Today is the 97th anniversary of the first
apparition of Our Lady Between May 13 and October 13, 1917 when three Portuguese
children received apparitions of Our Lady, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north
of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to
pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and
for the conversion of Russia. Mary also
urged an ardent devotion to her Immaculate Heart of Fatima.
The central message of Fatima is no different from what the
Church has always taught and what the Lord himself taught: repent and turn away from sin, do penance, and pray.
It was on Oct 13 that the great miracle of the sun occurred which
Our Lady had pre-announced. Over 70000
people attested that they were able to look directly at the sun, that it began
to dance and spin in the sky and emit various colors, and their clothes,
previously drenched because of the rain, were completely dry.
Our Lady spoke of real consequences for ignoring the message
of her son; of real consequences for giving in to what she called the sins that
cry out to heaven: the violence of war and abortion.
The evils of the world are not because of a lack of grace on God’s part, but a lack of cooperation with that grace on our part.
Many have come to deep conversion through the message of
Fatima and its miracles. Yet there are
those who disbelieve and discredit the miracle and the message of Fatima, just
as those who discredit and seek to disprove the teachings of Our Lord.
With the help of Our Lady may we be faithful to cooperating with God's grace, and as we prayed
in the opening prayer, to persevere in penance and prayer for the salvation of
the world, that we may further more effectively each day the reign of Christ.”
For the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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