The Bigger View: Our Lady of Fatima

Fifth Sunday after Easter
(Mother's Day)
J.M.J.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA
(an 8.5 x 14 folded brochure - 5 cents ea.)
Taken from http://olrl.org/prophecy/fatima.shtml

We celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13th. On this day in
1917, Our Lady made her first appearance to three shepherd children, Jacinta
(age 7), Francisco (age 9) and Lucia (age 10), at Fatima in Portugal. She
appeared to them once a month from May through October. The lives of the
three children of Fatima were entirely transformed by the heavenly
apparitions. While fulfilling the duties of their state with the greatest
fidelity, those children seemed now to live only for prayer and sacrifice,
which they offered in a spirit of reparation to obtain peace and the
conversion of sinners. They deprived themselves of water during the periods
of great heat; they gave their lunch to poor children; they wore around
their waists thick cords that even drew blood; they abstained from innocent
pleasures and urged one another to the practice of prayer and penance with
an ardor comparable to that of the great saints.

A SURE MEANS OF SALVATION

Our Lady communicated with Lucia, the oldest of the three children, in her
six monthly appearances. She asked the Blessed Virgin Mary to take them to
Heaven. "Yes," Our Lady answered, "I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon.
You, however, are to stay here a longer time. Jesus wants to use you to make
me known and loved. He wants to establish the devotion to my Immaculate
Heart in the world. I promise salvation to those who embrace it and their
souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn His throne".

There are three principal practices of devotion which Our Lady has requested
in honor of her Immaculate Heart: the First Saturday of the month, the Five
First Saturdays, and the Consecration of Russia. They bear a marked
similarity to the devotions in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The practice of the First Saturdays - It consists of the following
exercises, performed with the intention of consoling the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, and making reparation to it for all the outrages and blasphemies of
which it is the object on the part of ungrateful Christians: 1. the Rosary;
2. Communion of Reparation.

The practice of the Five First Saturdays - In addition to the two exercises
already mentioned, the following two are added on the first Saturday of five
consecutive months: 3. go to confession; 4. keep the company of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary by meditating for a quarter of an hour on the
mysteries of the Rosary. These two must be offered in reparation to the
Immaculate Heart . The meditation may be on one or several mysteries.

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary - Our Lady asked that Russia be
consecrated to her Immaculate Heart and Lucia, one of the seers, has
explained that Our Lady wants the Pope and all the bishops of the world to
do this on one special day. If this is done She will convert Russia and
there will be peace . . .

The Consecration has not been done as Our Lady requested. After a lecture at
St. Peter's Church in New York City on January 27, 1988, the following
request was made of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI: "Your
Eminence, I would like you to ask the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, to
consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, immediately and in union
with all the bishops in the world." He replied: "I know it has to be
done!"... This response is proof the Consecration has not been done.
Cardinals Stickler, Gagnon, and Mayer have also conceded that Our Lady of
Fatima's requested consecration of Russia has never been fulfilled. So we
must appeal to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to obtain for Our Holy Father
the Pope and the bishops of the world the graces to make this consecration
of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, just as she has requested, so that Russia
will be converted, so that we will have true peace in the world, and we will
have the Reign of Mary and the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

Lucia relates that on June 13th, 1917, after speaking at length about her
Immaculate Heart, Our Lady of Fatima again stretched forth her hands,
throwing on the children the rays of that immense light in which they saw
themselves as if immersed in God . . . The Blessed Virgin held in her right
hand a Heart surrounded by thorns, which pierced it from all sides. The
seers understood that it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, afflicted by all
the sins of the world, which demanded penance and reparation. "It seems to
me," said Lucia, "that on that day, the purpose of the light was to pour
into us a special knowledge and love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as on
other occasions it infused into us the knowledge and love of God, and the
mystery of the Blessed Trinity."

Jacinta seems to have received "a special light to understand intimately and
in detail the meanings of these heavenly revelations." Before leaving for
the hospital in 1919, she said to Lucia: "I am going soon to heaven. You
will remain still on earth to make known to men that the Lord wishes to
spread in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When you have
to speak about it, you will no longer have to hide yourself! Proclaim openly
to the whole world that: It is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that God
wishes to grant us His graces! It is from this Immaculate Heart that we must
ask for them! The Heart of Jesus wishes the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be
venerated with His own! It is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary that
peace must be asked, because it is to that Heart that the Lord has confided
it. How I love the Immaculate Heart of Mary! It is the Heart of Our Heavenly
Mother! Oh! If only I could put into all hearts the fire I feel in my own,
which makes me love the Hearts of Jesus and Mary so much!"

