Today, May 13, is the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. The story of Our Lady of Fatima can be found here.

In 1917, our Blessed Mother appeard to three peasant children who were playing games in a field as they watched over their sheep near their small village in Portugal. She asked them to come to that spot every month on the 13th of the month for instruction. Over the course of those months she instructed them to pray, showed them a vision of hell, and told them that the war (World War I) would end soon. Word got out and crowds started joining the children, who waited under a tree for the Blessed Mother to visit them each month. At the time, the Portuguese government was anti-Catholic, so the authorities became concerned. The children were even incarcerated briefly. Even still, they managed to keep their appointments with Our Mother, and she promised that on October 13 she would display a miracle that would verify the visions.

October 13, 1917 came. There were tens of thousands, perhaps 70,000 gathered. Amidst the crowds were representatives of the secular press, intensely anti-Catholic. They came in expectation of reporting that nothing would happen and the three children were frauds. But they couldn’t report that nothing happened, because something happened. It was raining, pouring really, and the ground was soaked. Suddenly the sun appeared and seemed to charge toward the earth, causing quite a fright in the crowd. Then, the sun began to dance and display a panoply of colors. Some reported seeing a vision of the Holy Family, of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and other visions. The atheistic, anti-Catholic press reported it all.

Here is an excerpt from the newspaper O Seculo written by reporter Avelino de Almeida and published on October 15, 1917:

“The hour advances…The miraculous manifestation, the announced visible sign is about to produce itself… And then a spectacle makes itself present, unique and unbelievable to anyone not a witness to it. From the summit of the road, the entire immense multitude is seen turning towards the sun, which presents itself free from the clouds, in its zenith. The star resembles a plate of opaque silver and it is possible to stare at the disc without the most minimal effort. It doesn’t burn; it doesn’t blind. It may be said to be an eclipse in progress. But a colossal uproar suddenly arises, and the spectators that are closest are heard to yell:

Miracle, miracle! A marvel! A marvel!

To the amazed eyes of those people, who, pale with astonishment and with heads uncovered, face the blue sky, the sun trembled, the sun had never-before-seen brusque movements beyond all cosmic laws – the sun “danced”, according to the typical expression of the peasants. And, later on, some ask others if they saw it, or what they saw. The majority confesses to have seen a trembling or dancing of the sun, but others declare to have seen the smiling face of the Virgin herself, and swear that the sun spun around like a wheel of fireworks, that it descended almost to the point of burning the earth with its rays… There are those who say that they saw it successively change color…”

Other witnesses from 15-25 miles away also reported seeing the “Miracle of the Sun.” The newspaper accounts of the event contributed to the visions at Fatima becoming known worldwide and of the Church eventually accepting them as authentic.

The lesson of Fatima, I think, is that the Lord often reveals His truth and His plans for us through the little ones, and not through the learned, the clever, or the important. Three shepherd children were given the privilege of several visits from Our Lady, visits that would transform the world. Now, it is up to us to live the message of Fatima:

1. Penance – Our Lady of Fatima called us to amend our lives, do penance for our sins, and offer sacrifices for sinners.
2. Prayer – Our Lady of Fatima called us to prayer, especially to the rosary.
3. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary – Our Lady of Fatima called us to greater devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She taught us that, when we make sacrifices for sinners, we should pray: “My Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” She also asked that we practice the Five Saturdays Devotion, which consists of going to Confession, receiving Holy Communion, reciting the rosary, and spending fifteen minutes in Mary’s company while meditating on the mysteries of the rosary with the intention of making reparation for sins against her Immaculate Heart on the first Saturday of each month for five consecutive months.

Like 1917, our world is at war – between Ukraine and Russia and between Israel and Gaza, and India and Pakistan are currently in a ceasefire, which is so far holding. Like 1917, we need to pray, to do penance, to make sacrifices for sinners, and to turn our hearts toward Jesus and His Mother, who is Our Mother also. Who better to listen to than the one who was and remains closest to Jesus – His own Mother.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.