Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Our Lady’s Perpetual Virginity

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, according to Fr. Luigi Faccenda (Saint Maximilian’s Contribution to the Intellectual Ministry of the [OFM] Order, Roma 2005):

.... contemplates the mystery of Mary in a Trinitarian perspective so that everyone of her prerogatives appears to be related to One of the Divine Persons. The Immaculate Conception is the new creation, sublime work of the Father in Christ and in the Spirit. …. The divine maternity is relative to the Incarnate Word and the foundation of every other gift granted to the Virgin …. Her mediation of graces finds its origin in her profound union with the Holy Spirit. ….

Maximilian Kolbe, who has marvellous insights about Mary’s relationship with the Father and the Son, is fascinated in a very special manner by the mystery of her relationship with the Holy Spirit. Kolbe loves very much the title “Spouse of the Holy Spirit” …; however, he warns us that even when we speak of “Spouse of the Holy Spirit” we cannot absolutely stop at human language. This title expresses an analogical concept which seeks to explain the unfathomable mystery of the Incarnation by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin. This is the moment when the Spirit takes full possession of Mary, fills Her with his presence to the point that he makes her his habitual dwelling. ….

At the Annunciation Mary responds to God’s gift completely. She becomes the “representative” of humanity in giving this perfect response of love to God Who awaits to make a covenant with man. …. Mary opens herself to God the Trinity becoming the Handmaid of the Father, welcoming the divine maternity, and making herself totally available to the action of the Spirit.

Paraphrasing Saint Paul, we could say: It is no longer Mary who lives, but the Spirit Who lives in Her.

….

In Father Kolbe’s thought, then, Mary appears as the new Ark of the Covenant in whom God the Trinity dwells and the Spirit enters without obstacles, filling Her to the point of making Her his Spouse. From that moment the bond between Her and the holy Spirit is indissoluble. The Spirit dwells within Her, fills Her with himself, and associates Her with his sanctifying mission, so much so that one can say that the Spirit works “through” the Immaculata. This is to be understood in the sense that Mary, being the Spirit’s dwelling, is not only the person in whom the Word takes on human flesh, but also the “place” of the Spirit’s manifestation, the “place” where every other mystery is fulfilled and the fruits of divine grace mature:

At the appointed time for Christ’s coming [into the world], God the Trinity creates the Immaculate Virgin exclusively for Himself, fills Her with grace, and the Lord takes his dwelling in Her. With her humility this Most Holy Virgin so fascinates the Divine Heart, that God the Father gives Her his Only-Begotten Son as her son; God the Son descends in her virginal womb while God the Holy Spirit forms the most holy body of the God-Man within her womb. The Word became flesh as the result of the love of God and of the Immaculata…. And no soul is reborn in Christ in any other way except by means of the love of God toward the Immaculata and in the Immaculata…. No word ever becomes flesh, no perfection or virtue assumes concrete shape in a human person, except through the love of God for the Immaculata. Just as Christ, the Source of graces, had become her property, so She has the right to distribute graces….

[End of quotes]

The prerogatives of Mary, her Immaculate Conception, her Perpetual Virginity, and her Divine Maternity, were also the primary focal point of the Communion of Reparation (or Five First Saturdays) program as explained by Our Lord to Sr. Lucia at Tuy (Spain) on May 29, 1930. When asked “Why five Saturdays?”, Jesus explained:

"My daughter, the reason is simple. There are five types of offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception. 2. Blasphemies against Her Perpetual Virginity. 3. Blasphemies against Her Divine Maternity, in refusing at the same time to recognize Her as the Mother of men. 4. The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to sow in the hearts of children indifference or scorn, or even hatred of this Immaculate Mother. 5. The offenses of those who outrage Her directly in Her holy images.

"Here, My daughter, is the reason why the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little act of Reparation . . ."

