(A) THE LUMINOUS TRANSPARENCE OF GARABANDAL

The authenticity of the Garabandal Event is reasonably confirmed by the abundant illustration of the specific criterion of Beauty. The pictures alone indeed testify, in their own original way, to the truthfulness of the events and to the depth of the Message. The feelings of the young visionaries in ecstasy, radiant with joy and spontaneity, candor and simplicity, gravity sometimes, emanated from their extraordinary experiences, and communicated to many witnesses as an almost immediate reflection of the beauty and transcendence proper to the Vision.

These characteristics of the Garabandal Event became above all the irrefutable sign of a Message, of a truth of life inherently present in the authentic "things of God," always "beautiful and good" (Gen. 1:25-31). The ecstasies were so forceful that most witnesses themselves experienced a real interior enthusiasm to the point of even renewing their personal life and spiritual journey. A "grace" for many, undoubtedly, a "stumbling block" for some, all experienced nevertheless the irrepressible feeling of finding themselves in the presence of a mysterious Beauty-Goodness particularly apt to make itself the mouthpiece of a true prophetic Message, so profound in meaning, universal in scope and timely in its urgency.

This call and exhortation of the "Beauty-Goodness" of divine aesthetics, originally made visible in Jesus Christ, was reflected in an unparalleled way in Mary, "Our Lady of Mount Carmel" (the "Woman of the end and of glory" - Rev. 12:1) and manifested at Garabandal. How could we not be dazzled by the fulfillment of the"grace" of Garabandal? Would it have been providentially planned by its Author to emerge, if not in the context of the Church's very great spiritual event -- the Jubilee of Grace and Mercy of Year 2000 -- at least near after, and flowing from it as a most singular preparation.
[From 'Garabandal' Book, pages 251-252]

In true apparitions, Our Lady is always described as "the most beautiful woman I ever seen". At the last apparition of Mary to Bernadette, at Massabielle (Lourdes), which as I said yesterday, was on July 16, 1858, the famous visionary exclaimed, "Never did I see Her so beautiful!" Bernadette always called Our Lady "the beautiful Lady" before Mary told her She was the "Immaculate Conception." And when they showed her a picture or statue, questioning her about the resemblance to her vision, she would say: "Please, no comparison is possible!"

The visionaries of Garabandal made similar remarks about the Blessed Virgin, as had the visionaries of La Salette and Fatima. So, if you hear about a visionary saying the Blessed Mother was ugly, then I suggest you get away from that source because it was probably a false vision from the devil!
Deacon John