Anabelle
Hazard •
May 15, AD2014 (http://catholicstand.com/dont-turn-fatima/)
Did you hear the true story of the Nagasaki atomic bomb survivors? Fr. Hubert Schiffer, SJ and at least four other Jesuits were living in quarters eight blocks away from the epicenter of the bomb. They miraculously survived the bomb blast and Fr. Schiffer lived for at least fifty more years without a trace of radioactive side effects.
Fr. Schiffer attributes the miracle in his own words as related by Fr. Paul Ruge O.F.M.I, “We believe that we survived because we lived the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home.”
The Message of Fatima
‘Fatima’ refers
to the Church approved apparitions of Mary in 1917 to three shepherd children
in Portugal for a period of six months. The children were given messages
concerning world events and the miracle of the sun capped the end of the public
apparitions. Through St. Jacinta, St. Francisco and Bl. Lucia (the seers), the
Church was introduced to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, entreated to pray the
rosary daily, and encouraged devotion known as the Communion of Reparation
where the faithful assist First Saturday Masses in reparation to the offenses
committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary also begged the world to
stop offending the Lord and to make sacrifices so that sinners would be saved.
She promised that if her requests are heeded, “a period of peace will be given
the world… and in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” The alarming
Fatima prophecies centered around world wars, the Pope’s assassination and the
danger of Russia’s communistic influence. Today, it is tempting to dismiss that
the A-bomb of Nagasaki, the crumbling of the Berlin wall and St. Pope John Paul
II’s consecration of the world closed the case for Fatima’s relevance. However,
St. Pope John Paul II’s successors didn’t think so. Pope Benedict XVI on May
13, 2010 in a Mass at the Fatima shrine said:
“We
would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete.”
After him, Pope
Francis, not even a year into his papacy requested Our Lady of Fatima’s statue
to be brought to St. Peter’s square. On October 13th, 2013 (the feast of Our
Lady of the Rosary and anniversary of the last apparition), Pope Francis
consecrated the world to Mary.
The threat of
China and North Korea’s communism over Asia, Russia’s re-appearance in world
events, middle east instability, killing of the innocent unborn, and universal
Church persecution should alert us that this period of peace is not among us
yet. What we see, in fact, looks more like the cusps of a brewing storm of
global mayhem. Current events make for a compelling case of why we still need
to listen to and live out Mary’s message in Fatima. We put our own future at
risk if we turn our backs on Fatima.
Living Out the Fatima Message
The Fatima
lifestyle ushers in the reign or triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart, a
precursor to the coming of Jesus’ kingdom on earth. St. Louis de Montfort once
prophesied: “His [Jesus] kingdom will come. But this will
happen only after the Blessed Virgin is known and has begun to reign…She gave
him birth the first time. She will bring Him forth to us when He comes to us
again.” How do we live out the messages of Fatima?
- Pray the rosary daily
- Follow Pope Francis’ example and consecrate ourselves to Mary
- Practice the Communion of reparation for First Saturdays
- Make penance and sacrifices for sinners
The Fatima
lifestyle is a shield of the Church for these perilous times. During the super
cyclone that hit the Eastern seaboard of the Philippines, almost all the
parishes the diocese of Tacloban sustained heavy damage. All except one: the
parish where a First Friday Eucharistic Adoration was going on at the time of
the storm. This parish had been practicing the Communion of Reparation, a devotion
which begins with an evening first Friday Mass, through nine hours of Adoration
and rosaries, and closes with a midnight first Saturday Mass… as inspired by
Our Lady of Fatima’s requests.
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