From the month of May to October this year, the Catholic Church is celebrating a momentous occasion- the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. The apparitions of Our Lady in Fátima, Portugal have truly enriched the history of our Catholic faith. More than the supernatural phenomena in these events, the messages of the Blessed Mother, who appeared under the title “The Lady of the Rosary,” are what make these Marian apparitions so much relevant today as they were a century ago.
The central Message of Fatima may be summed up as a call for each one of us to do the following- to pray, specifically, “to say the Rosary every day” to bring peace to the world and to receive graces to overcome sin; to have a devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; to abandon sin, which deeply offends God; and to make sacrifices as an act of repentance and in reparation for the sins of the world, of which we are all part of.
Back in the year 1916, there lived in Fátima, in the small village of Aljustrel, three shepherd children, namely Lúcia Santos, 9, and her cousins Francisco Marto, 8, and his sister Jacinta Marto, 6. An angel, who identified himself as the “Angel of Peace” visited them three times and taught them how to pray and adore God, and the importance of making sacrifices. One year later, in 1917, Our Lady appeared to the three shepherd children together for a total of six times. It all became clear that the Angel served to prepare the hearts and souls of the children to receive the holy presence of Our Lady and the messages she wished to be conveyed to the world.
One hundred years later now, the story of Fatima, its revelations, miracles and the devotion to Our Lady, has indeed spread across the globe. Devotees, far and wide, continue to flock to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Portugal, one of the largest and most visited Marian shrines in the world. There they pray before the canonically crowned statue of Our Lady of Fatima and take part in processions held in her honor.
As Catholics marked the 100th anniversary of the first of the six apparitions on the 13th of May, the Holy Father declared two of the three children seers, Blessed Francisco Marto and Blessed Jacinta Marto, as Saints of the Church. This is the first time in the history of our Church that children who are not martyrs are proclaimed as saints. And this is not simply because they are visionaries of the apparitions. It is because even at such a young age, they showed examples of holiness and virtues both ordinarily and heroically. These children faced some tough opposition, even from their own families, threats and harassment from authorities, and persecution from some community members, which they all endured for the sake of their faith and obedience to God and Our Lady. The third child, Sister Lucia, who grew up to become a nun and died at the old age of 97, was faithful to her mission of spreading the message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and is also on the path of sainthood.
On this centenary celebration of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, let me share with you, for the next six months, the story and messages in each appearance, beginning with the very first.
The First Apparition- May 13, 1917
It was the 13th of May, Feast of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, but a usual day for the three shepherd children who led out their flock from Aljustrel to the sloped pastures of Cova da Iria. As their sheep grazed, the children had their lunch, followed by a prayer of the Rosary, which they did everyday. Interestingly, like most children who enjoyed playing, they devised a way to “shorten” the Rosary, saying only the first two words of each “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” to have more time for play. This manner of prayer, and their whole life, was about to change that day with the first apparition of Our Lady.
The children were surprised to see a strange light in the bright of day, which they later described as “lightening in a clear sky.” Thereafter, they saw a Lady, “a woman dressed in white, more brilliant than the sun.” Wearing a pure white mantle that fell to her feet, with gold etching, Our Lady held a rosary of beads that shone like stars, and a crucifix that was most radiant. The Apparition stunned the children, as they stood so close to her, only about four to five feet away, and encircled by her light. Our Lady assured the children that she meant no harm. It was Lucia who, not feeling any fear but only gladness, responded on their behalf, as she would throughout the apparitions.
When asked what it is that she wanted of the children, Our Lady replied, “I want you to return here on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months, and at the very same hour.” Innocent as they were as children, Lucia asked if they were going to go to heaven. Our Blessed Mother assured that all three would go to heaven, although the shepherd boy Francisco would “first have to say many Rosaries.” For a child like Francisco, who had not committed grave sins, to need to first say many Rosaries, makes us pause and think about ourselves, our goal to enter Heaven.
Then, the Blessed Mother asked, if they would be willing to offer themselves to God and endure the sufferings to come, as a sacrifice for the all the sins that offend Him and the conversion of sinners. To which Lucia replied, “Oh, we will, we will!”
Again, this conversation between Our Lady and the children, speaks of a crucial message to all of us in modern day. Do we hear God’s call of prayer, repentance, and sacrifice? And if we do, are we, like the Three Seers, willing to respond to Him? It is fairly easy to say that we hear God’s voice and we take heed of His command. But the truth is most of us are afraid, even unwilling, to suffer. Many are with the Lord when times are good, but refuse to take up one’s cross and carry on once times are difficult. Let us follow the examples of these child saints who chose love for God and Our Lady than their love of self. Furthermore, let us take consolation to what Our Lady said that day in her first apparition. “The grace of God will be with you and will strengthen you,” she assured the children. We must know that these words of the Our Lady are as true and faithful to us today as they were to the three shepherd children a hundred years ago. We must earnestly pray for heavenly graces to help us in our spiritual life as well as day-to-day sufferings.
Our Blessed Mother, speaking about the World War I taking place across Europe during those times, added, “Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.” The world is still at war in these modern times. They are not only physical wars but also spiritual battles that happen within each person’s soul- the fight between good and evil, the choice to be moral or secular, to be peaceful or hateful, to be kind or coldhearted, to be humble or prideful. The Blessed Virgin Mary has given us a spiritual weapon to help us in our personal struggle and making the rightful choice of what’s moral, peaceful and kind, her Holy Rosary. Our Lady is urging us to pray it daily.
After giving her message to the children, Our Lady slowly rose to the east direction, until she disappeared in the distance as the light that surrounded her paved her way among the stars, as if the children saw the “heavens open.” The three children were filled with anticipation and excitement of the apparition in the next month, although they were starting to see the difficulties that would follow them in this unique calling.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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On this oct. 13 2017 this morning I left early for the Fatima shrine in Lewston NY. When I got into my car therewas alite mist coming down on me and the car. I drove to the shrine, put a candle at the shrine, and left. While coming home there was the most unusual sunrise of the beautifuliest colors in the sunrise I have ever seen.
This being the centennial ann. of this historic event, I feel most BLESSED to have take, and been BLESSED to have witnessed this Fatima day. As an Old Latin Alter Boy of 70 years young, I am so glad to have been part of this day, a day that I will never forget.
May Jesus Bless All of you and Mary Love of you on this once in a life time event.
Sincerely, in Christ,
John Roberts