Kissed Relics:

A Kiss and a Promise from the Virgin Mary at Garabandal 
                            

Our Lady told Conchita on November 13th, 1965.
"Through the kiss I have bestowed on these objects my Son will perform miracles and prodigies".

We have been asked many times "how do we know that the relics we say contain a piece of the missal kissed by the Virgin at Garabandal are genuine?"

We can confirm that all relics sent from our website "Australian Garabandal International Aposolate"  do contain a genuine piece of a Missal kissed by the Blessed Virgin when appearing to four girls in Garabandal, Spain in 1961 -1965. Upon Margarita Huerta's death, her niece, also named (Margarita) inheritied the many relics and missal left in the house.  Margarita  continues to send the relics her aunt had collected, to various countries of the world.

Margarita Huerta, who was present at Garabandal at the time of the apparitions, was greatly moved by Our Lady’s promise to the visionaries that through kissed objects many miracles and prodigies would be performed.  Since 1968, her apostolate has been to trace and acquire Missals kissed by the Blessed Mother during the ecstasies and for almost twelve years, Margarita has been responsible for organizing the production of medals containing these Missal relics.  Her untiring efforts have made it possible for Garabandalists throughout the world to receive medals containing kissed relics.  
In an open letter to Joey Lomangino (1980) from Margarita Huerta, Spain she states how she obtained the four Missals which are used in fulfilling her apostolate.
Dear Joey,I was so pleased to receive your kind letter containing your questions referring to the Missals kissed by the Virgin Mary at San Sebastian de Garabandal during the time of the apparitions.  I am answering you by means of this Open Letter so that the information you seek may reach around the world to all readers of your Garabandal magazine which you publish for the purpose of making known the Messages given to the visionaries by Our Lady at Garabandal.

Question:  How did you acquire the Missals kissed by Our Blessed Mother?

Answer:  I acquired the first Missal in 1968 at the end of the summer.  One evening, when in Garabandal, I visited the home of Ceferino Mazon.  While with his family in the kitchen, I suddenly had an idea.  I asked Mari Loli, Ceferino’s daughter and one of the visionaries, if she had a book or Missal that had been kissed by the Virgin Mary during an ecstasy.  She answered yes, that she had several and that they were in the garret.  I asked her if she would kindly give me one and was overjoyed when she said, “Yes.”  Her immediate response delighted me as I had to leave for home early the next morning and wanted to take the Missal with me.

Ceferino lit a lantern (for there was no electric light in the garret and it was totally dark and led the way with myself and Mari Loli following.  For a considerable time they looked among papers and other things that were on the garret floor, but in spite of their search they did not find a book or Missal.  Finally Ceferino said, “Well, let us go, but do not worry, I give you my word that when they come to hand, the first one will be for you.” On my next trip to Garabandal, to my delight, Mari Loli handed me her small child’s Missal of some 800 pages.

Upon my return home I began immediately to enquire in Madrid and the provinces for a place from which I could order medals that would carry a piece of the Missal.  It was with intense interest and pleasure that I went about this task, remembering the words of the Blessed Virgin when she told the seers at the time of the apparitions that everyone who carried with faith, some object kissed by her, would do their purgatory on earth and go directly to heaven.  She also said that through these kissed objects many miracles and prodigies would be performed by her son Jesus.

Some years later I was in Comillas, visiting Fr Lucio Rodrigo.  I had been sending him medals and Rosaries for distribution among his many visitors and he said, “Because you are doing so much work with the medals and Rosaries, work which I consider most admirable, I want you to have half of this book kissed by the Blessed Mother at Garabandal.  The book was given to me by Marichu Herrero, a good friend who lives in Madrid, a great worker, and a witness to ecstasies of the seers in 1961 and 1962.   Marichu said she has given the other half of the book to Fr Laffineur”.  This book had been given by Mari Loli to Marichu Herrero and it was the half given to me by Fr Rodrigo that became my second Missal.

I don’t remember exactly the date I received the third Missal.  It was given to me by Jacinta and she herself was unable to recall the date or the year.  But one day when, with her husband, Jeff, she visited me at my home, I showed her your letter, Joey, which I had received only the day before – the letter in which you mentioned your interest in finding out all the details about the books kissed by the Blessed Mother at Garabandal.

