{"id":55320,"date":"2023-07-18T10:29:03","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T08:29:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/?p=55320"},"modified":"2023-08-16T14:02:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T12:02:34","slug":"fatimaenglish-11-18-7-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/?p=55320","title":{"rendered":"Fatima,English.11.18.7.23."},"content":{"rendered":"

Tweet<\/a><\/p>

JACINTA\u2019S CHARACTER<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Her Natural Characteristics .<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Her Sensitiveness ……<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Her Love for the Crucified Saviour …<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Her Delicate Sensibility …..<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. She Looks and Learns …<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Jacinta, the Little Shepherdess ..<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. The First Apparition …<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Reflecting on Hell ….<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Conversion of Sinners …<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Family Opposition ..<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Love for the Holy Father ..<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. In Prison at Our\u00e9m …<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. The Rosary in Jail …..<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. And Finally… the Dance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    , 1. Her Natural Characteristics<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Before the happenings of 1917, apart from the ties of relationship<\/span><\/p>\n

    that united us, no other particular affection led me to prefer<\/span><\/p>\n

    the companionship of Jacinta and Francisco to that of any other<\/span><\/p>\n

    child. On the contrary, I sometimes found Jacinta\u2019s company quite<\/span><\/p>\n

    5 Despite her inadequate schooling, Lucia had quite a talent for poetry, andwrote various poems.<\/em>disagreeable, on account of her oversensitive temperament.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0The<\/span><\/p>\n

    slightest quarrel which arose among the children when at play was<\/span><\/p>\n

    enough to send her pouting into a corner \u2013 \u2018tethering the donkey\u2019,<\/span><\/p>\n

    as we used to say. Even the coaxing and caressing that children<\/span><\/p>\n

    know so well how to give on such occasions, were still not enough<\/span><\/p>\n

    to bring her back to play; she herself had to be allowed to choose<\/span><\/p>\n

    the game, and her partner as well. Her heart, however, was well<\/span><\/p>\n

    disposed. God had endowed her with a sweet and gentle character<\/span><\/p>\n

    which made her at once lovable and attractive.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I don\u2019t know why, but Jacinta and her brother Francisco had a<\/span><\/p>\n

    special liking for me, and almost always came in search of me<\/span><\/p>\n

    when they wanted to play. They did not enjoy the company of the<\/span><\/p>\n

    other children, and they used to ask me to go with them to the well<\/span><\/p>\n

    down at the bottom of the garden belonging to my parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Once we arrived there, Jacinta chose which games we were<\/span><\/p>\n

    to play. The ones she liked best were usually \u2018pebbles\u2019 and \u2018buttons\u2019,<\/span><\/p>\n

    which we played as we sat on the stone slabs covering the<\/span><\/p>\n

    well, in the shade of an olive tree and two plum trees. Playing \u2018buttons\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

    often left me in great distress, because when they called us in<\/span><\/p>\n

    to meals, I used to find myself minus my buttons. More often than<\/span><\/p>\n

    not, Jacinta had won them all, and this was enough to make my<\/span><\/p>\n

    mother scold me. I had to sew them on again in a hurry. But how<\/span><\/p>\n

    could I persuade Jacinta to give them back to me, since besides<\/span><\/p>\n

    her pouty ways she had another little defect: she was possessive!<\/span><\/p>\n

    She wanted to keep all the buttons for the next game, so as to<\/span><\/p>\n

    avoid taking off her own! It was only by threatening never to play<\/span><\/p>\n

    with her again that I succeeded in getting them back!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Not a few times, I found myself unable to do what my little<\/span><\/p>\n

    friend wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    One of my older sisters was a weaver and the other a seamstress,<\/span><\/p>\n

    and both were at home all day. The neighbours, therefore,<\/span><\/p>\n

    used to ask my mother if they could leave their children in my parents\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

    yard, while they themselves went out to work in the fields. The<\/span><\/p>\n

    children stayed with me and played, while my sisters kept an eye<\/span><\/p>\n

    on us. My mother was always willing to do this, although it meant<\/span><\/p>\n

    considerable waste of time for my sisters. I was therefore charged<\/span><\/p>\n

    with amusing the children, and watching to see that they did not fall<\/span><\/p>\n

    into the pool in the yard. Three large figtrees sheltered the children<\/span><\/p>\n

    from the scorching sun. We used their branches for swings, and an<\/span><\/p>\n

    old threshing floor for a dining room. On days like these, when<\/span><\/p>\n

    Jacinta came with her brother to invite me to go with them to our<\/span><\/p>\n

    favourite nook, I used to tell them I could not go, because my mother<\/span><\/p>\n

    had ordered me to stay where I was. Then, disappointed but resigned,<\/span><\/p>\n

    the two little ones joined in our games. At siesta time, my<\/span><\/p>\n

    mother used to give her children their catechism lessons, especially<\/span><\/p>\n

    when Lent was drawing near, for as she said:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t want to be ashamed of you, when the priest questions<\/span><\/p>\n

    you on your catechism at Easter time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    All the other children, therefore, were present at our catechism<\/span><\/p>\n

    lessons and Jacinta was there as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Her Sensitiveness<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

