Memoirs of a Spanish Country Pastor - 29

Reprinted from GARABANDAL MAGAZINE, April-June 1996

Conchita tells us how the Virgin announced to them at the beginning:

    "To the four of us: Mari Loli, Jacinta, Mari Cruz and myself, the Blessed Virgin told us at the beginning of all this that we would contradict one another. Our parents would oppose us until we all came to deny having seen the Virgin and the angel. Naturally we were very astonished by the words of the Virgin.

    "In February 1963, everything the Virgin had told us at the beginning did come true. We came to contradict one another, even to denying having seen the Virgin. And even one day we confessed it, but in our souls we knew that the angel and the Most Blessed Virgin had appeared to us, for within our souls there was peace, inner joy and the desire to love them even more with all our hearts. In fact, their smiles, their words, everything they were telling us, made us desire them, love them more, and give ourselves to them completely.

    "When we confessed it, we did it without thinking, without believing in sin. We did it because our pastor told us to go to confession, and I don't know why we were doubting a little, but it was a doubt which seemed to come from the devil who wanted us to deny having seen the Virgin.

    "Afterwards, we told our parents that we hadn't seen the Virgin but that we were sure that the 'calls' and the miracle of the visible host had taken place.

    "In my inner self I remained greatly astonished at all that, even while complete peace prevailed in my soul, so sure was I that I had seen the Most Blessed Virgin."
 

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