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The apparitions of

GARABANDAL

BY
F. SANCHEZ-VENTURA Y PASCUAL

Chapter Twelve

CONCLUSIONS

Page 182

said to me: 'Remember what I told you on your saint's day, and when you present yourself before God you must show Him your hands full of good works done by you for the benefit of your brethren and for the Glory of God; and at present your hands are empty.'

   "And that was all. The joyous moment passed when I was with my Mama in Heaven, my best friend, and the Infant Jesus. I saw Them no longer, but I did not cease to feel Them. Once again, They left my soul full of peace, joy and a great desire to overcome my faults and to love with all my strength the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Who love us so much.

   "Earlier, the Blessed Virgin told me that Jesus would not send us the Punishment to harm us, but to help us, and to reprove us for not heeding Him; and the Warning, to purify us to make us see the Miracle through which He shows us the great love that He bears us and, hence, His desire" for us to fulfill the message.

   "We should do our very best for the Glory of God and our Blessed Mother.

   "This is the apparition of November 13th, a Saturday, to Conchita Gonzalez.

P.S. This is not a secret."

   The letter is admirable from start to finish: the naive, childish detail about her chewing-gum; Our Lady's assertion that she has not come for the children's sake, but for that of all mankind, always answering with a smile and not paying too much attention to the visionaries' personal problems (this is a circumstance in favor of the supernatural origin of these events, particularly in the case of Conchita's desire to take the crucifix passed through the Infant Jesus' hands to the convent with her, which was a wily attempt to sound the Blessed Virgin out on a matter that is currently Conchita's cross and prime cause of concern); the visionary's reply to the Blessed Virgin's interest in her children, "all of whom she has beneath her mantle", an ironical sally that brought a smile to Our Lady's lips; Our Blessed Mother's affectionate explanation of why she delivered her message of June 18th through an intermediary, a point which fully reveals the loving kindness with which she treats her children; Conchita's fears of "not living up to the graces which she receives" if she is not fortunate enough to go on seeing the Blessed Virgin, because she considers herself "bad"; Our Lady's promise that she will be attentive to all her children's needs; the fact that Jesus is waiting for us night and day in the tabernacle; and the highly important revelation that this is the last apparition for Conchita at Garabandal, which indicates that the Virgin will

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