      One day, one of these children accused another of improper<\/span><\/p>\n

      talk. My mother reproved him very severely, pointing out that one<\/span><\/p>\n

      does not say such nasty things, because they are sinful and displease<\/span><\/p>\n

      the Child Jesus; and that those who commit such sins and<\/span><\/p>\n

      don\u2019t confess them, go to hell. Little Jacinta did not forget the lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The very next time the children came, she said:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cWill your mother let you go today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cThen I\u2019m going with Francisco over to our yard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cAnd why won\u2019t you stay here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cMy mother doesn\u2019t want us to stay when those other children<\/span><\/p>\n

      are here. She told us to go and play in our own yard. She doesn\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

      want me to learn these nasty things, which are sins and which the<\/span><\/p>\n

      Child Jesus doesn\u2019t like.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      Then she whispered in my ear:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cIf your mother lets you, will you come to my house?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cYes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cThen go and ask her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      And taking her brother by the hand, she went home.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Speaking of Jacinta\u2019s favourite games, one of them was \u2018forfeits\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

      As Your Excellency probably knows, the loser has to do whatever<\/span><\/p>\n

      the winner tells him. Jacinta loved to send the loser chasing<\/span><\/p>\n

      after butterflies, to catch one and bring it to her. At other times, she<\/span><\/p>\n

      demanded some flower of her own choosing. One day, we were<\/span><\/p>\n

      playing forfeits at my home, and I won, so this time it was I who told<\/span><\/p>\n

      39<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      her what to do. My brother was sitting at a table, writing. I told her to<\/span><\/p>\n

      give him a hug and a kiss, but she protested:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cThat, no! Tell me to do some other thing. Why don\u2019t you tell<\/span><\/p>\n

      me to go and kiss Our Lord over there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      There was a crucifix hanging on the wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cAlright\u201d, I answered, \u201cget up on a chair, bring the crucifix over<\/span><\/p>\n

      here, kneel down and give Him three hugs and three kisses: one<\/span><\/p>\n

      for Francisco, one for me, and the other for yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cTo Our Lord, yes, I\u2019ll give as many as you like\u201d, and she ran to<\/span><\/p>\n

      get the crucifix. She kissed it and hugged it with such devotion that<\/span><\/p>\n

      I have never forgotten it. Then, looking attentively at the figure of<\/span><\/p>\n

      Our Lord, she asked:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cWhy is Our Lord nailed to a cross like that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cBecause He died for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cTell me how it happened\u201d, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Her Love for the Crucified Saviour<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

        In the evenings my mother used to tell stories. My father and<\/span><\/p>\n

        my older sisters told us fairy stories about magic spells, princesses<\/span><\/p>\n

        robed in gold and royal doves. Then along came my mother with<\/span><\/p>\n

        stories of the Passion, St. John the Baptist, and so on. That is how<\/span><\/p>\n

        I came to know the story of Our Lord\u2019s Passion. As it was enough<\/span><\/p>\n

        for me to have heard a story once, to be able to repeat it in all its<\/span><\/p>\n

        details, I began to tell my companions, word for word, what I used<\/span><\/p>\n

        to call Our Lord\u2019s Story. Just then, my sister 6 passed by, and noticed<\/span><\/p>\n

        that we had the crucifix 7 in our hands. She took it from us and<\/span><\/p>\n

        scolded us, saying that she did not want us to touch such holy<\/span><\/p>\n

        things. Jacinta got up and approached my sister, saying:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u201cMaria, don\u2019t scold her! I did it. But I won\u2019t do it again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

        My sister caressed her, and told us to go and play outside,<\/span><\/p>\n

        because we left nothing in the house in its proper place. Off we<\/span><\/p>\n

        went to continue our story down at the well I have already mentioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

        As it was hidden behind some chestnut trees and a heap of<\/span><\/p>\n

        stones and brambles, we chose this spot some years later for our<\/span><\/p>\n

        more intimate talks, our fervent prayers, and to tell you everything,<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        our tears as well \u2013 and sometimes very bitter tears they were. We<\/span><\/p>\n

        mingled our tears with the waters of the same well from which we<\/span><\/p>\n

        drank. Does not this make the well itself an image of Mary, in whose<\/span><\/p>\n

        Heart we dried our tears and drank of the purest consolation?<\/span><\/p>\n

        But, let us come back to our story. When the little one heard<\/span><\/p>\n

        me telling of the sufferings of Our Lord, she was moved to tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

        From then on, she often asked me to tell it to her all over again. She<\/span><\/p>\n

        would weep and grieve, saying:<\/span><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        \u201cOur poor dear Lord! I\u2019ll never sin again! I don\u2019t want Our Lord<\/span><\/p>\n

        to suffer any more!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Her Delicate Sensibility<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

          Jacinta also loved going out at nightfall to the threshing floor<\/span><\/p>\n

          situated close to the house, there she watched the beautiful sunsets,<\/span><\/p>\n

          and contemplated the starry skies. She was enraptured with<\/span><\/p>\n

          the lovely moonlit nights. We vied with each other to see who could<\/span><\/p>\n

          count the most stars. We called the stars Angels\u2019 lamps, the moon<\/span><\/p>\n

          Our Lady\u2019s lamp and the sun Our Lord\u2019s. This led Jacinta to remark<\/span><\/p>\n

          sometimes:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \u201cYou know, I like Our Lady\u2019s lamp better; it doesn\u2019t burn us up<\/span><\/p>\n

          or blind us, the way Our Lord\u2019s does.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          In fact, the sun can be very strong there on summer days, and<\/span><\/p>\n

          Jacinta, a delicate child, suffered greatly from the heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

          \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. She looks and learns<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

