It's a Joyous occasion in deed. We are coming on the 100th anniversary of when God sent Mary to three innocent children who would be willing and open to hear God's messages and warnings.
This event was not only investigated thoroughly by the church and proven to be true in the eyes of the church, but over 70,000 witnessed the miracle of the sun which occurred in October of 1917. (To learn about the apparitions of Mary, read my blog HERE and Part 2 HERE if you haven't already.)
The apparitions first happened May 13th, 1917 by three children, Lucia with her two cousins Francisco and Jacinta. (ages 10, 9 an 7). On May 13th of 2017, we will not only mark the 100th anniversary of Fatima... but Francisco and Jacinta will be canonized (officially recognized as saints by the Catholic Church), since the church has been able to agree that miracles attested to the intercessions of the young visionaries from heaven, were true.
Lucia has not yet been canonized, but Pope Benedict waved the 5 year waiting period required by ecclesiastical law to start her beautification process.
About the Fatima apparitions:
Our blessed mother appeared the three visionaries with messages from God. She was a beautiful woman with a kind but sad smile. She was dressed in white and had a rosary hanging from her arm, her hands folded in prayer.
When asked where she came from by Lucia, the woman replied "I come from heaven" and asked if they would offer themselves to God and accept sufferings in reparation for the numberless sins which offend him, and if they would suffer if it would convert souls back to God. Lucia replied yes.
When the children brought the events that happened back to their family, they were not believed. Lucia's mother beat her with a broomstick for lying out of fear of what the police may do to her as the government were prosecuting those of faith who didn't bow to them. She was also afraid this lie was a mortal sin. The children promised they would accept any suffering to help convert people back to God, so they prayed and fasted despite the hardships they faced by those who did not believe them.
Every month on the same day, the beautiful woman would appear to the children at the same time. She gave the children three secrets that were to be released to the Vatican at specific times. Curiosity got the best of even those who did not believe the children, and each time they went to meet the Lady, more and more people followed them. While they could not see the Blessed Mother as her message were for the children, they saw a cloud disappear in the direction the children were speaking when the visitation ended. When Lucia's mother witnessed this, she finally believed and stopped beating Lucia for lying.
During one of the visits, the Blessed Mother told the children something that would shake their families. Jacinta and Francisco would not live much longer. Both were destined for heaven very soon.
In October of 1917, upon the children announcing that there would be a miracle that would occur so all could believe, 70,000 people came to the place they said it would happen. There was a heavy rainstorm that had been going on all day. At the exact time promised, the clouds cleared and the sun was seen spinning in the sky, many beautiful colors coming from it. One writer who witnessed the event described the sun as 'dancing'.
Suddenly, it started to fall from the sky, then zig-zagged back into place when people fell to their knees in fear and awe. While some did not witness these events, they did say that the thick, wet mud became instantly dry, as did their rain soaked clothing.
In April of 1919 young Francisco passed away at the young age of 11. Jacinta would follow her brother a year later. Both suffered greatly, but accepted the sufferings as the blessed Mother asked, for the conversion of souls back to God, and as reparation for the sins that made their Lord sorrowful.
It came to pass as Mary said, when she told the children that Francisco and Jacinta would not be long for the world. They accepted their fate with faith and praise for God, even at so young an age. The undertaker who assisted in Jacinta's burial testified that in all his years, he had never seen anything like the child. Her cheeks were still rosy and her lips colorful. There was a pleasant, flowery aroma that came from the body, he couldn't explain, especially considering she had passed 3 days prior.
In 1935, her body was exhumed so it could be placed in a special grave that was set up for her and her brother. When they opened her casket, she was found to be perfectly incorrupt. She was exhumed again in 1951,31 years after her passing. Her body was still incorrupt.
In later years after the passing of the two visionaries, A lay member of the Franciscan order suffered full body paralysis for over 20 years. for over a decade she prayed for the intercessions of the young visionaries. Then after her usual prayers and intercession requests one night in 1987, she heard a voice telling her "Sit up, you are able to." and she regained use of her upper body. 2 years later the same voice told her to walk, and she was healed.
Her miraculous ability to walk was tested by many doctors including doctors appointed by the Vatican. It defied medical explanation and was thus approved by the church as a miracle. This miracle lifted the main obstacle that held up the children's bid for official sainthood.
Lucia, the third visionary who became a nun when she reached adulthood, allegedly died at the age of 96 in 2005. (I say allegedly, which I will explain in a bit.)
There were three secrets that the Blessed Mother gave the children that needed to come out in specified times.
The first secret was revealed in the 40's. It was a vision of hell. Lucia stated that the vision was so horrible that if the Lady hadn't promised to take them to heaven, they'd have died from terror. After seeing hell, the lady asked the children to consecrate devotion to her miraculous heart.
The second secret was said to be about the consecration of Russia back to God. That if Russia didn't turn to her immaculate heart, the errors of sin would continue to corrupt and spread. From the end of the first world war, there would be a greater, more devastating war as well as the spread of communism.
Lucia's plea to the Pope went unheeded. At the time, the pope received alleged visions, prophecies and revelations, most of which were usually delusions. Because Russia remained unconsecrated to her sacred heart, as the Blessed Mother predicted, Word War II occurred.
The third secret is far more controversial. Something never truly seemed right about it, nor about Lucia. Vatican II had started to overcome the church, and things began to change drastically. Those of us who practice traditional Catholicism (Pre Vatican II), see some of the dangers of the "new thinking" of the church and the Novus Ordo (new order) mass.
It has led many to believe that Vatican II hid the true 3rd secret. It is believed the true secret was about a great apostasy coming to the church. Fearing it would humiliate the church and stop the changes... they faked the third secret decades after it was suppose to be released. It is also believed by many that the real Lucia passed in the late 50s and was replaced by an imposter who the 2nd Vatican Counsel used to explain why they weren't releasing the 3rd secret as Lucia originally demanded. (Lucia became ill with the same influenza that claimed both of her cousins. She wrote the secret down believing her death was coming soon, stating it MUST be revealed in 1960 or upon her death, whichever came first.)
The Lucia most of us grew up knowing didn't even resemble the real Lucia. She looked the same from childhood to adulthood, then suddenly she looked unrecognizable.
This documentary was very eye opening for me, as someone who originally accepted the third secret that was eventually released after the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II. The documentary is 2 hours long, but well worth the watch. If nothing else, it will show you a bit of why many of us Traditional Catholics reject the 2nd Vatican Counsel.
In the video they walk you through the reasons they believe the real secret has been hidden, and why they believe Sister Lucia was replaced by a fake. They show photos that prove their cause as well as give a handwriting analysis of the two Lucia(s).
On this 100th anniversary, let us pray that our minds and hearts are open to the true third secret, and pray for our Church and that one day we will no longer be divided.
- I say Amen -
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