I took out the small Missal and handed it to Jacinta.  She examined the book and leafed through the pages.  After a while she said, “Yes, this missal was mine, I recognize it by the humidity spots on the cover.  I know it went from here to there in our garret but I can’t explain or member how I gave it to you.  Immediately her husband wrote a few lines in English at the bottom of your letter, giving testimony to Jacinta’s statement.  The next day I sent you a copy of these few lines which I understand, you have in your files”.  The conclusion is that: “Yes, that book was Jacinta’s and yes, it had been kissed by the Blessed Virgin.”

Finally, I acquired the fourth large Missal from a lady in Garabandal.  I am unable to remember the exact date, but it must have been four or five years ago.  This woman (one of the villagers) has asked to remain anonymous but, if any priest or worker for Our Lady coming to Garabandal would like to meet her, I will be glad to take them to her and she will explain everything about the Missal.  There will be no doubt left about its having been kissed by the Most Holy Virgin.

I consider it providential to have received this fourth Missal for I do not think there are any more books or Missals left in the village which were kissed by the Virgin Mary.  This is my personal belief as I have not specifically asked around the village.

Question: How long have you been doing this work?

Answer: I started at the end of September, 1968.

Question: How many and which countries receive your medals?

Answer: The first shipments of medals were made to various provinces in Spain, but when visitors to Garabandal heard about my project they requested shipments overseas.  Among the first was your Long Island Center in New York and you continue to place orders in large quantities.  In fact, Joey, your orders are more than all the centers of the world combined.  Later I started to receive orders from Latin America, particularly Argentina and Uruguay.  Then came requests from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Canada, several states of the U.S., Asia, Taiwan, and although shipments are prohibited to Sri Lanka, a gentleman came by and took some there.

I also ship to the Philippines and Africa, to missionaries and religious there, to Upper Volta, Kingdom of Burundi and Madagascar that I can remember.  In Ireland, which is second in quantity to yours, Joey, there unfolds an admirable Marian apostolate headed by Dick Stanley. In Europe I ship to England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
  
Subsequent to the International Marian Congress on Garabandal celebrated in Lourdes in the summer of 1978, and thanks to the apostolate of Fr Benac, S.J. (who has been in India for about 40 years and who has disseminated the Messages of Our Lady at Garabandal throughout a great part of Asia), I have made shipments to India, Vietnam, Egypt, Upper Volta once again, and various other countries. Nowadays, however, with the exception of your Long Island Center and some private orders from the U.S., the demand for my medals has dwindled somewhat.  They are readily obtainable in Garabandal as well as Rosaries containing the relic.

Question: Up to now, how many medals have you distributed?

Answer: I have no idea, I cannot even make a calculated guess.  I might be able to ask those who have handled part of the process or possibly get a total quantity from Milan where they are made, but for the time being this answer will have to be pending.

Question: Do you plan to continue this work?

Answer: About a year and a half ago I began to encounter difficulties.  Some countries started to impose duty which had not been payable previously.  Other countries banned the shipment of medals entirely, and it was up to Garabandalists who visited Spain to take them back personally.  On another occasion I received an order for a mother of pearl rosary from Argentina, the cost of which was 300 pesetas.  After a three hour harangue with the customs, it was finally allowed into the country but at a cost of 500 pesetas.

Eventually, I became weary trying to cope with the increasing obstacles and difficulties connected with my shipments and was tempted to stop this work.  But upon receiving several letters among which was yours Joey, asking me to please continue and pointing out the miracles obtained through the medals, the instant healings that men of science have not been able to explain, and the conversions, all of which are taking place in different countries of the world, I felt greatly encouraged and I promise you I will go on.

I would like to use this occasion to let you know something important for the satisfaction of everyone:  I still have one complete Missal and quite a bit of another, so I will be able to continue to order medals and Marias.  Also, I have been assured that they are now using a very good enamel on the relic which will protect it longer from wear and tear and prolong its life.

I trust this answers your questions satisfactorily and that it will please all those who are interested in the story of the Missals and apostolate.  I shall keep you in my prayers and shall ask the Blessed Mother to help you, that you may emerge victorious in the work of your apostolate in spreading the Message of Garabandal to all humanity.  
United always in prayer,

 Margarita Huerta


http://www.garabandal.com/

Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood

Hi -

Greg here.