            As my sister belonged to the Sodality of the Sacred Heart of<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jesus, every time a children\u2019s solemn Communion came round,<\/span><\/p>\n

            she took me along to renew my own. On one occasion my aunt<\/span><\/p>\n

            took her little daughter to see the ceremony, and Jacinta was fascinated<\/span><\/p>\n

            by the \u2018angels\u2019 strewing flowers. From that day on, she sometimes<\/span><\/p>\n

            left us when we were playing, and went off to gather an apron<\/span><\/p>\n

            full of flowers. Then she came back and strewed them over me,<\/span><\/p>\n

            one by one.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cJacinta, why on earth are you doing that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201c I\u2019m doing what the little angels do: I\u2019m strewing you with<\/span><\/p>\n

            flowers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            Every year, on a big feast, probably Corpus Christi, my sister<\/span><\/p>\n

            used to prepare the dresses for the children chosen to represent<\/span><\/p>\n

            the angels in the procession. They walked beside the canopy, strewing<\/span><\/p>\n

            flowers. I was always among the ones chosen, and one day<\/span><\/p>\n

            after my sister had tried on my dress, I told Jacinta all about the<\/span><\/p>\n

            coming feast, and how I was going to strew flowers before Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

            The little one begged me to ask my sister to let her go as well. The<\/span><\/p>\n

            two of us went along to make our request. My sister said she could<\/span><\/p>\n

            go, and tried a dress on Jacinta. At the rehearsals, she explained<\/span><\/p>\n

            how we were to strew the flowers before the Child Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cWill we see Him?\u201d asked Jacinta.<\/span><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            \u201cYes,\u201d replied my sister, \u201cthe parish priest will be carrying Him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jacinta jumped for joy, and kept on asking how much longer<\/span><\/p>\n

            we had to wait for the feast. The longed-for day arrived at last, and<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jacinta was beside herself with excitement. The two of us took our<\/span><\/p>\n

            places near the altar. Later, in the procession, we walked beside<\/span><\/p>\n

            the canopy, each of us with a basket of flowers. Wherever my sister<\/span><\/p>\n

            had told us to strew the flowers, I strewed mine before Jesus, but in<\/span><\/p>\n

            spite of all the signs I made to Jacinta, I couldn\u2019t get her to strew a<\/span><\/p>\n

            single one. She kept her eyes fixed on the priest, and that was all.<\/span><\/p>\n

            When the ceremony was over, my sister took us outside the church<\/span><\/p>\n

            and asked:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cJacinta, why didn\u2019t you strew your flowers before Jesus?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cBecause I didn\u2019t see Him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jacinta then asked me:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cBut did you see the Child Jesus?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            \u201cOf course not. Don\u2019t you know that the Child Jesus in the<\/span><\/p>\n

            Host can\u2019t be seen? He\u2019s hidden! He\u2019s the one we receive in Communion!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cAnd you, when you go to Communion, do you talk to Him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cThen, why don\u2019t you see Him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cBecause He\u2019s hidden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cI\u2019m going to ask my mother to let me go to Communion too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cThe parish priest won\u2019t let you go until you\u2019re ten years old.\u201d 8<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cBut you\u2019re not ten yet, and you go to Communion!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cBecause I knew the whole catechism, and you don\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            After this, my two companions asked me to teach them the<\/span><\/p>\n

            catechism. So I became their catechist, and they learned with exceptional<\/span><\/p>\n

            enthusiasm. But though I could always answer any questions<\/span><\/p>\n

            put to me, when it came to teaching, I could only remember a<\/span><\/p>\n

            few things here and there. This led Jacinta to say to me one day:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cTeach us some more things; we know all those.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            I had to admit that I could remember things only when people<\/span><\/p>\n

            questioned me on them, and I added:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cAsk your mother to let you go to the church to learn your<\/span><\/p>\n

            catechism.\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

            The two children, who so ardently desired to receive the \u2018Hidden<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jesus\u2019 as they called Him, went to ask their mother, and my<\/span><\/p>\n

            aunt agreed. But she rarely let them go there, for she said:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cThe church is a good way from here, and you are very small.<\/span><\/p>\n

            In any case, the priest won\u2019t give you Holy Communion before you\u2019re<\/span><\/p>\n

            ten years old.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jacinta never stopped asking me questions about the Hidden<\/span><\/p>\n

            Jesus, and I remember how, one day, she asked me:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cHow is it that so many people receive the little Hidden Jesus<\/span><\/p>\n

            at the same time? Is there one small piece for each person?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cNot at all! Don\u2019t you see that there are many Hosts, and that<\/span><\/p>\n

            there is a Child Jesus in every one of them!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            What a lot of nonsense I must have told her!<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Jacinta, the Little Shepherdess<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

              I was old enough now to be sent out to mind our sheep, just as<\/span><\/p>\n

              my mother had sent her other children at my age. My sister Carolina<\/span><\/p>\n

              9 was then thirteen, and it was time for her to go out to work. My<\/span><\/p>\n

              mother, therefore, put me in charge of our flock. I passed on the<\/span><\/p>\n

              news to my two companions, and told them that I would not be<\/span><\/p>\n

              playing with them any more; but they could not bring themselves to<\/span><\/p>\n

              accept such a separation. They went at once to ask their mother to<\/span><\/p>\n

              let them come with me, but she refused. We had no alternative but<\/span><\/p>\n

              to accept the separation. Nearly every day after that, they came to<\/span><\/p>\n

              meet me on my way home at dusk. Then we made for the threshing<\/span><\/p>\n

              floor, and ran about for a while, waiting for Our Lady and the An-<\/span><\/p>\n

              gels to light their lamps \u2013 or put them, as we used to say, at the<\/span><\/p>\n

