Fatima: The theology of the message

Have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful year!

At the heart of the message of Fatima is the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Being the object of two Fatima prayers, one taught by the Angel and the other by Our Lady, we can very well say that the apparitions at Fatima open and close with this mystery.

Lucia, however, has said to the then Cardinal Ratzinger that the “practical” goal of all the apparitions was to increase in the people of God the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity which was evident in the message starting from the first prayer taught by the Angel: My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You.

Contrary to the view of some theologians, in my understanding, Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fatima are theophanies and not “marianphanies”. When the little shepherds inquired where the Lady was from, she responded that she was from Heaven. Therefore it was Heaven that manifested itself through her and the message that she came to deliver was not hers, but from Heaven, that is, God’s.

Divine revelations have occurred at all times, in all sorts of places and through all sorts of people. The theophany of Fatima is a little more complex than other theophanies because it occurred at different places, through different people, and at different times. In fact, we can distinguish three different cycles in the apparitions at Fatima:

The Angelic Cycle:  the apparitions of the Angel in 1916
We leave out the angelic experience of Lucia and her friends in 1915 because it was inconsequential and lacked clarity. Despite of this, it did put Lucia in a state of watchfulness for the apparitions of the Angel that came the following year, when she was not with these friends but with her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. In line with the roles of angels in the Bible, this angel is a messenger, and just like Archangel Gabriel who announced to Mary that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of the Incarnate Word, he too announced to the children that they have been chosen:

“The Hearts of Jesus and of Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications (…) have designs of mercy on you…”  In the case of Fatima, the Angel went beyond the role of messenger-only and prepared the children for the true apparitions to come, in other words, those of Our Lady. Something similar to the role of John the Baptist as the precursor of the Messiah, the Angel prepared the children for the impending encounter with the supernatural.

Perhaps this is why the encounters with the Angel were of different nature. The children described the three encounters with the Angel as strenuous; they felt drained of their energies as if they were outside of their bodies. In contrast, the encounters with the Lady left them radiant, comforted and full of energy.

There is one other detail that may raise doubts in some people regarding these apparitions. In the representations of angels that we see in sculptures, paintings, theaters and films, and of course, in the imagery of the little shepherds, angels always appear with wings. The Angel of Fatima, however, as the little shepherds described him, did not have wings. For whatever reason that was how the children described him. This fact may even add to the veracity of these apparitions or manifestations of the divine since messenger angels in the Bible do not have wings; those that have wings are the Seraphim and the Cherubim guarding the Ark of the Covenant.

The Marian Cycle:  the apparitions of Our Lady in 1917
The core message of Fatima is revealed in the Marian apparitions that took place from May to October 1917. Those of the Angel, like we have said earlier, served as a preparation for these apparitions, and those that followed helped to interpret them.

The doctrinal core reveals itself in the apparitions of the Virgin which is vast and complete and the reason why Fatima is considered the most doctrinal, most prophetic and also the most sociopolitical of all Marian apparitions, having inspired and influenced concrete social and political measures in the twentieth century.

The Heart of Mary Cycle:  the apparitions in Pontevedra (1925-1926) and Tuy (1929)
In these apparitions that took place years later and when Lucia was perhaps not yet accustomed to the loneliness she felt after the death of her cousins, the Lady blessed her with these apparitions, as she had appeared to Jacinta at her deathbed, to fulfill what she had promised Lucia, of never abandoning her, giving her strength, and helping her in the interpretation of the message.

These visions had the same effect on Lucia as the transfiguration of the Lord on the apostles, of assuring that she had taken the right course of action both in relation to the interpretation of the message as well as her life on earth and the reason why she had been left behind. These apparitions also served to remove doubts in Lucia and to clarify some aspects of the message, especially in regard to the devotion of the five first Saturdays.

The dimensions of the Fatima message
As the apparition with the greatest doctrinal amplitude in the opinion of many theologians, Fatima is like a “Summa Theologica” because it touches upon all the themes that are essential to our faith and gives clues to how to live them, both in the area of individual as well as liturgical spirituality, in a way that is very practical and pedagogical.

The Sacrificial Dimension – Understood as the Eucharistic sacrifice and offering of oneself in the context of the Eucharist and of life, that is, to make life eucharistic: “Do you want to offer yourself…” From the very first Marian apparition, and paraphrasing James and John who asked to sit one on the right and the other on the left of the Lord but first they needed to drink the cup that he drank (Mark10:36-45), thus the little shepherds asked to go to Heaven, but first the Lady asked them if they were willing to offer themselves for others.

