PeopleSpirituality

Fatima, apparitions

quick ideas about Fatima. How were the apparitions? What did Our Lady say at Fatima? How was the miracle of the sun?

A. First apparition of Fatima

1. Where and when were the apparitions?

Fatima is a small village in Portugal, near Lisbon. The apparitions of Our Lady began on 13 May 1917 and occurred on the 13th of each month until 13 October.

2. To whom did she appear?

At Fatima, Our Lady appeared to three children: Lucia de Jesus, aged 10, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged 9 and 7.

3. How was the first apparition?

On Sunday 13 May, after hearing Mass, the three children went out with their sheep to the pastures. There, keeping an eye on the flock, they prayed the rosary as they usually did, and played at building, piling stones around a bush — where the basilica now stands. Suddenly they saw a bright light. Thinking it was lightning, they decided to go home. Shortly after, another flash, and they saw above a small holm oak a Lady dressed in white, brighter than the sun (it was midday); from her hands hung a white rosary. In that place now stands the Chapel (Capelinha).

4. And what did they talk about?

The children were a meter and a half from the Lady, within the light she radiated. The conversation is always between Lucia and Our Lady; Jacinta sees and hears but does not speak. Francisco only sees. — Do not be afraid. I will not harm you. — Where are you from? — I am from heaven. — What do you want of me? — I have come to ask you to come here for six consecutive months on the 13th at this same hour. Afterward I will tell you who I am and what I want... — Will I go to heaven? — Yes, you will. — And Jacinta? — She will also go. — And Francisco? — He will go too, but he must pray many rosaries first. — Is María de las Nieves (16 years old) in heaven? — Yes, she is. — And Amelia (19 years old)? — She will be in purgatory until the end of the world. Do you want to offer yourselves to God to bear all the sufferings He may wish to send you, in reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners? — Yes, we want to. — You will then have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort. (And they were illumined by a light issuing from the Lady's hands.) — Pray the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war. (First World War.) Afterward, Our Lady began to rise and departed.

B. The other apparitions at Fatima

1. How many people accompanied the children at each apparition?

As word spread, the attendance grew. 50, 4,000, nobody (for they had been arrested and the Lady appeared to them days later), 30,000 and 70,000.

2. What did Our Lady emphasize?

In the six apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady said to pray "the rosary every day".
She greatly insisted on making sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins. The topic of sins, sinners, or sacrifices for these intentions of conversion and reparation always came up.
The Lord wishes to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (2nd and 3rd apparitions).

3. Were there prophecies at Fatima?

In the third apparition, Our Lady showed them hell, and announced several things:

The imminent end of the war, and that there would be a worse one if offenses against God continued (Second World War).
Russia will spread its errors throughout the world. (This refers to communism, which began in Russia shortly afterward.) The Church will suffer greatly, and a Pope will suffer an assassination attempt.
The fall of communism, after consecrating Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In Portugal the faith will always be preserved.

C. The miracle of the sun

1. How was the last apparition?

A miracle had been announced for 13 October, and that the Lady would say who she is. There were about 70,000 people under torrential rain. Along the way, many people sought the help of Our Lady. Upon reaching the holm oak, the crowd prays the rosary. Lucia, moved by an inner impulse, asked everyone to close their umbrellas. All were soaked. Shortly after, Our Lady arrived above the holm oak.

— What do you want of me? — I want to tell you that they should build here a chapel in my honor, for I am the Lady of the rosary; that they continue to pray the rosary every day. The war is coming to an end and the soldiers will soon return to their homes. — I had many things to ask her: whether she would cure some sick people, whether she would convert some sinners, etc. — Some, yes; others, no. It is necessary that they amend their lives; that they ask pardon for their sins. Let them offend our Lord God no more, for He is already greatly offended.

2. The miracles of Fatima

- After those words, Our Lady pointed toward the sun. Suddenly the rain stopped and the dark clouds dispersed. The sun was seen as a silver disk that could be looked at without being dazzled. It was surrounded by a brilliant crown.

Suddenly, the sun trembles, shakes, and spins on itself like a wheel of fire, projecting beams of colored light in all directions. The crowd is seen tinged with yellow, green, red, blue, violet... This lasted two or three minutes, then the sun stops for a moment and begins its dance of light again. Three times in all.

Next, the sun is seen to detach from the sky, and falls toward the earth in a zigzag. The crowd is on its knees in the mud making acts of faith and contrition. O my God, have mercy! The sun stops in its fall and, also in zigzag, regains its position in the sky. About ten minutes have passed in total. The 70,000 people present saw it, and even people more than 5 km away saw the same. The clothing of the people, previously soaked, is now perfectly dry.