SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1965:

THE LAST APPARITION OF THE VIRGIN
OF MOUNT CARMEL TO CONCHITA AT
SAN SEBASTIAN DE GARABANDAL:
A "CONVERSATION" OF WHICH THE
SUPERNATURAL AND PROFOUNDLY
HUMAN QUALITY SEEMS TO LEAVE
NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER ABOUT
ITS DIVINE ORIGIN.

Conchita's account of the apparition:

"ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1965, I ALREADY KNEW THROUGH A LOCUTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN AT THE VILLAGE CHURCH THAT I WOULD SEE HER, AT THE PINES, IN A SPECIAL APPARITION, DURING WHICH SHE WOULD KISS DEVOTIONAL OBJECTS SO THAT I COULD DISTRIBUTE THEM, THIS BEING OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.

I strongly desired that this day would come so that I would see again Those who had brought the felicity of God to my soul: the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus whom She carried in Her arms.
It was raining but, of course, I did not mind going up to the Pines. I was bringing many rosaries I had recently been given to distribute and which, as the Blessed Virgin had asked me, I had brought to have Her kiss them.

As I was climbing all alone up to the Pines, I was telling myself about the way that I should amend my shortcomings and not fall into them again. I felt embarrassed to present myself like this to the Mother of God without having detached myself from them. . .

When I came to the Pines, I started pulling the devotional objects out of my pockets and, at this very moment, I heard a very soft voice (of course, the voice of the Blessed Virgin, that we can recognize among others) that was calling me by my name and I answered: "QUE! - What!"
Then I saw Her with the Child Jesus in Her arms; He was still dressed in the same way and was all smiles.

I said to Her: I came to bring you some rosaries so that You may kiss them. And She said to me: "I can see that."
I had a piece of chewing gum in my mouth, but when the Blessed Virgin appeared to me, I was no longer chewing; I had stuck it in one of my molars. But She obviously knew that I had it. And She said to me:
"Conchita, why don't you give up your chewing gum and offer it as a sacrifice to the glory of my Son?"
And I, ashamed, took it out of my mouth and threw it on the ground. Then She said to me: "You remember what I told you on the day of your birthday [the Immaculate Conception, 8 December], that you would suffer much on this earth? Have faith in Us and you will willingly offer these sufferings to Our Hearts for the good of your brothers; then, you will feel Us closer to you."
And I said to Her: "How unworthy I am, O Dear Mother, of so many graces received from [both of] You. And you still come to me today to make lighter the little cross that I now carry."
Then She said to me: "Conchita, I do not come for you alone. I come for all my children with the desire to draw them closer to Our Hearts." And She said to me again: "Give me all you brought for me to kiss." And I gave it all to Her. I had a crucifix with me. she kissed it and said: "Slip it into the hands of the Child Jesus." This is what I did. He said nothing to me.

I told the Blessed Virgin: "I will bring this cross with me to the convent?" She said nothing (about this). After She had kissed everything, She said to me: "Thanks to the kiss I put on these objects, my Son will perform wonders - Distribute them".

 
This is what I think I'll do. Then She asked me to speak about the wishes of the others, of all those who had given me requests to Her. And I did so. Then She said to me: "Tell me, Conchita, tell me something about my children, I keep them all gathered under my cloak." I told Her: "It is very small, not all of us can find room there."

And She smiled. "You know, Conchita, why I didn't come on June 18th to give the Message for the world? It is because it grieved Me to tell it to you myself. But I must tell it to you, for your own good and, if you accomplish it, for the glory of God. I love you very much, I desire that you be saved and to gather you all here in Heaven, around the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can count on you, Conchita, can't We?"
And I told Her: "If I could always see You, yes, but otherwise, I don't know. I am very wicked." "Do all you can on your part and We will help you."
She stayed a very short time. She said to me: "This is the last time you will see Me here, but I will always be with you and with all My children." She also said to me: "Conchita, why don't you visit My Son in the Tabernacle more often. He waits for you there day and night."

As I have already said, it was raining heavily, but the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus were not at all wet. As for myself, while I was seeing Them, I was not aware it was raining, but after the apparition, I was soaked wet. I said to the Blessed Virgin: "How happy I am when I see both of You. Why don't You bring me to heaven now?"
Then She said to me: "Remember what I told you on your birthday: when you will present yourself before God, you will have to show your hands full of the works you will have accomplished for your brothers and for His glory. At the present time, they are empty!"

And it was all over. The moment of happiness I had with my Mother of Heaven, my best Friend, and with the Child Jesus, is gone. I have stopped seeing Them but I have not stopped feeling Their presence. . ."
[from 'Garabandal' Book, pages 200-201]

Image by Jim, the Photographer via Flickr

Read this over a few times and meditate on its meaning for your life!
Are your hands full of good deeds? Do you offer small sacrifices to God for His glory? Do we visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently? There is so much good to do and not enough time to do it!
Deacon John