I just wanted to share with readers how the chaplet of the Most Precious Blood may fulfill Our Lady's request at Garabandal in her Second Formal Message: "Think about the Passion of Jesus." I have found the praying of the chaplet grace-filled and inspiring. Its purpose initially was (and is) to pray for those cardinals, bishops and priests who have gone on to their eternal reward, but who are found in the state of Purgatory. (At Garabandal, Our Lady requested of us over and over again to "pray for priests.") It is also an efficient way to pray for those Servants who are our shepherds here on earth now. Below is a picture of the chaplet and explanation of how it is to be prayed, for those of you who may not be familiar with it.

There are seven (7) mysteries of Christ's shedding His Blood for us. The Lord's Prayer without the Hail Mary is said five times after each mystery, except the last time, where it is said three times. In all, 33 times the Lord's Prayer is recited to honor the thirty-three years of Christ's life.

V. O God, come to my assistance.

R. Lord, make haste to help me.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

First Mystery. Christ shed His Blood in the Circumcision. Let us ask for chastity of soul and body.

Our Father 5 times.

Glory be to the Father 1 time, followed by -

V. We beg You, Lord, help your Servants,

R. Whom You have redeemed with Your Most Precious Blood.

(The above invocation is said after the
"Glory be" of each mystery.)

Second Mystery. Jesus shed His Blood in the Agony of the Garden.

Let us ask for the spirit of prayer.

Third Mystery. Jesus shed His Blood in the Scouraging at the Pillar.

Let us ask for patience and self control.

Image via Wikipedia

Fourth Mystery. Jesus shed His Blood in the Crowning of Thorns.

Let us ask for humility to atone for pride.

Fifth Mystery. Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His Cross to Calvary.

Let us ask for acceptance of our daily crosses.

Sixth Mystery. Jesus shed His Blood in the terrible Crucifixion.

Let us ask for contrition.

Seventh Mystery. Jesus shed Blood and Water from His side pierced by a lance.

Let us ask for perseverance.

As an option, the Litany of the Most Precious Blood may be recited at the end of the last Mystery:

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of souls, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.

Blood of Christ, of the new and everlasting Covenant, save us.

Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in agony, save us.

Blood of Christ, flowing from the Crown of Thorns, save us.

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.

Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.

Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.

Blood of Christ, in the Holy Eucharist, save us.

Blood of Christ, river of mercy, save us.

Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.

Blood of Christ, courage of martyrs, save us.

Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.

Blood of Christ, maker of virgins, save us.

Blood of Christ, help of those in distress, save us.

Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.

Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.

Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.

Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.

Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.

Blood of Christ, promise of Eternal life, save us.

Blood of Christ, which frees souls from Purgatory, save us.

Blood of Christ, most worthy of all honor and glory, save us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

You have redeemed the world, O Lord, in Your Blood,

And made for us a heavenly kingdom. Let us pray:

Almighty and Eternal God, You have given to us Your only begotten Son, Our Redeemer, and

willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant, we beg of You, that we may worthily adore this

price for our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life,

so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in Heaven. Through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Sign of the Cross is made)

A Letter From Conchita:

The Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
P.O. Box 606, Lindenhurst, New York 11757-0606

June 18th marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Commencement of the Apparitions at Garabandal by the appearance of the Archangel Saint Michael who preceded the first apparition of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 2nd. With Conchita's permission, we reprint a brief note written by the vision­ary to the present pastor of the village of Garabandal to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary

AVE MARIA 

May 17, 2011 

Dear Father Rolando,

I join with you in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the events of Garabandal. It is for me fifty years of contemplating the most beautiful thing in the world. I give thanks to God for having been a part of those experiences, impossible to describe adequately, but which have pressed upon my soul the secure assurance of faith and hope.

I thank you, Father Rolando, for granting me the opportunity to recite the Message of Our Mother in the village yet again.

We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first, we must lead good lives. If we do not, a chastisement will befall us. Tlie cup is already filling up, and if we do not change, a very great chastisement will come upon us.
 
The Angel said:

As my message of October 18 has not been complied with and has not been made known to the world, I am advising you that this is the last one. Before, the cup was filling up. Now it is flowing over. Many cardinals, many bishops and many priests are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should turn the wrath of God away from yourselves by your efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your mother, through the intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel, ask you to amend your lives. You are now receiving the last warnings. I love you very much and do not want your condemnation. Pray to us with sincerity and we will grant your requests. You should make more sacri­fices. Think about the passion of Jesus.

Father Rolando, there is nothing of greater importance that I can speak about than this Message of Our Mother.
 
In Union of Prayer, Conchita
WWW.GARABANDAL.US

Garabandal Strange Light at Stations of the Cross [Video]

Notice 15 seconds into this video that the light has changed everywhere the camera is pointed.

