Specifically, on May 13, 1917, Our Lady told the children, "Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war." Then, on Dec. 10, 1925, she asked Sr. Lucia, one of the visionaries, for what are called the "First Saturdays of Reparation" - on the First Saturday of five successive months, go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the Rosary, and meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary for 15 minutes with the intention of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart. Why did she ask for this particular devotion? Because there are offenses and blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and we must make reparation for these sins out of love for our Mother who seeks to protect us, intercede for us, and bring about the salvation of all mankind.
Our Lady foretold great trials and wars upon the earth. She promised that if we turned to prayer and penance, her Immaculate Heart would triumph and an era of peace would be given to the world. A century following Our Lady's appearances in Fatima, few have heeded her call.
Dear Friends of Mercy, in this centennial year, let's vow to change that. Let's answer Our Lady of Fatima's call and encourage others to do so as well.
As a devotee to Divine Mercy, learning the devotions of Our Lady of Fatima won't be hard at all. In fact, there are many similarities in the prayers. You might recognize something familiar about the prayer the Angel of Portugal taught the children of Fatima in the fall of 1916. The Angel appeared to the children holding a chalice, and a bleeding Host hovered over the chalice. The Angel left the chalice in the air and knelt near the children, telling them to repeat three times:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
Doesn't this call to mind the prayer our Lord taught St. Faustina in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy? "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world" (Diary, 476).
When mankind turns with trust to our Lord and Our Lady in prayer and penance for the sins of the world, the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart will come and there will be an era of peace on earth. Heaven has promised this peace on earth - both through St. Faustina ("Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy" [Diary, 699]) and Our Lady of Fatima.
It's up to us now to pray and spread these messages and devotions.
Visit marian.org/Fatima to learn more about Mary's apparitions there, including her call for the Five First Saturdays devotion and the daily Rosary for peace.
