Remembering Our Lady of Fatima and Her Messages

On October 13, 1917, against the backdrop of World War I and with Russian communism and atheism spreading in various parts of the world, Mama Mary had her last apparition before the three shepherd children she had appeared to since May 13 in Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal.

 To this day, many believers fondly recall this October 13, 1917 great miracle that our Lady promised to Lucia dos Santos (then 10 years old) and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto:

 “Rain poured all morning. The crowd was soaked. But at noon the skies cleared. Mary appeared to the three shepherds and revealed her name: Lady of the Rosary. She asked that people be converted and pray. Then, in the sight of the 70,000 spectators, the sun, which had just appeared through the clouds, began to rotate or spin three times. Each rotation lasted three or four minutes, illuminating the trees, the crowd, the earth, with all the colors of a rainbow. Then it zigzagged in the sky and descended as though to fall into the crowd. People fell to the ground crying for mercy. Then the sun returned to its proper place. The spectators noticed that their clothes were completely dry.”

 At present, the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is celebrated every 7th of October while the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated every 13th of October.

On this day, the following past messages of our Lady at Fatima can serve as timely reminders for all in this present world to give utmost attention to urgently: 1) pray the Rosary, 2) make amends for sins, and, 3) reach out to God, to Jesus, through Mary and her Immaculate Heart.

 Until now, many still remember her Fatima predictions and warnings that came true: 1) the end of World War I, 2) the emergence of Russia as a world power that would “spread its errors (including communism) throughout the world …raising up wars/persecutions against the Church,” and, 3) the start of the Second World War under the pontificate of Pius XI.

Still many await whether the other Fatima secrets revealed to Sister Lucia will take place, when.

Rather than fear the future, adhering to the past messages of Mama Mary to the 3 children of Fatima for peace and end to wars can be helpful and reassuring.

These three messages center on prayer, penance, and reparation.

On prayer, Mama Mary asked the children to “pray, pray the rosary.” Pray, pray a great deal and make many sacrifices, for many souls go to Hell because they have no one to make sacrifices and to pray for them. Continue to pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain the end of the war.

On penance, St. John Paul II, who believed Mama Mary spared him from an assassin’s bullet wrote, “theinsistent invitation of Mary Most Holy to penanceis nothing but the manifestation of her maternal concern for the fate of the human family,in need of conversion and forgiveness.”

On reparation, our Lady of Fatima asked for all to make reparation, through prayer ad sacrifice, for offenses against God.

“Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say often, especially when you make some sacrifice, “O my Jesus, this is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Since Our Lady’s apparitions in Fatima in 1917, the world has witnessed two World Wars, continuing conflicts, challenges and crises.

Amidst today’s pandemic and other economic, financial, social, psychological, spiritual and other crises, our Lady of Fatima’s call for prayer, penance, and reparation remain as relevant and urgent now.