THE ROSARY:

The four seers praying the Rosary with Our Lady!

THE "FIFTEEN DECADES OF THE ROSARY"
AT SAN SEBASTIAN DE GARABANDAL

At church or at the cuadro, the rosary was said every day and, in general, it preceded the ecstasies. Sometimes the girls said the entire rosary. At times, they even sang it, always proclaiming, thanks to their Vision, the "mysteries" to be meditated. The children used their own rosary, the one that they most often held in their hands during the apparitions. However, we point out that they never recited this prayer in the presence of the Angel or of the Child-Jesus. Were
there any exceptions, these will be resolved later, but only after having access to other original documents. So we may presume that the visionaries began to pray the rosary in ecstasy only from the following August 18, and always within the framework of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin alone.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 62.]

The rosary always plays a big part in Our Lady's apparitions! Lourdes and Fatima are striking examples, where the Blessed Mother prayed with and taught the seers to pray it properly. It seems that heaven wants us to pray slowly, meditating on the Mysteries, or at least on the words of the prayer. I've learned over the years that rattling off a lot of prayers and not thinking about what I am saying, does not help my spirituality at all! I think it's good to pray all "Fifteen
Decades" each day, (I usually wind up praying two) but it's better to pray One slowly, meditating on the Mystery. Some of us can't meditate, so Our Lady said "Think about the Passion of Jesus!" We can all think. St. Louis de Montfort, the great Marian priest, said we should pray the Sorrowful Mysteries every day! I try to do that! Our Lady also suggested at another apparition that we should look at the Crucifix as we pray. It's good to set up a little "prayer space" where we could have a Crucifix and some statues or pictures of Our Lady. "The eyes are the windows of our souls", they say. Have you ever sang the rosary? I have and it's spiritually rewarding! Happy praying! And pray for me as I pray for all of you!
Deacon John

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1961:

THE PHYSICIANS AT WORK . . .
PERFORMING TESTS

Garabandal was an exceptional field of study for theologians as well as for physicians, psychologists and psychiatrists who, as early as June 25, went up to the village as independent observers.
In the first two weeks of July, Msgr. Doroteo Fernandez set up a "Special Commission" made up of three priests and two physicians. These were in charge of investigating the "events" and the girls of San Sebastian de Garabandal. The members of this "Commission" came only three times to the village during the four years that the events occurred.
Commissioned by the bishop, Doctors Jose Luis Pinal Ruiz and Luis Morales, psychiatrist, began their first experiments on July 11.
All kinds of tests were performed on the children in ecstasy. Pinching, burns, pricks, intense light: so many sensory stimulants producing no effect.

"This is no way supernatural. It is a psychogenic reaction to the situation . . . Vulgar hysterical phenomena . . ." Such was Dr. Morales' opinion on the one ecstasy that he had attended. His report, quickly drafted, influenced the negative verdict by the "Commission" concerning the supernatural origin of the phenomena of Garabandal. He, who had really been the "directing head" of the
"Special Commission," completely reversed his position in 1977. In May 1983, during some lectures he gave at Santander, then at Madrid, he publicly defended the authenticity of the apparitions.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, pages 59; 61]

It's amazing how "stiff-necked", as the Bible calls certain people, witnesses to the supernatural can be. Even at the "Miracle of the Sun" at Fatima, where hundreds of thousands of people experienced the signs and wonders, there were a few who refused to acknowledge it as a supernatural event. Perhaps because they were atheists or agnostics, maybe Freemasons, the "Commission" couldn't see the intervention of the supernatural. Of course this all could have been a vision of the devil, but I don't think they believed in Satan or hell either. Like certain leaders in Israel, who accused Our Lord of working miracles by the power of Satan, these "Commission" members were blind too!

Again, at Fatima, certain theologians said that Lucia made up all that she reported Our Lady said, especially regarding devotion to her Immaculate Heart. They blamed it on Lucia's traditional upbringing, saying her mother put all these thoughts in her head or she made it up after the fact. Incredible! You could expect this from the secular media, but from the clergy you expect some faith and common sense. Dr. Morales recanted later on and became a good spokesman for Garabandal, but the damage was done early and many shrugged off the visions as unbelievable.
Deacon John

EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS BECOME DAILY OCCURANCES

The wonderful became almost routine. Every day the girls had an apparition. At the center of extraordinary phenomena, the objects of all kinds of curiosity, of every pressure and solicitation, they nevertheless preserved their candor and simplicity. They fell into ecstasies and came out of them with an astonishing ease, and spoke of these wonders with the most perfect simplicity.

