On 13 May 1917, against the backdrop of the First World War, which was to cost eight million lives, in the neighborhood of the little Portuguese town of Fatima, the Mother of God herself deigned to appear in the first of six apparitions to three shepherd children, to make through them one final appeal to our materialistic, war-torn world. She also revealed that the children would suffer and that the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta, would be taken to Heaven very soon, but Lucia would live longer to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart. "In a spirit of sacrifice to our Lord, are you willing to accept everything he may send you as reparation for the sins by which his majesty is offended, as a means for converting all sinners, and as atonement for the blasphemies offered to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?" A simple "yes" being their reply, she urged: "Then pray the Rosary often and devoutly, for the peace of the world!" "Recite the Rosary daily, and after the Gloria Patri of each decade, add: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins! Save us from the fires of hell! Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who most need thy mercy!"
In the last apparition on 13 October 1917, she declared: "I am the Lady of the Holy Rosary! I have come to ask all humankind to do penance and to ask pardon for its sins! Do not add to the countless outrages by which our Lord is already so offended, especially by sins of impurity." That same day, 70,000 people had turned out to witness the apparition. They saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag movement in a manner that left no doubt in their minds about the veracity of the apparitions. The apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima were approved by the local bishop in 1930, and the feast in her honor was added to the Church's liturgical calendar in 2002.
Blessed Mother of Fatima, obtain for us the grace to pray, perform penance, and make reparation for offenses against God.
Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)
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