Fatima's Message

Catholics around the world celebrate today the 100th anniversary of Mary's apparition to three shepherd children at Fatima in Portugal. "The Miracle of the Sun" served to validate the truth of Mary's appearance and of her message. That day began with thousands of people, some believers, others sceptics, who gathered in the Cova da Iria in Portugal on October 13, 1917. All the people who gathered were soaked with a driving rain. As the children and others prayed the rosary, the sun seemed to fall from the sky spinning toward the earth. As the sun sped tpward the people it dried their clothing and the ground which held them. Soon the heavens returned to their steady normal light.

Mary left the crowd and the children with her message to "pray and do penance for sins; make reparation for the offenses given to Mary's Immaculate Heart and to Jesus her Son." Mary urged the children and all of us who listened to them to "pray the rosary!"

Today, I will take time to pray my rosary with attention and by placing many intentions as I pray. For instance, a family from Dublin Ireland asked for healing for a young husband named Ed who had quit his job to care for his wife Karen suffering from terminal cancer. Karen and Ed have two young children. Ed was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. One of Ed's brothers has taken in Ed's children. Rita, Ed's mother, is suffering from cancer which reappeared after being in remission. I will pray for all those fighting the California fires; those killed by the heat and flames; those left homeless;for the people of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands left without electrical power and clean water. These are just some of the intentions I add to my rosary. If you are not accustomed to praying the rosary, try to pray at least one decade, an Our Father, 10 Hail Mary's and a Glory be celebrating at least one of the episodes in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Recently I returned from a quick tour of Ireland, home of my ancestors. Our guide recounted for us the history of Ireland's centuries of living through fierce persecution and famine. Daniel O'Connell was the first Catholic Irishman to gain a seat in the British Parliament. Through a great deal of trial, amazing use of the law of the land, and a constant devotion to Our Lady's rosary, in 1829 O'Connell won the right to religious freedom for Catholics (and others) to freely practice their religion in the Emerald Isle. Let us ask Our Lady of Fatima to give us courage to practice our faith no matter the difficulties we face.