To remind the three children of their special vocation and to inspire them
to greater fervor and courage for the future, Our Lady said: "Sacrifice
yourself for sinners and say often, especially when you make some sacrifice,
'My Jesus, it is for the love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in
reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.' "

In each of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, she insisted on praying
the Rosary. "Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world." Lucia
often repeated and emphasized what Our Lady had first recommended to her:
"Yes, she wishes people to recite the Rosary; people must recite the
Rosary." Our Lady asked them to add after each decade the short prayer: "Oh
my Jesus forgive us our sins; save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls
to heaven especially those most in need of Thy mercy." In the final
apparition on October 13, 1917, Our Lady silently held out the scapular (the
brown scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel). Lucia had said that the Blessed
Mother wants everyone to wear it: "The Scapular and the Rosary are
inseparable."

Lucia spoke to Our Lady of the sick who had been recommended to her. "Yes, I
shall cure some of them within the year." But she went on teaching them to
pray rather for the health of souls than of bodies. "Pray! Pray a great deal
and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to Hell for not having
someone to pray and make sacrifices for them."

Lucia asked Our Lady about two girls who used to come to her house that had
recently died. "Is little Maria Das Neves, who died recently, in Heaven?"
"Yes, she is in Heaven." . . . "and Amelia?" "She will be in Purgatory till
the end of the world."

Our Lady predicted that God would work a great miracle on October 13, 1917
to prove the authenticity of the apparitions. A tremendous prodigy happened
on that day just as Our Lady had promised. For four minutes, the noontime
sun spun around giving off various colors, one after the other. If a person
at Fatima that day had on a white shirt -- it would turn red, green and blue
as the sun spun around. It stopped and started again for four more minutes,
this time giving off even more beautiful colors. Then it stopped again. Then
it started again. This time it detached itself from its regular position and
began to zigzag in the sky. It "danced" for about four minutes, then started
to plummet to the earth. It looked like it was the end of the world. Many
people fell on their knees to ask for mercy of God. The sun then returned to
its original position in the sky. It was witnessed by over 70,000 people who
all, both believers and unbelievers, came away acknowledging that a great
miracle had occurred. Several learned men present testified: "I have seen it
but I cannot explain it."

BLESSED FRANCISCO'S DEATH

Francisco was struck down by the well-known Spanish influenza in December,
1918. The little patient suffered for several months always devout, and
faithful to his Rosary which he recited eight or nine times a day. When he
no longer had the strength to pronounce the words he said them mentally. He
was extremely ill and some of the medicines he had to take were not
particularly agreeable. "Yet he would take any medicine we gave him," his
mother said. "He never fussed. I could never find out what he liked. If I
gave him a glass of milk, he took it; and when I gave him an egg, he sucked
it. Poor child! He took any bitter medicine without making a face. This gave
us hope that he would recover, but he always repeated that it was useless
since Our Lady was going to come for him. He knew well what was in store for
him." On Thursday, April 3rd 1919, he made his First Communion on his
death-bed, all radiant with happiness. On the following day , Friday, April
4th, at 10 o'clock in the evening, he died the death of the elect, with a
smile on his lips. He was ten years and nine months old.

Jacinta was attacked by the Spanish plague almost at the same time as her
brother Francisco. She too spoke of nothing else than of reciting the Rosary
and offering sacrifices for sinners. Towards the end of January, 1920,
Jacinta was taken to Lisbon to be operated upon for a persistent lung
infection. There she immediately impressed all by her candor, her modesty,
her great patience, her perfect submission, her continued prayer and ardent
love for Holy Communion which she received every day except when prevented
by illness. Many doctors came to examine Jacinta; their only thought was of
science and medicine. They discounted the influence God might have on the
condition of the patient. The little girl did not hesitate to set them
straight on the matter, pointing out the cause of their frequent failures.
"Pity doctors. They have no idea what awaits them. Doctors do not know how
to treat patients with success because they have no love for God."

The Blessed Virgin continued to encourage this heroic virtue by her
apparitions. One day, when Mother Godinho, Superior of the orphanage, came
to see her, Jacinta asked her quite naturally: "Could you come back a little
later? I am expecting the Blessed Virgin any minute!" The effects of these
visits from heaven manifested themselves not only in the supernatural wisdom
of the child's words, but also in her predictions. Mother Godinho one day
asked Senhora Olimpia, Jacinta's mother, during a visit to the Orphanage:
"Would you like your daughters Florinda and Teresa to enter the religious
life?" "Heavens no!" that honest and uncomplicated woman exclaimed, and the
discussion seemed at an end. A little while later, however, Jacinta, who had
heard none of the conversation between the women, confided to Mother Godinho
with great seriousness: "Our Lady would like my sisters to be nuns, although
my mother would not approve. That is why she will take them both to heaven
before very long." If this was an "irresponsible" attempt at prophecy it
proved amazingly accurate, since shortly after Jacinta's own death her
sisters, Florinda, seventeen, and Teresa, one year younger, followed her to
the grave.