At the heart of this is the Divine Mercy’s thirst for sinners, even for those who scorn and outrage his Mother:

"See, My daughter, the motive for which the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little Reparation, and in consideration of it, to move My mercy to pardon souls who have had the misfortune of offending Her. As for you, always seek by your prayers and sacrifices to move My mercy to pity for these poor souls”.

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Now, a disturbing situation relevant to Mary’s prerogatives has recently been raised regarding the newly appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Müller. In an article entitled 'Do Dogmas Retain Their True Meaning in Today's Vatican?', published in the American fortnightly Catholic paper, The Remnant (August 27, 2012, pp. 8-9), the author (writing only as 'Father X') has researched what exactly Archbishop Müller originally said about Mary's virginity in partu. He finds it very disturbing, coming as it does from the papally appointed judge of orthodoxy for the rest of the Catholic world.

Excerpt reproduced from "Father X's" article:

One’s suspicion that our new chief “watchdog” for orthodoxy may be prone to giving non-traditional meanings to theological words is reinforced when we examine what he has written, and what he now says, about Our Lady’s virginity in partu (during the birth of Jesus). For in this case, Archbishop Müller’s statement is actually more scandalous in the original German than in the truncated and inaccurate Wikipedia English version. On page 498 of his 900-page work Katholische Dogmatik. Für Studium und Praxis der Theologie (Freiburg, 5th Edition, 2003), we read:

”Es geht nicht um abweichende physiologische Besonderheiten in dem natürlichen Vorgang der Geburt (wie etwas die Nichteröffnung der Geburtswege, die Nichtverletzung des Hymen und der nicht eingetretenen Geburtsschmerzen), sondern um den heilenden und erlösenden Einfluß der Gnade des Erlösers auf die menschliche Natur, die durch die Ursünde»verletzt« worden war.“

Here (with emphasis added) is an accurate translation of this passage of a book that has now gone through no less than five editions in forming German-speaking seminarians:

“[The virginity of Mary in partu] is not concerned with [or is not about] abnormal physiological peculiarities in the natural process of birth (such as the non-widening of the birth canal, the lack of rupture of the hymen, and the absence of birth pains), but with the healing and saving influence of the grace of the Savior on human nature, which was 'wounded' by original sin."

Now, the Wikipedia version not only replaces with an ellipsis the entire parenthesized passage, but also gratuitously inserts the words “so much” between “not” and “concerned”. This of course has the effect of softening the statement, leaving room for it to be read as perhaps just ‘de-emphasizing’ the said “abnormal physiological peculiarities”, rather than as calling in question their historical reality. But Müller’s blunt assertion that the in partu aspect of Mary’s perpetual virginity “is not concerned with” the non-rupture of her hymen certainly does call in question its historical reality. No doubt Mr. Jeffrey Mirus, along with other neo-Catholics who feel obliged to defend every papal decision come what may, will plead that there is still some wiggle-room here, since Müller’s dogma text at least stops short of a flat-out denial of this miracle.

However, even supposing that such perilous flirtation with heresy were acceptable for any Catholic theologian (never mind the head of the Holy Office!), and even discounting Müller’s description of the birth process as “natural” when the Church teaches it to be supernatural and miraculous, how could any dogma “not be concerned with”, or “not be about”, what is in fact its own very essence? The very idea is transparent nonsense. And this particular “physiological peculiarity” that I have emphasized in the parenthesized passage – that Our Lady’s hymen was left intact – is indeed the very essence of the de fide truth of Our Lady’s virginity in partu. (The other “peculiarities” mentioned by Müller, regarding the birth canal and labor pains, are evidently not what is meant by the word “virginity”, and hence are to be seen as secondary, derivative aspects of the miracle which have not so far been proposed as de fide by the magisterium.)

