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100th Anniversary of Fatima: What’s It All About?

Private Revelations

There are many people who claim to have what are called “private revelations” in the Catholic Church. That is, they believe that God has spoken directly to them with a specific message, that Jesus has appeared or that the Blessed Mother has visited them. The Church takes these claims quite seriously, and will spend many years investigating before declaring such a revelation valid. Even then, no one is required to believe such revelations. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.

Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations”.

So, if you’re not captivated by the Shroud of Turin, for examples, or don’t really wish to go to Lourdes, it’s ok. You don’t have to, in order to be a good Catholic.

Mary at Fatima

With that said, one of the best-known and perhaps most important revelations took place 100 years ago, in Fatima, Portugal. Mary appeared to three children, Francisco and Jacinta (who were brother and sister), and their cousin, Lucia. The world was enmeshed in World War I, but these children were tucked away, herding sheep as their families eked out meager livings.

In 1916, the children were visited by three times by St. Michael, who seemingly prepared the children for the appearance of the Blessed Mother. Then, in May of 1917, the Blessed Mother (although she did not specifically identify herself until later that year) appeared to the children:

Our Lady appears to the three children at the Cova da Iria, a large open field outside the village of Fatima, to ask that they return for five months in succession, on the 13th day of each month, at the same hour. At each apparition, Our Lady requested that the Rosary be prayed every day to obtain peace in the world.

The children often said the Rosary as they watched over the families’ sheep, but (as kids tend to do!), they used a very quick method. Instead of saying the entire prayer on each bead, they simply said, “Our Father” and “Hail Mary” and then moved on to the next bead. However, after the apparition of the Lady, they began to pray in earnest.

While the children tried to keep these appearances a secret, they were in fact just children, and Fatima was a very small place. Each month, on the 13th, the children would go to the cove where Mary had appeared, and each month more and more people came. Lucia was the only one who saw, heard and spoke to Mary. Francisco could see her, but not hear her, and Jacinta could see and hear her, but did not speak.

In July, Mary allowed the children a vision of Hell:

“You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wills to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.”

Mary requested that Russia be dedicated to her Immaculate Heart (which happened during the pontificate of St. John Paul II), and also shared what is known as the third secret of Fatima, which Cardinal Ratzinger (who would become Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) had studied and written about:

The third part, commonly known as the Third Secret, involves the vision of a post-apocalyptic world in which a future Pope is executed on a hill before a cross outside a devastated city along with priests, bishops, religious and members of the laity. [The text concerning the vision would be published on June 26, 2000, but the words of the Virgin explaining its precise meaning (as She had explained the vision of Hell) and its historical context have yet to be revealed. Sister Lucia’s Fourth memoir, however, will reveal that the Virgin’s explanation begins with the words: “In Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved,” to which Lucia added “etc” in order to indicate the rest of a yet-tobe-revealed prophecy concerning a crisis of Faith in the Church outside of Portugal accompanied by the apocalyptic outcome depicted in the vision.]

The Miracle of the Sun

The culmination of Mary’s visit to the children was in October 1917.  More than 70,000 people were in attendance, reporters and photographers included. Mary reaffirmed her request that the children pray the Rosary daily, and urge others to do the same. Then, the pouring rain that had turned the cove into a muddy mess suddenly stopped:

Some 70,000 people, gathered in the Cova during a driving rain, witness the Miracle of the Sun: the rain suddenly stops; the clouds disappear; and then the sun twirls in the sky, throws off vivid colors, and plunges toward the terrified crowd, instantly drying soaked clothing and the ankle deep mud covering the ground. Many were cured of diseases on the spot, many more converted to the Catholic Faith. Even atheists and anticlerical news reporters, present to scoff at the event, admit that the miracle occurred. Nothing like this miracle, announced in advance, has ever occurred in the history of the world.

Despite the fact that they were disbelieved by nearly everyone (Lucia reportedly was beaten by her own father), the children never wavered from their story. Mary, the Mother of God, had appeared to them, required penance and prayer for the salvation of the world.

Sadly, both Francisco and Jacinta died at a very young age (Francisco in 1919 and his sister in 1920.) They offered up their suffering for the world, that sinners would convert. Both have been beatified, and Pope Francis has confirmed that both will be canonized during this anniversary year. Lucia eventually became a Carmelite nun, and lived in a monastery in Coimbra, Portugal until her death in 2005. The cause for her beatification is in the works.