              window to give us light. On moonless nights, we used to say that<\/span><\/p>\n

              there was no oil for Our Lady\u2019s lamp!<\/span><\/p>\n

              Jacinta and Francisco found it very hard to get used to the<\/span><\/p>\n

              absence of their former companion. For this reason, they pleaded<\/span><\/p>\n

              with their mother over and over again to let them, also, Iook after<\/span><\/p>\n

              their sheep. Finally my aunt, hoping perhaps to be rid of such persistent<\/span><\/p>\n

              requests, even though she knew the children were too small,<\/span><\/p>\n

              handed over to them the care of their own flock. Radiant with joy,<\/span><\/p>\n

              they ran to give me the news and talk over how we could put our<\/span><\/p>\n

              flocks together every day. Each one was to open the pen, whenever<\/span><\/p>\n

              their mother decided, and whoever reached the Barreiro first<\/span><\/p>\n

              was to await the arrival of the other flock. Barreiro was the name of<\/span><\/p>\n

              a pond at the bottom of the hill. As soon as we met at the pond, we<\/span><\/p>\n

              decided where we would pasture the flock that day. Then off we\u2019d<\/span><\/p>\n

              go, as happy and content as if we were going to a festival.<\/span><\/p>\n

              And now, Your Excellency, we see Jacinta in her new life as a<\/span><\/p>\n

              shepherdess. We won over the sheep by sharing our lunch with<\/span><\/p>\n

              them. This meant that when we reached the pasture, we could play<\/span><\/p>\n

              at our ease, quite sure that they would not stray far away from us.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Jacinta loved to hear her voice echoing down in the valleys. For<\/span><\/p>\n

              this reason, one of our favourite amusements was to climb to the<\/span><\/p>\n

              top of the hills, sit down on the biggest rock we could find, and call<\/span><\/p>\n

              out different names at the top of our voices. The name that echoed<\/span><\/p>\n

              back most clearly was \u2018Maria\u2019. Sometimes Jacinta used to say the<\/span><\/p>\n

              whole Hail Mary this way, only calling out the following word when<\/span><\/p>\n

              the preceding one had stopped re-echoing.<\/span><\/p>\n

              We loved to sing, too. Interspersed among the popular songs<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u2013 of which, alas! we knew quite a number \u2013 were Jacinta\u2019s favourite<\/span><\/p>\n

              hymns: \u2018Salve Nobre Padroeira\u2019 (Hail Noble Patroness), \u2018Virgem<\/span><\/p>\n

              Pura\u2019, (Virgin Pure), \u2018Anjos, Cantai Comigo\u2019, (Angels, sing with me).<\/span><\/p>\n

              We were very fond of dancing, and any instrument we heard being<\/span><\/p>\n

              played by the other shepherds was enough to set us off. Jacinta,<\/span><\/p>\n

              tiny as she was, had a special aptitude for dancing.<\/span><\/p>\n

              We had been told to say the Rosary after our lunch, but as the<\/span><\/p>\n

              whole day seemed too short for our play, we worked out a fine way<\/span><\/p>\n

              of getting through it quickly. We simply passed the beads through<\/span><\/p>\n

              our fingers, saying nothing but \u201cHail Mary, Hail Mary, Hail Mary…\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

              At the end of each mystery, we paused awhile, then simply said<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u00a0\u201cOur Father\u201d and so, in the twinkling of an eye, as they say, we had<\/span><\/p>\n

              our Rosary finished!<\/span><\/p>\n

              Jacinta also loved to hold the little white lambs tightly in her<\/span><\/p>\n

              arms, sitting with them on her lap, fondling them, kissing them, and<\/span><\/p>\n

              carrying them home at night on her shoulders, so that they wouldn\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

              get tired. One day on her way back, she walked along in the middle<\/span><\/p>\n

              of the flock.<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u201cJacinta, what are you doing there,\u201d I asked her, \u201cin the middle<\/span><\/p>\n

              of the sheep?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u201cI want to do the same as Our Lord in that holy picture they<\/span><\/p>\n

              gave me. He\u2019s just like this, right in the middle of them all, and He\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

              holding one of them in His arms.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              1. The First Apparition<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                And now, Your Excellency, you know more or less how Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

                spent the first seven years of her life, right up to that 13th day of<\/span><\/p>\n

                May 1917, which dawned bright and fair like so many others before<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. That day, by chance \u2013 if in the designs of Providence there can<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  be such a thing as chance \u2013 we chose to pasture our flock on<\/span><\/p>\n

                  some land belonging to my parents, called Cova da Iria. We chose<\/span><\/p>\n

                  the pasture as we usually did, at the Barreiro I have already mentioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  This meant we had to cross a barren stretch of moorland to<\/span><\/p>\n

                  get there, which made the journey doubly long. We had to go slowly<\/span><\/p>\n

                  to give the sheep a chance to graze along the way, so it was almost<\/span><\/p>\n

                  noon when we arrived. I will not delay here to tell you what happened<\/span><\/p>\n

                  that day, because Your Excellency knows it well already,<\/span><\/p>\n

                  and therefore it would be a waste of time. Except for the sake of<\/span><\/p>\n

                  obedience, my writing this seems a waste of time to me as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  For I cannot see what good Your Excellency can draw from it all,<\/span><\/p>\n

                  unless it could be that you will become better acquainted with<\/span><\/p>\n

                  Jacinta\u2019s innocence of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Before beginning to tell Your Excellency what I remember of<\/span><\/p>\n

                  this new period of Jacinta\u2019s life, I must first admit that there were<\/span><\/p>\n

