- Ricardo Cardoso, Vila Viçosa (Évora, Portugal) and Enrique Calvo, Viseu (Portugal)
On May 12 and 13, the Catholic world (and not only) turned its gaze to Fatima. It was 100 years since, in that same place, the Blessed Virgin had begun a new era for the life of the Church and the world. Before a panorama of death and the overcast world of 1917, "a woman brighter than the sun" (as the children used to say) gave a new hope to the heart of Humanity.
And, one hundred years later, hundreds of thousands of people, their hearts full of faith and hope, thronged Fatima to look at "that" woman, who continues to be brighter than the sun and who inundates us all with her Motherly tenderness.
This love that flows from the Immaculate Heart of Mary continues to radiate to the world in many ways. For this reason, after a rigorous process and a miracle attributed to Francisco and Jacinta MartoPope Francis chose this centenary as the occasion to canonize the two children, becoming the youngest non-martyred saints of the Church.
Testimony of faith and Christian life of the little shepherds
In this canonization, although it is important to know the miracle and to thank God for the gift of this very canonization, it is even more urgent to discover the witness of faith and Christian life of the two little shepherds.
With the canonization, the Church invites us to follow her example of simplicity of heart, of mortifications and prayers of reparation and intimacy with the "hidden Jesus" in the Tabernacle. For this, we now count on the intercession of saint Francisco and saint Jacintato help us become like them.
It is also important to say that the canonization of the two children is an encouragement for us to look to Sister Luciawho stayed with us until a few years ago, and to whom many graces are being attributed.
The Pope, moved
Pope Francis was also a pilgrim among thousands of pilgrims. It was indeed St. Peter, in his successor, who visited the Mother, who on the Cross had been given by the Lord to his disciples. He was received with great affection by the Portuguese authorities in Portuguese territory, he was welcomed in Fatima with great enthusiasm by thousands of people, and in profound silence, the successor of St. Peter met the Mother of God, while all the people, gathered in silence, had their eyes fixed on the encounter with these two pillars of our faith.
In the evening, the esplanade of the shrine was transformed into a sea of candles, prayers were said in many languages, and everyone understood each other because it was all about love for Our Lady. In his simplicity, Pope Francis made sure that all the attention was for Our Lady and not for his visit.
For this reason, his restraint in his gestures, his determination to look at the Virgin and, at the end of the celebration, with the white handkerchief, he emotionally said goodbye to the Virgin of the Virgin, and he was moved to say goodbye to her. Rosario from Fatima using the traditional greeting of the Portuguese people, while singing: "O Fatima, farewell, Virgin Mother, farewell".
We have Mother!
Regardless of the conditions in which one is in Fatima, the truth is that one never wants to leave, because, as the Holy Father said in a strong voice, "I never want to leave. in his homilyTemos Mãe!" (We have Mother!). That is why the moment of leaving the Mother is always hard and exciting, full of nostalgia and the Portuguese feeling of "saudade".
One leaves with the body, but the heart remains with Our Lady, receiving from this Mother the care that only she knows how to give us. I would like to have the audacity to invite everyone to Fatima. This year cannot pass without visiting our Heavenly Mother in the sanctuary of Fatima.
And, on our return, fill the emotion of "saudade" with the refrain of the canticle with which we bid farewell to the Blessed Virgin: "A final prayer, as I leave you, Mother of God: may this immortal cry always live in my soul: O Fatima, Fatima, Farewell! O Virgin Mother, Farewell! May this immortal cry always live in our souls, because we have a Mother!
Three elements of the message
The previous months have gradually revealed the depth, timeliness and urgency of knowing and taking part in all that the Virgin Mary has said to all of us through the little shepherds of Fatima.
The little shepherds were the recipients of a great proclamation, but the message was not addressed only to them and to their time. Each one of us, in our time, rediscovers the intensity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that calls us to conversion and participation in his Kingdom.
A century has passed since the apparitions of Fatima, which took place in the midst of World War I, in which Portugal participated with many of its children, and before the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. These circumstances are not unrelated to the content of the message. Now, in the midst of the centenary of these particular revelations, we can ask ourselves: what remains of Mary's wishes and petitions?
Consecration coupled with devotion
In the spirit of simplicity, we recall that there are three clear elements of the message. Namely: to pray the Rosary every day; to make reparation for the conversion of sinners; and to spread devotion to her Immaculate Heart throughout the world.
This last point serves adequately to make known the faith and holy life of the little shepherds, especially that of St. Jacinta. It should be noted that there are two realities in Our Lady's words-devotion and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary-that are united and mutually implied.
Our Lady asked to stop offending God
Lucia says in her Memoirs that in the apparition of July 13, our Mother showed hell to the shepherds and asked them to stop offending God:
"To save (souls from hell), God wants to establish devotion to My Immaculate Heart in the world. If (men) do what I tell you, many souls will be saved (...) and they will have peace. The war (World War I) will end. But if they do not stop offending God, in the reign of Pius XI another worse one will begin (...)".
"If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and they will have peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, promoting war and persecutions in the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. Finally, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, which will be converted, and a time of peace will be granted to the world".
Jacinta's testimony
The youngest of the visionaries had a true passion for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, besides testifying that our Mother is the Mediatrix of graces and Coredemptrix. After the apparition of July 13, where hell was shown to them, Jacinta said:
"I am so sorry that I cannot receive communion (I was not old enough) in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And he often repeated: "Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: "Do not hide!
Lucia says that Jacinta "added at other times with her natural simplicity:
- I love the Immaculate Heart of Mary so much! It is the Heart of our Heavenly Mother! You don't like to say many times: Sweet Heart of Mary Immaculate Heart of Mary! I like it so much, so much!" And she even gave recommendations to her cousin Lucia: "(...) Love Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary very much and make many sacrifices for sinners!".
Or this one: "I am almost ready to go to Heaven. You remain here to communicate that God wants to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the world. When you have to say that, don't hide! Tell everyone that God grants graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that they should ask her.