Garabandal Warning – (2)

Garabandal Warning – (2)

Here is part two from Margo's blog.

http://therosarytrail.com/garabandal-warning-2/

Garabandal Warning

Garabandal Warning

I ran across this fine blog by Margo and I am posting a link here for you to read it.

http://therosarytrail.com/garabandal-warning/

Garabandal Video: The Prophecies

From Mark Mallett: " a new day is dawning"

The Hour of the Laity

World Youth Day

WE are entering a most profound period of purification of the Church and the planet. The signs of the times are all around us as the upheaval in nature, the economy, and social and political stability speaks of a world on the verge of a Global Revolution. Thus, I believe we are also approaching the hour of God’s "last effort" before the "day of justice" arrives (see The Last Effort), as St. Faustina recorded in her diary. Not the end of the world, butthe end of an era:

Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed forth for them. —Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, Diary, n. 848

Blood and Water is pouring forth this moment from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is this mercy gushing forth from the Heart of the Savior that is the final effort to…

…withdraw [mankind] from the empire of Satan which He desired to destroy, and thus to introduce them into the sweet liberty of the rule of His love, which He wished to restore in the hearts of all those who should embrace this devotion.—St. Margaret Mary (1647-1690), sacredheartdevotion.com

It is for this that I believe we have been called into The Bastion—a time of intense prayer, focus, and preparation as the Winds of Change gather strength. For the heavens and earth are going to shake, and God is going to concentrate His love into one last moment of grace before the world is purified.¹ It is for this time that God has prepared a little army, primarily of the laity.

THE HOUR OF THE LAITY

Vatican II not only breathed new life into the Church, but new life into the laity. These past forty years have been a preparation for these times we now live in:

…the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council marked a decisive turning-point. With the Council, the hour of the laity truly struck, and many lay faithful, men and women, more clearly understood their Christian vocation, which by its very nature is a vocation to the apostolate… —BLESSED JOHN PAUL II, Jubilee of the Apostolate of the Laity, n. 3

John Paul II’s insights are prophetic in both their hindsight and foresight, due in part to the pervading crises in the priesthood that, ironically, grew out of Vatican II. For one thing, the clergy have lost tremendous credibility in the wake of the ongoing sex scandal revelations in many countries. Secondly, theological distortions of the true teachings of Vatican II have had devastating consequences, from liturgical abuses, to watered-down teachings, to pervasivehomosexuality in seminaries, to liberal theology, and a certain "impotency of the pulpit" that have left the flock, in many quarters, without true shepherds.² Third, a persecution, aimed firstly at the priesthood, is about to burst upon the universal Church that will limit freedom of speech, remove charitable status, and even result in the closure of parishes. ³ Add that to the wide collapse and withering away of many religious orders due to the embrace of radical feminism, progressive theology, and lax discipline, and it is evident that the "wind of the Spirit" has been blowing mostly through grass roots movements among the laity (thanks in part to the popes who have watered the seeds).

Thus, we are now living in "the hour of the laity." This does not mean, however, that the priesthood has become obsolete (or that there are no thriving religious communities). No! Without the priesthood, the laity cannot be fed the "Bread of Life." Without the priesthood, absolution of sins is not available. Without the priesthood, the whole sacramental order collapses and the power of Christ made manifest through the Sacraments is vanquished. In fact, one of the great signs of an authentic laity is their love and obedience toward the shepherds who have been given to them through Apostolic succession. And truly, the young priests coming up in the ranks hold much potential and hope that the laity will once again be able to follow leaders who are also apostles.

The "hour of the laity" is this time, then, when in the fading light of clerical influence, the Holy Spirit is calling upon housewives, tradesmen, doctors, scientists, husbands, children, etc. to become "signs of contradiction" in the marketplace. To become a visible sign of Christ’s presence through our actions and through the truth we are called to speak. To, in a word, exercise our baptismal duty and right:

To you the Council opened extraordinary perspectives of commitment and involvement in the Church’s mission. Did the Council not remind you of your participation in the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ? In a special way, the Council Fathers entrusted you with the mission "of seeking the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will" (Lumen gentium, n. 31).