                  certain aspects of Our Lady\u2019s apparitions which we had agreed<\/span><\/p>\n

                  not to make known to anybody. Now however, I may have to speak<\/span><\/p>\n

                  about them in order to explain whence Jacinta imbibed such great<\/span><\/p>\n

                  love for Jesus, for suffering and for sinners, for whose salvation<\/span><\/p>\n

                  she sacrificed herself so generously. Your Excellency is not una45<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                  ware that she was the one who, unable to contain herself for joy,<\/span><\/p>\n

                  broke our agreement to keep the whole matter to ourselves. That<\/span><\/p>\n

                  very afternoon, while we remained thoughtful and rapt in wonder,<\/span><\/p>\n

                  Jacinta kept breaking into enthusiastic exclamations:<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cOh, what a beautiful Lady!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201c I can see what\u2019s going to happen,\u201d I said, \u201cyou\u2019ll end up saying<\/span><\/p>\n

                  that to somebody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cNo, I won\u2019t,\u201d she answered \u201cdon\u2019t worry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  Next day, Francisco came running to tell me how she had told<\/span><\/p>\n

                  them everything at home the night before. Jacinta listened to the<\/span><\/p>\n

                  accusation without a word.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cYou see, that\u2019s just what I thought would happen.\u201d I said to her.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cThere was something within me that wouldn\u2019t let me keep<\/span><\/p>\n

                  quiet,\u201d she said, with tears in her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cWell, don\u2019t cry now, and don\u2019t tell anything else to anybody<\/span><\/p>\n

                  about what the Lady said to us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cBut I\u2019ve already told them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cAnd what did you say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201c I said that the Lady promised to take us to Heaven.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cTo think you told them that!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cForgive me. I won\u2019t tell anybody anything ever again!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Reflecting on Hell<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                    That day, when we reached the pasture, Jacinta sat thoughtfully<\/span><\/p>\n

                    on a rock.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cJacinta, come and play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cI don\u2019t want to play today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cBecause I\u2019m thinking. That Lady told us to say the Rosary<\/span><\/p>\n

                    and to make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. So from now<\/span><\/p>\n

                    on, when we say the Rosary we must say the whole Hail Mary and<\/span><\/p>\n

                    the whole Our Father! And the sacrifices, how are we going to<\/span><\/p>\n

                    make them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Right away, Francisco thought of a good sacrifice:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cLet\u2019s give our lunch to the sheep, and make the sacrifice of<\/span><\/p>\n

                    doing without it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    In a couple of minutes, the contents of our lunchbag had been<\/span><\/p>\n

                    divided among the sheep. So that day, we fasted as strictly as the<\/span><\/p>\n

                    46<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                    most austere Carthusian! Jacinta remained sitting on her rock, looking<\/span><\/p>\n

                    very thoughtful, and asked:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cThat Lady also said that many souls go to hell! What is hell,<\/span><\/p>\n

                    then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201clt\u2019s like a big deep pit of wild beasts, with an enormous fire in<\/span><\/p>\n

                    it \u2013 that\u2019s how my mother used to explain it to me \u2013 and that\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

                    where people go who commit sins and don\u2019t confess them. They<\/span><\/p>\n

                    stay there and burn for ever!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cAnd they never get out of there again?\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cNo!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cNot even after many, many years?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cNo! Hell never ends!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cAnd Heaven never ends either?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cWhoever goes to Heaven, never leaves it again!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cAnd whoever goes to Hell, never leaves it either?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cThey\u2019re eternal, don\u2019t you see! They never end.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    That was how, for the first time, we made a meditation on Hell<\/span><\/p>\n

                    and eternity. What made the biggest impression on Jacinta was<\/span><\/p>\n

                    the idea of eternity. Even in the middle of a game, she would stop<\/span><\/p>\n

                    and ask:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cBut listen! Doesn\u2019t hell end after many, many years, then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Or again:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cThose people burning in hell, don\u2019t they ever die? And don\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

                    they turn into ashes? And if people pray very much for sinners,<\/span><\/p>\n

                    won\u2019t Our Lord get them out of there? And if they make sacrifices<\/span><\/p>\n

                    as well? Poor sinners! We have to pray and make many sacrifices<\/span><\/p>\n

                    for them!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Then she went on:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cHow good that Lady is! She has already promised to take us<\/span><\/p>\n

                    to Heaven!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. Conversion of Sinners<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                      Jacinta took this matter of making sacrifices for the conversion<\/span><\/p>\n

                      of sinners so much to heart, that she never let a single opportunity<\/span><\/p>\n

                      escape her. There were two families in Moita 10 whose chil-<\/span><\/p>\n

                      10 At that time it was a small village to the north of the Cova da Iria about 1 km<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                      from the place of the Apparitions<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                      dren used to go round begging from door to door. We met them<\/span><\/p>\n

                      one day, as we were going along with our sheep. As soon as she<\/span><\/p>\n

                      saw them, Jacinta said to us:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cLet\u2019s give our lunch to those poor children, for the conversion<\/span><\/p>\n

                      of sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      And she ran to take it to them. That afternoon, she told me she<\/span><\/p>\n

                      was hungry. There were holm-oaks and oak trees nearby. The<\/span><\/p>\n

                      acorns were still quite green. However, I told her we could eat them.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Francisco climbed up a holm-oak to fill his pockets, but Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

                      remembered that we could eat the ones on the oak trees instead,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      and thus make a sacrifice by eating the bitter kind. So it was there,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      that afternoon, that we enjoyed this delicious repast! Jacinta made<\/span><\/p>\n

