May 13 is the Anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, to the three shepherd children -Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, in the small village of Fatima in Portugal, six times between May 13 and October 13, in 1917.
The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated annually on May 13th to commemorate the First Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the three shepherd children.
On the 13th day of the month of Our Lady, May 1917, an apparition of ‘a woman all in white mantle, edged with gold with a Rosary in her hand, a resplendent figure, more brilliant than the sun’ presented herself to the three children when they were tending the sheep in the field. The woman asked them to pray and devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to pray the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the First World War. She also revealed that the children would suffer, especially from the unbelief of their friends and families, and that the younger children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to heaven very soon but Lucia would live longer in order to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart.
In the last apparition, the woman revealed her name in response to Lucia’s question: “I am the Lady of the Rosary.” That same day, 70,000 people had turned out to witness the apparition, following a promise by the woman that she would show the people that the apparitions were true. They saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag movement, in a manner which left no doubt in their minds about the veracity of the apparitions.
The famous quote of Our Lady of Fatima: “I promise salvation to those who embrace it; and these souls will be beloved of God-like flowers arranged by me to adorn His throne.”
Our Lady of Fatima’s messages centered around prayer, penance and the need for conversion of heart, urging people to turn back to God and make amends for their sins, especially through praying the Rosary. The message also included requests for devotion to her Immaculate Heart and specific actions like attending First Saturday devotions.
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary implies embracing the same attitude of heart as Mary in her fiat – “Your will be done.” – and defining this attitude as the center of our whole life. Our Lady was asking us to imitate her, as St. Paul did in his letters (1Cor4:16). Christ calls us to become true disciples, following the example of Mary, his Mother.
We can all strive to live the Fatima message in our lives too, by following. Amendment of life -stop offending God and do penance for our sins. Make Acts of Reparation – offer up small sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Pray the Rosary – pray the Holy Rosary daily. Frequent the Sacraments – especially the Holy Eucharist. The prophecies encourage us to deepen our faith, engage in prayer, and live lives of holiness and virtue. The ultimate message is one of hope and the promise of a brighter future guided by the guidance of Our Lady.
– Sherida D’Souza