Since then a lively season of associations has blossomed, in which, along with traditional groups, new movements, sodalities and communities have arisen (cf. Christifideles laici, n. 29). Today more than ever, dear brothers and sisters, your apostolate is indispensable, if the Gospel is to be the light, salt and leaven of a new humanity.  —BLESSED JOHN PAUL II,Jubilee of the Apostolate of the Laity, n. 3

Indeed, when God poured out His Spirit upon upon several retreatants at Duquesne University in 1967, which sparked what is known today as the "Charismatic Renewal", it began with thelaity. Other movements such as Focolare, Taizé, Life Teen, World Youth Day, etc. have been movements that have been mostly driven by, and have renewed especially, the laity. Technology has also played an intrinsic role in this hour by readily providing formation to the laity through the internet, television, CD’s, cassettes, books, and other media. God has been steadily preparing a small army of believers in both heart and mind who, in the face of a clerical crisis, would be ready to do their part to help lead the People of God in a decisive victory, to a "new humanity"…

THE TRIUMPH OF THE TWO HEARTS

The victory that will culminate—ultimately in a cleansed world in an Era of Peace⁴—is understood in Catholic terms as the "Triumph of the Immaculate Heart" and "Triumph of the Sacred Heart" among other titles ("new springtime", "new pentecost", etc.)

We say it will be the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, for it is Mary who has been given the special task of gathering and forming an army of believers. We say it will be the Triumph of the SacredHeart because Mary has not gathered an army for herself, but a people who will form the heel that will crush the head of the serpent, and bring about the glorification of Jesus to the ends of the earth. The Triumph, then, is a decisive victory for the Holy Trinity. These are the times written of by the prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, St. John in his Apocalypse, and foretold by the Early Church Fathers as a period of triumph for the whole People of God when Christ will reign for a "thousand years" through His Church. The Holy Eucharist will become the pinnacle and center to which and from which all human activity will flow. It is during that period in an "era of peace" that the Church will become corporately and truly holy,⁵ having passed through her own passion, preparing her for her ascension into Heaven.

 [Mary] was commissioned to prepare the Bride by purifying our "yes" to be like hers, so that the whole Christ, Head and Body, could offer a total sacrifice of love to the Father. Her "yes" as the public person is now to be offered by the Church as a corporate person.
  Mary now seeks our consecration to her so that she might prepare us and bring us to the docile "yes" of Jesus on the Cross. She needs our consecration and not just a vague devotion and piety. Rather, she needs our devotion and piety in the root meaning of the words, ie., "devotion" as the giving of our vows (consecration) and "piety" as the response of loving sons.
  To grasp this vision of God’s plan to prepare his Bride for the "new age", we need a new wisdom. This new wisdom is especially available to those who have consecrated themselves to Mary, the Seat of Wisdom.—The Spirit and the Bride Say "Come!", Fr. George Farrell & Fr. George Kosicki, p. 75-76

Remember, Lord, your Church and deliver her from all evil. Perfect her in your love; and, once she has been sanctified, gather her together from the four winds into the kingdom which you have prepared for her. For power and glory are yours for ever. —From the ancient document entitled "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles",Liturgy of the Hours, Vol III, p. 465

GIDEON’S LAITY

One could compare this hour of the laity, and the coming Triumph, to the story of Gideon (see Our Lady’s Battle). In the Old Testament, Gideon is called to lead a battle against the enemy.⁶He has 32 000 troops, but God wants him to reduce the number. At first, 22, 000 men voluntarily abandon Gideon. Could this not be compared to the apostasy that has devastated the Church with vast numbers of theologians and clergy abandoning the true faith for the easy road of innovations and compromise?

The tail of the devil is functioning in the disintegration of the Catholic world. The darkness of Satan has entered and spread throughout the Catholic Church even to its summit. Apostasy, the loss of the faith, is spreading throughout the world and into the highest levels within the Church. —POPE PAUL VI, Address on the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Fatima Apparitions, October 13, 1977

God weeds out the army further, taking only those soldiers who lap up water like a dog, that is, the humblest souls. In the end, only 300 soldiers are chosen to fight the vast armies of the foe—an impossible scenario.

Exactly.

