OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Here is my homily for the 90th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima

In a small town in Portugal earlier today thousands gathered in square at the shrine of Fatima to celebrate Mass and to commemorate the 90th anniversary of apparitions of Fatima. In that small town three small children gathered in a field called “covo de Ira” in which they received apparitions of our blessed mother which began on May 13th 1917 and every month on the 13th of each month except in the month of August they received an apparition until October in which in the last apparition the blessed mother showed a sign to world which was confirmed by dancing of the sun.

During these six months Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco weren’t spared from struggle. Their family, neighbors and especially the Portuguese goverment challanged these appartiations that the children were claiming that we were receiving. After they continue to still be persistent on what they saw, the Portuguese government officials try to convince them to announce to the village and the country that this was a lie. The officials even threatened the children that they would boil them in hot oil. Now 90 years later millions of people throughout the world have a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and millions have gone in pilgrimage to and not just to pray at the sight of the apparition but to pray at the graves of Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia. Jacinta and Francisco died when they were young children as the blessed mother revealed in the apparition and in 2000 Pope John Paul II when he visited Fatima he had them beatified but Lucia became a Caremelite nun and passed away just two years ago at the age of 97.

Sister Lucia in her memories talks about the experiences of her and the two other seers and she said “not worried about the sufferings the Lord might send them, gave themselves totally to the will of God and, without knowing it -- as they did not know the Scriptures -- responded like Christ, when he said: 'Here I am Father, I have come to do your will."

My brothers and sisters just imagine that these little children that went through so much suffering and were able to continue because they totally gave their will to God. We too might brothers and sisters must give our will to God, we must trust God and we heard in the Gospel this morning, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” May our Lady of Fatima intercede for us so that we can always hear the will of the father, follow the footsteps of her son and be moved by the Holy Spirit.

image: The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima Movie