May 13th, 1917. It was a quiet, ordinary day for three ordinary shepherd children in a quiet, ordinary, insignificant village in rural Portugal.
Out of nowhere “A Lady, all in white, more brilliant than the sun… indescribably beautiful,” stood above them, and appeared again to them on the 13th day of each month until October 13th 1917.
This Lady had some extraordinary things to say to these ordinary children. The children soon realised that this was a sighting of Mary,
who has a habit of appearing in time to give warning against catastrophe.
Our Lady’s message at Fatima in 1917 (from May 13th until October 13th)
1. “The [First World] war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God,
a worse one will break out during the pontificate of a future Pope."
In hindsight, that was in the time of Pius XI.
2. "A Bishop clothed in white, will fall to the ground, apparently dead,
under a hail of gunfire…….
On May 13th, 1981, on this very feast of Our Lady of Fatima, a gunman attempted to kill Pope John Paul II. The Pope credited Our Lady of Fatima for his protection on that day,
3. “Pray for Russia, and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions. The good will be martyred….various nations will be annihilated.” For those of you who know your Russian history, these apparitions were seen by these ordinary shepherd children in the very year of the Russian Revolution, in 1917.
Almost 75 years after the Russian Revolution,the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the "Cold War" was over,the Berlin Wall fell.....it began to look as though Our Lady of Fatima's prayers had been answered.
Putin and his regime are determined to subdue Moscow's former "colonies".
It’s as if the old Soviet system is back.
The Cold War has returned.
The world has become once again a frightening place.
Had we become apathetic? Yes…..
Had we not prayed enough? – probably true….
Is our diminishing practice of faith to blame? – it hasn’t helped.
In the present situation we are frightened, we feel helpless.
We need to do whatever we can to redress the balance, the shift.
In these frightening times, small gestures of kindness and care overcome fear.
St Teresa of Kolkata encouraged the daily care of the disadvantaged, and the daily recitation of the following prayer, the Universal Prayer for Peace….
Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth; lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust; lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe.
Peace….Peace…..Peace.
You and I are not powerless.
We can build up, with the Church across the world,
a bank of prayer,
to overcome the darkness with light, God’s light.
as symbolised by that last Fatima apparition involving the sun.
Lord Jesus, the miracles, prophecies and prayers that Your Mother brought to us at Fatima amazed the whole world. We are certain of her closeness to You. We ask through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima that you graciously hear and answer our prayers in this troubled time.