Today’s essay is from Frere Michel de la Saint Trinite, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Vol. II.
THE DEVOTION OF REPARATION:
A SECRET OF MERCY FOR SINNERS
After enumerating the five blasphemies which gravely offend His Most Holy Mother, Our Lord gave Sister Lucia the decisive explanation which allows us to penetrate into the secret of Her Immaculate Heart, which overflows with mercy for all sinners, even those who scorn and outrage Her:
“See, My daughter, the motive for which the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspired Me to ask for this little reparation, and in consideration of it, to move My mercy to pardon souls who have had the misfortune of offending Her. As for you, always seek by your prayers and sacrifices to move My mercy to pity for these poor souls.”
“THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT”
Here we have one of the principal themes of the message of Fatima: since God has decided to manifest more and more His great design of love, which is to grant all graces to men through the mediation of the Immaculate Virgin, it seems that their refusal to submit with docility to what God wills is the fault which most gravely wounds His Heart, and for which He no longer finds in Himself any inclination to pardon them.
This sin seems unforgivable, because for Our Saviour there is no crime more unpardonable than to despise His Most Holy Mother and to outrage Her Immaculate Heart, which is the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. This is committing “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will not be forgiven in this world or in the next.”
Soon, in 1929, in the apparition of Tuy which is the final fulfilment of Fatima, Our Lady will conclude the extraordinary manifestation of the Holy Trinity with these striking words:
“So many are the souls which the justice of God condemns for sins committed against Me that I come to ask for reparation. Sacrifice yourself for this intention and pray.”
These words are so strong that several translators took the liberty of diluting their meaning (by replacing “souls” with “sins”.
“A LITTLE ACT OF REPARATION” TO SAVE SINNERS
Yes, Our Lady affirms sadly, many souls are lost because of their scorn, their blasphemies against Her… Thus, giving us the example of loving our enemies, She Herself intervenes, because She alone can still save these monsters of pride and ingratitude who have revolted against Her. As “Mother of Mercy and Mother of Pardon”, as we sing in the Salve Mater, She intercedes for us before Her Son: may the filial devotion of faithful souls, and the Communions of reparation offered on the five First Saturdays to console Her outraged Heart, be accepted by Him in reparation for the crimes of sinners.
Our Lady prays that He deign to accept this “little devotion”, and take into account this “little act of reparation” to Her Immaculate Heart, and deign to grant pardon, in spite of everything, to the ingrates and blasphemers, to all the poor souls who have had the audacity to offend Her – She, His Most Holy Mother! And as always, Our Lord grants Her desire. In this way He makes the devotion of reparation a sure and efficacious means of converting souls, many souls, among those who are in the greatest danger of being eternally lost.
We must quote here a significant text in which “the great promise” itself is a secondary consideration, effacing itself before the primary intention of the Heart of Mary, which is the salvation of all sinners. In May of 1930, Sister Lucia wrote to Father Gonçalves:
“It seems to me that the good Lord, in the depths of my heart, insists that I ask the Holy Father to approve the devotion of reparation, which God Himself and the Most Holy Virgin deigned to request in 1925. In consideration of this little devotion, They wish to give the grace of pardon to souls who have had the misfortune of offending the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Most Holy Virgin promises to souls who will seek to make reparation to Her in this manner, to assist them in the hour of death with all the graces necessary for their salvation.”
REPARATION IS NECESSARY
To save souls, all souls, “especially those who are most in need”, to snatch them all from the fire of hell which threatens them, is then, in the final analysis, the principal intention of the practice of the first Saturdays of the month, just as it was already the same intention Our Lady indicated on August 19, 1917, urgently inviting the three shepherds to pray and make sacrifices:
“Pray, pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because they have nobody to pray and make sacrifices for them.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary has been constituted universal Mediatrix and Mother of Divine Grace. Nevertheless, by a design of Providence which wills us to be joined to Her, She cannot act alone. She needs us, our consoling love and our “little devotions” of reparation, to save souls from hell. Exalted and terrible mystery of the communion of saints, which makes the salvation of many souls really dependent on our own generosity! And what a motive for generosity on our part!
