An Message not to be forgotten about

 

It seems as though the first message of Garabandal was a disappointment for many people. One could ask why. We must remember that, many times, due to our lack of faith, we want to experience extraordinary, great, and extravagant things. Nonetheless, we have seen, time and time again, how God acts in silence, in the simple things, in a light breeze, not in a hurricane nor in thunder. This error of longing for something extravagant blinds us to God’s real and surprising way of acting. We should rather ask ourselves, “Who are we that Our Blessed Mother should come to us, speak to us, give us a message, and tell us what we should do? Do we perhaps deserve her visit?" A single word would already be a gift, and she has given us many. The simple fact that Our Lady has come to visit us is already something extraordinary and of such great value that we should not demand nor desire anything more. God's patience with us, His children, is astonishing. Just like the prodigal son's Father, He waits and longs for the return of His lost son, who has fallen into sin. He never tires of waiting. He never grows weary of forgiving, but we do often get tired and forget about this good Father who loves us, wants to receive us once again in His home, and give us the inheritance promised to His children. The Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Our Mother, came to remind us of this truth. She invites us to offer sacrifices and do penance. She urges us to visit the Most Blessed Sacrament often. In other words, she encourages us to revive our faith and our love for the Real Presence of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist. On another occasion, Our Lady said to Conchita, “He waits for you day and night.” Yes, the Lord waits for us in the tabernacle. Many have forgotten about Him. Our Lady says that we have to be “very good.” This exhortation to be “very good” is a new call to conversion, to turn our hearts to God, to repent and to amend our lives. It is a call to holiness, to love God and our neighbor, and to purity of heart. Lastly, Our Lady announces that, if we do not change, a chastisement will come. The word “chastisement” should not scandalize us, given that it appears many times in the Bible. She tells us this to help us become aware of the graveness of sin. In the same way that those who love and do good will receive their reward, those who do evil and sin will be chastised, purified. God is not less merciful by being just. We should raise a hymn of thanksgiving in our hearts for this warning from God, for this call to conversion… We cannot excuse ourselves by saying, “I didn’t know,” because God Himself has told us, “Convert and believe in the Gospel.” He tells us this once again through His Mother, “If you do not change, there will come a chastisement.”
We must embrace this message wholeheartedly. We should not allow it to be abandoned. Our Lady loves us very much and desires our salvation. She feels a motherly concern for us and warns us. Let us renew our commitment every day to fulfil this beautiful message and to make it known, because it is the proof of Our Blessed Mother's love for her children, and of God's mercy and love towards us.

From https://www.garabandal.it/en/