Sin is reaffirmed at Garabandal

Sin is reaffirmed at Garabandal 
"... so little and sin already in her?"

by Fr. Francois Turner

Modern day "religious" thinking has so watered down the definition of sin that the question arises: Is there such a thing as sin? That question was answered by Our Lady at Garabandal through several incidences which reinforced the church " teachings concerning the origins and consequences of sin and our need as a People of God to hold fast to the "sense" of sin. Relative to this, the following is for our inspiration and prayerful reflection.

ORIGINAL SIN

    On March 31, 1962 Mari Loli's mother Julia gave birth to Lupita, sister to the visionary on the upper floor of the inn which served also as their dwelling. Mari Loli entered into ecstasy on the ground floor. She was heard to say: "Ah! It is a little sister? ... What, so little and sin already in her?" She then came out of ecstasy. A priest present at the time asked her what she meant. She answered: "I saw original sin in the soul of my little sister."

    On another occasion, Conchita related the following. A young woman was holding a three-month-old baby in her arms. The visionary spoke of the baby to the Blessed Virgin who said the infant was in the state of sin. Out of ecstasy Conchita made this comment: "I do not know it means, but if the Blessed Virgin said so, it is so." She came up to the young woman and told her: "The Virgin told me that the baby is in the state of sin." The mother answered it is true. The baby has not yet been baptized." Soon afterwards the baby did receive the sacrament of Baptism... (This incident would prove to have an influence on the young visionary in her later life, since Conchita has always insisted on having her children baptized on the first Sunday after their birth,)

    By the above example we can see that twice the Blessed Virgin confirmed the existence of original sin and reiterated the teaching of the Church expressed by St. Paul: "Jews and Gentiles are alike convicted of sin ... All alike have sinned and are unworthy of Sod's glory" (Rom. 3:9, 23). "One man (Adam) commits a fault, and it brings condemnation upon all; One (Jesus Christ) makes amends, and it brings to all justification" (Rom. 5:18).

THE "SENSE" OF SIN

     The horror of sin was instilled in the visionaries not only through the message and the announcement of the Warning (whereby, thankfully, we shall be induced to sin less), and also through other means. Before October 1961, the Virgin showed Conchita the "film of sinners." (A series of visions) Conchita cried out: "How ugly!...

    Take it away from me! ... I don't want to see it... no ... (she weeps)... the sinners' film again ... yes ... sacrifices." Another time, Loli stayed in rapture for 25 minutes without saying anything. She was finally seen to be shedding tears, saying all the while "mercy, mercy!" The horror of sin sprang from the Apparition saying at the beginning of the ecstasy that; "the sins of mankind sadden God and Herself."

    The Virgin developed in them this dread of sin. She explained that if She appeared later and later in the evening, it was because men sinned mostly in the evening. It is interesting to note that night symbolizes evil and the Evil One in the fourth gospel (see, for instance, John 13:30).

    In December 1963, Loli heard the Virgin tell her in a locution: "Alas, the world is getting worse" which will later be confirmed by the second message- "the cup is overflowing."

    The double vision of the chastisement also greatly contributed to give the seers this horror of sin. They sometimes had to communicate personal messages to sinners. Conchita told Mother Maria Nieves that after one ecstasy she had to speak in the name of the Virgin to a married couple who were standing behind and tell them bluntly: "You do not live well." The effect was dramatic. The couple burst into tears and went to confession that same day.

    The visionaries, thus educated by the Virgin, would present in ecstasy their little problems of conscience: "Is it a sin to sing 'Esperanza' - a slightly frivolous song? To say: I don't want to eat? For a woman to smoke?"

    This is a far cry from the attitude that exists in the world today- and attitude almost devoid of the "sense" of sin. Because of it we can all anticipate the awesome and terrible Warning of Garabandal which will be sent by God to "correct the conscience of the world."

Taken from the manuscript: "The Blessed Virgin Teaches at Garabandal" by Fr. Francois Turner