{"id":56660,"date":"2024-01-09T11:32:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T09:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/?p=56660"},"modified":"2024-07-24T13:44:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T11:44:33","slug":"fatima-english-after-the-apparitionslucia-goes-to-school91-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/?p=56660","title":{"rendered":"Fatima.English. AFTER THE APPARITIONS,Lucia Goes to School,"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tweet<\/a><\/p>

    \n
  1. Lucia Goes to School<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

    Oh dear, here I am writing without rhyme or reason, as we say,<\/span><\/p>\n

    and already leaving out various things that I should have said! But<\/span><\/p>\n

    I am doing as Your Excellency told me: writing just what I remember<\/span><\/p>\n

    and in all simplicity. That is what I want to do, without worrying<\/span><\/p>\n

    about order or style. In that way, I think my obedience is more perfect,<\/span><\/p>\n

    and therefore, more pleasing to Our Lord and to the Immaculate<\/span><\/p>\n

    Heart of Mary.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I will go back, then, to my parents\u2019 home. I have told Your Excellency<\/span><\/p>\n

    that my mother had to sell our flock. We kept only three<\/span><\/p>\n

    sheep, which we took along with us when we went to the fields.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Whenever we stayed at home, we kept them in the pen and fed<\/span><\/p>\n

    28 The place is called Soutaria. Senhora Emilia\u2019s house was rebuilt as a chapel.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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

    them there. My mother then sent me to school, and in my free time,<\/span><\/p>\n

    she wanted me to learn weaving and sewing. In this way, she had<\/span><\/p>\n

    me safe in the house, and didn\u2019t have to waste any time looking for<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. One fine day, my sisters were asked to go with some other<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      girls to help with the vintage on the property of a wealthy man of P\u00e9<\/span><\/p>\n

      de C\u00e3o 29. My mother decided to let them go, as long as I could go<\/span><\/p>\n

      too. I have already said earlier on, that my mother never allowed<\/span><\/p>\n

      them to go anywhere, unless they took me with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

        \n
      1. Lucia and the Parish Priest<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

        At that time also, the parish priest began preparing the children<\/span><\/p>\n

        for a solemn Communion. Since the age of six, I had repeated<\/span><\/p>\n

        my solemn Communion every year, but this year my mother decided<\/span><\/p>\n

        I would not do so. For this reason, I did not attend the Catechism<\/span><\/p>\n

        classes. After school, the other children went to the parish<\/span><\/p>\n

        priest\u2019s verandah, while I went home to get on with my sewing or<\/span><\/p>\n

        weaving. The good priest did not take kindly to my absence from<\/span><\/p>\n

        the Catechism classes. One day, on my way home from school, his<\/span><\/p>\n

        sister sent another child after me. She caught up with me on the<\/span><\/p>\n

        road to Aljustrel, near the house of a poor man who was nicknamed<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u2018Snail\u2019. She told me that the parish priest\u2019s sister wanted me, and<\/span><\/p>\n

        that I was to go straight back.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Thinking that I was just wanted for questioning, I excused myself,<\/span><\/p>\n

        saying that my mother had told me to go home right after<\/span><\/p>\n

        school. Without further ado, I took to my heels across the fields like<\/span><\/p>\n

        a mad thing, in search of a hiding place where no one could find<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. But this time, the prank cost me dear. Some days later, there<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          was a big feast in the parish, and several priests came from all<\/span><\/p>\n

          around to sing the Mass. When it was over, the parish priest sent<\/span><\/p>\n

          for me, and in front of all those priests, reprimanded me severely<\/span><\/p>\n

          for not attending the Catechism lessons, and for not running back<\/span><\/p>\n

          to his sister when she had sent for me. In short, all my faults and<\/span><\/p>\n

          failings were brought to light, and the sermon went on for quite a<\/span><\/p>\n

          long while.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

          At last, though I don\u2019t know how, a holy priest appeared on the<\/span><\/p>\n

          scene, and sought to plead my cause. He tried to excuse me, saying<\/span><\/p>\n

          that perhaps my mother had not given me permission. But the<\/span><\/p>\n

          good priest replied: \u201cHer mother! Why, she\u2019s a saint! But as for this<\/span><\/p>\n

          one, it remains to be seen what she\u2019ll turn out to be!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          The good priest, who later became Vicar of Torres Novas, then<\/span><\/p>\n

          asked me very kindly why I had not been to the catechism classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

          I therefore told him of my mother\u2019s decision. His Reverence did not<\/span><\/p>\n

          seem to believe me, and sent for my sister Gloria who was over by<\/span><\/p>\n

          the church, to find out the truth of the matter. Having found that<\/span><\/p>\n

          indeed things were just as I had said, he came to this conclusion:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \u201cWell then! Either the child is going to attend the catechism classes<\/span><\/p>\n

          for the days still remaining, and afterwards come to me for confession,<\/span><\/p>\n

          and then make her solemn Communion with all the rest of<\/span><\/p>\n

          the children, or she\u2019s never going to receive Communion again in<\/span><\/p>\n

          this parish!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

          When my sister heard this proposal, she pointed out that I was<\/span><\/p>\n

          due to leave with my sisters five days beforehand, and such an<\/span><\/p>\n

          arrangement would be most inconvenient. She added that, if His<\/span><\/p>\n

          Reverence so desired, I could go to Confession and Communion<\/span><\/p>\n

          some other day before we left. The good priest paid no attention to<\/span><\/p>\n

          her request, and stood firm by his decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