                      this one of her usual sacrifices, and often picked the acorns off the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      oaks or the olives off the trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      One day I said to her:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cJacinta, don\u2019t eat that; it\u2019s too bitter!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cBut it\u2019s because it\u2019s bitter that I\u2019m eating it, for the conversion<\/span><\/p>\n

                      of sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      These were not the only times we fasted. We had agreed that<\/span><\/p>\n

                      whenever we met any poor children like these, we would give them<\/span><\/p>\n

                      our lunch. They were only too happy to receive such an alms, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                      they took good care to meet us; they used to wait for us along the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      road. We no sooner saw them than Jacinta ran to give them all the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      food we had for that day, as happy as if she had no need of it<\/span><\/p>\n

                      herself. On days like that, our only nourishment consisted of pine<\/span><\/p>\n

                      nuts, and little berries about the size of an olive which grow on the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      roots of yellow bell-flowers, as well as blackberries, mushrooms,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      and some other things we found on the roots of pine trees \u2013 I can\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

                      remember now what these were called. If there was fruit availabie<\/span><\/p>\n

                      on the land belonging to our parents, we used to eat that.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Jacinta\u2019s thirst for making sacrifices seemed insatiable. One<\/span><\/p>\n

                      day a neighbour offered my mother a good pasture for our sheep.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Though it was quite far away and we were at the height of summer,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      my mother accepted the offer made so generously, and sent me<\/span><\/p>\n

                      there. She told me that we should take our siesta in the shade of<\/span><\/p>\n

                      the trees, as there was a pond nearby where the flock could go<\/span><\/p>\n

                      and drink. On the way, we met our dear poor children, and Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

                      ran to give them our usual alms. It was a lovely day, but the sun<\/span><\/p>\n

                      was blazing, and in that arid, stony wasteland, it seemed as though<\/span><\/p>\n

                      it would burn everything up. We were parched with thirst, and there<\/span><\/p>\n

                      wasn\u2019t a single drop of water for us to drink! At first, we offered the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      sacrifice generously for the conversion of sinners, but after midday,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      we could hold out no longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      As there was a house quite near, I suggested to my companions<\/span><\/p>\n

                      that I should go and ask for a little water. They agreed to this, so I<\/span><\/p>\n

                      went and knocked on the door. A little old woman gave me not only<\/span><\/p>\n

                      a pitcher of water, but also some bread, which I accepted gratefully.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      I ran to share it with my little companions, and then offered the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      pitcher to Francisco, and told him to take a drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201c I don\u2019t want to.\u201d he replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cI want to suffer for the conversion of sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cYou have a drink, Jacinta!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cBut I want to offer this sacrifice for sinners too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Then I poured the water into a hollow in the rock, so that the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      sheep could drink it, and went to return the pitcher to its owner.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      The heat was getting more and more intense. The shrill singing of<\/span><\/p>\n

                      the crickets and grasshoppers coupled with the croaking of the<\/span><\/p>\n

                      frogs in the neighbouring pond made an uproar that was almost<\/span><\/p>\n

                      unbearable. Jacinta, frail as she was, and weakened still more by<\/span><\/p>\n

                      the lack of food and drink, said to me with that simplicity which<\/span><\/p>\n

                      was natural to her:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cTell the crickets and the frogs to keep quiet! I have such a<\/span><\/p>\n

                      terrible headache.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Then Francisco asked her:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cDon\u2019t you want to suffer this for sinners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      The poor child, clasping her head between her two little hands,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      replied:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cYes, I do. Let them sing!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. Family Opposition<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                        In the meantime, news of what had happened was spreading.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        My mother was getting worried, and wanted at all costs to make<\/span><\/p>\n

                        me deny what I had said. One day, before I set out with the flock,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        she was determined to make me confess that I was telling lies, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to this end she spared neither caresses, nor threats, nor even the<\/span><\/p>\n

                        49<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                        broomstick. To all this she received nothing but a mute silence, or<\/span><\/p>\n

                        the confirmation of all that I had already said. She told me to go<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and let out the sheep, and during the day to consider well that she<\/span><\/p>\n

                        had never tolerated a single lie among her children, and much less<\/span><\/p>\n

                        would she allow a lie of this kind. She warned me that she would<\/span><\/p>\n

                        force me, that very evening, to go to those people whom I had<\/span><\/p>\n

                        deceived, confess that I had lied and ask their pardon.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        I went off with my sheep, and that day my little companions<\/span><\/p>\n

                        were already waiting for me. When they saw me crying, they ran up<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and asked me what was the matter. I told them all that had happened,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and added:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cTell me now, what am I to do? My mother is determined at all<\/span><\/p>\n

                        costs to make me say that I was Iying. But how can I?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Then Francisco said to Jacinta:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cYou see! It\u2019s all your fault. Why did you have to tell them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        The poor child, in tears, knelt down, joined her hands, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        asked our forgiveness:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cI did wrong,\u201d she said through her tears, \u201cbut I will never tell<\/span><\/p>\n

                        anything to anybody again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Your Excellency will probably be wondering who taught Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to make such an act of humility? I don\u2019t know. Perhaps she<\/span><\/p>\n

                        had seen her brothers and sisters asking their parents\u2019 forgiveness<\/span><\/p>\n

                        before going to Communion; or else, as I think myself, Jacinta was<\/span><\/p>\n

                        the one who received from Our Lady a greater abundance of grace,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and a better knowledge of God and of virtue.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        When the parish priest 11 sent for us some time later, to question<\/span><\/p>\n