Now, in his interview, Müller is just as adamant in upholding the above teaching found in his dogma text as he is in regard to his strange eucharistic teaching. All he said to the interviewer by way of supposed clarification is this: “The Church is also equally clear on the virginity of Mary, mother of Jesus, mother of God, before, during and after the birth of Christ.” But precisely because this statement is not accompanied by any retraction of the scandalous published opinion we have been examining, we are once again led to suspect that the archbishop is changing the accepted meaning of this dogma, reinterpreting Our Lady’s “perpetual virginity” to mean nothing more than that she never at any time had sexual intercourse.

But while that of course is what the dogma means as regards “before” and “after” the birth of Christ, it is emphatically not what the Church means by Mary’s virginity in partu. For it is inconceivable that the Church could solemnly propose for our belief, on God's authority, a truth so obviously knowable (and universally known) from natural reason as that Our Lady had no sexual intercourse during childbirth! Such pomposity in affirming what is already crudely obvious to everyone would simply make a laughing-stock of the magisterium. No, the true and only possible meaning of Our Lady's virginity in partu is that Christ's birth was miraculous, with the hymen remaining intact. For its intactness or rupture is precisely what differentiates virginity from non-virginity in this context. (See Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, #57. and the accompanying references in footnote #10 to other papal and conciliar teachings, which make this true meaning very clear.)

Blogger Carl has also written a strong comment on this same subject:

Carl Grillo said...

The "virginitas in partu" (virginity in giving birth) is a Catholic Dogma "de fide divina et catholica" - which must be believed by "Divine and Catholic faith," infallibly proposed by the ordinary and universal Magisterium; whose denial on the part of Muller is therefore - formally heretical and presumably malicious: he cannot be excused on account of ignorance. The specific contents of this Catholic dogma are as follows: non-rupture of the physical virginal integrity (I omit the biological term "ex reverentiam"); the absence of labor pains; AND... the "sine sordibus" - the absence of the biological accidents of natural birth: placenta, umbilical cord, etc. By using arrogant pretexts and clever circumlocutions, Muller just indicates his degree of hatred for Our Lord Jesus Christ and his Most Holy and Immaculate Mother... [cf., Pius XII, in Mystici Corporis: "...it was a miraculous birth." Vatican II: "..whose birth not only did not diminish his Mother's virginal integrity, but augmented it;" repeated by John Paul II in his catechetical and Marian discourses...]

July 14, 2012 1:12 PM

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Heroic Witnesses

Sister Maria Stella

Sister Maria Stella, C.J.D., a missionary to Russia, speaks about the history of Catholic priests, sisters and the laity in Russia from 1917 to the present. Sister Maria begins with the persecution and almost total destruction of the Catholic Church under communism when millions were killed or imprisoned in Soviet labor camps, and ends with post-communist era efforts to revive the Catholic Church in the Russian Far East.

....

Taken from: http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/title/heroic-witnesses

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Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Whole World Should Take Heed

The Miracle of the Sun, 13th October 1917

Posted on October 13, 2012by kathleen

On the 13^th October 1917, 95 years ago today, the three children: Lucia 10, and her cousins Francisco 9 and Jacinta 7 – the little “seers” of Fatima – had to be protected and guided through a converging crowd of some 70.000, or more, that had gathered in the Cova da Iria in the hope of seeing a great miracle. There had been wide spread reports from some people who had been present at some of the little seers’ previous visions of Our Lady, and although none of these onlookers had presumably actually seen anything supernatural themselves, it was still widely believed that “something extraordinary” was taking place there at Fatima.

The Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, 13th October 1917

The crowds were not disappointed: believers and non-believers alike were witnesses that day to the “miracle of the sun” as this first hand account from Dr. Jose Maria de Almeida Garrett, professor at the Faculty of Sciences of Coimbra, Portugal (one of the eyewitnesses at Fatima) recalls:
“It must have been 1:30 p.m. when there arose, at the exact spot where the children were, a column of smoke, thin, fine and bluish, which extended up to perhaps two metres above their heads, and evaporated at that height. This phenomenon, perfectly visible to the naked eye, lasted for a few seconds. Not having noted how long it had lasted, I cannot say whether it was more or less than a minute. The smoke dissipated abruptly, and after some time, it came back to occur a second time, then a third time.
The sky, which had been overcast all day, suddenly cleared; the rain stopped and it looked as if the sun were about to fill with light the countryside that the wintry morning had made so gloomy. I was looking at the spot of the apparitions in a serene, if cold, expectation of something happening and with diminishing curiosity because a long time had passed without anything to excite my attention. The sun, a few moments before, had broken through the thick layer of clouds which hid it and now shone clearly and intensely.
Suddenly I heard the uproar of thousands of voices, and I saw the whole multitude, spread out in that vast space at my feet, turn their backs to that spot where, until then, all their expectations had been focused, and look at the sun on the other side. I turned around too, toward the point commanding their gaze and I could see the sun, like a very clear disc, with its sharp edge, which gleamed without hurting the sight. It could not be confused with the sun seen through a fog (there was no fog at that moment), for it was neither veiled nor dim. At Fatima, it kept its light and heat, and stood out clearly in the sky, with a sharp edge, like a large gaming table. The most astonishing thing was to be able to stare at the solar disc for a long time, brilliant with light and heat, without hurting the eyes or damaging the retina. [During this time], the sun’s disc did not remain immobile, it had a giddy motion, [but] not like the twinkling of a star in all its brilliance for it spun round upon itself in a mad whirl.
During the solar phenomenon, which I have just described, there were also changes of colour in the atmosphere. Looking at the sun, I noticed that everything was becoming darkened. I looked first at the nearest objects and then extended my glance further afield as far as the horizon. I saw everything had assumed an amethyst colour. Objects around me, the sky and the atmosphere, were of the same colour. Everything both near and far had changed, taking on the colour of old yellow damask….
Then, suddenly, one heard a clamour, a cry of anguish breaking from all the people. The sun, whirling wildly, seemed all at once to loosen itself from the firmament and, blood red, advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge and fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was truly terrible.
All the phenomena which I have described were observed by me in a calm and serene state of mind without any emotional disturbance. It is for others to interpret and explain them. Finally, I must declare that never, before or after October 13 [1917], have I observed similar atmospheric or solar phenomena.”
The children, on the other hand, were oblivious to this miracle of the sun. Their eyes were fixed on Our Blessed Lady who had appeared before them for the sixth time, as she had promised she would at her first apparition to them on 13^th May 1917. She asked for a chapel to be built there in her honour. She also exhorted them to continue to pray the Rosary every day, and then announced the prompt end of the war that was still raging, (WW1), and the return of the soldiers.
Lucia gave the Blessed Mother the petitions people had asked of her, to which Mary responded: “Some, yes; others, no. People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins.” Then, with sadness, she said: “Do not offend the Lord our God any more, for He is already too much offended.”
Rising into the air and opening her hands towards the sun, she pointed towards it, with light emanating from her hands. Lucia called out: “There she goes! There she goes!” although later she did not recall saying this. To the left of the sun the children saw St. Joseph with the Holy Child Jesus in his arms. Together they made the Sign of the Cross three times over the world. Our Lady, dressed in the blue and white robes of Our Lady of the Rosary, stood to the right of the sun. Lucia was given the privilege of seeing Our Blessed Lord, dressed in red as the Divine Redeemer, blessing the world. Beside Him stood Our Lady, now dressed in the purple robes of Our Lady of Sorrows. Finally, she appeared clothed in the simple brown robes of Mount Carmel.

What is the purpose of this miracle of the sun? Why did it occur?

