Today marks 100 years since one of the most widely-witnessed (and reported) miracles in recent human history. On October 13th, 100 years ago in field outside a small village in Portugal, 3 shepherd children to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary had been appearing (along with a crowd that journalists in attendance estimated at 70,000 witnesses) waited in expectant hope for what was to be her final appearance.
“This was the backdrop against which Mary, in 1917, appeared to three shepherd children – Lucia dos Santos, 10, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, 9 and 7 – in a field in Fatima, Portugal, bringing with her requests for the recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and a secret regarding the fate of the world.”
The basic message of Fatima, for all the mystique and intrigue that tends to surround it in some corners of the internet, is childishly simple: personal conversion of heart, repentance and reparation for one’s sins and the sins of others, and frequent recitation of the Rosary. By those small efforts towards personal holiness and mortification, Mary promised, the world could be saved.
A century has passed since her last visit to the muddy field that miraculously dried to dust as the sun whirled and dipped in the sky, inspiring awe and terror in the observing crowds. The argument might be made that it was the bloodiest century on record in human history, when one accounts for all the genocides, epidemics, wars, and abortions which have ravaged civilization. So the question persists: have we done what she asked, and has it been done satisfactorily?
Good question, right?
I don’t have the answer, but I do have 5 must-read pieces about Fatima and it’s continued relevance to our lives today:
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Cardinal Bertone talks about the third secret:
“The “third secret of Fatima” refers to a message during the apparitions predicting suffering and persecution of the Pope and the Church. Unlike the first two secrets – a vision of hell and a prediction of World War II – the third secret was not initially revealed by Sr. Lucia. At first, she said that Mary had not yet permitted her to reveal it to the world. Later, the Vatican chose to keep it secret until 2000, when it was finally revealed.”
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Everything you need to know about Fatima: {part 1}
“…Every local bishop since has approved the apparitions and deemed them worthy of belief, the highest recognition a Marian apparition can receive from the Church.”
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… And {part 2}
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3 ways to obtain an indulgence for the 100th anniversary of Fatima:
“For the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Pope Francis has decided to grant a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the entire anniversary year, which began Nov. 27, 2016, and will end Nov. 26, 2017.”
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The times are urgent and we must heed the warnings of Our Lady:
“In 1981, Our Lady of Fatima warned through Lucia that the final battle will be against marriage and the family and that anyone who tries to defend them will experience persecution and tribulation. And here we are. Even at the highest levels of the Church, certain priests and bishops mislead God’s people. Meanwhile, clergy and faithful who seek to uphold marriage are dismissed as pharisaical, rigid and unpastoral. This was also confirmed by Our Lady of Akita in Japan:”
Tonight our Archdiocese will be formally consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the hands of our good and holy Archbishop Samuel Aquila. There are hundreds of priests and bishops around the world doing the same thing for their parishes and dioceses today, which is pretty amazing. Make it a point today to pray a Rosary, to share the story of Fatima with your kids or roommates around the dinner table, and to make a little act of sacrifice for the conversion of hearts – first and foremost, our own.
Skip a meal, ditch the cream in your coffee, go to bed an hour earlier than you’d like, pass on that glass of wine. (Or, you could like, always chug a half liter of glucose solution and then get your blood drawn 😉
Our Lady of Fatima, Sts. Jacinta, Lucia, and Francisco – pray for us!
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