The Triumph will come about, not by the might of papal armies or fearful inquisitions, but primarily through a small remnantcomprised of those faithful priests, religious, and laymen who have given their "fiat." Gideon, you could say, represents Our Lady, who says to the little army:

Watch me and follow my lead. (Judges 7:17)

On this universal level, if victory comes it will be brought by Mary. Christ will conquer through her because He wants the Church’s victories now and in the future to be linked to her… —POPE JOHN PAUL II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 221

Gideon provided them all with horns and torches inside empty jars. No armor. No weapons…

Not by an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. (Zech 4:6)

The horns represent the Word of God—more precisely, the message of the Good News, of Divine Mercy, the announcement that in Christ, a new day is dawning. The torches hidden inside the jars represent the hidden preparation going on interiorly in the souls of those consecrated to Our Lady. And what is this preparation? The ignition of the Flame of Love in the hearts of the remnant. For without love, our words are just a banging gong, our actions just whisps of smoke rather than the fragrant incense of the Holy Spirit. This Flame of Love comes to us from the Blessed Mother’s own Immaculate Heart. But her heart was lit like a candle from the everlasting flames of the Sacred Heart. So you see, her work is to bring about our transformation into the likeness of her Son, that Jesus may be known in and through us throughout the entire world through love; that the world could be set on fire with the Flames of Mercy leaping from His Heart to hers to ours.

From the ecclesiastically backed messages given to Elizabeth Kindlemann:

Take this Flame… It’s the Flame of Love of My Heart. Ignite your own heart with it and pass it on to others! This Flame full of blessings springing from my Immaculate Heart, and that I am giving you, must go from heart to heart. It will be the Great Miracle of light blinding Satan. It is the fire of love and concord (harmonious unity). I obtained this grace on your behalf from the Eternal Father by virtue of the five Blessed Wounds of my Divine Son… The torrential flood of blessings about to jolt the world must begin with the small number of the most humble souls. Each person getting this message should receive it as an invitation and no one should take offense nor ignore it… —from the diary of Elizabeth Kindlemann (c. 1913-1985), "The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary"; In June of 2009, Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Budapest, Hungary and President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, gave his imprimatur authorizing the publication of the messages given by God and Mary to Elizabeth Kindlemann over a twenty year span from 1961. See www.flameoflove.org

At Gideon’s command, they blew their horns and broke their jars so that suddenly their torches were visible. This, I believe, is an apt symbol of the revelation of the Sacred Heart that is coming in a profound way—a part of the last effort of God’s mercy upon a wayward world.

I could compare this torrential flood (of grace) to the first Pentecost. It will submerge the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. All mankind will take heed at the time of this great miracle. Here comes the torrential flow of the Flame of Love of My most Holy Mother. The world darkened already by lack of faith will undergo formidable tremors and then people will believe! These jolts will give rise to a new world by the power of faith. Trust, confirmed by faith, will take root in souls and the face of the earth will thus be renewed. For never has such a flow of grace ever been given since the Word become flesh. This renewing of the earth, tested by suffering, will take place through the power and the imploring force of the Blessed Virgin! —Jesus to Elizabeth Kindlemann, Ibid.

It will be a moment of mercy, a moment of decision, and the army of Mary, the remnant of God, will be called into action to reclaim as many souls as possible with the "sword of truth" and through a prophetic word for the world that the "day of justice" is dawning.

They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right the horns they were blowing, and cried out, "A sword for the LORD and Gideon!" (Judges 7:20)

Witness to Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Rev 19:10)

The word martyr means "witness," and thus, the "passion, death, and resurrection" of the Church will become the seed for a new era and a renewed world, bringing to a close "the hour of the laity," and marking the dawn of a new day.

Following Christ demands the courage of radical choices, which often means going against the stream. "We are Christ!", St Augustine exclaimed. The martyrs and witnesses of faith yesterday and today, including many lay faithful, show that, if necessary, we must not hesitate to give even our lives for Jesus Christ.  —BLESSED JOHN PAUL II, Jubilee of the Apostolate of the Laity, n. 4

Therefore, the Son of the most high and mighty God… shall have destroyed unrighteousness, and executed His great judgment, and shall have recalled to life the righteous, who… will be engaged among men a thousand years, and will rule them with most just command… —4th century Ecclesiastical writer, Lactantius, “The Divine Institutes”, The ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol 7, p. 211

We do confess that a kingdom is promised to us upon the earth, although before heaven, only in another state of existence; inasmuch as it will be after the resurrection for a thousand years in the divinely-built city of Jerusalem… —Tertullian (155–240 A.D.), Nicene Church Father; Adversus Marcion, Ante-Nicene Fathers, Henrickson Publishers, 1995, Vol. 3, pp. 342-343)