The obvious answer to these questions can only be, “to give credit to all the messages the little seers had received from Our Lady”. The children had suffered greatly for being the channels of these messages. They had been scorned, beaten (in the case of Lucia), harassed unceasingly, and even imprisoned and cruelly threatened by the local atheistic authorities, to whom this whole ‘business’ was a great embarrassment. Yet they stoically held out that what they were seeing and hearing was the truth. The foretold miracle taking place on the day and place Our Lady had told them, can do no other than give credit to everything else she communicated to the children. She promised that many souls would be saved if they listened to her requests, and that war was a punishment for sin along with hunger, persecution of the Church, and persecution of the Holy Father. She reminded them of the Commands of God; she added nothing new but asserted many of the Church’s teachings (like that on Purgatory and the Communion of Saints) and renewed the urgency to follow Christ.
Mary also presented three secrets to the children called the Three Secrets at Fatima. The first was the request for the consecration of Russia, and of the world, by the Pope and all the bishops to the Immaculate Heart of Mary “in reparation for all the sacrileges, offenses and indifferences perpetrated against my Immaculate Heart”. She warned that if this was not carried out, “Russia will spread her errors throughout the world. Many nations will be annihilated. The Holy Father will have much to suffer.”
The second secret was the horrifying vision of Hell, where she said poor sinners would go. She asked for continual prayer and sacrifice to save souls from this fate. The children took this very seriously, dedicating every moment they could to carrying out this task.
The third and final secret of Fatima was the future attempt on the life of the Holy Father. As is well known, on 13^th May 1981, the 64^th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, this attempt on the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II took place. It is through the prayers and sacrifices of the millions who heeded the messages of Fatima that a fatal outcome of the shooting of the Holy Father was averted. Some years later Bl. John Paul II himself donated the attempted assassin’s bullet to the crown in the statue of Our Lady in Fatima.
Much has been written about Fatima and its prophecies and messages “from Heaven” to mankind through the three little seers. These messages reiterated everything already contained in the teachings, dogma and doctrine of the Catholic Church. They should therefore be seen as truly inspired teachings of Jesus, Son of God, Who said: “The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.” (Jn 14:26) We should heed them.

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Taken from: http://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/the-miracle-of-the-sun-13th-october-1917/

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

"BUT RATHER REJOICE BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN"

Taken from: http://www.jba.gr/Articles/jbajunejuly01e.htm

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"The book of life..."

We met them very early in our lives: it is those thick public books that record our lawful existence to a specific place or country. Such numbers as the id number, the passport number or the VAT number that are absolutely necessary for all our official transactions, have their trace to a record in a relative public book. At the end whether we officially exist or not as citizens of a country, depends on whether our names are written in its books.
What happens with the earthly kingdoms and countries, it also happens with the heavenly one: there is a book there that records the names of the citizens of this kingdom. The Word of God calls it: THE BOOK OF LIFE:

Revelation 20: 12, 15«And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED. AND ANOTHER BOOK WAS OPENED, WHICH IS THE BOOK OF LIFE……..And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.»

Revelation 21:27«But there shall by no means enter it [the New Jerusalem] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie BUT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE»

Daniel 12:1-2«…….and at that time your people shall be delivered, EVERY ONE WHO IS FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt»

Philippians 4:2-3«I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also true companion, help these women who laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE»

Luke 10:20«Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, BUT RATHER REJOICE BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN»

As it is clear from the above, whoever is written in the book of life, will have eternal life. Whoever is not written, will be expelled from before the Lord to eternal torture. We take so much care to have our names written in the books of our municipality, our homes registered with the state, our marital status change registered to the respective books, and so on. But what about the book of life? Is your name written there? Jesus Christ said:

John 3:16-18«For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED; BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD»

There is no need to wait till the day that the books will be opened to know whether you are there or not. Jesus Christ made it very clear: IF YOU HAVE NOT BELIEVED IN HIM, THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, YOU WILL NOT BE IN THE BOOK. As apostle Paul says:

Romans 10:9«that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved»

Can it be more clear? Either you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you are written in the book of life, or you don’t believe and you are eternally lost. God loves you my friend, and because He loves you He gave His Son for you and for me and for any other human soul that lives in this world. «For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH» we read previously. Also, as the Word of God says in another passage:

I Timothy 2:3«For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, WHO DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH»

God wants all men to be saved. You? Do you want to be saved? If yes, then you must believe in Jesus Christ, that He is Lord and God raised him from the dead. Do you believe it? Once in the Philippi of Macedonia a prison keeper asked Paul and Silas:

Acts 16:30-32«Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, «BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.» Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house»

The prison keeper believed and at the same time his name was registered in the book of life. When it will be opened, it will be there. Yours? Will it be there? God wants to see it there. For you He gave His only begotten Son. But it is needed that you also are willing to be reconciled with Him, by believing in His Son. For you He long-suffers and He does not bring the end, as He wants to see you returning to Him repented.

