“Don’t lose heart. I will never forsake you.
My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
On the feast of St. Anthony, June 13, 1917, Francisco, Jacinta and Lúcia returned as they had promised the Lady. At this visit, Our Lady made three requests:
“I wish you to come here on the 13th of next month, to pray the Rosary each day, and to learn how to read. Later, I will tell you what I want.”
Lúcia then ventured to make a courageous request: “I would like to ask you to take us to Heaven.”
“Yes, I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon. But you are to stay here some time longer. Jesus wishes to make use of you to make Me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this devotion I promise salvation; these souls shall be dear to God, as flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.”
Lúcia: “Am I to stay here alone?”
“No, My daughter. Do you suffer a great deal? Don’t lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
Lúcia then tells us,
“As Our Lady spoke these last words, She opened Her hands and for the second time, She communicated to us the rays of that immense light. We saw ourselves in this light, as it were, immersed in God. Jacinta and Francisco seemed to be in that part of the light which rose towards Heaven, and I in that which was poured out on the earth.
“In front of the palm of Our Lady’s right hand was a heart encircled by thorns which pierced it. We understood that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity and seeking reparation.
Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité comments on this sublime vision:
” … through the rays coming forth from the hands of Mary, they saw themselves submerged in God … and in the great light of God, it was given to them to contemplate the secret of Mary, to see Her pierced Heart. ‘In front of the palm of Our Lady’s right hand was a heart encircled by thorns which pierced it. We understood that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity, and seeking reparation.’ ”
And here in this vision, we arrive at the very heart of the Message of Fatima, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged at the offenses to her Son and Savior, and offering a Mother’s tender love to reconcile her Son with those He came to save.
The fruit of the vision for the three seers was an intimate knowledge and an ardent love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lúcia says that it was like an infused virtue which was granted to them that day: ‘I think that, on that day, the main purpose of this light was to infuse within us a special knowledge and love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, just as on the two other occasions it was intended to do, as it seems to me, with regard to God and the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. From that day on, our hearts were filled with a more ardent love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’ “
Lúcia noted that little Jacinta especially was overflowing with fervor: “From time to time she would say to me: ‘The Lady said that Her Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God. Don’t you love that? Her Heart is so good! How I love it!’ ”
Years later, Lúcia said to Father Fuentes,
“Tell them Father, that my cousins Francisco and Jacinta sacrificed themselves because they always saw the Blessed Virgin very sad in all Her apparitions. While with us she never smiled, and this sadness, this anguish we noticed in her is because of offenses against God and the chastisements threatening sinners. This anguish of hers penetrated our soul; in our childish imaginations we could hardly think of enough ways to pray and make sacrifices.”
In that same interview, Lúcia said of devotion to the Immaculate Heart,
“Finally, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Most Holy Mother, consists in considering Her as the seat of mercy, of goodness and of pardon, and as the certain door by which we are to enter Heaven.”
In this Second Visit, Our Lady tells us:
“Jesus … wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.”
Note, Our Lady says, “Jesus wants”. She does not present it as a mere suggestion. No – she says clearly “Jesus wants to establish”. That means that it is a request from Our Lord Jesus Christ for the Church to establish, that is, formally propagate and enrich with indulgences, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Has this been done? And what of the First Saturdays? A century has passed … Indeed, it is late …
The year before this apparition, the Angel of Fatima made three visits to speak of the “Hearts of Jesus and Mary”, thus preparing for this moment when Our Lady announced that Jesus “wants to establish in the world” devotion to the Immaculate Heart of His Beloved Mother. The revelations of Fatima, especially the mystical vision at Tuy, prove that devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the desire of the Most Holy Trinity. Yet today, the Church still has not established, devotion to the Immaculate Heart. For 100 years it has been left to individuals and groups while the Vatican occupies itself elsewhere.
It is a tragic misconception for Catholics to dismiss devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a mere “private revelation” that is optional. Far from it, Fatima’s message is the last opportunity we are given to obey God. Our Lady, as she showed at her great Miracle of the Sun on October 13, 1917, stands before God imploring mercy for us, poor sinners. God’s justice demands that if we, this sinful world, are to benefit from her merciful intervention, we must at the very least obey our Mother’s request.
When I think on this logically, and search through the prophecies,, especially the Apocalypse, I do not see any reason to believe that the ongoing and accelerating chastisement can be mitigated at this point. But when I spend time with Our Lady, heart to heart, I realize that our Lord’s tender love for us always responds to our contrite and loving hearts.
And so, I do not believe then, that it is too late to turn, contritely, penitently, to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and ask their help to convert our recalcitrant hearts to their service. It is not possible to pray our Rosary every day, to spend that much time with Our Lady, and not believe that she will help us, if we are trying our best to obey. Her love will never fail us, and so we pray with confidence!
As we continue to commemorate Our Lady of the Rosary’s six visits to the little saints of Fatima in 1917, we shall see that this second visit in which Our Lady offered Lúcia, Francisco and Jacinta devotion to her Immaculate Heart, was to prepare them for the third visit, in which Hell is revealed in all its everlasting horror. With every Rosary, let us thank her for calling us to be the ones to draw near to her, to pray her Rosary and offer our small sacrifices in reparation for sins and for the conversion of sinners. Our Lady offers us her heart today even as the world seems intent on marching to its damnation. But for us, well, we pray for them always, and trust them to Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary, Mother Most Merciful.
Think on this,
“Jesus wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart.
To whoever embraces this devotion, I promise salvation.”
NOTE:
True devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary requires the total commitment to practice the devotion of her Immaculate Heart, which is humility, purity and obedience. When the Consecration is performed with impure hands, impure and prideful hearts, it still has some efficacy, it still draws down graces, but by that very act, this pure light of God reveals the corruption that was hidden. But the grace abides and will, in time, restore the Church.
This year, more than ever before, there is a concerted attack on the message of Fatima, much of it subtle attacks under the guise of supporting Our Lady. And so, we must keep this message alive in our hearts, “Jesus wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this devotion, I promise salvation.” Yes! He has, since His apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, desired to reign publicly, in the governments, churches, homes and hearts of His subjects. He has waited patiently, for centuries now. And at Fatima, He entrusted to His Mother the task of bringing us back to Him. For these two Hearts are one, cor unum. She is our sure path to Him. We are so blessed to abide in this love!
On our own, in this wretched mess created by the arrogant pride of disobedient prelates, we do not stand a chance of returning to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but with Mary, we know that Triumph is near – Take Heart! And take her hand!
Fatima was a request from Heaven to return to the practice of the true faith with humility and obedience, Our Lord gave us His Mother, who is the Model of humility and obedience to be our refuge and sure path to return to His love; all we have to do is humble ourselves and obey. Not seek out new devotions, but humbly obey the ones which are called for.
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.
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, guardian of the Holy Family, 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!