                        us, Jacinta put her head down, and only with difficulty did he succeed<\/span><\/p>\n

                        in getting a word or two out of her. Once outside, I asked her:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you answer the priest?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cBecause I promised you never to tell anything to anybody<\/span><\/p>\n

                        again!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        One day she asked:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cWhy can\u2019t we say that the Lady told us to make sacrifices for<\/span><\/p>\n

                        sinners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                        \u201cSo they won\u2019t be asking what kind of sacrifices we are making.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                        .<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                        My mother became more and more upset at the way things<\/span><\/p>\n

                        were progressing. This led her to make yet another attempt to force<\/span><\/p>\n

                        me to confess that I had lied. One morning early, she called me<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and told me she was taking me to see the parish priest, saying:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cWhen you get there, go down on your knees, tell him that<\/span><\/p>\n

                        you\u2019ve lied, and ask his pardon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        As we were going past my aunt\u2019s house, my mother went inside<\/span><\/p>\n

                        for a few minutes. This gave me a chance to tell Jacinta what<\/span><\/p>\n

                        was happening. Seeing me so upset, she shed some tears and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cI\u2019m going to get up and call Francisco. We\u2019ll go and pray for<\/span><\/p>\n

                        you at the well. When you get back, come and find us there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        On my return, I ran to the well, and there were the two of them<\/span><\/p>\n

                        on their knees, praying. As soon as they saw me, Jacinta ran to<\/span><\/p>\n

                        hug me, and then she said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cYou see! We must never be afraid of anything! The Lady will<\/span><\/p>\n

                        help us always. She\u2019s such a good friend of ours!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Ever since the day Our Lady taught us to offer our sacrifices to<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Jesus, any time we had something to suffer, or agreed to make a<\/span><\/p>\n

                        sacrifice, Jacinta asked:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cDid you already tell Jesus that it\u2019s for love of Him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        If I said I hadn\u2019t, she answered:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cThen I\u2019ll tell Him,\u201d and joining her hands, she raised her eyes<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to heaven and said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cOh Jesus, it is for love of You, and for the conversion of sinners!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. Love for the Holy Father<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                          Two priests, who had come to question us, recommended that<\/span><\/p>\n

                          we pray for the Holy Father. Jacinta asked who the Holy Father<\/span><\/p>\n

                          was. The good priests explained who he was and how much he<\/span><\/p>\n

                          needed prayers. This gave Jacinta such love for the Holy Father<\/span><\/p>\n

                          that, every time she offered her sacrifices to Jesus, she added:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cand for the Holy Father.\u201d At the end of the Rosary, she always said<\/span><\/p>\n

                          three Hail Marys for the Holy Father, and sometimes she would<\/span><\/p>\n

                          remark:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          51<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cHow I\u2019d love to see the Holy Father! So many people come<\/span><\/p>\n

                          here, but the Holy Father never does!\u201d 12<\/span><\/p>\n

                          In her childish simplicity, she supposed that the Holy Father<\/span><\/p>\n

                          could make this journey just like anybody else!<\/span><\/p>\n

                          One day, my father and my uncle 13 were summoned to appear<\/span><\/p>\n

                          next morning with the three of us before the Administrator 14.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cI\u2019m not going to take my children,\u2019\u2019 announced my uncle, \u201cnor<\/span><\/p>\n

                          present them before any tribunal. Why, they\u2019re not old enough to be<\/span><\/p>\n

                          responsible for their actions, and besides all that, they could never<\/span><\/p>\n

                          stand the long journey on foot to Vila Nova de Our\u00e9m. I\u2019ll go myself<\/span><\/p>\n

                          and see what they want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                          My father thought differently:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cAs for my girl, I\u2019m taking her! Let her answer for herself; I don\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

                          understand a thing about this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                          They all took advantage of this occasion to frighten us in every<\/span><\/p>\n

                          way they could. Next day, as we were passing by my uncle\u2019s house,<\/span><\/p>\n

                          my father had to wait a few minutes for my uncle. I ran to say goodbye<\/span><\/p>\n

                          to Jacinta, who was still in bed. Doubtful as to whether we<\/span><\/p>\n

                          would ever see one another again, I threw my arms around her.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          Bursting into tears, the poor child sobbed:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cIf they kill you, tell them that Francisco and I are just the same<\/span><\/p>\n

                          as you, and that we want to die too. I\u2019m going right now to the well<\/span><\/p>\n

                          with Francisco, and we\u2019ll pray hard for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                          When I got back at night fall, I ran to the well, and there were<\/span><\/p>\n

                          the pair of them on their knees, leaning over the side of the well,<\/span><\/p>\n

                          their heads buried in their hands, weeping bitterly. As soon as they<\/span><\/p>\n

                          saw me, they cried out in astonishment:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u201cYou\u2019ve come then? Why, your sister came here to draw water<\/span><\/p>\n

                          and told us that they\u2019d killed you! We\u2019ve been praying and crying<\/span><\/p>\n

                          so much for you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                          .<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                          \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                            \n
                          1. In Prison at Our\u00e9m<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                            When, some time later, we were put in prison, what made<\/span><\/p>\n

                            Jacinta suffer most, was to feel that their parents had abandoned<\/span><\/p>\n

                            them. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she would say:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cNeither your parents nor mine have come to see us. They<\/span><\/p>\n