For how could we refuse this missionary action which Our Lady awaits of us, which She has made so easy to fulfill – remember that with the permission of a priest, all the exercises requested can be transferred to Sunday – when these same exercises are so efficacious, so fruitful? For through this devotion many souls in imminent danger of being eternally lost can obtain, at the last moment and as it were in spite of themselves, the grace of their conversion.
TO CONSOLE OUR MOTHER
To console the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with thorns, to make reparation for the outrages It receives from sinners by prayer and sacrifice, such in the end is the most precise requirement of this first part of the Secret, which Our Lady came to recall and clarify at Pontevedra, in 1925: “You, at least, try to console Me”.
Now the most perfect sacrifice, the most efficacious prayer, is of course the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Holy Communion offered to God in the spirit of reparation. All this helps us understand the pressing insistence of Our Lady, Her ardent desire that this devotion of reparation be practiced everywhere as frequently as possible. This devotion is the dearest to Her, because it is the most perfect and therefore the most efficacious for the salvation of souls.
Because She desires our cooperation at any price, She has joined the most wonderful promises to it…
“WAR AND PEACE DEPEND ON IT”
In fact, in addition to the conversion of sinners and our own eternal salvation, Our Lady has willed that the Communion of reparation be linked to another magnificent promise: the gift of peace.
On March 19, 1939, Sister Lucia could write in a Letter to Father Aparicio, (loc. 10595).
“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.” And on June 20, of the same year (1939), she wrote: “Our Lady promised to delay the scourge of war, if this devotion (First Saturdays of reparation) was propagated and practised.
“We see that She will obtain remission of this chastisement to the extent that efforts are made to propagate this devotion; but I fear that we cannot do any more than we are doing and that God, being displeased, will pull back the arm of His mercy and let the world be ravaged by this chastisement which will be unlike any other in the past, horrible, horrible.”
Two months later, war had been declared. Still nothing had been done to correspond to the requests of Heaven.
THE NEED FOR PROPAGATING FIRST SATURDAYS
Today, there are many various apostolates and even Confraternities dedicated to teaching the faithful about the Message of Our Lady of Fatima, and consequently, there is a bit of variance in what they emphasise and what they minimise in Our Lady’s message. Not only the disagreement over whether Russia was properly Consecrated – it never was – but also regarding the required devotions.
Lately, readers have brought up the requirement for the First Saturdays of Reparation. The reason I have posted the above essay by Frere Michel is to give you a good source when you have to discuss this issue with the many prominent “pro-Fatimists” who seem to miss the point of the urgent necessity of this devotion.
Sister Lucia told Father Aparicio in 1939 that,
“Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion (the First Saturdays of Reparation), along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. . . Our Lady promised to delay the scourge of war, if this devotion (First Saturdays of reparation) was propagated and practised.
Note that Sister Lucia states the need for this devotion to be propagated. Readers, this point is essential – this is how you will know the true leader, the Apostle of the Immaculata, when he is given to us. He will rally the clergy and hierarchy behind reparative devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary – he will propagate devotion to First Saturdays of Reparation and Total Consecration to the Immaculate Heart.
Some Fatima ministries take the position that all that is needed is just the Five First Saturdays, which is only partially true. Note Sister Lucia said Our Lady wants this devotion propagated. It is such a stingy little minimum to only offer her Five First Saturdays after all these years of indifference while Our Lady awaits this small sacrifice from us! Those who are so blessed as to be able to attend the Holy Sacrifice on First Saturdays have an obligation to continue with generous hearts in order to obtain the establishment, i.e., propagation of this devotion of reparation. The time is very late, we cannot win this battle with half-way, lukewarm methods!
Any true Marian leader will work to get priests and Bishops to institute this necessary devotion as soon as possible. Our job is first, to pray our Rosaries and make of everything a penance of reparation, and second, seek the support of our priests to institute First Saturdays. The beauty of it is that the more we accomplish this, the more graces available, and thus, the greater success we shall have.
Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners., especially the pope and hierarchy
Open your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only: and He will free you from the hands of your enemies. With all your heart return to Him, and take away from your midst any strange gods” (I Kings 7:3)
† Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
† Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
† St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
† St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!