Fatima
One
Fatima
Today we celebrate the anniversary of the apparitions of Mary to three shepherd children, Francisco, Jacinta, and Lúcia, in Fátima, Portugal, which took place between May 13th and October 13th, 1917. The apparitions culminated in the Miracle of the Sun on October 13th, witnessed by more than 70,000 people. On July 13th, 1917, Our Lady entrusted the children with a message for the world that was divided into three parts: The First Part was a terrifying vision of Hell. The Second Part revealed God’s plan to save souls from going to hell. Lucia relates that, terrified and as if to plead for help, the children looked up at Our Lady, who said to them, so kindly and so sadly, “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” And then she made a promise, "In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph."
The Third Part presented a vision of a world in ruins, spiritually, morally, and physically. Lucia relates, “At the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God.. the Holy Father other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross… Before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers. And in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal bowl in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.”
Then Mary taught them a prayer, “When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls into Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.” There was a thunderclap, and the vision ended
Two
The Remedy
The vision reveals a simple truth: God gives us real freedom. And when we reject Him, sin brings destruction, first in the soul, and then in the world. But God does not leave us without a remedy. The children were then shown the two forces that can save souls from hell and the world from self-destruction: devotion to Mary, that is, consecration to her Immaculate Heart. And prayer, especially the Rosary, that leads to a real conversion or transformation of life.
By this two-fold means, we can help God save the souls and save the world from self-destruction. The question is, will we respond?
Three
Medjugorje
In May 2010, in Fatima, Pope Benedict XVI stated, “We would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete.” At Medjugorje, Our Lady said, “What I started in Fatima, I will complete in Medjugorje. My heart will triumph.”
From June 25th, 1981, to the present, Our Lady has been appearing in Medjugorje. On September 19th, 2024, the Vatican, through the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, granted Medjugorje a nihil obstat, the highest positive judgment under the current norms.
The essence of Our Lady's Message at Medjugorje is a call to conversion, “Be Converted!” Our Lady tells us, “It will be too late when the sign comes. Beforehand, several warnings will be given to the world. Have people hurry to be converted. I need your prayers and your penance…The only thing that I would want to tell you is be converted. Make that known to all my children as quickly as possible…You cannot imagine what is going to happen nor what the Eternal Father will allow to come to earth. That is why you must be converted.”
Jesus called us to “Repent and believe.” We like the belief part. We don’t like the repent part as much because to repent means, as the Catechism defines it, “a radical reorientation of our whole life…an end of sin, a turning away from evil, …and the resolution to change one’s life.”
This is the urgent call of Fatima. The same urgent call of Medjugorje. This is the urgency of the Gospel.
Four
The Process of Conversion
Let me give you the process of conversion from the two great spiritual masters, Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. First, receive Jesus as often as you can in the Eucharist. Because we can’t convert ourselves or make ourselves holy, only God can. Second, practice Daily Meditation (like we are here in the Rosary). Think about the Word of God. Think about your life, your thoughts, words, and actions. See the gap between your behavior and that of Christ. Third, make a resolution. Choose one concrete good action to practice that day and make it a habit, a virtue.
Fourth, make a daily examination of conscience. It might be during meditation or at another point in the day. But make an honest evaluation of our behavior, the bad I did and the good I failed to do. Then ask, “Why did I do that?” What was at the root: pride, vanity, envy, sloth, anger, greed, gluttony, or lust?
Fifth, go to Confession regularly. Aim for every two weeks, so that you actually go once a month as Our Lady asked. If you follow this process, you will convert, and because you grow in light, the world will grow in light. If you don’t, the world will grow in darkness.
Five
Rescue Mission
Our Lady has come on a Rescue Mission at Fatima and Medjugorje. She is inviting us to help her by consecrating ourselves to Her and praying the Rosary every day. But understand that what changes the world and saves souls is conversion, not just saying prayers. Conversion happens when we meditate on the Word of God in the Rosary, make a concrete resolution, and actually practice it.
Only then do we change. And when we change, everything changes.
Build bridges of authentic friendship. Invite people to do good things with you regularly. Get to know them, understand them, delight in them, and care for them. Do this over and over. And when the Holy Spirit gives the opportunity, invite them to encounter Jesus in prayer.
This is your mission. You are not responsible for everyone. But you are responsible for someone. And their salvation may depend on your response.