FRIDAY, JULY 28, AND SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1961:

Fright and stupefaction of Jacinta and Loli

"TWO EVENINGS OF TEARS"

As was promised, the Blessed Virgin, since July 4, was gradually explaining to the children the Message she had revealed to them. This catechesis was absolutely necessary, considering their young age and the small amount of religious knowledge they had. What, indeed, did the words "sacrifice," "penance," mean to them, and how, in practice, were they "to be very good"?

The ecstasies of July 28 and 29, 1961, were to represent a kind of particularly intensive course in which only Jacinta and Mari-Loli took part. For the first time Our Lady showed them "the Cup filling up with the wine of the Wrath of God." She spoke to them of the trials the sins of humanity would eventually cause, in a time we may call "time of the Pre-Warning" (or Pre-Aviso). Mary was also to reveal
to them later, the unique and inescapable event of the future Warning, a stupendous phenomenon and experience called "Aviso," of both cosmic and moral-spiritual (interior) dimensions, that would affect the whole of mankind. We could die from the effect of the emotion aroused by it. It would place us before our conscience thus "scanned" in the light of God revealing to us the evil we had done and of the good we had not done, in our lives. Through its frightening physical dimension and its prodigious divine interior action, we would know that
the Warning really came to us from God, but also that it will still be a "warning of grace and mercy!"

Finally, the Blessed Virgin recalled the final Chastisement of which mankind would be the object . . . should it persist in refusing to amend its ways. The first of the two "Nights of tears" occurred at the cuadro, and the second at the Pines.
Sari and Mari-Carmen, mandated by Our Lady, were the only ones authorized to stay by the visionaries. The crowd, kept at a distance, could see the terrified girls crying . . .
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 71.]

Our Lady is a great teacher! First she gives them the Message, then she teaches them its meaning . . .
The children of Fatima were taught in the same way. They received the "Secret" from Our Lady and then she literally taught them by showing them hell and souls and demons that were down there because of sin. They never forgot this vision and spent their lives (which for Jacinta and Francesco were very short) praying for sinners and offering reparation for sin.

The Warning is coming soon, whether we like it or not. It's not conditional! It will happen when the world is at its worst, when things look hopeless. Look around and see the hand writing on the wall. God will intervene and correct the conscience of the world. Everyone will feel and see the Warning. Everyone will know how they are offending God and their fellow man. Some may die of shock. Those who love God will love Him even more. The world will actually stop, suspended during the Warning. The Warning will prepare the world for the Great Miracle which follows shortly afterward (more about this later).
I've been praying for this event to happen for 35 years. I look forward to it for the salvation of the world.
Roman Catholic Deacon

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1961:

Santander Cathedral

CONCHITA IS STRONGLY REQUESTED
TO GO TO SANTANDER. FIRST MENTION
OF THE FUTURE DOUBTS AND DENIALS

Conchita left for Santander with her mother, Aniceta, and her aunt and godmother, Maximina. The pretext was to change her ideas and have a simple interview with Msgr. Fernandez. This trip was to last one week. Plotted by Don Luis Odriozola and by one of Conchita's uncles, curate of the parish of the Consolacion at Santander, this stay was really to draw the visionary away from the main site that already stood out in the Garabandal "events."

The priests and physicians, members of the "Special Commission" questioned the visionary every day at Santander. Verbally jostled about, even threatened to be sent to "a house for the mentally ill," she was forbidden to receive Communion, to go to confession and to attend Mass. Instead, she was taken to the beach and
the movies. They were hoping to dissuade her from returning to her village.
Doctor Pinal tried to hypnotize Conchita to "find out the magic fluid from which she held her power of suggestion over her little playmates," 'concluding' that this was coming . . . from her braids! The girl ended up by "acknowledging" that she had not seen the Blessed Virgin, but she did not swear not having seen her.

On the day of her arrival, Conchita fell into an ecstasy right in the middle of the street in front of the church of the Consolacion. At the same time, at the Pines, the three other visionaries also had an apparition of the Blessed Virgin. This was Conchita's only ecstasy in the capital of the Cantabrian region.

In an interior locution, Conchita learned, in these doubly significant circumstances, that "there would come a time when she and her companions would deny their apparitions and doubt everything." When she returned to Garabandal, she confided this news to her mother and her aunt.

Aniceta, a widow since many years and head of the family, watched over her children carefully. She asked for several signs to confirm the authenticity of the phenomena. she obtained them and had no longer any doubts. She died in 1990.
Maximina, Conchita's first confidante, always supported her godchild and never doubted the supernatural origin of the apparitions. She is one of the best "reporters" of these events.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, pages 69, 70.]