The Message of Fatima Today

While many people have a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, it seems as though the world is in nearly the same state now as it was when Mary appeared in Fatima. We still need to pray the Rosary, work to convert sinners (ourselves included!) and continue to pray for peace. Images of Christians in Syria, Pakistan, the Sudan and so many other places should compel us to pray for peace. Indeed, Christianity is now the most persecuted religion in the world. The message of Fatima is needed now more than ever. The 100th anniversary is a great reminder that all of us are called to this message of peace and prayer.

For more reading on the appearances of Mary in Fatima, and about the children, click here.

 

EH headshotElise Hilton is an author, blogger and speaker. Her role at Diocesan Publications is Editor & Writer with the Marketing Team. She has worked in parish faith formation and Catholic education for over 30 years. A passionate student of theology, Elise enjoys sharing her thoughts on parish communication, the role of social media in the Church, Franciscan spirituality and Catholic parenting. To enquire about booking her as a speaker, please contact her at ehilton@diocesan.com.

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On the Eighth Day of Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight maids a-milkin’

The eight maids can symbolize the Beatitudes, part of the Sermon on the Mount

In this Christmas season, it is fitting that we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. While Mary was conceived without sin, she also had free will. She could have told God “no” when the Angel Gabriel approached her with God’s plan. Thanks be to God, that was not the case. Her resounding “yes” echoes down through the centuries, so that we – some 2,000 years from the birth of the Infant Jesus – not only rejoice in the birth of our Savior, but follow Mary’s model of perfect obedience to the will of God.

Fr. Steve Grunow, of Word on Fire Ministries, reflects on today’s solemnity:

Today, while much of the world marks the new beginning of the calendar year, the Church commemorates the great solemnity of the Mother of God.

What does this mean?

That the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God means that the child— conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, carried in her body for nine months, and born into this world— is God. As such, this celebration highlights the pivotal truth of the Church’s Faith- that God has, in Jesus Christ, accepted a human nature, chosen to be born into this world as we have all been born into this world, and has lived a real, human life.

In doing so, God has accepted the full implication of what is means to be human, including the experiences of suffering and death.

Like everything about Mary, today’s feast is really her reflection of her Son. Her motherhood is not about her; it is about Jesus. Her life is not her own; she willingly placed herself at God’s feet, as the “handmaid of the Lord.” She instructs us, “Do whatever He tells you,” just as she instructed the waiters at the wedding feast at Cana. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, always places herself and her will, under obedience, to God. Her most fervent wish is that we do the same.

[From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “The liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During this season, we celebrate the birth of Christ into our world and into our hearts, and reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him…including the fact that he was born to die for us.” There are, however, the traditional “12 Days of Christmas,” captured in the song of the same title. Some claim the song was meant as catechism of a sort, written and sung for nearly 300 years of British persecution of Catholics. We will be using both the song and the Church’s liturgical calendar to celebrate the Christmas season. We hope you enjoy.]

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Silent Saints: Knowing God Within

Some saints are prolific writers, and we treasure their works. Some, like Thomas Aquinas, help us understand the mystery of God better. Other saints, like Maximilian Kolbe, find ways to use media in a new way in order to spread the Gospel. Or think of Mother Angelica, who founded a Catholic television station and hosted a show.

And then, there are the silent saints.

The Gospels do not record one single word spoken by St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. We know him only by his actions. The Gospel of Matthew tells us he is a “righteous man,” and his tender care of Mary and the newborn Jesus bear that out. Most of this man’s life is hidden from us, including his thoughts and words. Yet he was chosen by God to raise the Son of God. This silent saint, who listened to God in the silence of his heart, tells us much about how to live our faith under trying circumstances.

Another silent saint is Mary.

Mary’s words are recorded in four passages in the Bible. Three of the four passages are from the Gospel of Luke: the Annunciation, when she speaks with the angel (Luke 1:34 and 38); her visit to Elizabeth, when Mary sings the psalm of praise known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55); and the time that Jesus is lost in the Temple and Mary admonishes him (Luke 2:48).

We also find Mary speaking in the Gospel of John, during the story of the Wedding at Cana. She tells Jesus that there is no more wine (John 2:3) and then tells the servers, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5) — which, as someone once told me, is perhaps the best bit of advice in the entire Bible.

