Miracle of the Sun
One
Fatima
Today we celebrate the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun in Fatima. From May 13th to October 13th, 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal: Francesco, Jacinta, and Lucia. These events culminated with the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by more than 70,000 people.
On July 13th, 1917, Mary gave the visionaries a secret with three parts.
The first part of the secret is that hell exists and tragically people go there by their own free choice by turning away from God and rejecting his love and mercy by unrepentant grave sin. This is precisely what the Catechism teaches in 1033 and 1037.
In the second part of the secret Mary revealed God’s plan to save souls from going to hell. “To save them,” She said, “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 promised, “In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
Two
Third Part of the Secret
The third part of the secret of Fatima reveals a vision where an angel with a flaming sword threatens to set the world ablaze, symbolizing the looming threat of global self-destruction. This potential catastrophe is averted by the intervention of Our Lady and those of us who answer her call.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger interpreted this vision as a profound warning and a call to action. He explained that the angel with the flaming sword signifies the judgment threatening the world, especially through human-made means capable of immense destruction. The vision underscores two powerful forces opposing this destruction: the intercession of the Mother of God and the faithful who answer the call of Mary to prayer, penance and action.
Ratzinger emphasized that the future is not set in stone. The vision is not a fixed prediction but a call to human freedom and responsibility. It serves to mobilize the forces of change.
The vision the Mother of God gave the children of Fatima and revealed in the year 2000 is meant to mobilize the forces of change! Consecrate yourself to Mary and live a personal relationship with her as a little child depending on its mother. Commit yourself to prayer, especially the Rosary because prayer, time in friendship with God and reflection upon one’s own life leads to conversion. On the first Saturday of five consecutive months go to Mass and Confession with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Take responsibility and gather your loved ones and friends around Mary in prayer.
Three
The Miracle of the Sun
On October 13th, 1917, despite a severe storm that left the ground soaked and muddy, a crowd of approximately 50,000 to 70,000 people gathered at Fátima, Portugal, for the anticipated Marian apparition. The Lady appeared to the three children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—and responded to Lucia's question, "What do you want of me?" by saying, "I am the Lady of the Rosary. I want a chapel built here in my honor. Continue to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will return home soon. Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended."
As she departed, rays of light extended from her hands toward the sun. The crowd looked up to see the sun become pale and silvery, emitting multicolored rays in every direction. It began to spin and dance in the sky, appearing to hurl toward the earth, which terrified the onlookers who thought the world was ending. Suddenly, the sun returned to its normal position. Miraculously, the previously drenched ground and the people's clothes were instantly dry. The entire phenomenon lasted over ten minutes, was witnessed by all present, and was even reported in secular newspapers the following day.
Four
Medjugorje
There is a very important link between Fatima and Medjugorje.
St. John Paul II said, “Medjugorje is the continuation of Fatima, it is the completion of Fatima.” (Slovimir Oder, Why He is a Saint p. 169)
I tell Catholics I was in Medjugorje this summer. They ask, “what is Medjugorje?”
From June 25th, 1981 to the present, until this very day, Mary is appearing to six people from a small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina called Medjugorje.
On September 19th, 2024, the Vatican through the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document titled "The Queen of Peace," giving the phenomena of Medjugorje a nihil obstat, meaning there is nothing hindering the faithful from engaging in devotion or pilgrimage to the site and inviting all to spread and live the messages of Medjugorje.
The essence of Our Lady's Message at Medjugorje is a call to conversion through five means otherwise known as the five stones. The first stone is the Holy Mass. Our Lady says, “Let Mass be your life.” And “May the Mass, the most exalted and most powerful act of prayer, be the center of your spiritual life.” (August 2, 2008) The second stone is Prayer, especially the daily Rosary. But we must Pray with the Heart, that is, make the Rosary a real meditation on the Word of God.
That is the reason for the third stone, to read and meditate on the Word of God, the Bible every day. The fourth stone is the call of Our Lady for all of us to go to the Sacrament of Confession once a month. The fifth stone is fasting. Our Lady asks for a bread and water fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. But Our Lady accepts alternatives. I think we need to fast from the two things that keep us from Jesus in daily prayer and more frequent reception of the Eucharist – those two things are busyness that comes from overcommitment that wipes us out and then we think we need to veg out with entertainment. Fast from these, cut them down and cut them out.
Five
The Secrets of Medjugorje
At Medjugorje, Our Lady is to give each of the visionaries ten secrets to be revealed to the world. Mirjana, Jakov, and Ivanka have received all ten secrets, and Marija, Vicka, and Ivan have received nine secrets. Our Lady still appears to them at 6:40 pm every day wherever they are.
The first two secrets are warnings that invite conversion before it is too late. The third secret is a sign of hope, a supernatural, permanent and indestructible sign on Apparition Hill where she first appeared.
Each of the ten secrets will be revealed to the world this way: ten days before the date of the event foretold in the secret, Mirjana is to tell the priest that has already been chosen what will happen and when. Mirjana and the priest are to pray and fast for seven days. Then, three days before the event, the priest will reveal the secret to the world.
December 15th, 1983, Our Lady said, “I have always said that chastisement will come if the world does not convert. Therefore, I call everyone to conversion. Everything depends on your conversion.”
The core message of Medjugorje is a profound call to conversion. Mary emphasizes that humanity has forgotten God and is on a path of self-destruction. As a loving mother, she implores her children to return to God to find true happiness and peace. Mary provides five stones as spiritual tools to combat evil: making the Holy Mass central to life, engaging in heartfelt daily prayer (especially the Rosary), reading and meditating on the Bible daily, participating in monthly confession, and practicing fasting—particularly from habits that distance one from God.
The purpose of these messages and secrets is not to instill fear but to encourage proactive spiritual renewal, emphasizing that through conversion and prayer, the faithful can alter the course of events and aid in the salvation of souls.