In her Diary, Conchita comments on her daily life in these words: "The belief of the villagers, of our parents and brothers increased every day . . . As for ourselves, we kept on our everyday life and we obeyed our parents."
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 58.]


It's funny how we can get used to anything! The girls were seeing the Blessed Mother everyday, and sometimes twice or more a day, thousands of apparitions before they finally ended in 1965. It became almost normal for them, like us when we start a new job or occupation, at first we have our anxieties, but they soon leave us and we become relaxed and familiar with what we are doing; until something happens to upset the apple cart. I'm sure the villagers and the seers' parents were not so relaxed, especially when Our Lady called them in the wee
hours of the night.

The children of Fatima were also relaxed with Our Lady, although She only appeared to them 6 or 7 times . . . Francisco, who could not hear what Our Lady said during the apparitions, was just satisfied and loved to look on the loveliness of the Blessed Mother as She appeared to them. After the vision, Lucia would tell him what Our Lady said. And the three seers were also very obedient to their parents . . .
Deacon John

EUCHARISTIC CATECHESIS BY THE "ARCHANGEL ST. MICHAEL"

The four children learned from the Angel how to receive Communion the correct way. When he appeared on that day, he asked them: "Lets see what beautiful teeth you have." The girls showed them to him while they were laughing . . .
The teeth receive the Body of Christ . . . Far from being irrelevant, this charming exercise was part of a catechesis that lasted about a week. It prepared the visionaries to receive their first real Communion from the Angel on the following July 16, the very day of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Until then, St. Michael had given them only hosts that were not consecrated.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 57.]

There's a great picture on this page of the book showing the girls smiling with their teeth fully exposed! I wish I could post it here, but I couldn't find it on Google.

Yes, this is also a lesson for us! When we receive the Sacred Host, most of us grind the Body of our Lord with our teeth before swallowing Him. St. Ignatius of Antioch said: "I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made Purest bread for Christ," as he offered himself as grain to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts that he might present to God the pure bread of sacrifice. Wow! What Faith!

At each Mass I have learned to offer myself with Jesus, to the Eternal Father as a living host, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world, and as I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him to change me into Him, so that we could be one! We all could do this as we are the Mystical Body of Christ!

It's interesting that the Angel prepared them with unconsecrated hosts . . . Do we do that with our own children? At Fatima, the Angel also gave the three children Holy Communion before Our Lady appeared to them. Lucia received the Host and Jacinta and Francesco received the Precious Blood from the chalice the Angel held. Aren't Angels wonderful! They take care of all our needs, spiritual and temporal, thank God!

PRIESTS ARE COMING IN EVER-INCREASING NUMBERS

According to Conchita, Our Lady insisted a great deal on "the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and on prayer for priests." The very close correlation between the Eucharist and Priesthood was to be very present in Garabandal: "The Blessed Virgin spoke to us of the grandeur of the priest. She said that if we could see an angel and a priest, we should greet the priest first or even fall on our knees before him . . . Because the priest consecrates, something the angel does not do." (J. Pelletier, Le Journal de Conchita, p. 94).

Conchita asked the Vision if all the priests were good. She was very astonished to learn that not all of them were.

In 1967, the visionary wrote out a short text that we consider as a kind of charter for the priest of out time: "What the Blessed Virgin expects from the priest is first of all his own sanctification. That he be faithful to his vows for the love of God. That he bring many souls to God through his example and prayer . . . That the priest deny himself for the love of souls in Christ. That he withdraw from time to
time in silence to listen to God who constantly speaks to him. That he meditate much on Jesus' Passion so that he may be more closely united to that of the Christ-Priest, and to invite souls to do penance and sacrifice, making the cross that Christ sends to each one easier to bear.
To speak also of Mary: she is the most secure way leading us to Christ; to speak also that people may believe that just as there is a Heaven, so there is a hell.
That is what, I believe, Heaven is asking of its priests."
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 55.]

These powerful Truths of our Faith shine forth: Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the holy priesthood! The devil has spent the last 2000 years trying to destroy belief in both of these Truths of Faith. Here Our Lady is reminding us, as She did in Fatima, of Jesus True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, and that only a priest can consecrate bread and wine so that It changes into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
Years ago, many people had a special reverence for a priest, and when they greeted him, they kissed his hand, because his hands were consecrated to offer Holy Mass and bring Jesus down from Heaven upon the Altar. Today, in most places, that reverence has almost disappeared. Never mind kneeling before a priest or kissing his hand, I've stood besides holy priests who were spat upon and called every name in the book, especially at Pro-Life events . . . I felt so sad for
them, but then remembered that Jesus was spat upon, called names, and even crucified, so these priests were following their Master in imitation of Him!

