The Apparitions of the Santísima Virgen María en San Sebastián de Garabandal
Chapter 339
Conversion of P. Manuel Muela, pastor of Vega de Liébana.
Our Lady of Garabandal
has healed my addiction to smoking in a single day.
Father Manuel Muela with Santiago Lanús
and Sonia (mother of Santiago)
Fr. Manuel Muela, always with his cassock, is pastor of Vega de Liébana and 22 parishes (2011). Vega de Liebana belongs to the region of Liebana, Cantabria, Spain, in the Cantabrian Mountains, the foothills of the Picos de Europa.
Fr. Manuel Muela says:
The regeneration of the Catholic faith in my family and household level was due to the Virgin of Garabandal. I have 48 years (interview, 2009), was born on April 16, 1961, the day of Santo Toribio de Liebana in Salcedo, Piélagos valley near Torrelavega. I am the eldest of four children, three brothers and one sister (the smallest), all married.
I (father Manuel, manolo) am a son of Rosa Maria, who kept the faith in my family. On January 12, 1986 was my conversion, the 9th Thursday, I felt a very large fustracción and dissatisfaction. I took a crucifix from a drawer of my father Manuel and carried it with me.
The crucifix was in size as the palm of the hand as one of the missionary, but smaller, and was with me always. On January 6, 1986 I lost my great companion. I did not pray, nor went to the Mass and I did not live the religion. With this concern, I visited Mercedes in Astillero, village near Santander, who told me about Garabandal. It was shining a light in my heart, this afternoon in her apartment. Mercedes had a great devotion to Our Lady of Garabandal, I said to her: I have lost my crucifix.
Mercedes said: "Manolin, every second Sunday of the month I'm going to Garabandal, Thursday January 9, you'll go to Garabandal and you must find the crucifix there," I believed it firmly. I said, I will go and I went alone in my car. The commitment to Isabel, my girlfriend, set aside. At home, God was in my soul, I was crying like a Magdaleno.
I realized that the loss of the Crucifix was like the loss of Christ, this is to miss the north of my life. I lost God, I lost everything. I felt rotten, empty. I slept in a room with my brother who was not married, and all night I had a bitter tears.
I remembered what Mercedes told me to go to Garabandal, and that Thursday was healthy. We had a game of chess, championship, but that Sunday will end soon and I lost the game, my thought was to go as quickly and alone to Garabandal. There, alone, nobody knew me and I was hearing mass. About one in the afternoon, finished the Mass, watching all, an old priest confessing, saw me and said, What are you doing here boy?. But still I did not confess.
I met Pepe Diez, while eating, and I hoped to find the light, then went to the Viacrucis, but could not pray, when finished, a lady asked me: Why did you come?, I said, I'm looking for God. Miguel González Gay prayed a beautiful meditation, and did an allusion in the fourth station: "The Lord speaks of a soul, here, there is a soul that I love but he can not say: have mercy on me! . I, am Mercy, I say to him: break your ties with the past and I will put you in the hands of Mary your mother and you wil be free".
I trembled when I got to kiss a crucifix, as half an hour later, I heard the recording of the Viacrucis. I felt the forgiveness of my sins I have confessed shortly thereafter. I left the village with great joy. Then I did not went to confession, but I intended to do and found the crucifix, that is Jesus Christ. Over time I also found the lost crucifix. Merry and happy, did the hour and a half way back to home.
The following month, Isabel, my girlfriend, had a bitter struggle for putting me away from this environment. She had no faith and was determined to take me out of this group of Prayer. In February did not go to Garabandal, in March I went and I confessed with the Priest of Bilbao, made a confession as complete as possible on March 9, 1986, there was the group of prayer of Padre Pio. I learned to pray, to rebuild my life.
This group was very religious, and had much peace again, but on June 10 had an internal division because of my girlfriend. God wanted me to be a good Christian, but that woman no, the demon took advantage of it. I think now, Isabel, is quite changed, I prayed for her at the seminar.
