A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right

As you probably know, this year, 2017 marks one hundred years since the appearances of Our Lady of Fatima, our Holy Church. She appeared to three little children - Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta - on the 13th day of the month from May through October 1917. Francisco and Jacinta were brother and sister. They both died shortly after the apparitions and were canonized this past year. Lucia was their cousin. She eventually became a nun, living as a Discalced Carmelite until her death in 2005. Her cause for canonization is now in process. Here are the three children photographed at the time of the apparitions.

 
In the spirit of the celebration of the centenary of Our Lady's apparitions, and since today is the 13th of the month, we wanted to share something we came across that seems especially pertinent to our own times. So much has been written about the children, the apparitions, and the "secrets" that Our Blessed Mother revealed, but only occasionally are we reminded of the significance of the place where Mary appeared: Fatima. That significance was captured by venerable Fulton Sheen:

“This brings us to our second point, namely, why the Blessed Mother, in this twentieth century, should have revealed herself in the insignificant little village of Fatima, so that to all future generations she would be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima’. Since nothing ever happens out of heaven except with a finesse of all details, I believe that the Blessed Virgin chose to be known as ‘Our Lady of Fatima’ as a pledge and a sign of hope to the Moslem people, and as an assurance that they, who show her so much respect, will one day accept her Divine Son, too.

Evidence to support these views is found in the historical fact that the Moslems occupied Portugal for centuries. At the time when they were finally driven out, the last Moslem chief had a beautiful daughter by the name of Fatima. A Catholic boy fell in love with her, and for him she not only stayed behind when the Moslems left, but even embraced the faith. The young husband was so much in love with her that he changed the name of the town where he lived to Fatima. Thus, the very place where Our Lady appeared in 1917 bears a historical connection to Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed.”

(Thank you to Father Z for posting these words on his website.)

Through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, whose glorious feast of the Assumption we will observe on Tuesday, we pray for the conversion of Muslims to our One, True, Holy Catholic Faith.

Have a blessed Sunday.