I and every other orthodox Christian feel certain that there will be a resurrection of the flesh followed by a thousand years in a rebuilt, embellished, and enlarged city of Jerusalem, as was announced by the Prophets Ezekiel, Isaias and others… A man among us named John, one of Christ’s Apostles, received and foretold that the followers of Christ would dwell in Jerusalem for a thousand years, and that afterwards the universal and, in short, everlasting resurrection and judgment would take place. —St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Ch. 81, The Fathers of the Church, Christian Heritage

*Two Hearts artwork by Tommy Canning: www.art-of-divinemercy.co.uk/homepage.htm

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FOOTNOTES:

1. see The Eye of the Storm [↩]
2. see Trumpets of Warning-Part I [↩]
3. see Persecution! Moral Tsunami [↩]
4. cf. Creation Reborn [↩]
5. cf. Wedding Preparations [↩]
6. Judges Ch. 7 [↩]

PUBLISHED IN: | ON JULY 7TH, 2011 | NO COMMENTS »

Fifty Years of Garabandal: The Splendor of Carmel

July 2, 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Dear Friends,    Perhaps only a few know the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1858, was the date of the last apparition at Lourdes. Saint Bernadette Soubirous said, "All I saw was Our Lady...She was more beautiful than ever...I have never seen her so beautiful before." Better known is that as the sun danced at Fatima on October 13, 1917 the three young shepherds saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel give the final blessing to the crowd. And on this day in 1961, fifty years ago, the Most Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven appeared again under this very same title in the remote mountain village of Garabandal.    Lourdes, Fatima and Garabandal are one; a trilogy drawn in an arc across Portugal, Spain and France and united by a shared and increasingly amplified theme. The advocates of Garabandal contend that the Spanish apparitions are the key to understanding this great Marian Age of the Church. Garabandal is the bridge linking what has come already and what has still yet to occur.    At each of the three the Message is repeated with growing urgency; the mounting offenses of sinful men and women warrant supernatural punishment upon the whole earth. Those who love God, especially within the Roman Catholic Church, must undertake sacrifice and penance in reparation for these wicked acts but first they must strive to be truly virtuous, drawing nearer to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and by fervent prayer.    This is the First Message of Garabandal. Given to the four seers on July 4, it was publically proclaimed on October 18, 1961 one year to the week before the Second Vatican Council convened. This timing is noteworthy and may have been to remind the Council Fathers to focus upon the importance of Fatima, which was bearing tremendous fruit in the Church but whose requests had not yet been fulfilled.    In the intervening years, Our Lady of Mount Carmel returned to Garabandal over two thousand times. The period of the apparitions was filled with a host of astonishing prodigies which have been recorded on film and have been made available to the public for over four decades. All of the ecstasies contained acts of Christian devotion which included the sign of the cross, genuflection, the public recitation of prayers, and the reverencing of crucifixes or other sacramentals by the seers which were subsequently offered to bystanders to kiss. These acts provide a strong and enduring argument for the supernatural origin of the phenomena.    Our Lady, with maternal affection, personally instructed the young seers teaching them the devotions so dear to Heaven: Eucharistic adoration and frequent communion, the rosary and scapular, devotion to Saint Michael, sacrifices and penances consistent with one's state in life, prayers for the dead, for sinners, for priests and for the Holy Father, Acts of Love, to willingly obey the requests of their parents, to remain obedient to their pastor and local bishop.    Over the course of years, a schedule of unprecedented supernatural events was forecast to the visionaries to be made known to the public. In order of occurrence, they are the Aviso, or Warning, which will be felt by everyone on the planet, an inward purification that will correct the conscience and reveal to each person the state of their soul before God.    Within twelve months following the Warning, a Great Miracle located in the village of Garabandal which will cure the sick and convert sinners, verifying the Message, and attested by a visible sign left over the site of the apparitions until the end of time.    A further period of time will then be granted by God for amendment. At the end of this period, if no correction in the state of the world is evident, a global chastisement, supernatural in origin and of unprecedented severity, will ensue.    As the apparitions drew to a close in 1965, a Second Message was given through Saint Michael on June 18 disclosing that the cup was now "flowing over" that "many cardinals, many bishops and many priests are on the road to perdition and taking many souls with them" and specifically that "less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist."    The Second Message continued; the faithful who distinguished themselves apart from those going astray would receive pardon from God and grace for amendment through the intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel. Our Lady then assures us of her great love and continued assistance in the face of these "last warnings" and closes with another call for sacrifices and devotion to the Passion of Jesus. The apparitions ended on November 13, 1965, a few weeks before the close of the Council. No further messages have been addressed to the faithful since that time.     