One of the doctors who attended her in Lisbon asked her to recommend him to
the Blessed Virgin when she went to heaven. Jacinta promised to do so; and
then looking at the doctor she said to him: "You will follow me soon!" To
another doctor, who recommended himself and his daughter to her prayers, she
promised to pray for them and added: "You will follow me soon; first your
daughter and then yourself!" These predictions, as well as several others,
were fulfilled to the letter.

What ardor did not this child of ten preach amendment of life, not only to
sinners, but also to faithful souls! How she insisted on flight from sin,
the practice of the Christian virtues and penance! "Oh!" she said to the
Superioress of the Orphanage in Lisbon, "if men only knew what eternity is,
how they would make all possible efforts to amend their lives! Dear
Godmother (she addressed the Superioress in this way), mortification and
sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord! Oh! Fly luxury! Fly
riches! Love holy poverty and silence. Be very charitable even towards the
wicked! Never speak evil of anyone and avoid those who do. Be very patient
because patience leads to heaven. Pray much for sinners! Pray much for
priests, for Religious, for Governments! The sins of the world are too
great! The sins which lead most souls to hell are sins of the flesh! Certain
fashions are going to be introduced which will offend Our Lord very much.
Those who serve God should not follow these fashions. The Church has no
fashions; Our Lord is always the same. Many marriages are not good; they do
not please Our Lord and are not of God. . . . Oh! Men must do penance! If
they amend their lives Our Lord will still pardon the world; but if they do
not, the chastisement will come! Priests should occupy themselves only with
the affairs of the Church! They must be pure, very pure." Mother Godinho
asked her: "Do you know what it means to be pure?" "Yes, Yes. I know to be
pure in body means to be chaste, to be pure in mind means not to commit
sins; not to look at what one should not see, not to steal or lie, and
always to speak the truth, even if it is hard. The disobedience of priests
and of religious to their Superiors and to the Holy Father offends Our Lord
very much! If Government left the Church in peace and liberty to our holy
religion, they would be blessed by God. Our Lady said that there are many
wars and discords in the world. Wars are only punishments for the sins of
the world. She stated that she could not stay the arm of her Beloved Son
upon the world anymore. It is necessary to do penance. If people amend
themselves, Our Lord shall still come to the aid of the world. If they do
not amend themselves, punishment shall come."

When Jacinta was at the orphanage in Lisbon, before she was sent to the
hospital, she spent every possible moment in the chapel kneeling with her
eyes riveted on the tabernacle. Seeing people in church being irreverent
toward the Blessed Sacrament upset her greatly. She stated that Our Lady
does not want us to talk in church. One day she heard visitors discussing
faults of a certain priest who had been forbidden to say Mass. Jacinta began
to weep for sorrow and she said people should not talk about priests but
they should rather pray for them.

BLESSED JACINTA'S DEATH

February 20th came. Jacinta seemed about the same; she might last a few more
days, she might go any moment. About six o'clock in the evening the child
said she was not feeling well and she wanted to receive the last rites of
the Church. A priest was called, heard her confession and promised to bring
her Communion in the morning. Jacinta asked him to bring it immediately but
he could see no reason for alarm. She insisted that she was to die shortly.
At ten-thirty, she died peacefully without having her wish fulfilled. She
had just turned ten years old. The news of the child's death spread fast
through the city and crowds flocked to the church to see the body.

The undertaker testified that he never before nor after had a case like
Jacinta's. "It seems to me that I can still today see the little angel. Laid
in the casket she seemed to be still alive, in her full beauty with rosy
cheeks and lips. I have seen many bodies in my business, young and old.
Never did a thing of this sort happen to me before nor since." The pleasant
aroma that exhaled from her body cannot be explained. The worst unbeliever
could not question it . . . Though the child had been dead three days, the
aroma was like a bouquet of flowers.

Fifteen years after Jacinta's death, her body was transferred to the
cemetery of Fatima. When her casket was opened on this occasion her little
body was still whole and incorrupt.

It is hoped that everyone who reads this article will become most serious
about their salvation by practicing the prayers, devotions and penitential
life as prescribed by Our Lady and Blessed Jacinta.

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Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
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