                            don\u2019t bother about us any more!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cDon\u2019t cry,\u201d said Francisco, \u201cwe can offer this to Jesus for sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            Then, raising his eyes and hands to heaven, he made the offering:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cO my Jesus, this is for love of You, and for the conversion of<\/span><\/p>\n

                            sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            Jacinta added:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cAnd also for the Holy Father, and in reparation for the sins<\/span><\/p>\n

                            committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            After being separated for awhile, we were reunited in one of<\/span><\/p>\n

                            the other rooms of the prison. When they told us they were coming<\/span><\/p>\n

                            soon to take us away to be fried alive, Jacinta went aside and stood<\/span><\/p>\n

                            by a window overlooking the cattle market. I thought at first that<\/span><\/p>\n

                            she was trying to distract her thoughts with the view, but I soon<\/span><\/p>\n

                            realized that she was crying. I went over and drew her close to me,<\/span><\/p>\n

                            asking her why she was crying:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cBecause we are going to die,\u201d she replied, \u201cwithout ever seeing<\/span><\/p>\n

                            our parents again, not even our mothers!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            With tears running down her cheeks, she added:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cI would like at least to see my mother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cDon\u2019t you want, then, to offer this sacrifice for the conversion<\/span><\/p>\n

                            of sinners?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cI do want to, I do!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            With her face bathed in tears, she joined her hands, raised her<\/span><\/p>\n

                            eyes to heaven and made her offering:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cO my Jesus! This is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners,<\/span><\/p>\n

                            for the Holy Father, and in reparation for the sins committed<\/span><\/p>\n

                            against the Immaculate Heart of Mary!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            The prisoners who were present at this scene, sought to console<\/span><\/p>\n

                            us:<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cBut all you have to do,\u201d they said, \u201cis to tell the Administrator the<\/span><\/p>\n

                            secret! What does it matter whether the Lady wants you to or not!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u201cNever!\u201d was Jacinta\u2019s vigorous reply, \u201cI\u2019d rather die.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                            53<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                            \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                              \n
                            1. The Rosary in Jail<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                              \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                              Next, we decided to say our Rosary. Jacinta took off a medal<\/span><\/p>\n

                              that she was wearing round her neck, and asked a prisoner to<\/span><\/p>\n

                              hang it up for her on a nail in the wall. Kneeling before this medal,<\/span><\/p>\n

                              we began to pray. The prisoners prayed with us, that is if they knew<\/span><\/p>\n

                              how to pray, but at least they were down on their knees. Once the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Rosary was over, Jacinta went over to the window, and started<\/span><\/p>\n

                              crying again.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              \u201cJacinta,\u201d I asked, \u201cdon\u2019t you want to offer this sacrifice to Our<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Lord?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                              \u201cYes, I do, but I keep thinking about my mother, and I can\u2019t help<\/span><\/p>\n

                              crying.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                              As the Blessed Virgin had told us to offer our prayers and sacrifices<\/span><\/p>\n

                              also in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Heart of Mary, we agreed that each of us would choose<\/span><\/p>\n

                              one of these intentions. One would offer for sinners, another for the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Holy Father and yet another in reparation for the sins against the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Immaculate Heart of Mary. Having decided on this, I told Jacinta to<\/span><\/p>\n

                              choose whichever intention she preferred.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              \u201cI\u2019m making the offering for all the intentions, because I love<\/span><\/p>\n

                              them all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                               <\/p>\n

                                \n
                              1. And Finally… the Dance<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                                Among the prisoners, there was one who played the concertina.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                To divert our attention, he began to play and they all started singing.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                They asked us if we knew how to dance. We said we knew the<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u2018fandango\u2019 and the \u2018vira\u2019. Jacinta\u2019s partner was a poor thief who,<\/span><\/p>\n

                                finding her so tiny, picked her up and went on dancing with her in<\/span><\/p>\n

                                his arms! We only hope that Our Lady has had pity on his soul and<\/span><\/p>\n

                                converted him!<\/span><\/p>\n

                                 <\/p>\n

                                Now, Your Excellency will be saying: \u201cWhat fine dispositions<\/span><\/p>\n

                                for martyrdom!\u201d That is true. But we were only children and we<\/span><\/p>\n

                                didn\u2019t think beyond this. Jacinta dearly loved dancing, and had a<\/span><\/p>\n

                                special aptitude for it. I remember how she was crying one day<\/span><\/p>\n

                                about one of her brothers who had gone to the war and was reported<\/span><\/p>\n

                                killed in action. To distract her, I arranged a little dance with<\/span><\/p>\n

                                two of her brothers. There was the poor child dancing away as she<\/span><\/p>\n

                                54<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

                                dried the tears that ran down her cheeks. Her fondness for dancing<\/span><\/p>\n

                                was such, that the sound of some shepherd playing his instrument<\/span><\/p>\n

                                was enough to set her dancing all by herself. In spite of this, when<\/span><\/p>\n

                                Carnival time or St. John\u2019s Day festivities came round, she announced:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u201cI\u2019m not going to dance any more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u201cAnd why not?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u201cBecause I want to offer this sacrifice to Our Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

                                \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                Tweet JACINTA\u2019S CHARACTER \u00a0 \u00a0 Her Natural Characteristics . Her Sensitiveness …… Her Love for the Crucified Saviour … Her Delicate Sensibility ….. She Looks and Learns … Jacinta, the Little Shepherdess .. The First Apparition … Reflecting on Hell …. Conversion of Sinners … Family Opposition .. Love for the Holy Father .. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-divulgacion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=55320"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58826,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55320\/revisions\/58826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=55320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=55320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=55320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}