to those who do not know Me;

* so that they would make Me loved by those who know Me and do not love Me.

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This page from the history of the locutions in Garabandal is magnificent . . .What material for reflection!

But if this page from Conchita's life is well known, not so well known is a page from Loli's, which is equally valuable and instructive, and gives us new insight into the mystical phenomena with which the two visionaries were favored in 1963.It is reported in a letter to Fr. Retenaga, dated October 13th, 1963:«Reverend Father Luis,

So that you see that I do what I promise, I am going to tell you a few things . . .The Virgin has made me know when a priest is in sin. She has helped me to know that he needs many prayers and sacrifices.(19)Also she has given me to understand the Crucifixion in the Holy Mass,(20) since I comprehend the humility, the sacrifice for the world.

She has also made me recognize when a person needs prayers to be said for him. And one time she told me about a person who didn’t pray the rosary, and that person told me to write a note for him. And in it I wrote down that he should pray the rosary. And he then began to cry and said to me, Who told you that I don’t pray the rosary? And later he wrote and told me that since that day he had not missed saying it.

Well, Father, at another time I will tell you more, because now I am writing from my bed, since tomorrow I have to gather hay in the pasture, which is a long way from the village, and I have to get up early . . .

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Today is another day and I am going to see if I have more time to write. Well, I spoke with the Virgin in a locution and asked her to give me a cross to suffer for priests. She told me to bear everything with patience(21) and to be most humble, which was what pleased God the most.

And I said to her, Am I going to die soon?

And she said to me, No. You have to remain in the world to suffer. In whatever place you are, you will suffer.

And I said to her, Let my parents believe!(22)

And she said to me, They do not believe, so that you will have more to suffer. Suffer with patience.She also told me, Pray the rosary every day.

She told me, Pray for priests, since there are some who need more sacrifices for them every day.And again I said to her, Why don’t my parents believe?

And she said to me, Because you have to suffer. You have much to suffer in this world.And I said to her, What sacrifices should I make?

She said to me, You have to be more obedient.

I told her that one time I was going down the road, and suddenly a man with long hair appeared to me in a long coat, and said to me, I am hungry. And as I was carrying my lunch in my hand, I gave it to him. And suddenly he disappeared, without my knowing how. And I was very frightened. And I said to her, Who was that man? And she smiled and didn’t tell me.I’m not writing more. Don’t say that I don’t write much.(23) Goodbye.

María Dolores Mazón»

This letter does not require learned commentaries, but it should be re-read.It is evident that any similarity between the instruction that the Virgin gave her children at Garabandal and that which is now given to many children by our new theologians, is purely coincidental.No wonder. Today what is stressed is the importance of the individual, while in the school of Mary, the main focus has always been on the ancient pattern of giving oneself to God and denying one’s very self.

* * *

13. Things like this were the basis for people to think that Conchita read consciences. On November 8th, 1966, Conchita mentioned to the Mother Superior of the school at Burgos:
«I think back many times to what happened in my village. There were those who came there because they believed that I read consciences. This made me laugh. How was I going to read consciences? The Virgin advised me about the things that I told some people at the time.»14. The version given here basically follows the text from Fr. Retenaga’s letter; logical punctuations and separations were put in so that the contents can be better understood.15. Here the word hearts is used for persons. Conchita translates in her common vocabulary what she had received intellectually in a locution; in ordinary common Spanish expression the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the same as Jesus, just as the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the same as The Virgin Mary.

What is meant in the text of the locution is that mankind will have a new and better attitude towards Jesus and Mary after the general conversion brought on by the Miracle.16. What Conchita says is useful for all persons of good will. All can and should do something . . . Oh Mystery truly tremendous that is never sufficiently pondered! — exclaimed Pius XII in his encyclical "Mystici Corporis"— That the salvation of some souls depends upon the prayers and voluntary sacrifices of others.17. Death for the Christian is not the final end, but rather the passing from the present state into another very different state — which can be extremely marvelous or extremely horrible. The soul enters immediately into the new state; the body has to wait for the resurrection.18. Conchita expresses ingeniously the common belief — mentioned in so many jokes — that St. Peter is the gate-keeper of heaven. This belief has no more basis than being the erroneous interpretation of the words spoken by Jesus to his apostle during the episode at Caesarea Philippi. (Matt. 16:19)Reading the text of this locution shows well the truth of what Conchita said later to the Mother Superior in the school at Burgos:
«The Lord is very serious, and when He speaks to me, He seems concerned for everyone. The Virgin, as if more for me . . .» (Nov. 17, 1966)

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However the Virgin’s style was not that different:
«When we spoke about things too personal, she didn’t answer us; she was very concerned about the others.»
(April 21, 1967)

19. There are numerous incidents demonstrating that Garabandal has always given preferential importance and solicitude for priests, antecedent to the greatest crisis in the priesthood that the Church has ever known.

20. Also in advance of the time when the primary meaning of the Catholic Mass, that of sacrifice — the sacrifice of the Cross — would be forgotten or lost by most people, the Virgin Mary would come to repeat this lesson.21. The Curé d’Ars used to repeat: One hour of patience is worth more before God than several days of penance.

22. It is known that Loli’s parents, especially Ceferino, held the greatest doubt about the truth of what was happening to their daughter; and she found this to be a heavy cross.23. This letter is exceptionally long. I have seen many letters written by the visionaries, and I can verify that almost all of them were very short.