II Peter 3:9-10«The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT»

The Lord is long-suffering but His day will come. And will come suddenly, as a thief in the night. Are you ready for that day? Are you ready for the hour that the book will be opened? If you go there and your name is not in the book, it will be very late for you. NOW IS THE TIME:

II Corinthians 6:2«BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION»

So, what is your decision?

Tassos Kioulachoglou

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Words spoken by Mary at Fatima

Words spoken by Mary
at Fatima

Home Page

Apparition Discernment

Approved Apparitions

Fatima, including the later apparitions to Sr. Lucia, is the series of approved apparitions where Mary said most, which is fitting given that it is the most important. And yet even here the entire discourse can easily be fitted onto no more than four or five sides of A4 paper. 13 May 1917
"Do not be afraid, I will not harm you."
"I come from heaven."
"I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I shall say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time."
Lucia then asked if they would go to heaven and she was told yes, she and Jacinta would go to heaven, but Francisco would need to say many rosaries first.
Statue of Our Lady of Fatima at Cova da Iria

Statue of Our Lady of Fatima at Cova da Iria

Lucia asked about two young women who had died recently, and was told that one was in heaven and the other, her friend Amelia, would be in purgatory "until the end of world."
"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?"
"Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort."
13 June 1917
"Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war."
"I want you to come on the 13th of next month, [July] to pray the Rosary every day, and to learn to read. Later, I will tell you what I want."
"If he is converted, he will be cured during the year." (reference to a sick person)
"I will take Jacinta and Francisco shortly; but you will stay here for some time to come. Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne."
"No, my daughter. Are you suffering a great deal? Don't lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God."
13 July 1917
"I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, [August] to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you."
"Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe."
Lucia made some requests for sick people, to which Mary replied that she would cure some but not others, and that all must say the rosary to obtain such graces, before continuing: "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially when you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
"You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, 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. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.
"To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world."
Mary specifically told Lucia not to tell anyone about the secret at this stage, apart from Francisco, before continuing: "When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: 'O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.' "
Lucia asked if there was anything more, and after assuring her that there was nothing more, Mary disappeared off into the distance.
August 1917
"Go again to the Cova da Iria on the 13th and continue to say the Rosary every day.
Mary also said she would perform a miracle, so all would believe, and that if they had not been kidnapped it would have been even greater. Lucia then asked how the growing shrine should be administered, and requested cures for the sick, being told that some would be cured during the year.
"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."
13 September 1917
"Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Dolours and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only to wear it during the daytime."
Lucia then began to put forward the petitions for cures, to be told: "Yes, I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a miracle so that all may believe."
13 October 1917
"I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honour. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes."
Lucia made some requests, being informed that people must amend their lives and ask forgiveness of their sins if they wanted healings or conversions. "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."
Later Apparitions to Sr. Lucia
By 1925 Lucia, who was now 18, had become a postulant with the Sisters of St. Dorothy at Pontevedra in Spain, and on Thursday 10 December, the Blessed Virgin, accompanied by the Child Jesus on a little cloud, appeared to her in her cell. Lucia recounted that Mary rested her hand on her shoulder, while showing her a heart encircled by thorns in her other hand.
The Child Jesus spoke first: "Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother. It is covered with the thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of reparation."
Then Mary said:"My daughter, look at My Heart surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me, and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months go to confession and receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for a quarter of an hour while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."
The Child Jesus again appeared to Lucia in February 1926 to encourage her to propagate this devotion, and additionally on the night of 29-30 May 1930; as she was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, she received an interior locution explaining why it was necessary to have a communion of reparation on five Saturdays.
She explained later that she had been given to understand that this related to the five main types of blasphemies and offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary: that is against the Immaculate Conception; against Mary's Virginity; against her Divine Maternity and her spiritual motherhood of mankind; for the offences of those who encourage in the hearts of children indifference, contempt and even hatred of her, and finally as reparation for those who outrage her in her holy images.
On 13 June 1929 Lucia saw another important apparition involving Mary as she was making a Holy Hour in the convent chapel at Tuy in Spain, as was her custom on Thursday nights from eleven to twelve. She was alone, praying the prayers of the Angel in the dim light of the sanctuary lamp when,
"Suddenly the whole chapel was illumined by a supernatural light, and above the altar appeared a Cross of light, reaching to the ceiling. In a brighter light on the upper part of the Cross, could be seen the face of a man and his body as far as the waist; upon his breast was a dove of light; nailed to the Cross was the body of another man. A little below the waist, I could see a chalice and a large Host suspended in the air, onto which drops of blood were falling from the Face of Jesus Crucified and from the wound in His side.
These drops ran down onto the Host and fell into the chalice. Beneath the right arm of the Cross was Our Lady and in her hand was her Immaculate Heart. (It was Our Lady of Fatima, with her Immaculate Heart in her left hand, without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames). Under the left arm of the Cross, large letters, as if of crystal clear water which ran down upon the altar, formed these words: 'Grace and Mercy.' "
At this point Lucia explained that she understood the apparition was a representation of the Holy Trinity, as she heard Mary speak to her: "The moment has come in which God asks the Holy Father, in union with all the Bishops in the world, to make the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means. There are so many souls whom the Justice of God condemns for sins committed against me, that I have come to ask reparation: sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray."
Lucia told all this to her confessor who ordered her to write it down, and she also said that later on Jesus had spoken as follows to her: "They did not wish to heed My request. Like the king of France, they will repent and do it, but it will be late. Russia will have already spread her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church; the Holy Father will have much to suffer."