What Conchita wrote about the Blessed Mother's ideals for her priest sons are good for us too! We are all called to holiness . . . We are to be faithful to our vows (marriage or single state) . . . All for the love of God . . . Save souls through prayer and example (especially our own family) . . . Deny ourselves (sacrifice for the love of Jesus) (Fatima Prayer) . . . Meditate on the Passion of Christ (Sorrowful Mysteries) . . . Sing of Mary, Our Mother . . . And as Our Lady did at Fatima, remind people that there is Heaven & hell, a major Truth of our Faith!

And remember: PRAY FOR PRIESTS! They need our prayers now more then ever!
Deacon John

TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1961:

Many priests witnessed the ecstasies

THE BLESSED VIRGIN GOES STRAIGHT TO THE ESSENTIALS: A SUPERNATURAL "MESSAGE"

Here is the first question the Blessed Virgin had asked the children on the previous 2nd of July:
"Do you know the meaning of the notice the Angel had under his
feet?"
- "No, we don't."
"It was a Message that I am going to tell you and that you will
repeat in public on October 18" (1961):

"WE MUST MAKE MANY SACRIFICES,
PERFORM MUCH PENANCE, AND
VISIT THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
FREQUENTLY. BUT, FIRST, WE MUST
BE VERY GOOD. IF WE DO NOT, A
CHASTISEMENT WILL BEFALL US.
THE CUP IS ALREADY FILLING UP,
AND IF WE DO NOT CHANGE, A
VERY GREAT CHASTISEMENT WILL
COME UPON US."

It was from this day on that Our Lady gradually initiated the young visionaries in a motherly way to the meaning and scope of this Message.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 55.]

Unlike Fatima, Our Lady here instructs the girls to reveal the Message so there is no secret. And as we shall see, they did reveal it to a disappointed crowd, who wanted a more spectacular One. But, look at this Message! To me it's a powerful call to conversion! It also reminds me of the admonition of the Angel of Fatima who told the three children to pray and offer sacrifices to God for the sins of the world, for He was already offended too much! Here Our Lady asks us to pray, offer sacrifices, do penance, visit the Blessed Sacrament, but above all, we must be very good. See, Mother Mary is telling us, Her children to be good, as any good mother would tell their child . . . And if we aren't good, what does a good mother do? Well, some punishment, of course, till we behave. Here Our Lady is warning us: If you are not good, the Father will definitely punish us, to correct us and then, maybe, we will be good.
Deacon John

A MOTHERLY PRESENCE

Conchita offering a pebble to the Child Jesus

To amuse the Child Jesus, the girls, in a spontaneous gesture, offered Him some little pebbles off the road. He did not take them but He really smiled.
The Blessed Virgin kissed these pebbles and asked the visionaries to distribute them around. Soon the Blessed Virgin would designate precisely the persons to whom they should be given. . .
This "practice," unique in its kind, was established very soon at Garabandal. Those present would entrust to the visionaries, on Mary's indications, only objects of devotion to be kissed by Her.

The children, their hands full of rosaries and medals, not knowing whose they were, with their eyes fixed on the vision, always handed them back to the owners.
A very soft scent sometimes emanated from these objects . . . As to their value, Conchita explained this on September 14, 1965: "The Blessed Virgin said that Jesus would perform miracles through these objects and that those who would wear them with faith and trust would do their Purgatory on earth," thus sparing themselves the purifications they would have to undergo to pass into Heaven.
An important detail: never did the Blessed Virgin at San Sebastian de Garabandal bless any object or person. This is totally in conformity with the Church's Canon Law that assigns this function to priests [and deacons] only. [Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 50.]

As a believer in Garabandal, I always wear a "kissed object", which in my case is a tiny piece of a prayer book that was kissed by Holy Mary, and sewn into my Brown Scapular, which I NEVER take off! I have a strong faith in Our Lady's words about serving my Purgatory here on earth and believe me, I really am!!! As for any miracles, I'm a walking one cause Our Lady has turned my life around through my on-going conversion, teaching me, and leading me to Her Son, Jesus,
especially in the Eucharist!

In that last paragraph about blessings, I added "and deacons", but in the early 1960's, the Permanent Diaconate renewal had not even been discussed yet. After Vatican II, when the diaconate was brought back as a part of Holy Orders, the function of blessing people and objects was restored to deacons.

Also, I was just thinking that mothers & fathers can bless their own children, so Our Blessed Mother can certainly bless us! What do you think?
Deacon John