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Our Lady of Fatima – May 13 – Portugal

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Our Lady of Fatima – May 13 – Portugal

Our Lady of Fatima
(1917)
Beginning on May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared six times in Fatima (Portugal) to three shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. In a beautiful book entitled «Memoirs of Lucia» (which we recommend reading), the woman who saw the Virgin recounts all the details of these apparitions.
On May 13, the following exchange took place:
– Where are you from, Your Grace?
– My homeland is heaven.
– And what do you want from us?
– I come to ask you to come on the 13th of each month at this time (noon). In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want.
– And will we also go to heaven?
– Lucia and Jacinta, yes.
– And Francisco?
The apparition’s eyes turned toward the young boy and looked at him with an expression of kindness and maternal reproach as she said:
«He too will go to heaven, but first he will have to pray many rosaries.»
And the Blessed Virgin continued, asking them:
«Do you want to offer yourselves to the Lord and be ready to generously accept the sufferings that God allows to come to you, offering everything in reparation for the offenses committed against Our Lord?»
«Yes, Lady, we want and we accept.»
With a gesture of gentle joy, seeing their generosity, she said to them:
«You will have occasion to suffer and afflict, but the grace of God will strengthen and assist you.»
Second apparition: June 13, 1917.
The Blessed Virgin tells the three children: «You must pray the rosary and learn to read.»
Lucia asks for the healing of a sick person, and the Blessed Virgin tells her: «May he convert, and next year he will recover his health.»
Lucia begged her: «Lady, will you take the three of us to heaven?»
«Yes, I will take Jacinta and Francisco very soon, but you must stay here below, because Jesus wants to use you to make me loved and known. He desires to spread devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary throughout the world.»
«And am I going to remain alone in this world?»
«No, my little one! Are you suffering much? But do not be discouraged, for I will not abandon you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge, and I will be the path that leads you to God.»
Third apparition: July 13, 1917.
There are already 4,000 people. Our Lady tells the visionaries: «It is necessary to pray the rosary for the war to end. With prayer to Our Lady, peace can be obtained. When you suffer anything, say: ‘O Jesus, it is for your love and for the conversion of sinners.'»
The Virgin opened her hands, and a beam of light penetrated the earth. A huge furnace filled with fire appeared, and in it, many people, like burning coals, were lifted up by the flames and fell back, screaming and wailing in pain. Lucia cried out in fright. The children raised their eyes to the Virgin as if asking for help, and she said to them: «Have you seen the hell where so many sinners will fall? To save them, the Lord wants to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the world. If we pray and do penance, many souls will be saved, and peace will come. But if we do not pray and do not stop sinning so much, another war will come, worse than the previous ones, and the punishment of the world for its sins will be war, food shortages, and persecution of the Holy Church and the Holy Father. I come to ask for the Consecration of the world to the Heart of Mary and Communion on the First Saturdays, in reparation and reparation for so many sins.» If what I ask is accepted, Russia will be converted and peace will come. But if not, impious propaganda will spread its errors throughout the world, and there will be wars and persecutions of the Church. Many good people will be martyred, and the Holy Father will have to suffer greatly. Several nations will be annihilated. But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.
And Our Lady added: When you pray the Rosary, after each mystery, say: «O Jesus, forgive us our sins, deliver us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy.»
Fourth apparition: August 1917.
The fourth apparition was not possible on August 13th because on that day the mayor had imprisoned the three children in an attempt to make them say they had not seen the Virgin. However, he was unsuccessful. The apparition took place a few days later.
The Blessed Virgin told them during the fourth apparition: «Pray, pray a lot and make sacrifices for sinners. You must remember that many souls are damned because there is no one to pray and make sacrifices for them.» (Pope Pius XII said that this phrase impressed him most about the message of Fatima and exclaimed: «A tremendous mystery: that the salvation of many souls depends on the prayers and sacrifices made for sinners.)
From this apparition on, the three children dedicated themselves to offering all possible sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and to praying the Rosary with greater fervor.
Fifth apparition: September 13, 1917.
There are already about 12,000 people. Our Lady recommends that the visionaries continue praying the Rosary and announces the end of the war. Lucia asks her for several sick people. Our Lady responds that some will be cured, but others will not, because God does not trust them, and because for the sanctification of some people, illness is more advantageous than good health. And she invites everyone to witness a great miracle on October 13.
Sixth and last apparition: October 13, 1917.
On this day, there are 70,000 people. The apparition tells the three children: «I am the Virgin of the Rosary. I wish that a temple be built for me on this site and that you pray the Holy Rosary every day.»
Lucia tells them the names of several people who wish to obtain health and other very important favors. Our Lady responds that some of these favors will be granted and others will be replaced with better favors. She adds: «But it is very important that you make amends and ask for forgiveness for your sins.»
And assuming an air of sadness, the Blessed Virgin said these last words of the apparitions: DO NOT OFFEND GOD ANYMORE, FOR HE IS ALREADY VERY OFFENDED (Lucia affirms that of all the phrases heard at Fatima, this was the one that impressed her the most).
Before saying goodbye, the Blessed Virgin pointed her hands toward the sun, and then the 70,000 spectators witnessed a moving miracle, a marvelous spectacle never seen before: the rain stopped instantly (it had been raining since dawn and it was noon), the clouds moved away, and the sun appeared like an immense silver or snow globe, which began to spinning at great speed, scattering yellow, red, green, blue, and purple lights in all directions, beautifully coloring the distant clouds, the trees, the rocks, and the faces of the crowd present. Suddenly, the sun stops and begins to spin to the left, emitting lights so beautiful that it seems like a fireworks explosion, and then the crowd sees something that fills them with terror and fright.
They see the sun coming down, as if it were going to fall on top of them all and burn them to a crisp, and an immense cry of terror rises from everyone’s throats. «Forgive me, Lord, forgive me,» was an act of contrition uttered by many thousands of sinners. This natural phenomenon was repeated three times and lasted ten minutes. It was not recorded by any astronomical observatory because it was an absolutely supernatural miracle.
Then the sun returned to its original position, and the thousands of pilgrims, whose clothes were completely soaked by so much rain, were left with their garments instantly dry. And that Wonderful miracles of healing and conversions occurred that day.
And we want to remember and obey the messages of the Blessed Virgin at Fatima: «Pray the Rosary. Make prayer and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, and DO NOT offend God any further, for He is already deeply offended.»