Sources: Kondor, Fatima in Lucia's own words; cf. De Marchi, Fatima from the beginning;Martins & Fox, Documents on Fatima; Fox, Fatima Today.

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Taken from: http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/approved/words/wordfati.html

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

May Our Lady Of The Rosary Of Fatima Intercede For Us

The 95th Anniversary of Fatima

By Scott P. Richert, About.com GuideMay 13, 2012

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On May 13, 1917, on a hillside outside Fatima, Portugal, three shepherd children saw a lady "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal glass filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." For the next six months, on the 13th day of each month, Our Lady of Fatima appeared to Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
The final apparition, on October 13, 1917, was accompanied by the "Miracle of the Sun." As many as 70,000 people saw the sun dance in the sky, then plunge toward the earth. The sheer number of witnesses weighed strongly in the decision to proclaim the apparitions at Fatima "worthy of belief" in 1930.
Sixty-four years after the first apparition, on May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Agca attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. Despite massive blood loss, the Holy Father survived, a fact he credited to Our Lady of Fatima: "For in everything that happened to me on that very day, I felt that extraordinary motherly protection and care, which turned out to be stronger than the deadly bullet."
There is no better way to celebrate the 95th anniversary of Fatima than to pray the rosary, which the Blessed Virgin asked the children to recite every day. In fact, most Catholics incorporate into the rosary a prayer known as the Fatima Prayer, which was revealed by Our Lady to the children on July 13, 1917. Recited at the end of each ten Hail Marys, it is also known as the Decade Prayer.
In this month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, may Our Lady of Fatima intercede for us!

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Communion of Reparation

'When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. "To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.' (Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, July 13, 1917). [Read complete book at this site].

Heaven's Program for Salvation