Words of wisdom from Pope John Paul I. Even though his Pontificate was short , he did leave us with a wonderful quote that immediately reminded me of something Mary said at Garabandal. He said: "What a mistake those who do not hope make! Judas made a huge blunder the day in which he sold Christ for 30 denarii, but he made an even bigger one when he thought that his sin was too great to be forgiven. No sin is too big: any wretchedness, however great, can always be enclosed in infinite mercy." Reminds me of a part of Mary's 2nd message at Garabandal: 2nd message:June 18, 1965-- " You should turn the wrath of God away from yourselves by your efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. "
Why yes ! Funny you should ask....... TODAY IN GARABANDAL HISTORY: SEPTEMBER 29, 1967 In the evening of the Feast of St. Michael, Conchita, preferring not to join this group in prayer, rather climbed up to the Pines with a few other persons. While the visionary and her friends knelt down in prayer, a star rose and remained above them during their whole prayer! Excerpt from 'Garabandal' Book, J. Serre, page 214
I forgot to post this today, a wonderful story: LUNCH WITH CONCHITA . September 29, 2012 I had the extraordinary blessing today of having a long lunch with Conchita, and learning some invaluable life lessons. I wrote down alot on napkins to be accurate. The first was, I talked to her in general terms about the Warning ( because so many people are concerned and worried about it, I never discuss dates ). Her advice was amazingly simple and profound ! She said " Have faith and do not worry. If you have faith, you have everything ! " , Pray and don’t worry “. Her concise advice demonstrates how to live a simple happy life. (sounds like she got some advice from Padre Pio). God bless her and her example to us. Lunch lesson#2. We were discussing how so many people are going to psychiatrists, or take drugs or drink to fight lonliness, and she said " Do people realize how lucky they are, that there are churches everywhere, where God is waiting to talk to them ? " Lunch lesson#3. We talked about how the world's perception of happiness is linked to consumerism. Here is her idea of "happiness". She said (I'm paraphrasing) If you seek money, money is not happiness, if you seek health, it is not happiness, if you seek Heaven, Heaven IS Happiness ! Lunch Lesson#4. On the topic of how to pray. We talked about how to "ask" God for help with a particular intention. We tend to " tell him " what we want, instead of realizing he already knows what we want, or really need. We have to learn to submit ourselves to his will, trusting in him and he will provide what we truly need, and what we need to do to draw ourselves closer to him. I know I'm as guilty as the next guy that "thinks I know what’s best for me ". I am still learning how to completely trust God in everything, don't feel bad, I'm a work in progress too,lol. Lunch lesson#5. Suffering . Who wants it ?? You know when you're in the presence of a true holy person when they embrace suffering, almost joyfully. Padre Pio said "if you knew the value of suffering, you'd never give it up ". I listened on how she described the purpose of suffering, and "taking up your cross" has so much spiritual value, we truly don't comprehend it sometimes. We talked about there is so much cancer in the world, and the suffering it brings, and again there was a simple profound thought ,is it possible the illness is allowed by God, and maybe this person will actually benefit from the illness by bringing them closer to God then they would have ever been. Lets face it, when you are really sick ,what is the first thing you think about ,praying to get well ! I can tell you from experience, having to have had two surgeries in December of 2023 to remove a cancerous tumor from my kidney ,and go back for a second operation to repair damaged veins still bleeding, I never had prayed for God and Jesus to be closer to me and heal me than at that time. It’s humbling. Her little story was simple, inspiring ,and brilliant. She said (again I’m paraphrasing the long story), There was a sheep herder, who each day would tend to his flock, and each day one of his sheep would run toward the edge of a mountain cliff, and almost fall over. Each day he would pull him back, but the sheep "wanted to run toward the edge of the cliff". Finally the Sheepherder decided to break a leg on the sheep, well knowing this was painful, and would prevent the sheep from walking. Each day though, he would pick up the sheep and carry it on his shoulders as he went out into the field. This allowed the sheep to still be outside, but more importantly the two of them bonded and became closer because the sheep was dependant on the herder. The herder knew that this the right thing to do, even though I’m sure it was not what the sheep wanted, but in the end, he healed, walked again , and the two were closer than ever. I never looked at suffering again the same way. I offer it up daily and ask God to draw me closer to him, for he knows best. - Glenn.
