St. Francisco and St. Jacinta
One
The Message and Mission of Fatima
In 1916 to 1917 the Guardian Angel of Portugal and then Mary, the Mother of God appeared to Francisco, Jacinta, and their cousin Lucia in Fatima, Portugal. They were nine, eight, and six years old. Our Lady came to these three young children to give a message and mission to the world. Francisco and Jacinta died in the Spanish flu epidemic in 1919 and 1920. They were canonized in 2017. The cause for canonization for Lucia who died in 2005 is underway.
There are three parts to the message and three parts to the mission.
The message was this: Our Lady gave the children a vision of Hell, showing them that it was real, and revealing that many people go there by freely rejecting God through unrepentant sin. Then she revealed the means offered by God for the world to be converted and saved. Third, she revealed that if the people of the world would not turn away from sin and hatred we would destroy ourselves and the world. God does not punish the world. God continuously begs us to turn from sin and receive His infinite Mercy but He made us free and He cannot make us convert and live lives of love and peace.
Then Our Lady gave the mission, and the means, ordained by God to save souls and bring about world peace. First, Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Giving oneself entirely to Mary as Jesus did, cultivating a personal, childlike relationship with her. Second, Prayer, especially praying the Rosary daily, which serves as a spiritual school where Mary guides us to live like Jesus. Third, Sscrifice and reparation. On the first Saturday of every month go to confession, to Mass, pray the Rosary, and think about the life of Jesus for fifteen minutes to make amends for the sins of the world and to help save souls. Daily offer sacrifice for the conversion of sinners.
Two
The Call to Prayer
On August 19, 1917, Mary said to the three children, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.”
From her memoirs, Lucia relates, “we beheld a Lady all dressed in white. She was more brilliant than the sun and radiated a light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine through it. We stopped, astounded, before the Apparition. We were so close, just a few feet from her, that we were bathed in the light which surrounded her, or rather, which radiated from her. Then Our Lady spoke to us: “Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm.” “Where are you from?” “I am from heaven.” “What do you want from me?” “I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at this same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterwards, I will return here yet a seventh time.” “Shall I go to heaven too?” “Yes, you will.” “And Jacinta?” “She will go also.” “And Francisco?” “He will go there too, but he must say many Rosaries.”
Francisco could see Our Lady but not hear her speak, “Afterwards, we told Francisco all that Our Lady had said. He was overjoyed and expressed the happiness he felt when he heard of the promise that he would go to Heaven. Crossing his hands on his breast, he exclaimed: “Oh, my dear Our Lady! I’ll say as many Rosaries as You want!” And from then on he made a habit of moving away from us, as though going for a walk. When we called him and asked him what he was doing, he raised his hand and showed me his Rosary. If we told him to come and play, and say the Rosary with us afterwards, he replied: “I’ll pray then as well. Don’t you remember that Our Lady said: ‘I must pray many Rosaries’?” He said to me, on one occasion: “I loved seeing the Angel, but I loved still more seeing Our Lady. What I loved most of all was to see Our Lord in that light from Our Lady which penetrated our hearts. I love God so much! But He is very sad because of so many sins! We must never commit any sins again.”
Three
The Call to Sacrifice
In the Summer of 1916 while the children were playing around the well near Lucia’s house, suddenly the Angel of Portugal appeared and asked, "What are you doing? Pray, pray very much! The Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifice constantly to the Most High. The hearts of Jesus and Mary have a mission for you."
The hearts of Jesus and Mary also have a mission for us to play on behalf of others. Lucia asked the Angel, “How are we to make sacrifices?”
"Make of everything you can a sacrifice and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners.”
“In this way, you will draw peace upon your country. I am its Guardian Angel, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings which the Lord will send you."
Four
Taking Sacrifice Seriously
Little Jacinta was only eight years old when she heard the call to offer sacrifice for the conversion of poor sinners, but it made a lasting impression.
Lucia relates this story, “Shortly before Jacinta died, she sent for me to come and see her at once. I ran over. ‘Our Lady came to see us,’ Jacinta said. ‘She told us she would come and take Francisco to heaven very soon. She asked me if I still wanted to convert more sinners. I said I did. She told me I would be going to a hospital where I would suffer a great deal; and that I am to suffer for the conversion of sinners, in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for love of Jesus. She said my mother would take me to the hospital, and then I would have to stay all alone!” After this, she was very thoughtful for a while, and then added…Maybe, the hospital is a big dark house, where you can’t see, and I’ll be there suffering all alone! But never mind! I’ll suffer for the love of Our Lord, to make reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the conversion of sinners and for the Holy Father.’”
Five
The Rescue Mission
In all her approved apparitions Mary comes on a rescue mission. She asks us to consecrate ourselves to Her Immaculate Heart, to pray the Rosary daily, to offer the First Saturdays of Reparation, and to offer sacrifices daily for the conversion of sinners. Saints Francisco and Jacinta took this seriously and did it. We should make the firm resolution to do the same.
My big problem is that I forget to offer things up. But if you are consecrated to Mary, then you have given everything to her, your life, your prayer, all your good works, all your suffering, and finally, your death. When you consecrate yourself to Mary, she becomes your spiritual investment broker for all your spiritual treasures. And those are primarily the treasures of prayer, work, and suffering. All the spiritual merit, all the spiritual wealth you get from praying, working, and suffering, when we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we give these to Her and we say, “Please use these in a way that will help get the most people to heaven.”
Now, what is so great about this is that even if you forget to offer things up or are in so much pain or mental anguish that you forget or just can’t offer it up, Our Lady is receiving our spiritual investment and she is applying it where She sees best. You don’t need to make your spiritual investment decisions for them to be made wisely when you have consecrated yourself to Mary and she is doing it for you.
Suggested Resolutions:
Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
Commit to the First Saturdays of Reparation: go to confession, to Mass, pray the Rosary, and think about the life of Jesus for fifteen minutes to make amends for the sins of the world and to help save souls.
Offer your daily sufferings for the conversion of sinners.