The parallel to Fatima is unbelievable. There, the local administrator "arrested" the three tiny children, put them in jail with the regular criminals, and even threatened them with death by being boiled in oil! But the big difference was that the three children of Fatima did not deny the apparitions and refused to tell the authorities the "Secret." That had to be a supernatural "grace" because even adults tell everything and agree to anything under that type of pressure.

Poor Conchita was all alone, bombarded by the Commissions questions and
examinations, aged intellectual men against a young farm girl with no education . . . I wonder if they even believed in the supernatural at all? The blind will lead the blind . . . Of course, all this happened at the beginning of the "events of Garabandal", so there is no denying the supernatural in the thousands of apparitions and signs yet to come. "Everything is possible for him who believes."(Mark 9:23) And as the old saying goes: "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." (Bishop Sheen?)

Roman Catholic Deacon

SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1961:

THE CHILD JESUS AND THE VISIONARIES,
THE FIRST OF THE RARE "COSMIC PHENOMENA"
AT GARABANDAL

Our Lady, who had come with the Child Jesus, authorized the children for the first time to take Him in their arms. They felt His weight, noting, however, that they had the impression of not being really in contact with His little body.

Another first on this Sunday: beginning of the "cosmic phenomena" at San Sebastian de Garabandal. On that day, the young girls saw large stars with a long tail. Some of these phenomena were sometimes visible to everyone. They will reach their peak, and by far . . . , with the "very great Miracle" of the future "D" day to be revealed eventually, first to Conchita (on October 18, 1961).
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 67.]

Many saints have held the Child Jesus! Remembering St. Anthony, whose statues and holy cards always show him with the Baby Jesus in his arms. So it's not surprising that Our Blessed Mother gave Jesus to the girls to hold. Later on Conchita asked Our Lady: "When the Baby doesn't come, where is He? In heaven? . . . or in a cradle? . . . " See how a child's mind works! Conchita thought that Jesus always was a Baby. St. Francis of Assisi, of course, was one of the first Saints to have a strong devotion to the Infant Jesus and staged Nativity scenes with live people at Christmas time.

There was a lot of "cosmic phenomena" at Fatima, during Our Lady's apparitions there in 1917. And the people who were there also witnessed the strange events, like falling flower petals that disappeared before they hit the ground, low clouds circling the Holm oak tree Our Lady stood upon, an orb of light surrounding and transporting Our Lady into heaven, etc., etc. Real manifestations of the supernatural! I'd probably faint with joy to see these sights! How about you?
Roman Catholic Deacon

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 1961:

BEGINNING OF THE PERSONALIZATION
OF THE ECSTASIES

We know that, on this day, for the first time and very often later, the visionaries in ecstasy went two by two: Conchita and Mari-Cruz; Mari-Loli and Jacinta.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 67.]

Each day, it seems, something new is added to these mysterious events . . . I've seen film on video of the girls marching arm in arm, step in step. They marched better than a platoon of soldiers! And as they did so, their heads where tilted back as they looked at the vision. They never looked where they were going or what they were stepping on. Sometimes they marched backward and downhill! Amazingly, they never tripped or fell over one another or anyone else who was in their path. One report told of the girls coming to a stream and walking over a
plank without looking down. The poor villagers had a hard time keeping up with them . . .
We'll hear more of these ecstatic marches as the story continues . . .
Roman Catholic Deacon

FIRST REAL COMMUNIONS: CONTINUED

Conchita blessing her lips

The Communion given by the Angel observed a well-established ritual. The girls made the Sign of the Cross and recited the "Confiteor." After a brief dialog with St. Michael, they then put out their tongue, drew it back and swallowed the Host. The movements of the cheeks and neck made the phenomenon of swallowing it visible. The children then made an act of thanksgiving, recited the prayer "Soul of Christ," and came out of their ecstasy; it never lasted more than ten minutes. A new detail, what an eloquent one too: the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel was never "present" when the real Communion (and not "mystical," as a good number of authors incorrectly qualified them) was given by the "Angel" to the young visionaries of San Sebastian de Garabandal.

At the request of the Blessed Virgin, the two little girls of six years old (Sari, Mari-Loli's sister & Mari-Carmen, Jacinta's sister) were present at the first real Communion received by Conchita and Mari-Cruz. As these girls moved freely around the visionaries, they fulfilled the role of witnesses on several occasions and for various reasons.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 66.]