THIS DAY IN GARABANDAL HISTORY : OCTOBER 1, 1961: "THE BLESSED VIRGIN TOLD ME ONE THING . . . MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL YOU [DON VALENTIN] HAVE WRITTEN UNTIL NOW." First day and also first Sunday of the "month of the Holy Rosary" Conchita, at the end of a nocturnal ecstasy, told Don Valentin that she had just learned something from the Blessed Virgin which was far more important than anything that the pastor of Garabandal had been able to note until now. It dealt almost certainly with the future conversion of Protestants or Anglicans, according to what Conchita herself told Placido Ruiloba at that time: "Why do you criticize the Protestants, since 'soon' [better said 'without delay' ('pronto'), since that Spanish word does not in effect mean necessarily 'soon,' but rather the fact that an event will occur 'fast and unhindered'], we will be reunited (or "ONE" - comunes)". Our Lady would reveal gradually to the visionary the first element of a future "major Church event," that is, "the perfect Unity of all Christians at last being accomplished, the very "reunification of Churches" in the Unique Church of Christ! True she began revealing it, one might reasonably think, through the deceased Padre Luis, from August 15, 1961 on other people there. Kind of a prophetic preview and experience of the future worldwide AVISO? [The Warning]. As to Maximo Foerschler, a German engineer and a fervent Protestant, he went to San Sebastian de Garabandal for the first time on the 13th of October 1961. Later he was to return there many times. The Blessed Virgin said of him to the visionaries, that "he believes in God, but little in Me. He will believe . . .". Effectively, that is what was to happen. Very quickly convinced of the supernatural authenticity of Garabandal when he was still a Protestant, Mr. Foerschler would eventually write his testimony in a remarkable document addressed to Msgr. Beitia Aldazabal. Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, J. Serre, pages 105-106 [Photo] Pastor Don Valentin
How special it is when a Protestant converts to the True Faith. They usually prove to be most fervent! Would that lukewarm Catholics take note and follow the example of such converts!
Joey meets Padre Pio. ( Padre Pio restores his sense of smell, after his accident ) Feb. 18, 1963 Story told by Joey Lomangino. Feb. 18, 1963- “When I had my injury in 1947, I not only lost my eyes but I lost my sense of smell. So when I knelt down to receive Padre Pio’s blessing, and got the fragrance of roses that came from the wounds in his hands, I was startled and went against the wall with my arms up to protect myself; I didn’t know what it was. Padre Pio pulled down my hand and said in Italian, “Joey, don’t be afraid.” He then touched me on the bridge of my nose and my sense of smell was restored to me after being without it from the day of my accident in June 1947, which was 16 years.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those of you who don't know about Joey's accident, here a quick recap. On June 27 of 1947, Joey Lomangino, age 16, was struck in the face by the exploding steel rim of a truck tire he was trying to fill using a defective air pressure gauge. The explosion knocked him out, shattering his blue eyes and crushing the bones around his eye sockets and forehead. The steel rim severed his optic and olfactory nerves and lodged against his frontal cortex. Knocked unconscious, Joey would lay in a hospital bed for two weeks in a coma on the edge of death. On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16 of 1947, by a true miracle he awoke to a darkness that could not be lifted. On that fateful day, Joey came to learn he had lost his eyesight and sense of smell. His life had been spared but the doctors pronounced him totally and incurably blind.
THE SUN DANCES AT GARABANDAL– October 3, 1972 “ NEEDLES” magazine, Winter 1973 Issue , pages 19,20. By Fr. Joseph A. Pelletier On 3 separate dates in 1972, people witnessed the Sun “dancing” in the skies of Garabandal. On May 24, 1972, June 8, 1972, and October 3, 1972. May 24, 1972 - This happening is first mentioned in the “NEEDLES” (Fall 1972 issue pg.24). The magazine quotes Marita Foley as follows: “On Wednesday May 24, while some 40 of our group were gathered together after the recitation of the rosary, the Salve Regina and other prayers, under the Pines, someone exclaimed “ Look at the Sun !, Look at the Sun ! “ We did so. And to our amazement the sun was spinning in a clock wise direction. ( The event took place at 6:30pm and lasted about a half an hour ). * Sorry picture of the Cross will not load here, too large. It is available on my fb page if you want to see it.
OCTOBER, THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY. It was first mentioned in the First issue of the "NEEDLES" magazine, Winter 1972 issue, page 13, that as far back as anyone can remember ( some say hundreds of years ), there has been a night recitation of the Rosary in the town church. And you wonder why God loves this place and it is called " SACRED " ! Once the girls learned how to do the Rosary, they said it at most all of Mary’s visits! Mary stressed to them to say it" slowly" , and think about the mysteries. And in case you didn’t know, Mary has promised 15 wonderful blessings to those who regularly say a rosary ! Here they are: 1. Those who faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces. 2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary. 3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies. 4. The recitation of the Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish. It will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God. It will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. 5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish. 6. Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. In His justice, God will not chastise them; nor shall they perish by an unprovided death, i.e., be unprepared for heaven. Sinners shall convert. The just shall persevere in grace and become worthy of eternal life. 7. Those who have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church. 8. Those who faithfully recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces. At the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise. 9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary. 10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven. 11. By the recitation of the Rosary you shall obtain all that you ask of me. 12. Those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities. 13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of their death. 14. All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children and the brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ. 15. Devotion for my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
