The Saintly Siblings of Fatima.
Before the world began God chose three little mystics to teach us a special way of walking with God. They were Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. The latter two, brother and sister are now canonised saints.
From the photograph of these mountainy children, some have rashly concluded, from their garb, expression and stance that they were primitives, devoid of sensibility. Truth is, beneath that exterior crust they were the finest, noblest souls for they were taught by God. Nature was their open book where God showed himself. ‘The heavens proclaim the glory of God.’
These children looked to the heavens and saw the sun as Our Lord’s lantern, the pale moon as Our Lady’s lantern and the stars as that of the angels. They loved the beauty of the mountain which in springtime shines forth with wild flowers. Everything mirrored the hidden face of God.
Their call in life was revealed by the Angel. ‘Pray this’ he said, ‘My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love thee, I beg pardon for those who do not believe, who do not adore, who do hope, who do not love thee.’
A little later, Our Lady, on the 13th May, 1917 asked them, ‘Are you willing to offer yourselves to God?’ And then the exhortation, ‘Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace and an end to the war.’
They took to themselves prayer and suffering offered for others. They were mocked, bullied and imprisoned because they held to the truth of their experience. They invented heroic means of sacrifice; spent days without water, gave their lunch to the sheep or to poor children. The disbelief of their parents must have been their greatest sorrow.
Heaven could not wait for the return of these little heroes. Francisco and Jacinta were both stricken by the Spanish flu in 1918. On the 3rd April, 1919, Francisco had the joy of receiving his First Communion. The next day he died peacefully, aged 10 years and 9 months.
Jacinta suffered longer. She was sent to hospital in Lisbon. On February 20th, 1920 Jacinta asked for the last sacraments saying she was going to die. The priest heard her confession but saw no urgency to give her Viaticum. Next morning she died at the age of nine.
The children of Fatima joined hands and formed an open-ended daisy-chain with Our Lord and Our Lady, leaving room for us. Fatima is an appeal for people to join in what they in childlike wonder and simplicity had begun. Will you join in?
Terence McLoughlin, OP published in Spirituality, volume 23, July/AUGUST 2017
WE WILL HOLD A TRIDUUM TO MARK THE 100 ANNIVERSARY OF THE VISIONS AT FATIMA. OUR PREACHER WILL BE THE FAMOUS ROSARY PRIEST FR GABRIEL HARTY OP
ALL ARE WELCOME AND INVITED TO ATTEND