IN THE last issue, I said I suspected the devil had been trying to sabotage my Marian writings. It seems he did it again… in my last column. Those who read it must have noticed: the second paragraph duplicated the first. I had intended only one of the paragraphs for print, yet both came out in a splendid example of redundancy.
Or perhaps it was just my negligence? Regardless, I lift from that the value of rereading things written. Now, to go on with the usual in this space.
Remember Garabandal, Spain where the Blessed Mother appeared over 2,000 times to three girls from 1961 to 1965? The apparitions there still await the blessing of the Church, but their beneficial fruits have lived on, along with the visionaries, although one of them, Mari Loli, already passed on.
Consider that Padre Pio himself, during his lifetime, had confirmed that the Blessed Mother was indeed appearing to the girls there. To summarize the Blessed Mother’s prophecies in Garabandal: a warning, a miracle, and a conditional chastisement. These prophecies have intrigued many believers since then.
The same prophecies, or at least one or two of them, were later echoed in the credible apparitions of the Blessed Mother in Medjugorje (where she has been appearing since 1981 even to our days) and in Akita, Japan starting 1972 (this was approved by the Church as credible).
The visionaries of Garabandal have been interviewed many times on these prophecies which, many believe, are to unfold in our times. Here is one interview of Garabandal visionary Conchita Gonzales, done on Sept. 14, 1965. Will the Warning be a visible thing or an interior thing or both?
A. The Warning is a thing that comes directly from God and will be visible throughout the entire world, in whatever place anyone might be.
Q. Will the Warning reveal personal sins to every person in the world and to persons of all faiths, including atheists?
A. Yes, the Warning will be like a revelation of our sins – as como si revelase nuestros pecados, and it will be seen and experienced by believers and non-believers and people of any religion whatsoever.
Q. Is it true that the Warning will cause many people to remember the dead?
A. The Warning is like a purification for the Miracle. And it is a sort of a catastrophe. It will make us think of the dead, that is, we would prefer to be dead than to experience the Warning.
Q. Will the Warning be recognized by the world as a direct sign from God? A. Certainly – claro, and for this reason I believe it is impossible that the world could be so hardened as not to change. In October, 1968, Conchita was again interviewed thus:
Q. We have heard that some say the Warning may be a natural phenomenon but will be used by God to speak to mankind. Is this true?
A. The Warning is something supernatural and will not be explained by science. It will be seen and felt.
Q. Conchita, can you explain the statement that during the Warning we will know ourselves and the sins we have committed?
A. The Warning will be a correction of the conscience of the world.
Q. What about the many people who do not know Christ; how will they understand the Warning?
A. For those who do not know Christ (non- Christian) they will believe it is a Warning from God. Now here’s another interview in 1973:
Q. What will occur on the day of the Warning?
A. The most important thing about that day is that everyone in the whole world will see a sign, a grace, or a punishment within themselves — in other words a Warning. They will find themselves all alone in the world no matter where they are at the time, alone with their conscience right before God. They will then see all their sins and what their sins have caused.
Q. Will all feel it at the same time?
A. Yes, at the same time.
Q. How long will it last, a half hour, an hour?
A. I really don’t know. I think that five minutes would be an adequate time.
Q. How will we feel it?
A. We will all feel it differently because it will depend on our conscience. The Warning will be very personal; therefore, we will all react differently to it. The most important thing will be to recognize our own sins and the bad consequences of them. You will have a different view of the Warning than me because your sins are different from mine.
Q. Will something happen to me because of my sins? I mean will physical harm come upon me as a result of them?
A. No, unless it’s something that results from the shock, for example, a heart attack.
Q. So then it will bring no physical harm but will consist of facing God alone with my sins. How about the good things; will I see them also?
A. No. This will be only a Warning to see what you have done with your sins. It will be like a purification before the Miracle to see if with the Warning and Miracle we (meaning the whole world) will be converted.
Q. So this Warning can occur any day now?
A. Yes, but I don’t know the date when it will occur. And then in February, 1977:
Q. When did you learn about the Warning and from whom?
A. The only thing that I remember well is that it was the Virgin who told me of it.
Q. Would you repeat for us what you know about the Warning?
A. What I remember now is that the Virgin told me that before the Miracle, God will be sending us a Warning so as to purify us or prepare us to see the Miracle and in this way we may draw enough grace to change our lives toward God. She told me what the Warning will consist of but not the date.
I am not able to say what it consists of but I am able to say what it will be like, more or less. It is a phenomenon which will be seen and felt in all the world and everywhere; I have always given as an example that of two stars that collide.
This phenomenon will not cause physical damage, but it will horrify us because at that very moment we will see our souls and the harm we have done. It will be as though we were in agony but we will not die by its effects but perhaps we will die of fright or shock to see ourselves. May the Virgin forgive me if I do not explain it the way it is, but I am trying to tell you … after knowing what the Warning will be like that day.
Q. Did you ‘see ‘or ‘hear ‘about the Warning?
A. The Virgin told me of its coming.
Q. If the Warning only lasts a short time, will the world remember it as coming from God or will it only appear to have been a dream or an illusion?
A. I have never said that the Warning will be a short moment. What I have said is that even if it were a moment it will be very impressive and terrible. No one will have doubts of it being from God, and of its not being human. I, who know what it is, am very much afraid of that day.
Q. Many years ago you told us the event of the Warning begins with the letter “A”. Since Our Lady never told you not to reveal it, can you now mention it?
A. She did not forbid it, but I don’t know why I haven’t said it and I don’t feel as though I should say it now. Q. You once said to Fr. Marcelino Andreu, (When you see the Warning you will know we have opened up the end of time.”
Can you explain what you meant by this?
A. The Virgin told us that the Warning and Miracle will be the last warnings or public spectaculars that God will give us. This is why I believe that after them we will be near the end of time.
Q. Do you have any words of advice for the people in order that they might prepare for this event?
A. We must always be prepared for our souls in peace and not tie ourselves down so much to this world. Instead, we must think very often that we are here to go to heaven and to be saints. In August, 1980, Conchita was again interviewed as follows:
Q. It (the Warning) is not going to hurt you?
A. No. To me, it’s like two stars… that crash and make a lot of noise and a lot of light but they don’t fall… It’s something that’s not going to hurt us but we’re going to see it. In that moment, we’re going to see our conscience. You’re going to see everything wrong that you’re doing.
Q. You ‘re going to see everything wrong that you are doing?
A. Yes. And you’re going to see the good that you’re not doing.
(More Garabandal interviews in the next columns. Please share these with your beloved family members and friends.)