          When we reached home, we told my mother all about it. She<\/span><\/p>\n

          also went to the Reverend Father to ask him to hear my confession<\/span><\/p>\n

          and give me Holy Communion on another day. But it was all in<\/span><\/p>\n

          vain. My mother then decided that, after the solemn Communion<\/span><\/p>\n

          day, my brother would make the journey with me, in spite of the<\/span><\/p>\n

          long distance and the difficulties caused by the extremely bad roads,<\/span><\/p>\n

          winding up and down the hills and highlands. I think I must have<\/span><\/p>\n

          sweated ink at the mere idea of having to go to confession to the<\/span><\/p>\n

          parish priest! I was so upset that I cried.<\/span><\/p>\n

          On the day before the solemn Communion, His Reverence<\/span><\/p>\n

          sent for all the children to go to church in the afternoon to make<\/span><\/p>\n

          their confession. As I went, anguish gripped my heart as in a vice.<\/span><\/p>\n

          As I entered the church, I saw that there were several priests hearing<\/span><\/p>\n

          confessions. There at the end of the church was Reverend<\/span><\/p>\n

          Father Cruz from Lisbon. I had spoken to His Reverence before<\/span><\/p>\n

          and I liked him very much indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

          Without noticing that the parish priest was in an open confessional<\/span><\/p>\n

          halfway up the church, I thought to myself: \u201cFirst, I\u2019ll go and<\/span><\/p>\n

          make my confession to Father Cruz and ask him what I am to do,<\/span><\/p>\n

          and then l\u2019ll go to the parish priest.\u201d Dr. Cruz received me with the<\/span><\/p>\n

          greatest kindness. After hearing my confession, he gave me some<\/span><\/p>\n

          advice, telling me that if I did not want to go to the parish priest, I<\/span><\/p>\n

          should not do so; and that he could not refuse me Communion for<\/span><\/p>\n

          something like that. I was radiant with joy on hearing this advice<\/span><\/p>\n

          and said my penance. Then I made good my escape from the<\/span><\/p>\n

          church, for fear lest somebody might call me back. Next day, I went<\/span><\/p>\n

          to the church all dressed in white, still afraid that I might be refused<\/span><\/p>\n

          Communion. But His Reverence contented himself with letting me<\/span><\/p>\n

          know, when the feast was over, that my lack of obedience in going<\/span><\/p>\n

          to confession to another priest had not passed unnoticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

          The good priest grew more and more displeased and perplexed<\/span><\/p>\n

          conceming these events until, one day, he left the parish. The news<\/span><\/p>\n

          then went round that His Reverence had left on account of me 30,<\/span><\/p>\n

          because he did not want to assume responsibility for these events.<\/span><\/p>\n

          He was a zealous priest and much beloved among the people, and<\/span><\/p>\n

          so I had much to suffer as a result. Several pious women, whenever<\/span><\/p>\n

          they met me, gave vent to their displeasure by insulting me;<\/span><\/p>\n

          and sometimes sent me on my way with a couple of blows or kicks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

            \n
          1. Companions in Sympathy and in Sacriflce<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

            These heaven-sent \u2018caresses\u2019 were rarely meted out to Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

            and Francisco, for their parents would not allow anyone to lay hands<\/span><\/p>\n

            on them. But they suffered when they saw me suffering, and many<\/span><\/p>\n

            a time tears ran down their cheeks whenever they saw me distressed<\/span><\/p>\n

            or humiliated.<\/span><\/p>\n

            One day, Jacinta said to me: \u201clf only my parents were like yours,<\/span><\/p>\n

            so that those people would beat me too, then I\u2019d have more sacrifices<\/span><\/p>\n

            to offer Our Lord.\u201d However, she knew how to make the most<\/span><\/p>\n

            of opportunities for mortifying herself. Occasionally also, we were<\/span><\/p>\n

            in the habit of offering to God the sacrifice of spending nine days or<\/span><\/p>\n

            a month without taking a drink. Once, we made this sacrifice even<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

            in the month of August, when the heat was suffocating. As we were<\/span><\/p>\n

            returning, one day, from the Cova da Iria where we had been praying<\/span><\/p>\n

            our Rosary, we came to a pond beside the road, and Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

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

            \u201cOh I\u2019m so thirsty, and my head aches so! I\u2019m going to drink a<\/span><\/p>\n

            little drop of this water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cNot that water,\u201d I answered. \u201cMy mother doesn\u2019t want us to<\/span><\/p>\n

            drink it, because it\u2019s not good for us. We\u2019ll go and ask Maria dos<\/span><\/p>\n

            Anjos for some.\u201d (She was a neighbour of ours, who had recently<\/span><\/p>\n

            married and was living near there in a small house).<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cNo! I don\u2019t want good water. I\u2019d rather drink this, because instead<\/span><\/p>\n

            of offering Our Lord our thirst, I could offer Him the sacrifice<\/span><\/p>\n

            of drinking this dirty water.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            As a matter of fact, this water was filthy. People washed their<\/span><\/p>\n

            clothes in it, and the animals came there to drink and waded right<\/span><\/p>\n

            into it. That was why my mother warned her children not to drink<\/span><\/p>\n

            this water.<\/span><\/p>\n

            At other times, Jacinta would say:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cOur Lord must be pleased with our sacrifices, because I am<\/span><\/p>\n

            so thirsty, so thirsty! Yet I do not want to take a drink. I want to suffer<\/span><\/p>\n

            for love of Him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            One day, we were sitting in the doorway of my uncle\u2019s house,<\/span><\/p>\n

            when we noticed several people approaching. Not having time to<\/span><\/p>\n

            do anything else, Francisco and I ran inside to hide under the beds,<\/span><\/p>\n

            he in one room and I in another. Jacinta said: \u201cI\u2019m not going to hide.<\/span><\/p>\n

            I\u2019m going to offer this sacrifice to Our Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            These people came up and talked to her, waiting around quite<\/span><\/p>\n

            a long time until I could be found. Finally, they went away. I slipped<\/span><\/p>\n

            out of my hiding-place and asked Jacinta:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \u201cWhat did you answer when they asked if you knew where we<\/span><\/p>\n

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

            \u201c I said nothing at all. I put my head down, kept my eyes fixed<\/span><\/p>\n

            on the ground, and said nothing. I always do that, when I don\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

            want to tell the truth, and I don\u2019t want to tell a lie either, because<\/span><\/p>\n

            Iying is a sin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

            She was indeed accustomed to do just this, and it was useless<\/span><\/p>\n

            to question her, for those who did so obtained no response<\/span><\/p>\n

            whatsoever. If escape were at all possible, we normally felt little<\/span><\/p>\n

            inclined to offer this kind of sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

            Another day, we were sitting in the shade of two fig trees overhanging<\/span><\/p>\n

            the road that runs by my cousins\u2019 house. Francisco began<\/span><\/p>\n

            to play a little way off. He saw several ladies coming towards us and<\/span><\/p>\n

            ran back to warn us. We promptly climbed up the fig trees. In those<\/span><\/p>\n

            days it was the fashion to wear hats with brims as wide as a sieve,<\/span><\/p>\n

            and we were sure that with such headgear, those people would<\/span><\/p>\n

            never catch sight of us up there. As soon as the ladies had gone by,<\/span><\/p>\n

            we came down as fast as we could, took to our heels and hid in a<\/span><\/p>\n

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

            This habit we had of making good our escape, whenever possible,<\/span><\/p>\n

            was yet another cause for complaint on the part of the parish<\/span><\/p>\n

            priest. He bitterly complained of the way we tried to avoid priests in<\/span><\/p>\n

            particular. His Reverence was cerlainly right. It was priests especially<\/span><\/p>\n

            who put us through the most rigorous cross-examinations,<\/span><\/p>\n

            and then returned to question us all over again. Whenever we found<\/span><\/p>\n

            ourselves in the presence of a priest, we prepared to offer to God<\/span><\/p>\n

            one of our greatest sacrifices!<\/span><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

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

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

              Meanwhile, the Govemment showed disapproval of the way<\/span><\/p>\n

              affairs were progressing. At the place of the Apparitions some people<\/span><\/p>\n

              had erected poles to form an arch, hung with lanterns which<\/span><\/p>\n

              they were careful to keep always burning. One night orders were<\/span><\/p>\n

              given for some men to pull down these poles, and also cut down<\/span><\/p>\n

              the holmoak on which the Apparitions had taken place, and drag it<\/span><\/p>\n

              away with them behind a car. In the morning, news of what had<\/span><\/p>\n

              happened spread like wildfire. I ran to the place to see if it were<\/span><\/p>\n

              true. But what was my delight to find that the poor men had made a<\/span><\/p>\n

              mistake, and that instead of cutting down the holmoak, they had<\/span><\/p>\n

              carried off one of the others growing nearby! I then asked Our Lady<\/span><\/p>\n

              to forgive these poor men and I prayed for their conversion.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Some time later, on the 13th of May, I don\u2019t remember whether<\/span><\/p>\n

              it was in 1918 or 1919 31, news went round at dawn that cavalrymen<\/span><\/p>\n

              were in Fatima to prevent the people from going to the Cova da Iria.<\/span><\/p>\n

              31<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

              Everybody was alarmed, and came to give me the news, assuring<\/span><\/p>\n

              me that without any doubt this was to be the last day of my life.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Without taking this news too seriously, I set out for the church. When<\/span><\/p>\n

              I reached Fatima, I passed between the horses which were all over<\/span><\/p>\n

              the church grounds, and went into the church. I heard a Mass celebrated<\/span><\/p>\n

              by a priest I did not know, received Holy Communion, made<\/span><\/p>\n

              my thanksgiving, and went back home without anyone saying a<\/span><\/p>\n

              single word to me. I don\u2019t know whether it was because they did<\/span><\/p>\n

              not see me, or that they did not think me worthy of notice.<\/span><\/p>\n

              News kept coming in that the troops were trying in vain to keep<\/span><\/p>\n

              people away from the Cova da Iria. In spite of this, I went there, too,<\/span><\/p>\n

              to recite the Rosary. On the way I was joined by a group of women<\/span><\/p>\n

              who had come from a distance. As we drew near the place, two<\/span><\/p>\n

              cavalrymen gave their horses a smart crack of the whip and advanced<\/span><\/p>\n

              at full speed towards the group. They pulled up beside us<\/span><\/p>\n

              and asked where we were going. The women boldly replied that \u201cit<\/span><\/p>\n

              was none of their business\u201d. They whipped the horses again, as<\/span><\/p>\n

              though they meant to charge forward and trample us all underfoot.<\/span><\/p>\n

              The women ran in all directions and, a moment later, I found myself<\/span><\/p>\n

              alone with the two cavalrymen. They then asked me my name, and<\/span><\/p>\n

              I gave it without hesitation. They next asked if I were the seer, and<\/span><\/p>\n

              I said I was. They ordered me to step out on to the middle of the<\/span><\/p>\n

              road between the two horses, and proceed in the direction of<\/span><\/p>\n

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

              As we reached the pond I spoke of earlier, a poor woman who<\/span><\/p>\n

              lived there and whom I have also mentioned, seeing me coming in<\/span><\/p>\n

              the distance between the two horses, ran out, as I approached,<\/span><\/p>\n

              into the middle of the road, like another Veronica. The soldiers lost<\/span><\/p>\n

              no time in getting her out of the way, and the poor woman burst into<\/span><\/p>\n

              a flood of tears, loudly bewailing my misfortune. A few paces further<\/span><\/p>\n

              on, they stopped and asked me if the woman was my mother.<\/span><\/p>\n

              I said she was not. They did not believe me, and asked if that house<\/span><\/p>\n

              was my home. I again said \u201cNo\u201d. Still apparently not believing me,<\/span><\/p>\n

              they ordered me to walk a little ahead until I arrived at my parent\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n

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

              When we reached a plot of ground that lies on the outskirts of<\/span><\/p>\n

              Aljustrel, where there was a small spring, and some trenches dug<\/span><\/p>\n

              for planting vines, they called a halt, and said to one another, probably<\/span><\/p>\n

              in order to frighten me:<\/span><\/p>\n

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

              \u201cHere are some open trenches. Let\u2019s cut off her head with one<\/span><\/p>\n

              of our swords, and leave her here dead and buried. Then we\u2019ll be<\/span><\/p>\n

              finished with this business once and for all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

              When I heard these words, I thought that my last moment had<\/span><\/p>\n

              really come, but I was as much at peace as if it did not concern me<\/span><\/p>\n

              at all. After a minute or two during which they seemed to be thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

              it over, the other replied:<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u201cNo, we have no authority to do such a thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

              They ordered me to keep on going. So I went straight through<\/span><\/p>\n

              our little village, until I arrived at my parents\u2019 house. All the neighbours<\/span><\/p>\n

              were at the windows and doors of their houses to see what<\/span><\/p>\n

              was going on. Some were laughing and making fun of me, others<\/span><\/p>\n

              lamenting my sorry plight. When we reached my home, they ordered<\/span><\/p>\n

              me to call my parents, but they were not at home. One of<\/span><\/p>\n

              them dismounted and went to see if my parents were hiding inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

              He searched the house, but found no one; whereupon he gave<\/span><\/p>\n

              orders for me to stay indoors for the rest of the day. Then he mounted<\/span><\/p>\n

              his horse and they both rode off.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Late in the afternoon, news went round that the troops had<\/span><\/p>\n

              withdrawn, defeated by the people. At sunset, I was praying my<\/span><\/p>\n

              Rosary in the Cova da Iria, accompanied by hundreds of people.<\/span><\/p>\n

              While I was under arrest, according to what we heard later, some<\/span><\/p>\n

              persons went to tell my mother what was happening, and she replied:<\/span><\/p>\n

              \u201cIf it\u2019s true that she saw Our Lady, Our Lady will defend her,<\/span><\/p>\n

              and if she\u2019s Iying, it will serve her right to be punished.\u201d And she<\/span><\/p>\n

              remained in peace as before. Now, some one will ask me: \u201cAnd<\/span><\/p>\n

              where were your little companions, while this was going on?\u201d I don\u2019t<\/span><\/p>\n

              know. I can recall nothing at all of their whereabouts at that time.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Perhaps, in view of the news that got abroad, their parents did not<\/span><\/p>\n

              allow them to leave the house at all that day.<\/span><\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Lucia\u2019s Mother Falls Seriously <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                Such suffering on my part must have been pleasing to Our<\/span><\/p>\n

                Lord, because He was about to prepare a most bitter chalice for<\/span><\/p>\n

                me which He was soon to give me to drink. My mother fell so seriously<\/span><\/p>\n

                ill that, at one stage, we thought she was dying. All her children<\/span><\/p>\n

                gathered around her bed to receive her last blessing, and to<\/span><\/p>\n

                kiss the hand of their dying mother. As I was the youngest, my turn<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                came last. When my poor mother saw me, she brightened a little,<\/span><\/p>\n

                flung her arms around my neck and, with a deep sigh, exclaimed:<\/span><\/p>\n

                \u201cMy poor daughter, what will become of you without your mother! I<\/span><\/p>\n

                am dying with my heart pierced through because of you.\u201d Then,<\/span><\/p>\n

                bursting into tears and sobbing bitterly, she clasped me more and<\/span><\/p>\n

                more tightly in her arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

                My eldest sister forcibly pulled me away from my mother, took<\/span><\/p>\n

                me to the kitchen and forbade me to go back to the sick room,<\/span><\/p>\n

                saying: \u201cMother is going to die of grief because of all the trouble<\/span><\/p>\n

                you\u2019ve given her!\u201d I knelt down, put my head on a bench, and in a<\/span><\/p>\n

                distress more bitter than any I had ever known before, I made the<\/span><\/p>\n

                offering of my sacrifice to our dear Lord. A few minutes later, my<\/span><\/p>\n

                two older sisters, thinking the case was hopeless, came to me and<\/span><\/p>\n

                said: \u201cLucia! If it is true that you saw Our Lady, go right now to the<\/span><\/p>\n

                Cova da Iria, and ask her to cure our mother. Promise her whatever<\/span><\/p>\n

                you wish and we\u2019ll do it; and then we\u2019ll believe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                Without losing a moment, I set out. So as not to be seen, I<\/span><\/p>\n

                made my way across the fields along some bypaths, reciting the<\/span><\/p>\n

                Rosary all the way. Once there, I placed my request before Our<\/span><\/p>\n

                Lady and unburdened myself of all my sorrow, shedding copious<\/span><\/p>\n

                tears. I then went home, comforted by the hope that my beloved<\/span><\/p>\n

                Mother in heaven would hear my prayer and restore health to my<\/span><\/p>\n

                mother on earth. When I reached home, my mother was already<\/span><\/p>\n

                feeling somewhat better. Three days later, she was able to resume<\/span><\/p>\n

                her work around the house.<\/span><\/p>\n

                I had promised the most Blessed Virgin that, if she granted me<\/span><\/p>\n

                what I asked, I would go there for nine days in succession, together<\/span><\/p>\n

                with my sisters, pray the Rosary and go on our knees from<\/span><\/p>\n

                the roadway to the holmoak tree; and on the ninth day we would<\/span><\/p>\n

                take nine poor children with us, and afterwards give them a meal.<\/span><\/p>\n

                We went, then, to fulfil my promise, and my mother came with us.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \u201cHow strange!\u201d, she said. \u201cOur Lady cured me, and somehow<\/span><\/p>\n

                I still don\u2019t believe! I don\u2019t know how this can be!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Lucia\u2019s Father Dies<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                  Our good Lord gave me this consolation, but once again He<\/span><\/p>\n

                  came knocking on my door to ask yet another sacrifice, and not a<\/span><\/p>\n

                  small one either. My father was a healthy man, and robust; he said<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                  he had never known what it was to have a headache. But, in less<\/span><\/p>\n

                  than twenty-four hours, an attack of double pneumonia carried him<\/span><\/p>\n

                  off into eternity 32. My sorrow was so great that I thought I would die<\/span><\/p>\n

                  as well. He was the only one who never failed to show himself to be<\/span><\/p>\n

                  my friend, and the only one who defended me when disputes arose<\/span><\/p>\n

                  at home on account of me.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \u201cMy God! My God!\u201d I exclaimed in the privacy of my room. \u201cI<\/span><\/p>\n

                  never thought You had so much suffering in store for me! But I<\/span><\/p>\n

                  suffer for love of You, in reparation for the sins committed against<\/span><\/p>\n

                  the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Holy Father and for the conversion<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                   <\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. Serious Illness of Lucia\u2019s Cousins<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                    Around that time, Jacinta and Francisco also began to grow<\/span><\/p>\n

                    worse 33, Jacinta used to tell me sometimes:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cMy chest hurts so much, but I\u2019m not saying anything to my<\/span><\/p>\n

                    mother! I want to suffer for Our Lord, in reparation for the sins committed<\/span><\/p>\n

                    against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Holy Father<\/span><\/p>\n

                    and for the conversion of sinners.\u201d One morning, when I went to<\/span><\/p>\n

                    see her, she asked me:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cHow many sacrifices did you offer to Our Lord last night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cThree. I got up three times to recite the Angel\u2019s prayers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cWell, I offered Him many, many sacrifices. I don\u2019t know how<\/span><\/p>\n

                    many there were, but I had a lot of pain, and I made no complaint.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Francisco spoke very little. He usually did everything he saw<\/span><\/p>\n

                    us doing, and rarely suggested anything himself. During his illness,<\/span><\/p>\n

                    he suffered with heroic patience, without ever letting the slightest<\/span><\/p>\n

                    moan or the least complaint escape his lips. One day, shortly before<\/span><\/p>\n

                    his death, I asked him:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cAre you suffering a lot, Francisco?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201cYes, but I suffer it all for love of Our Lord and Our Lady.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    One day, he gave me the rope that I have already spoken about,<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

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

                    \u201cTake it away before my mother sees it. I don\u2019t feel able to wear<\/span><\/p>\n

                    it any more around my waist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    He took everything his mother offered him, and she could never<\/span><\/p>\n

                    discover which things he disliked. He went on like this until the day<\/span><\/p>\n

                    came for him to go to heaven 34. The day before his death, he said<\/span><\/p>\n

                    to Jacinta and myself:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \u201c I am going to heaven, but when I\u2019m there, I will pray a great<\/span><\/p>\n

                    deal to Our Lord and Our Lady, asking them to bring you there, too,<\/span><\/p>\n

                    very soon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                    I think I have already described, in my account of Jacinta, what<\/span><\/p>\n

                    suffering this separation caused us. For this reason, I do not repeat<\/span><\/p>\n

                    it here. Jacinta was already very sick, and was gradually growing<\/span><\/p>\n

                    worse. There is no need to describe it now, as I have already done<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. I shall simply relate one or two acts of virtue, which I saw her<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      practise, and which I do not think I have described before.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Her mother knew how hard it was for her to take milk. So, one<\/span><\/p>\n

                      day, she brought her a fine bunch of grapes with her cup of milk,<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                      \u201cJacinta, take this. If you can\u2019t take the milk, leave it there, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                      eat the grapes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cNo, mother, I don\u2019t want the grapes; take them away, and give<\/span><\/p>\n

                      me the milk instead. I\u2019ll take that.\u201d Then, without showing the least<\/span><\/p>\n

                      sign of repugnance, she took it. My aunt went happily away, thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

                      her little girl\u2019s appetite was returning. She had no sooner gone<\/span><\/p>\n

                      than Jacinta turned to me and said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201c I had such a longing for those grapes and it was so hard to<\/span><\/p>\n

                      drink the milk! But I wanted to offer this sacrifice to Our Lord.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      One morning, I found her looking dreadful, and I asked her if<\/span><\/p>\n

                      she felt worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cLast night,\u201d she answered, \u201c I had so much pain, and I wanted<\/span><\/p>\n

                      to offer Our Lord the sacrifice of not turning over in bed; therefore I<\/span><\/p>\n

                      didn’t sleep at all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      On another occasion, she told me:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201c When I\u2019m alone, I get out of bed to recite the Angel\u2019s prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      But now I\u2019m not able to touch the ground any more with my head,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      because I fall over; so I only pray on my knees.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

                      One day, I had the opportunity of speaking to the Vicar. His<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Reverence asked me about Jacinta and how she was. I told him<\/span><\/p>\n

                      what I thought about her condition, and afterwards related what<\/span><\/p>\n

                      she had said to me about being unable to touch the ground when<\/span><\/p>\n

                      she prayed. His Reverence sent me to tell her that she was not to<\/span><\/p>\n

                      get out of bed in order to pray, but that she was to pray Iying down,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      and then only as long as she could do so without getting tired. I<\/span><\/p>\n

                      delivered the message at the very first opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cAnd will Our Lord be pleased?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cHe is pleased,\u201d I replied. \u201cOur Lord wants us to do whatever<\/span><\/p>\n

                      the Reverend Vicar says.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cThat\u2019s alright, then. I won\u2019t get up any more.\u201d Whenever I could,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      I loved to go to the Cabe\u00e7o to pray in our favourite cave. Jacinta<\/span><\/p>\n

                      was very fond of flowers, and coming down the hillside on the way<\/span><\/p>\n

                      home, I used to pick a bunch of irises and peonies, when there<\/span><\/p>\n

                      were any to be found, and take them to her, saying:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cLook! These are from the Cabe\u00e7o!\u201d She would take them eagerly,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      and sometimes, with tears running down her cheeks, she<\/span><\/p>\n

                      would say:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cTo think I\u2019ll never go there again! Nor to Valinhos, nor Cova da<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Iria! I miss them all so much!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cBut what does it matter, if you\u2019re going to heaven to see Our<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Lord and Our Lady?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cThat\u2019s true,\u201d she replied.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      Then she lay there contentedly, plucking off the petals and<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                      A few days after falling ill, she gave me the rope she had been<\/span><\/p>\n

                      wearing, and said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \u201cKeep it for me; I\u2019m afraid my mother may see it. If I get better,<\/span><\/p>\n

                      I want it back again!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                      This cord had three knots, and was somewhat stained with<\/span><\/p>\n

                      blood. I kept it hidden until I finally left my mother\u2019s home. Then, not<\/span><\/p>\n

                      knowing what to do with it, I burned it, and Francisco\u2019s as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. Lucia in Poor Health<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                        Several people who came from a distance to see us, noticing<\/span><\/p>\n

                        that I looked very pale and anaemic, asked my mother to let me go<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and spend a few days in their homes, saying the change of air<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                        would do me good. With this end in view, my mother gave her consent,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and they took me with them, now to one place, now to another.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        When away from home like this, I did not always meet with<\/span><\/p>\n

                        esteem and affection. While there were some who admired me<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and considered me a saint, there were always others who heaped<\/span><\/p>\n

                        abuse upon me and called me a hypocrite, a visionary and a sorceress.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        This was the good Lord\u2019s way of throwing salt into the water<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to prevent it from going bad. Thanks to this Divine Providence, I<\/span><\/p>\n

                        went through the fire without being burned, or without becoming<\/span><\/p>\n

                        acquainted with the little worm of vanity which has the habit of<\/span><\/p>\n

                        gnawing its way into everything. On such occasions, I used to think<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to myself: \u201cThey are all mistaken. I\u2019m not a saint, as some say, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        I\u2019m not a liar either, as others say. Only God knows what I am.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        When I got home, I would run to see Jacinta, who said:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \u201cListen! Don\u2019t go away again. I have been so lonely for you!<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Since you went away, I have not spoken to anyone. I don\u2019t know<\/span><\/p>\n

                        how to talk to other people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                        The time finally came for Jacinta to leave for Lisbon. I have<\/span><\/p>\n

                        already described our leave-taking, and therefore I won\u2019t repeat it<\/span><\/p>\n

                        here. How sad I was to find myself alone! In such a short space of<\/span><\/p>\n

                        time, our dear Lord had taken to heaven my beloved father, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        then Francisco; and now He was taking Jacinta, whom I was never<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to see again in this world. As soon as I could, I slipped away to the<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Cabe\u00e7o, and hid within our cave among the rocks. There, alone<\/span><\/p>\n

                        with God, I poured forth my grief and shed tears in abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Coming back down the slope, everything reminded me of my dear<\/span><\/p>\n

                        companions; the stones on which we had so often sat, the flowers<\/span><\/p>\n

                        I no longer picked, not having anyone to take them to; Valinhos,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        where the three of us had enjoyed the delights of paradise! As<\/span><\/p>\n

                        though I had lost all sense of reality, and still half abstracted, I went<\/span><\/p>\n

                        into my aunt\u2019s house one day and made for Jacinta\u2019s room, calling<\/span><\/p>\n

                        out to her. Her sister Teresa, seeing me like that, barred the way,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        and reminded me that Jacinta was no longer there!<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Shortly afterwards, news arrived that she had taken flight to<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Heaven 35. Her body was then brought back to Vila Nova de Our\u00e9m.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        My aunt took me there one day to pray beside the mortal remains<\/span><\/p>\n

                        35 Jacinta died on the 20th of February, 1920.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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

                        of her little daughter, in the hope of thus distracting me. But for a<\/span><\/p>\n

                        long time after, my sorrow seemed only to grow ever greater. Whenever<\/span><\/p>\n

                        I found the cemetery open, I went and sat by Francisco\u2019s grave,<\/span><\/p>\n

                        or beside my father\u2019s, and there I spent long hours.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        My mother, thank God, decided some time after this to go to<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Lisbon, and to take me with her 36. Through the kindness of Dr.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Formig\u00e3o, a good lady received us into her house, and offered to<\/span><\/p>\n

                        pay for my education in a boarding-school, if I was willing to remain.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        My mother and I gratefully accepted the generous offer of<\/span><\/p>\n

                        this charitable lady, whose name was Dona Assun\u00e7\u00e3o Avelar. My<\/span><\/p>\n

                        mother, after consulting the doctors, found that she needed an<\/span><\/p>\n

                        operation for kidneys and spinal column, but the doctors would not<\/span><\/p>\n

                        be responsible for her life, since she also suffered from a cardiac<\/span><\/p>\n

                        lesion. She therefore went home, leaving me in the care of this<\/span><\/p>\n

                        lady. When everything was ready, and the day arranged for my<\/span><\/p>\n

                        entering the boarding school, I was informed that the Government<\/span><\/p>\n

                        was aware that I was in Lisbon, and was seeking my where-abouts.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        They, therefore, took me to Santar\u00e9m to Dr. Formig\u00e3o\u2019s house, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                        for some days I remained hidden, without even being allowed out<\/span><\/p>\n

                        to Mass.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Finally, His Reverence\u2019s sister arrived to take me home to my<\/span><\/p>\n

                        mother, promising to arrange for my admittance to a boarding school<\/span><\/p>\n

                        that the Dorothean Sisters had in Spain, and assuring us that as<\/span><\/p>\n

                        soon as everything was settled, she would come and fetch me. All<\/span><\/p>\n

                        these happenings distracted me somewhat, and so the oppressive<\/span><\/p>\n

                        sadness began to disappear.<\/span><\/p>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. Lucia\u2019s First Meeting with the Bishop<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                          It was about this time that Your Excellency was installed as<\/span><\/p>\n

                          Bishop of Leiria, and our dear Lord confided to your care this poor<\/span><\/p>\n

                          flock that had been for so many years without a shepherd 37. There<\/span><\/p>\n

                          were not wanting people who tried to frighten me about Your Excel-<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                          lency\u2019s arrival, just as they had done before about another holy<\/span><\/p>\n

                          priest. They told me that Your Excellency knew everything, that you<\/span><\/p>\n

                          could read hearts and penetrate the depths of consciences, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                          that now you were going to discover all my deception. Far from<\/span><\/p>\n

                          frightening me, it made me earnestly desire to speak to you, and I<\/span><\/p>\n

                          thought to myself: \u201clf it\u2019s true that he knows everything, he will know<\/span><\/p>\n

                          that I am speaking the truth.\u201d For this reason, as soon as a kind<\/span><\/p>\n

                          lady from Leiria offered to take me to see Your Excellency, I accepted<\/span><\/p>\n

                          her suggestion with joy. There was I, full of hope, in expectation<\/span><\/p>\n

                          of this happy moment. At last the day came, and the lady and<\/span><\/p>\n

                          I went to the Palace. We were invited to enter, and shown to a<\/span><\/p>\n

                          room, where we were asked to wait for a little while.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          A few moments later, Your Excellency\u2019s Secretary came in 38,<\/span><\/p>\n

                          and spoke kindly with Dona Gilda who accompanied me. From time<\/span><\/p>\n

                          to time, he asked me some questions. As I had already been twice<\/span><\/p>\n

                          to confession to His Reverence, I already knew him, and it was<\/span><\/p>\n

                          therefore a pleasure to talk to him. A little later, Rev. Dr. Marques<\/span><\/p>\n

                          dos Santos 39 came in, wearing shoes with buckles, and wrapped<\/span><\/p>\n

                          in a great big cloak. As it was the first time that I had seen a priest<\/span><\/p>\n

                          dressed like this, it caught my attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          He then embarked on a whole repertoire of questions that<\/span><\/p>\n

                          seemed unending. Now and again, he laughed, as though making<\/span><\/p>\n

                          fun of my replies, and it seemed as if the moment when I could<\/span><\/p>\n

                          speak to Your Excellency would never come. At last, your Secretary<\/span><\/p>\n

                          returned to speak to the lady who was with me. He told her<\/span><\/p>\n

                          that when Your Excellency arrived, she was to make her apologies<\/span><\/p>\n

                          and take her leave, saying that she had to go elsewhere, since<\/span><\/p>\n

                          Your Excellency might wish to speak to me in private. I was delighted<\/span><\/p>\n

                          when I heard this message, and I thought to myself: As His<\/span><\/p>\n

                          Excellency knows everything, he won\u2019t ask me many questions,<\/span><\/p>\n

                          and he will be alone with me. What a blessing!<\/span><\/p>\n

                          When Your Excellency arrived, the good lady played her part<\/span><\/p>\n

                          very well, and so I had the happiness of speaking with you alone. I<\/span><\/p>\n

                          am not going to describe now what happened during this interview,<\/span><\/p>\n

                          because Your Excellency certainly remembers it better than I<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

                            \n
                          1. To tell the truth, when I saw Your Excellency receive me with<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            such kindness, without in the least attempting to ask me any useless<\/span><\/p>\n

                            or curious questions, being concerned solely for the good of<\/span><\/p>\n

                            my soul, and only too willing to take care of this poor little lamb that<\/span><\/p>\n

                            the Lord had just entrusted to you, then I was more convinced than<\/span><\/p>\n

                            ever that Your Excellency did indeed know everything; and I did not<\/span><\/p>\n

                            hesitate for a moment to give myself completely into your hands.<\/span><\/p>\n

                            Thereupon, Your Excellency imposed certain conditions which,<\/span><\/p>\n

                            because of my nature, I found very easy: that is, to keep completely<\/span><\/p>\n

                            secret all that Your Excellency had said to me, and to be<\/span><\/p>\n

                            good. I kept my secret to myself, until the day when Your Excellency<\/span><\/p>\n

                            asked my mother\u2019s consent.<\/span><\/p>\n

                             <\/p>\n

                              \n
                            1. Farewell to Fatima<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                              Finally, the day of my departure was settled. The evening before,<\/span><\/p>\n

                              I went to bid farewell to all the familiar places so dear to us. My<\/span><\/p>\n

                              heart was torn with loneliness and longing, for I was sure I would<\/span><\/p>\n

                              never set foot again on the Cabe\u00e7o, the Rock, Valinhos, or in the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              parish church where our dear Lord had begun His work of mercy,<\/span><\/p>\n

                              and the cemetery, where rested the mortal remains of my beloved<\/span><\/p>\n

                              father and of Francisco, whom I could still never forget. I said goodbye<\/span><\/p>\n

                              to our well, already illumined by the pale rays of the moon, and<\/span><\/p>\n

                              to the old threshing-floor where I had so often spent long hours<\/span><\/p>\n

                              contemplating the beauty of the starlit heavens, and the wonders<\/span><\/p>\n

                              of sunrise and sunset which so enraptured me. I loved to watch the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              rays of the sun reflected in the dew drops, so that the mountains<\/span><\/p>\n

                              seemed covered with pearls in the morning sunshine; and in the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              evening, after a snowfall, to see the snowflakes sparkling on the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              pine trees was like a foretaste of the beauties of paradise.<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Without saying farewell to anyone, I left the next day 40 at two<\/span><\/p>\n

                              o\u2019clock in the morning, accompanied by my mother and a poor<\/span><\/p>\n

                              labourer called Manuel Correia, who was going to Leiria. I carried<\/span><\/p>\n

                              my secret with me, inviolate. We went by way of the Cova da Iria,<\/span><\/p>\n

                              so that I could bid it my last farewell. There, for the last time, I prayed<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

                              my Rosary. As long as this place was still in sight, I kept turning<\/span><\/p>\n

                              round to say a last goodbye. We arrived at Leiria at nine o\u2019clock in<\/span><\/p>\n

                              the morning. There I met Dona Filomena Miranda, whom Your Excellency<\/span><\/p>\n

                              had charged to accompany me. This lady was later to be<\/span><\/p>\n

                              my godmother at Confirmation. The train left at two o\u2019clock in the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              afternoon, and there I was at the station, giving my poor mother a<\/span><\/p>\n

                              last embrace, Ieaving her overwhelmed with sorrow and shedding<\/span><\/p>\n

                              abundant tears. The train moved out, and with it went my poor heart<\/span><\/p>\n

                              plunged in an ocean of loneliness and filled with memories that I<\/span><\/p>\n

                              could never forget<\/span><\/p>\n

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

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

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

                              I think, Your Excellency, that I have just picked the most beautiful<\/span><\/p>\n

                              flower and the most delicious fruit from my little garden, and I<\/span><\/p>\n

                              now place it in the merciful hands of the good Lord, whom you<\/span><\/p>\n

                              represent, praying that He will make it yield a plentiful harvest of<\/span><\/p>\n

                              souls for eternal life. And since our dear Lord takes pleasure in the<\/span><\/p>\n

                              humble obedience of the least of His creatures, I end with the words<\/span><\/p>\n

                              of her whom He, in His infinite mercy, has given me as Mother,<\/span><\/p>\n

                              Protectress and Model, the very same words with which I began:<\/span><\/p>\n

                              \u201cBehold the handmaid of the Lord! May He continue to make use<\/span><\/p>\n

                              of her, as He thinks best.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                               <\/p>\n

                               <\/p>\n

                                \n
                              1. Further Memories of Jacinta<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                                  \n
                                1. S. \u2013 I forgot to say that when Jacinta went to hospital in Vila<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  Nova de Our\u00e9m and again in Lisbon, she knew she was not going<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  to be cured, but only to suffer. Long before anybody spoke to her of<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  the possibility of her entering the hospital of Vila Nova de Our\u00e9m,<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  she said one day:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  \u201cOur Lady wants me to go to two hospitals, not to be cured,<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  but to suffer more for love of Our Lord and for sinners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  I do not know Our Lady\u2019s exact words in these apparitions to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  Jacinta alone, for I never asked her what they were. I confined myself<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  to merely listening to what she occasionally confided to me. In this<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  account, I have tried not to repeat what I have written in the previous<\/span><\/p>\n

                                  one, so as not to make it too long.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                                    \n
                                  1. Lucia\u2019s Magnetic Personality<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                                    It may seem perhaps from this account that, in my village, nobody<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    showed me any love or tenderness. But this is not so. There<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    was a dear chosen portion of the Lord\u2019s flock, who showed me<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    singular affection. These were the little children. They ran up to me,<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    bubbling over with joy, and when they knew I was pasturing my<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    sheep in the neighbourhood of our little village, whole groups of<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    them used to come and spend the day with me. My mother used to<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                                    \u201c I don\u2019t know what attraction you have for children! They run<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    after you as if they were going to a feast!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    As for myself, I did not feel at ease in the midst of such merriment,<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    and for that reason, I tried to keep out of their way.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    The same thing happened to me with my companions in Vilar;<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    and I would almost venture to say that it is happening to me now<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    with my Sisters in religion. A few years ago, I was told by my Mother<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    Mistress, who is now Rev. Mother Provincial:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    \u201cYou have such an influence over the other Sisters that, if you<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    want to, you can do them a great deal of good.\u201d 41<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    And quite recently, Rev. Mother Superior in Pontevedra 42 said<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    to me:<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    \u201cTo a certain degree, you are responsible to Our Lord for the<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    state of fervour or negligence in observance, on the part of the<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    other Sisters, because their fervour is increased or diminished at<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    recreation; whatever the others see you doing at that time, they do<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    as well. Certain topics you brought up at recreation helped other<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    Sisters to understand the Rule better and made them resolve to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    observe it more faithfully.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    Why is this?<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    I don\u2019t know. Perhaps it is a talent which the Lord has given<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    me, and for which He will hold me to account. Would that I knew<\/span><\/p>\n

                                    how to trade with it, that I might restore it to Him a thousandfold.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

                                      \n
                                    1. Lucia\u2019s Excellent Memory<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                                      Maybe someone will want to ask: How can you remember all<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      this? How? I don\u2019t know. Our dear Lord, Who shares out His gifts<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      as He thinks fit, has allotted to me this little portion \u2013 my memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      He alone knows why. And besides, as far as I can see, there is this<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      difference between natural and supernatural things: \u201cWhen we are<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      talking to a mere creature, even while we are speaking, we tend to<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      forget what is being said; whereas these supernatural things are<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      ever more deeply engraved on the soul, even as we are seeing<\/span><\/p>\n

                                      and hearing them, so that it is not eas<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                      Tweet Lucia Goes to School \u00a0 Oh dear, here I am writing without rhyme or reason, as we say, and already leaving out various things that I should have said! But I am doing as Your Excellency told me: writing just what I remember and in all simplicity. That is what I want to do, […]<\/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-56660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-divulgacion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56660","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=56660"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58289,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56660\/revisions\/58289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.floracantabrica.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}