Of course, the gospels also tell us that Mary kept many things in her heart to ponder. In the Holy Family, the quiet must have led them to great contemplation of God and His will for their lives. One wonders if this habit of silence was one of the reasons Jesus often left everything behind to go and pray by Himself.

St. John the Silent (his name tells you something, huh?) was born in 5th century Armenia. At the young age of 28, he was sought out by the archbishop to become a bishop, an assignment John did not want. However, he served for nine years, and then joined a monastery, seeking seclusion for prayer. It is recorded that, during his life, he spent 76 years in solitude.

Of course, Catholics have the great history of the monastic tradition: Trappists, Carmelites, Benedictines and other orders of men and women whose main focus is prayer and work, done mostly in silence. Why the silence? One monastic priest says:

In my daily work the habit of silence (I’ve been here 35 years) helps me to focus, even to put aside pre-occupying worries while I concentrate on a particular responsibility. That can be preparing the community’s meal, typing the entries for our website, hearing confessions, preparing a class for the novitiate, chanting the psalms at community prayers when I have a cold, whatever. But I have learned that I started out with certain powers of concentration, so I may not be too accurate here; I grew up in NYC and it’s second nature to me to block out background noise. But I can say that the habit of silence keeps me from seeking additional noise. I’m not uneasy when it’s very quiet or when I’m totally alone. But I don’t find silence making tasks easier to complete.

The silence does make me aware of my inner workings, however, what we call in the monastery, “self-knowledge.” I can’t pretend that I’m always a nice guy, always patient, always calm and receptive. I have to admit that I can be abrupt, cold to offenders, or would often prefer efficiency to the messiness of other people’s moods. Silence seems to keep me from idealizing myself.

St. Mary Clare, a Carmelite nun, acknowledges that the silence can be hard. Our world is so full of noise that silence can seem empty. We want to fill it with something. For monastics, however, the silence is quite different:

Through silence we become more deeply aware of the beauty, unity, goodness and truth all around us and within us. Through faith our whole outlook on life is changed. What used to appear as ordinary, temporal events, become reflections of these four attributes of God. These happenings become messages through which He speaks intimately to our hearts; moments of sublime personal contact with Infinite Love Itself.

Listening to the word in silence, faith and love, we hear the secret to our happiness and authentic personal fulfillment. Only in this do we truly begin to fill that deep void and satisfy the longing that consumes us as human persons.

Now it is true that most of us are not called to the monastic life. But we all need silence. Silence is the only way God can truly speak to us, just us, with our own unique message. Yes, we hear God in prayer and song and Scripture and in other’s voices, but … silence. Silence is where God dwells. If we want to know God, we must turn to silence.

But the word of the Lord came to him: Why are you here, Elijah? He answered: “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.” Then the Lord said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord will pass by.

There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake; was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. (1 Kings 19:9-12)

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Crazy For God, Trusting In Christ

One thing many saints have in common is, well, they are a little over the top. One might look at things they’ve done and think, “That’s crazy!” Who in their right mind would sail across an ocean to uncharted territory in order to bring the Gospel to a hostile and dangerous people? What kind of people would joyfully sing on their way to their own execution? And it’s a little weird, isn’t it, to strip down completely naked in a very public place, disavow your wealth and head off to preach the Gospel? Crazy, right?

Indeed, our world thinks such behavior is crazy. As Catholics, however, we don’t belong to this world. We belong to the Kingdom of God. And what might seem totally crazy in this world (like allowing yourself to be nailed to a cross) makes perfect sense in the Kingdom of God. As Catholics, we walk by faith and not by sight.

Justo Gallego knows that people call him crazy. He says that he is just trusting in Christ. For 53 years, he has been nearly single-handedly building a cathedral near Madrid, Spain. Not a little chapel in his backyard: a cathedral.

It’s crazy to abandon your business, and follow a Man who promises to make you fishers of men. It’s crazy to say “yes” to becoming the Mother of the Messiah when an angel visits you. It’s crazy to build an ark, or to care for the poorest in the streets of Calcutta. Remember, though: we are people of the Kingdom of God. Maybe it’s time to show this world what it’s like to trust in God, regardless of how crazy it might make us look.

Here is Justo Gallego’s story: