children-of-fatima

Lúcia Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto

Ninety-six years ago today, October 13th, 1917, was “the day the sun danced”: the day of the greatest public miracle of our times.  At Fatima, 100,000 people witnessed, documented by photograph and in newspaper, what is known as “the miracle of the sun”.  The Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima asking for prayers and reparation for sinners, and giving us two powerful weapons to fortify mankind during the modern era.  Those two weapons are the rosary and the consecration to her Immaculate Heart.  Mary promised that there would be an era of peace after a great clash between God and the powers of evil that was lived out in the bloody 20th century.  She requested that Russia be consecrated to her Immaculate Heart and this was done by Pope John Paul II in 1986.  Just a few years later, Communism fell in Russia without a single shot fired.  Those who remember the terror of the cold war, the world power that was the Soviet Union, and the fear of nuclear war and its very real threat, will best understand the awesomeness of this unforeseen collapse.  The “secrets” of Fatima have all been revealed and the only prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled is the final triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart and the era of peace.  This is good news for us!

For those who would like to know the official church teaching on the secrets of Fatima, there is a fantastic book available that is forwarded by none other than Pope Benedict XVI.  It takes all of the “hoo too” out of Marian prophecies and reveals the beauty of the graces won at Fatima.

Golden Rose_Pope presnts 2010 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima

Rare papal honor: Pope Benedict presented a Golden Rose to Our Lady of Fatima in 2010.

Today, October 13th, 2013, Pope Francis renewed the consecration of the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  We are asked to renew our own consecrations to her Immaculate Heart. If you have not made an official consecration to Mary, you may wish to do the “gold standard” consecration set out by St. Louis de Montfort in his book “True Devotion to Mary”.

It is a thorough 30-day preparation to consecrate yourself “to Jesus though Mary”.  Blessed Pope John Paul II took his motto “Totus Tuus” from this book.  He read it many times and was powerfully affected by its Marian theology. For those of you who need a more “user friendly” preparation for consecration, there is a very simple yet good book available by Fr. Michael Gaitley.

We renew our efforts to do as Mary asked and “pray the rosary, daily, for peace.”  Let us ask God to usher in the era of peace promised to us at Fatima.  Let us pray for the final triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in our world, our country, our homes, and our hearts.