Christ gave up his life for us, and as a Christian or a follower of Christ we also need to love others not only as we love ourselves as the commandment says, but more than that, as Jesus loves us, to the extent of giving up his life for us (John 13:34-35).

The Eschatological Dimension – This is the translation of the Gospel warning: “unless you repent, you will all perish as they did” (Luke 13:3).  It is about the misfortunes that hang over the world because of sin – and also about the conversion of sinners, and how we can participate in it; the prophetic and pedagogical vision of hell, as well as how to avoid eternal damnation.

The Missionary Dimension – Mission is transversal through the entire message of Fatima; all the practices that Our Lady asks in relation to prayers, sacrifices, the Rosary, the consecration, the first Saturdays, are aimed for the good of others, that is, the conversion and salvation of sinners and not for personal sanctification. The follower and devotee of the message of Fatima is converted by praying for the conversion of others. Everything is oriented towards others; it is, therefore, a truly “altruistic” and not an “egocentric” spirituality.

Unlike most Catholics in those days and also in ours who live obsessed with gaining Heaven and do good for the sole purpose of their own individual salvation, the little shepherds did nothing to save their own souls because the Lady had already said that she would take them up to Heaven.

It is as if they practiced the theology of Protestant reform, and now also Catholic’s, that Heaven is free for all because Christ has already paid in full the entrance ticket. With Heaven guaranteed to them, the little shepherds dedicated their lives in securing it also for others.

In this way, everything that the little shepherds did was missionary:  by ways of an “Apostolate of Prayer”, in which Francisco distinguished himself, as he was always seeking occasions and places to be alone with God, consoling Him, and by ways of an “Apostolate of Sacrifice”, in which Jacinta distinguished herself by being tireless in finding instances to do more and more self-sacrifices, because she wished that everyone could go to Heaven.

The Marian Dimension – The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Rosary as the contemplation with Mary on the mysteries of Christ. The manifestation of the Lady identifying herself as Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Ecclesial Dimension – Communion in solidarity with the whole Church, in prayer for peace in the world and for the conversion of sinners.

The Petrine Dimension – Fatima started with an appeal from the Holy Father and always involved the popes; and precisely the one who did not want to get himself involved with the Fatima message was the one who turned out to be its greatest proponent -- Pope John Paul II.

The Prophetic Dimension – Fatima represented for thousands of Christians the blue army of Mary - the evangelical activism, against the red army of Russia - the militant atheism. The militant atheism continues to exist even without the tutelage of Russia, in the Freemasons and certain groups of agnostics who always try to influence politics to go against the Church.

In this time as in all times, Fatima is a perennial exhortation for all Christians to become evangelists, always ready to stand up to anyone who demands an account of the hope that is in us (1Peter 3:15). Or as someone has said after the Second Vatican Council, an appeal to become Christians as members of a political party, and militants as members of the Church.

The Pedagogical-Religious Dimension – The learning of prayers and pious practices of devotion as ways to reparate, console and atone the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

To incarnate the Fatima message
This is accomplished by putting into practice what Mary had asked the little shepherds which they generously fulfilled as they embodied all the aspects of this message. It is up to us to do the same if we are lovers of Mary our mother and if like the little shepherds, we want to participate in the redemption of the world.

Stop offending Jesus – This is the first thing the little shepherds did:  to leave behind their own sinful ways of life by developing a more austere awareness that enabled them to judge each one of their own deeds and expose sins in their lives regardless how small they might be.

Pray the Rosary every day – Through the Rosary we are taken by the hands of Mary our mother, to contemplate on the mysteries of our Redemption, that is, the life of her Son. Since she knows him better than anyone else, she more than anyone can introduce us to her son, to his life and doctrine.

Offer sacrifices – By offering sacrifices we are putting into practice the reason why we participate in the Eucharist. At the end of a Latin Mass the priest dismisses the people by saying, “Ite missa est” which means at the same time two different things: first, that the Mass is over and second, that you are on a Mission, that is, once the Mass ends the Mission starts.

Part of this mission is to bring to life the Eucharistic dimension. We eat the body offered and drink the blood outpoured, so that we ourselves in our lives become the body offered and the blood outpoured. We participate in the Eucharist so that we become eucharistic as we make our lives a gift for the redemption of others. We do this when, like the little shepherds, we offer ourselves through self-sacrifices, and embrace the cross of Christ every day by denying ourselves and affirming others in our lives.

