My bride and I recently watched Garbandal: Only God Knows (2018), a Spanish film on the visions of the Blessed Virgin which purportedly occurred in Garabandal, Spain from 1961-1965. The film is available on Amazon Prime Video. The quality of the film is good, the drama leavened with humor. The Church has not recognized the visions yet, but it is hard not to conclude that some inexplicable events occurred in that small village during the years in question. Wikipedia, surprisingly, has a fairly good entry on the visions. Go here to read it. Three of the four girls are still alive, two of them living in the United States. Below is an interview with Conchita in 1980:
Thank you. I woke up yesterday feeling hopeless & despairing. I’m afraid I’m going to lose my faith. 6 weeks of no sacraments has done me in. My son was supposed to make his confirmation on March 25, but it was cancelled along with everything else.
This movie helped me a little. I’m going to do more research on it.
I’m afraid I’m going to lose my faith.
God is always with us Missy, in good and bad times, and even in absurd times like now.
I keep wanting to see the movie Joyeux Noel. The story of the Prince of Peace’s birthday bringing peace for a moment in the first world war I find comforting, Missy. Our bible class today was going over Hebrews and the author reminds us that we don’t worship a remote, distant God, but one that got down in the muck and blood with us – to suffer through the most painful and dark times like we have to.
He doesn’t just know our pain, He’s experienced it too and He won’t forget us.
Thank you for your replies here and great words of comfort. We need to stay CLOSE to our Brothers and Sisters in order to keep from losing them in despair.
I LOVE the line in the prayer at the end of the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
“ … look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to your Holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen”.