When I first heard about Our Lady of Fatima I actually wasn’t that interested in what She had to say. In my mind, Our Lady of Fatima was just another appearance of Mary to those on earth. It wasn’t until this year that I really started to read and research about this amazing story. The story of Fatima, Portugal is a story of three children, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a message for the salvation of the world. Between May 13 and October 13, 1917 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 6 times to the shepherd children named Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. These three lowly and poor shepherd children would become messengers for Mary who came with a message from God to everyone on earth.
Mary came to earth with a message of peace if her requests were listened to. She said that if her requests were not granted then, “Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up wars and persecutions against the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will suffer much and various nations will be annihilated.” I don’t know about you, but when I read this I was shocked to read about such a scary and violent message that Mary was bringing to the world! In my opinion, it is one we have to hear though. What I love about the message of Our Lady of Fatima is the urgency we feel to follow the commandments of God. So often I feel as though I have “time” to follow the Lord in a later date. I want to waste my time in frivolous pleasures before I buckle down and truly live for the Lord. Well, this is not the kind of message that Mary brought to the world. She is convicting us to live as saints now and to consecrate ourselves to the Lord and His will. During this next week my hope is that as you learn more about Our Lady of Fatima and her message that you will feel convicted to stand up and live a life completely devoted to Jesus through Mary.
"Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the conversion of sinners?" Our Lady of Fatima to the three shepherd children
