In the Church we have private revelation, or messages from God from sources that the faithful can either accept or reject. Although these revelations are not necessary to salvation they can stimulate or arouse our faith. That goes well with Advent which is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus, not only remembering when he came to us as a baby, but for Christ’s second coming at the end of time as we heard in the Gospel.
One such private revelation comes from Conchita who is one of four visionaries from Garabandal, Spain. One of the messages she was entrusted by Our Lady was that a warning that is directly from God is coming. No one can escape it.
Conchita told us that the Warning will be like “two heavenly bodies or stars colliding that make a lot of noise and a lot of light, but they don’t fall.” We are going to see it. It will horrify us because at that very moment we will see our souls and the harm we have done. In that moment we are going to see our conscience, everything wrong that we have done, and the good we are not doing. It will be visible all over the world. We will feel it bodily and interiorly.
Some say the warning will be like a second Pentecost for the Church. The Holy Spirit will come, to establish the glorious reign of Christ – a reign of grace, holiness, love, of justice and of peace. With His divine love, the Holy Spirit will open the doors of hearts and illuminate all consciences so that every person will see himself in the burning fire of divine truth. It will be like a judgment in miniature. And then Jesus Christ will bring His glorious reign in the world.
All of this imagery is incredibly similar to the Gospel we heard today. And the prophesy of the warning comes from many sources. For example, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (beatified in 1920 as a model of women and mothers) spoke of a great chastisement which would come to the world before which there would be an illumination of the conscience of men by which suddenly everyone would see themselves as God sees them. She indicated that this illumination of conscience would result in the saving of many souls because many would repent as a result of this "Warning" . . . this miracle of "self-illumination."
Apparently, Padre Pio experienced the warning, and many others testify to this private revelation. It does not tell us anything new, it just excites in us a desire for conversion and a longing for the coming of God’s kingdom. It encourages us to stay awake, praying that we may have confidence to stand before the Son of Man.
Remember, you don’t have to believe such private revelations. But according to the visionaries the warning is supposed to happen very soon. So, stay awake! Let us prepare our hearts well this Advent.