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary – Assiduous prayer places us before God who acts as a mirror that makes us see who we really are, hence a false image of ourselves leads us to have a false image of God. Prayer purifies these two images, of God and of ourselves; prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the other hand, purifies our heart and makes it like hers. It is in our own interest this devotion since as the beatitude has it, only the pure of heart will see God.

Observance of the five first Saturdays – This is a beautiful observance to reinvigorate our faith and our Christian practices. It is like the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius or like the Cursillos. It gives a new start and awakens a dormant faith that has lost its saltiness which used to give meaning and taste to a life that now is no longer the light of the world.

Use of the scapular – This practice was once very popular, and has not yet lost its value. It is not that the scapular is a talisman that protects us by its own merit without our collaboration; this would be idolatry. The use of the scapular serves to remind us, hour by hour and minute by minute, that we are called to put on Christ as Saint Paul says in Ephesians (4:22-24).

Conclusion
We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2Corinthians 4:7)

At the end of this long digression and study of the events at Fatima, both its meaning and message, I realized the richness, the doctrinal depth, and the prophetic sociopolitical aspects of the message. Even I can hardly believe that such important message was placed in the hands of three children of such tender ages, completely uncultured, and in spite of their limitations, they did a very good job of living and delivering, and being the custodians of the message of Fatima, despite the unbelief of their own families and the Church, and the obstacles and threats from the administrative and political power.

I want to end this reflection the very same way I began it: The mystery hidden from the wise who are proud of their wisdom is revealed to the simple and accepted by the truly wise, that is, those who keep an open mind without prejudice and who recognize that they know only that they know nothing. (Matthew 11:25)

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC

Fatima: The first saturdays

Sr. Lucia with the image she liked the most

When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. (Our Lady at the July 13, 1917, apparition)

The July 13th apparition was without a doubt the richest in content and also the most symbolic of the messages of Fatima. At this apparition, the three parts of the secret were revealed by Our Lady to the little shepherds, and it was also here that the Lady first spoke of the devotion of Five First Saturdays.

One of the reasons Lucia remained on earth and did not go to Heaven together with her cousins soon after the apparitions was to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the practice of the first Saturday of five consecutive months.

Modus Operandi
Few years after the apparitions at Fatima, in 1925 to be precise, when Lucia was already a Dorothean sister, Our Lady appeared to her to remind her of the First Saturdays Devotion which she had requested in 1917. This time the Blessed Virgin told her in detail how it was to be observed.

Because some doubts arose in Lucia as to how it should be carried out, the Child Jesus appeared to her the following year on February 15, 1926, to enquire if she had already spread the devotion to His most holy Mother. At this same apparition, Lucia reported that oftentimes people were not able to find a confessor on the first Saturday, to which the Holy Child said that they could do the confession on any day of the month provided that they were in the state of grace on the first Saturday for the Communion of Reparation.

“Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.” (Our Lady in an apparition to Lucia in her room in Pontevedra on December 10th, 1925)

In order to understand why reparation needs to be made to the Heart of Mary, it is necessary to understand that the seriousness of an offense is proportional to the dignity of the person offended. It is not the same to offend a person on the street as to offend one’s own mother. The crime can be the same but the seriousness is much greater when it is perpetrated against one’s own mother. Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote in his Summa Theologica that the Virgin Mary, since she is the mother of God, has a certain dignity from the infinite good who is God.

The offenses against Our Lady are much more serious because the Virgin Mary stands at a different level from us all. The angels and the saints live in the order of Glory, because they see God face to face; we, on the other hand, if we live in friendship with God, are at the order of Grace. Mary by being the mother of Jesus who is divine participates in some way in the hypostatic union; therefore, the offenses against Our Lady are very serious because indirectly they are offenses made against God himself.

When Our Lady appears with her heart crowned with a crown of thorns like her son’s around his head, she wants to show in an easier to understand symbolic way how much she suffers from the “blasphemies and ingratitude” of men. If the son suffers then so does the mother.

Why does Our Lady ask us for this devotion of the five first Saturdays? It is because she understands the evil we inflict upon ourselves when we offend her heart. The Virgin Mary is glorious in Heaven, she can suffer no more; it is the feedback or the consequences of our offenses made against her that concern her. When a son hits his elderly father or mother the greater evil done by this son is not what was done to the father or mother, but what he did to himself; such terrible evil that if one day he becomes aware of it the remorse will surely consume him.