Our Lady requested her Message be made known and the formal promotion of Garabandal began soon after the apparitions ceased. The New York Center in Lindenhurst was incorporated in 1968 and the work begun by many hands in the United States and Europe. The Second Message was extremely controversial for the time and the early promoters met with much resistance which the seers themselves had prophesied.    Meanwhile great changes were coursing through the Church, not all welcome. Odious impieties were introduced in places, born of a spirit of disobedience, irreverence and discontinuity which attempted to hijack the good work of the Council. The instances of sacrilege, apostasy, iconoclasm and the suppression of authentic religious charism similar to other such periods in Church history came again.    His Holiness, Paul VI remarked that "the smoke of Satan had entered the Church." Much was lost and many sorrows born in those decades of turmoil and confusion whose iniquities still reach us. Much of the disorder and division that afflicted the Church began to be reflected in civil society. A leading Fatima author and early Garabandalist, Father Joseph Pelletier A.A. wrote about the deteriorating situation calling it "a world in crisis".    At the time of the apparitions, Our Lady had confided to the seers "three more popes" then the mysterious el fin de los tiempos which would not be the end of the world, the papacy or the Church but would mark off a certain era seen clearly in retrospect. The third of these popes was Blessed John Paul II whose heroic reign was remarkable for its longevity and profound spiritual victories. His pontificate did much to curb the excessive outrages and initiate the true renewal promised by the Second Vatican Council. John Paul II was renowned for his total devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Following the failed assassination attempt on his life, this courageous Holy Father turned his consideration to Fatima and the resolute fulfillment of the requests made there.    Significant for Garabandal in these years; the raising of prohibitions on the administration of sacraments in the village - a first favorable sign, the canonization of twentieth century seers like Saint Faustina Kowalska who prophesied coming events similar in description to those announced at Garabandal, the official recognition of the apparitions at Akita, Japan which foretold the coming of a global chastisement, and the canonization of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina who had corresponded with the seers and was openly favorable to the apparitions.    Throughout this period the promotion of the Message was carried on by a small community of lay promoters who gave talks and held conferences. At the very heart of the movement was a cadre of learned priests, most of whom were witnesses of the apparitions. By the turn of the millennium, forty years from the apparitions, these good men had passed to their eternal reward. The time had come for a new dispensation which presented itself in the form of the internet. Via this new form of communication the Message of Garabandal would eventually reach millions of people in the first decade of the new millennium, greatly revitalizing a movement whose first generation had suffered attrition and loss from the passage of time.    As his pontificate drew to a close John Paul II focused his remaining strength intently on the importance of the Eucharist. He declared 2004-2005 the Year of the Eucharist again acclaiming the Blessed Sacrament "the source and summit" of Christian life. By this act he reaffirmed the centrality of the Eucharist and advanced the project of restoring true reverence in accord with the implied request of the Second Message. With this grace the era of the three popes came to an end on April 2, 2005 as the great Holy Father passed into eternal life.    Like all occasus saeculi, the transition through which we are presently passing is marked by tremendous upheaval in the natural world and the affairs of men. Natural catastrophes of incredible magnitude occur more frequently. The social, economic and political systems become fragile as the common morality which bonds us together  dissolves. The Church is again persecuted by Communism in Asia and Islamism in many lands. In the West, the Church suffers derision and intimidation from a materialist and agnostic secularism which has gained the commanding heights. All this heralds the coming of a new order.    While the Church concludes the long purification of the scandal, our Holy Father Benedict XVI declared 2009-2010 the Year for Priests and closed a year of prayer for priests with the consecration of all clergy to the Immaculate Heart at Fatima on May 13, 2010. This most significant act magnifies Our Lady's request at Garabandal for prayer for priests to uphold the apostolic tradition of the sacred priesthood of Jesus Christ which continues to reconcile the world to God through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.    This is the chronicle of the first fifty years of Garabandal. The Message has passed the test of time. No longer controversial, it is becoming a source of hope to many searching for a second chance for the world.    Next, we anticipate the Warning which, despite the necessary pain of the revelation of our own sinfulness, we need urgently. Garabandal Visionary Jacinta Moynihan said memorably in a 1977 interview, "The Warning will occur when the situation is at its worst." And so we who are devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel de Garabandal continue our prayerful vigil in great expectation. In Union of Prayer, The Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Lindenhurst, NY USA

P.O. Box 606, Lindenhurst, NY 11757-0606 Garabandal