Why all the recent interest in Garabandal?
The apparitions of both Saint Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin Mary took place in 1961. So why the increasing level of interest in these apparitions today?
Perhaps it lies in the fact that so much of what we took for granted in the world has recently been turned upside down.
Things just don’t seem quite right compared to the world of just a few years back. For example:
Covid-19 response:
In some countries churches were closed under the guise of “preventing the spread” of Covid, but bars and clubs providing so called “adult entertainment” have remained open. Meanwhile economies have been destroyed (although the pharmaceutical companies seem to have done quite well), families torn apart and people live in irrational fear (ever seen a person driving in a car, alone, with a mask on?). Australia set up “internment camps” for those with Covid-19, in England people have been arrested for holding an outside church service…….and we could go on and on.
Destruction of traditional Christianity:
Sexual Deviation is being normalized and even encouraged, both by certain governments as well as the entertainment industry……especially to vulnerable young children. Drag shows in public venues have become all too common in many cities and towns….all in the name of being “inclusive”.
The U.S. now issues passports for non-binary people….you don’t have to declare yourself male or female. And, in many states you can change the sex assigned at birth on your birth certificate.
They want you to “follow the science” but not when it comes to physical anatomy, apparently.
Socialism and Marxism are promoted as ideals, even though there is no evidence that either has ever worked. You cannot find a single example of where socialism has worked. Perhaps because people are so poorly educated that they cannot even define socialism. The basic definition of socialism is that people have private property, but the government owns the means of production (factories, farms, etc.) Countries such as Sweden are held up as examples where socialism works…..but Sweden is not Socialist…you can read this article from a former President of Sweden.
In the U.S. racism is raising its head in the form of “anti-racism”, which is in itself a form of racism, since everything is seen through the prism of skin color.
Attacks on the family: everything from our schools to our society aim to diminish the importance of the family. The family unit is the basis of society and therefore is the first target of the Devil. The United Nations and the European Court seem inclined to view your children as theirs, not yours. And it goes on and on.
Abortion has become a Sacrament to some: killing of the unborn is the rallying cry for many as life is continually de-valued. How ad it is to watch the 2024 U.S. elections, where many abortion restrictions were voted down. Of course, many European countries have already progressed further down that path.
Division within the Church: Even within the Church there is division: why did Pope Benedict XVI resign? Why do not more priests and bishops speak out against the sin of abortion? Why does the Vatican some times seem to embrace ideologies not in keeping with Catholic beliefs? Why do many Catholics not believe in the True Presence of the Eucharist? Why did the U.S. elect a nominally Catholic president who promotes abortion?
Why was the Bishop of Tyler, Texas removed by Pope Francis in November 2023?
The list goes on and on with no end in sight. We are not defeatist...we realize that God is in charge…but we do look for trends that will help us discern the messages given at Garabandal.
War in Europe and the Middle East: The war in Ukraine goes on, although the news has now taken a back seat to the ongoing war in Gaza, which could easily widen to involve the U.S. in a “third world war”.
So what has this to do with Garabandal?
It is no surprise that people are beginning to think that these things cannot continue and that we are approaching a time when God will intervene in a way similar to what has been foretold by the children in Garabandal. Of course, this is not unique to Garabandal, since others have predicted such events as well.
The visionaries of Garabandal were told of a world-wide warning (an illumination of conscience for everyone) and, within a year of that warning, a miracle to be left in the pines of Garabandal….a physical sign to be seen around the world.
Within the context of such an unsettled world, people are expecting the warning of Garabandal to take place very soon. Note that Mari Loli, who knows the date of the miracle, said it would be “within the same year“. So is that a mis-translation, a mis-understanding, or is that correct?
Could this be the year?
We have no idea, but the miracle is supposed to occur during the lifetime of one of the visionaries, Conchita, who is now in her 70’s. So obviously we need to stay aware of the signs.and it is useful to point out that often times prophecies don’t seem to make sense until after they occur, and when we look back we say “of course, now I understand”.
Garabandal: A warning and prophecy for our time?
An American president, Ronald Reagan, talking about nuclear disarmament with the Soviet Union, said “Trust, but verify”. This is not a bad policy to follow when evaluating the various stories about Garabandal and the prophecies. Every year we see a lot of interest in Garabandal, especially early in the year, since the miracle is supposed to occur in March, April or May. The world-wide warning is to occur prior to this, then we could be on the cusp of that event.
Having visited Garabandal many times, and talked to the villagers, we are believers in the sincerity of the villagers and the overall message of Garabandal. But that does not blind us to reality, so we with so many interviews given by the visionaries realize it is possible through mis-translation or otherwise, that the details and timeline of the events can become blurred.
You have to remember that these were simple village children with little knowledge of the outside world…there was no internet or other communication available to them and Garabandal was a tiny hamlet miles from what anyone would even consider a village. And their parents were simple as well. One day back in the 1990’s (we can’t remember exactly when) we happened to be in Garabandal when a helicopter landed….and the whole village was in an uproar because they had never seen a helicopter before! So to think that these people suddenly made up the apparitions and their message is just too incredulous to imagine.
And, of course, there were many witnesses to the events of Garabandal…..including skeptics, who went away believing in the apparitions.
Setting the record straight about Garabandal:
As the Bible says in 1st Thessalonians: “Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good.” Prophecies can be confusing in their interpretation. It has been said “It would not be a prophecy if we knew ahead of time its exact meaning, and if we could guess the right date of its happening.”
Garabandal was a sleepy village in 1961 when reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary (preceded by Saint Michael the Archangel) to four young girls took place. Important messages for the world were also given to the girls at that time. Not that long ago…and yet the messages or apparitions have not been approved, nor disapproved, by the Church.
The “bottom line” from what we understand is:
1. A worldwide warning where everyone sees their soul as God sees it (an illumination of conscience).
2. A miraculous sign to be left at the Pines here in Garabandal within 12 months of the warning. Mari Loli is quoted as saying “within the same year“, so we are not sure which is correct.
3. A final chastisement if mankind does not repent.
For a more detailed look at the prophecies of Garabandal, check out our page here.
