May 13 is the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. She appeared six times to Lucia, age 9, and her cousins Francisco, age 8, and his sister Jacinta, age 6, between May 13, 1917 and October 13, 1917.
Why did the queen of heaven appear to these young children, and not to the Pope, or to us?
Part of that answer is mysterious—God works in mysterious ways. But, likely, she appeared to children because children show us the enthusiastic acceptance of God’s Word that we are to have—unless you become like little children, says the Lord himself, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. In 1917, the world was on the verge of tremendous technological advancement, humans would be able to accomplish marvels that the ancients may never have dreamt of. And Our Lady appears, and tells the world to pray the rosary with the fervor of poor shepherd children kneeling in a field.
She appeared to young children because many of us older children think of ourselves as too sophisticated to pray the rosary, too proud to go to confession, too learned to believe in hell and the devil, too cultivated to practice fasting.
After the apparitions began Francisco’s father discovered the boy sobbing in his room. When questioned why was he weeping, Francisco said, “I was thinking of Jesus who is so sad because of the sins that are committed against him.” Jacinta was so convinced by the vision of sinners falling to Hell that she began to pour herself into prayer and practice various corporal mortifications. “Pray, pray much and make sacrifices for sinners,” Mary had told her. “Many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them.” Jacinta responded, as did her brother, by prostrating themselves in prayer for hours, kneeling with their heads humbly bowed to the ground.
They made all types of physical sacrifices, wearing tight cords around their waist, scourging themselves with stinging nettles, abstaining from water on hot days and other penitential practices. When both caught the terrible 1918 flu that took the lives of tens of thousands, they offered all of their sufferings for sinners.
Having been told by Our Lady that she would take him to heaven soon, Francisco declined hospital treatment, bearing enormous pain with a smile and without complaint. Our Lady appeared to Jacinta and asked if she wanted to stay on earth a little longer to convert more sinners. She said yes. So the little girl allowed herself to be dragged from clinic to clinic, to have two of her ribs removed without anesthesia, valiantly sacrificing herself as a victim for the conversion of sinners and for the Holy Father, whom she knew from the vision would suffer much.
When Saint John Paul II beatified them in Fatima 22 years ago today, he lifted them up as an example to the whole world of what Christ-like and Marian love for the salvation of others looks like. He stressed that their lives demonstrate that children can be heroically virtuous and reach “the heights of perfection” at a very young age, and if they can so can all of us.
Echoing the words of our Lady, the Pope reminded all children of God, however young, “Our Lady needs you all to console Jesus, who is sad because of the bad things done to him; he needs your prayers and your sacrifices for sinners.”
May we accept the summons to pray, do penance and mortification, and accept sacrifices like the dear shepherd children of Fatima as our dear Blessed Mother has taught for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
- - - - - - - -
That the maternal care of Our Lady may bring protection to the shepherds of the Church and all who preach the Gospel.
That Our Lady’s devotion to the Divine Will of God will move government leaders to work to build a culture of life and peace to further the reign of Christ.
That through the penance and prayers of the Church, hardened sinners will return to God.
That the intercession of Our Lady will bring comfort and care to all who suffer disease, violence, and afflictions of any kind.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment