On May 13, 2017, we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima. She appeared to three shepherd children: Lucia (10 years old), Francisco (9 years old), and Jacinta (7 years old).
What was the first conversation they had with Our Lady like?
The Virgin Mary teaches us that while She had asked them to make sacrifices and always do penance, these do not constitute the end that God expects of them. They are just a means to dispose the soul to be faithful, to love, and to be humble. If sacrifices do not produce humility but instead vainglory, they no longer please Her. What She expects from us is faithfulness in our daily duties and in the little things in order to be faithful in greater matters.
Beginning Lent, our gaze should once again turn to Mary who wishes to accompany us during this time of desert. The Church invites us to plunge onto the path of prayer, penance, and almsgiving to prepare our hearts for the central celebration of our Faith: the Pasch, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The title of this article is taken from a report written by Fr. José María Alba Cereda, S.J. who stated: "According to the medical evaluation, a psychological or abnormal explanation is unthinkable; neither is it feasible to entertain the possibility of commercial, propaganda, or fraudulent interests on behalf of the family members or of the village as a whole." His report is a call to take a new look at the message given to us through these apparitions.
