the Water of Grace: Fatima

I started writing this a long time ago, very soon after my trip last April to Fatima, but never got around to finishing it, and adding pictures. Since this past Saturday (May 13th) was the 100th Anniversary of Our Blessed Mother appearing to the three children-- Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia, I decided to finish and post about Fatima. Another neat thing is that Francisco and Jacinta were both just canonized Saints by Pope Francis this past Saturday also.

So this is what I previously wrote:

We first went to Fatima, and I didn't really know what to expect. As I was in Medjugorje about 1.5 years ago, and that was very beautiful, but on a smaller scale with the number of people there, the church, and the town. I think I was thinking of it to be similar. Fatima was much bigger, but yet still peaceful, quiet, with a serenity about it.

A little side note... the story of Fatima. Our Blessed Mother appeared to three little children in 1917, Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. Prior to Mary appearing to them, Lucia shared that an Angel of Peace came to them three times, to teach them how to pray better. how to recite the rosary. Mary appeared to them first on May 13, 1917. And she told them to pray the rosary, to pray for peace for the world. And told them three secrets, which eventually they released two of them later in life to the public, the third one is still kept a secret by the Vatican. You can read more about it here. But she appeared to them on the 13th of each month, six times, from May to October. Many people would come to the area and wait and watch with them. But many also didn't believe. In August, they were arrested and Mary didn't appear to them until the 19th, in different fields away from all the people. On October 13, 1917, many witnessed the "Miracle of the Sun," in which the sun had bright colors, and spun in the sky. Some refer to it as the day the sun danced. There is much more to the story, and Lucia has written books explaining the apparitions. Jacinta and Francisco died at an early age, but Lucia lived till age 97.

We arrived in Fatima in the afternoon, and stayed at a hotel close enough that we could walk to the Basilica, and the site where the apparitions occurred. There was an outdoor chapel/altar in which Mass took place daily. It was near a tree in which Our Lady appeared to the three children. There was a huge church at the center and front, and then a huge commons area is best to describe it, probably around two-three football fields big. People would be in the outside chapel, praying. There were also candles nearby, in which one could lite in petition/thanksgiving. And there was a long "walkway" in the middle of the area, in which people would be on their knees and crawl all the way to the area in which Mary appeared many years ago. It was inspiring to watch them stay on their knees the entire time, out of complete respect and honor for Our Blessed Mother and Jesus. So very beautiful. At night they had a Rosary procession, in which many people join and all pray the rosary together, in all different languages, at the same time, and then walk around the area with our lighted candles singing "Ave Maria." I would say there was around 500 people there at night. We were also able to visit the homes of the children, and see the places in which the angel appeared to them. It was beautiful and serene. We were blessed to have Mass there twice.

So now I pick up again. :) What do I remember... I go back and read through my journal from that time and here's what I find. When we had Mass that first time in the outdoor chapel so near the tree that is left standing within all the modernization, Father had a beautiful message. "Mary appeared to teach us how important it is to pray, to pray the rosary, and to offer suffering to the souls and others to help them get to heaven." I think with the 100 year anniversary now, Mary is trying to tell us the same thing again. When she appeared back in 1917, World War I was taking place. There was lots of anger, hatred, and sorrow at that time. Now it's 2017, and we might not be in a "full-fledged" war, but there is a lot of evil, anger, restlessness, fear, sadness taking place all over the world. Mary's message can pertain to us Today. Pray, Pray, Pray. It's so powerful. The rosary is so powerful. Pope Benedict XVI once said, "The heart open to God.... is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind." What an amazing gift Jesus gave us, His Mother, who we all get to share. She only wants to protect us and lead us closer to Jesus.

We got to walk through the beautiful Basilica, in which the children are all buried there. Then we got to head to the fields in which Mary appeared to them on August 19th instead. This was my favorite part, as in the quiet and peacefulness of nature. This is what I pictured the time to be like when Our Blessed Mother appeared to them. In the grass and trees, among the sheep, with the children playing on the hill. In this area, a path was created, that had the Stations of the Cross along it that ended with a little chapel that overlooked the town of Fatima. These we learned, were donated by the country of Hungary for the help they received during WWII.

Near the Basilica, there was also a small piece of the Berlin wall. It was there as a gift, and reminder of the second secret Mary told them. Which was about the eventual fall of communism. Read more about it here. We also got to visit the homes of the children.

There is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the little outdoor chapel, in Her crown, is the bullet that shot Saint John Paul II while he was Pope. He strongly believed that Mary protected him from dying during that attempted assassination, and so wanted to honor her by placing the bullet there to thank Her for protecting him.

"By John Paul II's assessment, "It was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path," and permitted that "the dying Pope. stopped on the threshold of death." The assassination attempt had taken place on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and the pope had no doubt that his survival was due to the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The second night we were in Fatima, many of us participated in a Rosary procession. There is a little area of candles near it, in which anyone is able to lite in petition or thanksgiving, or any reason. The rosary started, and there was a lot of people there, hundreds. All from different countries, different languages. It is really beautiful to hear the rosary all said together, even with different languages all being said. The 4th sorrowful mystery was in English. The priest leading, related the "Carrying of the Cross," with Mary knowing what it was like to carry the cross. She's been through so many things too, so much suffering also. She understands our pain. And to pray to her to help us carry our own crosses and to help others carry theirs. I recently listened to a podcast in which they talked about Mary's suffering starting right when she said Yes. Immediately she was cast out, by Joseph not understanding, having to travel far while pregnant, not having a place to deliver Jesus. And that was just the beginning. They went on to say that everything in our life that we say yes to, comes with some kind of a cross to bear. But with the help of Mary, we can also live joyfully in the midst of our crosses.
After the rosary, we all walked around the area, holding candles, and singing "Ave Maria." It was pretty incredible. And just so surreal... being with the presence of so many others who turn to Mary for help and growing closer to Her Son.

Okay.. now what you've really all been waiting for--- the pictures. :)
Oh... and if you want to read about my time in Lourdes. Check out my post- The Gift.

This is the statue that has JPII bullet in the crown.

From our hotel room.

The outside chapel.

Where people can go lite candles.

The Basilica

The big open area that is in front of the Basilica. That "sidewalk" you see on the right side (white color) is the area people would walk down on their knees.