Our Lady of Fatima

Fifth Sunday after Easter
J.M.J.


more about . . .
Fatima

During the month of May, on the 13th, we celebrate the feast of Our
Lady of Fatima. On this day in 1917, Our Lady made her first appearance to
the three shepherd children, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia at Fatima in
Portugal. She appeared to them every 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 on Rosaries and
sacrifices, 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 bore
about their loins a thick cord that even drew blood; they abstained from
little innocent pleasures and urged one another to the practice of prayer
and penance with an ardour comparable to that of the great saints.

Francis was struck down by the well-known Spanish influenza in December,
1918. The little patient suffered for several months always devout, and very
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. 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 also by the Spanish influenza almost at the same
time as here brother Francis . She too spoke of nothing else than of
reciting the Rosary and offering sacrifices for sinners. One day she
confided to Lucy: "The Blessed Virgin has told me that I shall go to a
hospital in Lisbon, that I shall not see my parents again, that after
suffering much I shall die all alone, but that I must not be afraid, for she
will come and take me to heaven."

Indeed, towards the end of January, 1920, she was taken to Lisbon to be
operated upon for a purulent pleurisy. There she immediately impressed all
by her candour, 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. The Blessed Virgin continued to
encourage this heroic virtue by her apparitions. One day, when the
Superioress came to see her, Jacinta asked her quite naturally: "Could you
come back a little later? I am expecting the Blessed Virgin any minute!"
And, all transfigured the child looked fixedly at a definite spot. On
another occasion she was heard to say "That place must be left free, for
that is where the Blessed Virgin stood."

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. 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 ardour 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 (this she addressed the Superioress),
mortification and sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord! Oh! Fly
luxury! Fly riches! Love holy poverty! 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! Priests should occupy themselves only with the affairs of the
Church! They must be pure, very pure. The disobedience of priests and of
religious to their Superiors and to the Holy Father offends Our Lord very
much! If Governments left the Church in peace and gave liberty to our holy
religion, they would be blessed by God.

"The sins of the world are too great! The sins which lead most souls to
hell are sins of the flesh! . . . 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! . . ."

On Friday, February 20th, 1920, Jacinta asked for the last Sacraments
saying that she was going to die. The Pastor came and heard her confession
at 8 o'clock in the evening. She insisted on receiving the holy Viaticum,
assuring them that she was going to die. They answered that she would
receive it on the following morning because there was no hurry. The child
submitted, but at about 10 o'clock in the morning expired peacefully,
attended only by her nurse. She was hardly ten years old.

At the news of her death people came from everywhere to see "the little
angel." Their enthusiasm naturally increased when it was perceived that the
body of "the little angel" exhaled a delicious perfume of flowers. The body
had to be left exposed for three days to satisfy the devotion of the people!

In all of Our Lady's apparitions at Fatima, she insisted on praying the
Rosary. "Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world". Lucy is
heard to repeat as if to retain well what Our Lady had first recommended to
her: "Yes, she wishes people to recite the Rosary, people must recite the
Rosary," She 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 the Blessed Mother wants
everyone to wear it. "The Scapular and the Rosary are inseparable."

From the book "more about Fatima" by Rev. J. DaCruz C.S.Sp.

------------------------------------------

OLRL offers a brochure on Our Lady of Fatima
(http://www.olrl.org/prophecy/fatima.shtml). Order several for widespread
distribution to promote the message of Fatima.

--
Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls."
http://olrl.org





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