See how Our Lady takes care of all our spiritual needs. When there was no priest in town and therefore, no Mass, the Angel brought Holy Communion to the girls, which I guess, inspired them and a lesson for us, to become daily Communicants! Everything is done for a purpose, so to teach us how to receive Communion properly, the girls were taught by the Angel to recite the Confiteor before receiving and say a thanksgiving prayer after. I still pray the traditional "I confess . . ." prayer each morning. The "Soul of Christ" is a beautiful thanksgiving prayer, but I just never got into the habit of praying it. Instead, I always pray the Fatima prayers that were taught by the Angel.

Deacon John

CONFITEOR
I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault (strike the breast three times).
Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.
May almighty God have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, and bring me to
life everlasting. Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and
remission of my sins. Amen.

SOUL OF CHRIST
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds, hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee.

From the malicious enemy defend me.

In the hour of my death call me
and bid me come unto thee,
that with thy saints I may praise thee
for ever and ever. Amen.

SUNDAY, JULY 16, 1961

Photo most likely taken in 1962 or 1963. Mari Loli receives an invisible host;
her younger sister, Rosoura (Sari) watches in the background.

FIRST REAL COMMUNIONS GIVEN BY THE
ARCHANGEL ST. MICHAEL TO THE
VISIONARIES.

On the Feastday of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Blessed Virgin awakened the four children very early in the morning. They were to receive the first of some fifty real Communions from St. Michael. These occurred either in public or without any witnesses, and at various locations, except the village church and in homes.
That morning, the girls, in ecstasy, climbed, also for the first time, the very steep calleja up to the Pines, where, at 5 a.m., the Archangel gave the Eucharist to Mari-Cruz and Conchita. The latter would receive five or six of her subsequent Communions at this site on very particular liturgical days.

One hour later, also on the 16th of July, Mari-Loli and Jacinta, in turn, received the Eucharist at the site of the "Rock of the Angel" located on a lower level than the Pines and so named because St. Michael had stood there several times.
During the whole period of the apparitions, the visionaries received Communion almost every day, either at the Mass in the village, or from the hands of the Angel when there was no priest at Garabandal. The nine Pines at San Sebastian de Garabandal are what remains from a small plantation of pines and oaks organized in 1947 by the pastor of the village, by Serafin Gonzalez, Conchita's grandfather on her father's side, and by the mayor of the area.

Set on a slightly higher level above the village and with no trees in the area, the Pines, as we will often have the opportunity of mentioning them, are the neuralgic center, really "chosen" for the phenomena and the events of Garabandal past and . . . to come.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 65.]

Again that 'link' to Fatima, Our Lady continuing her appearances to the world as "Our Lady of Mount Carmel." The "Carmelites" in Spain have been a powerful spiritual force for many years prior to this. Remembering St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, who continue to inspire us today with their writings. And of course the Brown Scapular of Our Lady itself, where by wearing it, we consecrate ourselves to Her and She promises to take us under Her mantle of protection. I never take my Scapular off, even in the shower (it dries in minutes) except once when I had a MRI scan and the doctor ordered me to take it off. I felt naked without it and couldn't wait to put it back on!
At Fatima the Archangel acted as an 'Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion' and so he does again at Garabandal. Even the Angels are called to serve! How about you? The church is always looking for holy people to assist with Communion. It's a wonderful, rewarding ministry, especially bringing the Blessed Sacrament to the 'homebound'.
Deacon John

"PRODIGIOUS PHENOMENA"

THE "PRODIGIOUS" PHENOMENA BECOME
MORE AND MORE DIVERSIFIED

During the month of July 1961, a very striking phenomenon proper to Garabandal occurred.
The visionaries in ecstasy, increased in weight so much that two men could barely suceed in lifting them . . .
Without any effort, the girls managed to do this!
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 62.]

I've seen many pictures and video's of this 'phenomena' and it's really amazing! The one posted above shows Mari-Loli easily lifting Jacinta to help her reach the Vision. But what is God and Our Lady telling us with these supernatural happenings? Well, I think it's exactly that . . . to point out the supernaturality of the events! Then by believing in this we are drawn to the "Formal Messages" and can believe in them. As Our Lord proclaimed His Father's Kingdom and called His people to repentance, He worked 'signs and wonders', miracles of healing, changing water into wine, raising the dead, exorcism's, etc., to call attention to His Message of Faith, Hope and Love. And as He ascended into Heaven, He said: "Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned." [Mark 16: 15-16] We have to believe in the Gospel to be saved, but we don't have to believe in apparitions and what they proclaim. Nevertheless, if God is sending Our Lady down to earth as a Prophetess for our times, are we to ignore what She says, or take and live Her Messages in our hearts and grow spiritually? I personally cannot ignore Our Mother's urgent pleas!
Deacon John