My mother doubted about Garabandal, she thought it might be a secta, she was confused, and told me to leave this place which could be dangerous. Isabel thought like my mother. My mother told me: "If that's true I want to see facts, the first stop smoking". I smoked 2 to 3 packages of cigarettes with ease. That night I went for cigaretts at a bar and I started praying in my room. I stopped smoking, praying on my knees, but suddenly I felt no urge to smoke, throwed cigarettes out the window. I continued to pray, I lay down, clearly felt the presence of the Virgin, I felt She was there, I felt movement in the chest and lungs with a great peace and great joy for the good: "I was healing by the Virgin Mary, I was happy."
Getting better breathing, coughing before, not now, out of my mouth something bitter that came from the throat and I prayed with the joy of the presence of the Blessed Virgin. I was as tied up in bed. After an hour and a half, I said to the Virgin Mary: let me sleep!. So it was and then I got up, I told my parents: "Mom, the Virgin did the miracle." I heard my parents say: "our son is unhealthy," but I went back to bed. More and better breathing, lungs, oxygenates, quite a contrast. The next day I was mowing grass as if I were floating and I'm not tired. I quit smoking. I told my father Manuel: "Dad, is not by chance!, This is from God, the Virgin of Garabandal, the Virgin gave mom this proof." I told my priest of Opus Dei, Jose Luis, he said go to the doctor, but I said, I am quite sure I'm cured, I will not.
My mother was convinced, then there were more conversions, she stopped at Canary's aunt, my mother said, Pili is useless, all the ashtrays are empty and it was messy and now changed, here the Virgin gave me this proof. It was a June 10, after in the winter months, December 9, everything seemed wrong to Isabel, my girlfriend, I went to Adoration in Torrelavega, 8 or 10 miles, and came home.
She phoned, my girlfriend, and we talked for two hours. She wanted to return to her old ways. At 5 AM, I saw the face of Jesus in a picture crying. In the right eye a tear formed. "The Lord crying?, It is that He wants me to Him. I went three days to Garabandal and told Dad, I put a tent at the Pines.
I had a dream before, where I was said: "December 13, Saturday, that little time is left!". I went to Garabandal to do three days of fasting and prayer, to break with the past. The night 12 to December 13 I spoke with the Virgin, I prayed, I told Her on my knees all my life, I spent hours in the Church with the Blessed Sacrament. About midnight, the night in the tent, amid the pines, came a very loud air, lit up all around, color orange, then I thought that air and that light is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's presence.
Just after Christmas I received a phone call from a lady of Barcelona who said, "Our Lady tells me you're going to be a priest." I said, just want to live a good Christian marriage. But a process started in my inner vocation, I felt the call clear, without words, and the need to devote myself to be a priest. I made regular visits to my pastor, he gave me to discern certain criteria and it grew light, I went to two or three times to Fatima. The Lord called me, I told Don José Luis, my pastor.
Finally I went to the rector of the Seminary, Carlos Osoro, now Archbishop of Valencia, I explained everything. Don Carlos loves me very much, he let me go to Garabandal, I never had any problems with this, nor with Don Juan Antonio del Val, Bishop of Santander. Don Carlos always helped me in my secret desire: my frequent visits to Garabandal, then I entered the seminary, and for six years studying philosophy and theology.
Always I went to Garabandal to pray to the Virgin there frequently, seeking to spread the perfume of the Virgin, as it stood there in Garabandal, to expect future generations, "one is me." My grandmother Juana then was my great companion in Garabandal. My father had a great conversion. Then my brother, a social leader and leader of a band, went to the disaster, but had an amazing conversion in Garabandal.
The people are silent now because my brother is now an example to all as a father and husband and social charisma. Josefina, the writer, knows my brother. Her husband was a doctor and a witness, was a highly accredited doctor. In her 88 years, Josefina has great clarity. Garabandal is wonderful and I do pilgrimages, walking to Peña Sagra and Garabandal, from Vega de Liebana, about 7 hours away.
You can do much good telling people of these Appearances, is an inheritance from God.
Fr. Manuel Muela.
A. M. D. G. et B. M. V.
Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam et Beatae Mariae Virginis
A Mayor Gloria de Dios y de la Bienaventurada Virgen María.