When a confessor of Sister Lucia asked her why five Saturdays and not seven, the perfect number in the Bible, Sister Lucia referred the question back to Our Lord who replied: “My daughter, the reason is simple, there are five types of offenses and blasphemies uttered against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. The blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception;
2. Against her virginity;
3. Against the divine maternity, denying, at the same time, to receive her as the Mother of all men;
4. Those who publicly seek to infuse indifference, contempt, and even hatred in the hearts of children toward this Immaculate Mother;
5. Those who directly outrage her sacred images.

Apart from some non-Christians, there are many Protestant Christians who offend Mary and among the Catholics there are some countries that commit the vice of blasphemy, like Italy and Spain. In Portugal, no one, not even atheists, or agnostics let alone Christians publicly blaspheme against God or against Mary.

Henceforth, these offenses have to be rectified, that is, the natural order of things has to be put back into its right place. To do this, we must perform four acts:  going to confession with the intention of making reparation or restitution, receiving communion made with the same intention, praying the holy Rosary, and spending fifteen minutes meditating on the mysteries of Jesus’ life.

Confession
In addition to being a personal confession of our own sins if we have them, and we always have them, this confession has another dimension: it is a devotional confession, that is, we make it for those who do not make them, and we ask forgiveness for the sins of others. It is once again the missionary dimension of Fatima, piety not only for our own sanctification, but also at the service of the sanctification of others.

The confession has to have a restorative intention; in the case this intention is forgotten, remember it at the next confession; it does not need to be made on a Saturday, it can be made on another day, as long as on the first Saturday of the month the person is in the state of Grace.

The Sacred Communion
“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53)

Many Christians have abandoned the Sunday practice of going to Mass; and among those who still do, they have not for years considered themselves worthy to receive the body and blood of Our Lord. We make this Communion of Reparation not so much for ourselves, but for all those who are not joined with us in the Mystical Body, who are not in full communion with Christ and his Church, that is, the branches that are not abiding to the vine that is Christ. (John 15:5)

The Rosary
This is prayed with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We pray the Rosary for all those who do not pray it every day, and those who have not yet discovered the richness of this prayer, the time spent in contemplating on the mysteries of Christ in the history of our salvation.

Spend 15 minutes meditating on the 15 mysteries of the Rosary
These 15 minutes are spent being with the Lord contemplating on his mysteries, initially 15 and now 20. Since the meditation or contemplation is on the Lord, it can be done during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, it can also be a meditation of the Word of God such as Lectio Divina which nowadays many Christians practice; what is important is that we spend 15 minutes alone with Jesus hidden sacramentally in the tabernacle, and spiritually in our hearts.

The value of this Campaign
It is evident that both the offenses, as well as the acts of love for God, revert back to us. God does not need the good that we do for him nor does the evil that we do reach him. Both the evil as well as the good stay with the one who practices it. It is fundamentally we who bring evil upon ourselves, and God suffers not because of any evil that we do to him, but rather that this evil that we presumably do to him revert back to us. “The spell returns to the sorcerer” or “Whoever does evil, evil will happen to him”, says the people.

Many campaigns are made to awaken dormant values in the hope that once awakened it will continue with the help of certain practices. The campaigns are made to conquer the inertia, so that once on the move the hope is that it will continue on its own. This is what we observe in business practices when new products are advertised or if certain products are brought back into the market. The same logic works in religious practices; it is difficult to take people out of a mediocre life, immobility, and spiritual apathy, or as the Italians say, “doce fare niente”, which means sweet laziness.

In conversation with the Child Jesus at the apparition in Tuy on 15th of February, 1926, still on the subject of the first Saturdays, and why Lucia’s confessor had expressed certain reservations regarding the importance of this devotion:

“But my confessor said in the letter that this devotion is not lacking in the world, because there are many souls who receive You on the First Saturdays, in honour of Our Lady and of the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary.” (Lucia)

“It is true, my daughter, that many souls begin the First Saturdays, but few finish them, and those who do complete them do so in order to receive the graces that are promised thereby. It would please me more if they did Five with fervour and with the intention of making reparation to the Heart of your heavenly Mother, than if they did Fifteen, in a tepid and indifferent manner…” (Child Jesus)

In every campaign there has to be an appealing factor to take people out of their inertia. It is necessary to promise something in return; in this campaign, it is the promise of help, and that at the hour of death there will be all the graces necessary for salvation for those who are faithful to this devotion. But it is clear that God, as the Child Jesus pointed out to Sister Lucia, prefers those who practice this devotion for pure love and not for reasons of “spiritual commercialism”.

Fr. Jorge Amaro, IMC