The Great Promise of Our Lady of Fatima

    The Great Promise of Our Lady of Fatima

 

 

Our Lady appeared at Fatima in 1917  to three little children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, to warn the world, but also to bring a message of hope: “Finally my Immaculate Heart will triumph!”

Picture taken in Coimbra, Portugal, Sister Lucia’s Memorial Museum

In 1925  Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia, rested one hand on Lucia’s shoulder, while in the other hand she held a heart surrounded with thorns. Then Our Lady said to Lucia:

“Look, my daughter, at my Heart surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at 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 for five consecutive months,

1. go to Confession,
2. receive the Holy Communion
3. recite five decades of the Rosary
4. keep me a company for 15 minutes while meditating of the mysteries of the Rosary, with intention of making reparation.”

This is how the Five First Saturday devotion came about. Our Heavenly Mother gave it to Sister Lucia, encouraging the faithful to pray the Rosary more and more, meditating on it and receiving the Sacraments of the Confession and the Eucharist.

Let’s not forget that Our Lady and Our Lord Jesus are hurt every single moment by countless sins. 

We encourage you to start this devotion, it is fine and purifying for our soul, and it helps to console Our Heavenly Mother. 

Remember this divine formula: 5 First Saturdays= Confession+ Mass & Eucharist +Rosary & 15.min Meditation+Intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Year we especially remember Our Lady’s visit in Fatima

As we celebrate this special Indulgence year of 100^th anniversary of Fatima apparitions, we wish to outline some initiatives for you in honour of Our Lady:

• Please do everything you can to start and to promote Five First Saturday devotion in your parish. Our Lady promised to assist in the hour of death to all those who would take up this devotion (see leaflet attached)
• This year we officially launched “The School of Mary” educational package for primary school teachers and parents. We are currently raising much needed funds to be able to send a package to each school in Ireland. We would like to encourage you to obtain a copy of 10 in 1 material (best price guaranteed) to give it to your teacher/ pastor. For more info visit https://thecalltofatima.com/Fatima-School-of-Mary-package-for-teachers-and-parents-10-in-1-p84438444   
• Please pray for our work as “The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.” [Lk 10:2]

100th Fatima Anniversary Special Indulgence

         100^th Fatima Anniversary Special Indulgence

For the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Pope Francis has decided to grant a plenary indulgence opportunity throughout the entire anniversary year, which began Nov. 27, 2016, and will end Nov. 26, 2017.

 There are three ways of obtaining the indulgence. To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfil the ordinary conditions : go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

1. Make a pilgrimage to the shrine

The first way is for “the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin.” In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed, and invoke the Mother of God.

2. Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima

The second way applies to “the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honour of the Virgin Mary.”

Regarding this second way, the rector of the Fatima Shrine stated that the visit to the statue of the Virgin, “does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal,” but can be done anywhere in the world.

Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima pray for us.

3. The elderly and infirm

The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around.

These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017.

They also must “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”

Dates for the calendar for the Fatima indulgence

13^th of May 2017

13^th June 2017

13^th July 2017

13^th August 2017

13^th September 2017  

13^th October 2017

 

 

The Secrets of Fatima from Sr Lucia and Interpreted by the Church

           The Secrets of Fatima    

      From Sr Lucia and Interpreted by the Church

 The one terrible memory we have when scripting the film for “The Call to Fatima – The Story”, was the childrens vision of hell in Fatima on the 13^th July 1917. All three saw where the souls of poor sinners perish. Our Lady told the children why they have been exposed to this moment: “in order to save souls”—to show the way to salvation. The words of the First Letter of Peter come to mind: “As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1:9). In 1917 no one could have imagined what the three children of Fatima saw. Lucia, the surviving witness, commits it all to paper when ordered to do so by the Bishop of Leiria and with Our Lady’s permission.

Sister Lucia recalls the First and Second Part of the Secrets. The first part of her account is the vision of hell and the second part reveals that the first world war will soon end, but a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI  if the Consecration of Russia and the Communion of reparation of the First Saturday devotions are ignored . Here is Sr Lucia’s full account of the first two secrets of Fatima. 1st Secret – The children are shown hell “Well, the secret is made up of three distinct parts, two of which I am now going to reveal. “Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration (inferno), now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition (13th May 1917) , to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror”. “We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly”: You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace”. 2nd Secret:  World War I and World War II “The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. 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 Saturday. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world”.      Third Secret of Fatima described by Sister Lucia The meeting between Sister Lucia, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sent by Pope John Paul II, and Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, took place on Thursday, 27 April 2000, in the Carmel of Saint Teresa in Coimbra. Sister Lucia was lucid and at ease; she was very happy that Pope John Paul II was going to Fatima on the 13th May 2000 for the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, something she had looked forward to for a long time. The Bishop of Leiria-Fatima read the autograph letter of the Holy Father, which explained the reasons for the visit. Sister Lucia felt honoured by this and reread the letter herself, contemplating it in her hands. She said that she was prepared to answer all questions frankly. At this point, Archbishop Bertone presented two envelopes to her: the first containing the second, which held the third part of the “secret” of Fatima. Immediately, touching it with her fingers, she said: “This is my letter”, and then while reading it: “This is my writing”. Here is what she wrote by order of His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and the Most Holy Mother …” on 3 January 1944. Angel with the flaming sword “After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’. Two Angels gathering up the blood of the Martyrs And we saw in an immense light that is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it’ a Bishop dressed in White ‘we had the impression that it was the Holy Father’. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God”.    The Church must interpret the “secrets” of Fatima  Sister Lucia pointed out that she had received the vision but not its interpretation. The interpretation, she said, belonged not to the visionary but to the Church. After reading the text, however, she said that this interpretation corresponded to what she had seen and that on her part she thought the interpretation correct. In what follows, therefore, we can only attempt to provide a deeper foundation for this interpretation from the Church authorities. The decision of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to make public the third part of the “secret” of Fatima brought to an end a period of history marked by tragic human lust for power and evil, yet pervaded by the merciful love of God and the watchful care of the Mother of Jesus and of the Church.  Our Lady, who appeared at Fatima, recalls these forgotten values. Our Lady reminds us that man’s future is in God, and that we are all active and responsible in creating that future. Sr Lucia’s book “Calls from the Message of Fatima” focuses on the key central messages of Fatima and is a good place to start to restore back those values we lost. The Church focus on key words   “To save souls” has emerged as the key word of the first and second parts of the “secret”, and the key word of the third part of the secret is the threefold cry: “Penance, Penance, Penance!” The beginning of the Gospel comes to mind: “Repent and believe the Good News” (Mk 1:15). To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance – of conversion – of faith.  Sister Lucia said that ever more clearly to her, that the purpose of all the Fatima apparitions was to help people to grow more and more in Faith, Hope and Love—everything else was intended to lead to this. The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgement which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy i.e. New York, Madrid, Paris, and the Middle East crises, Africa, Belgium: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to do penance. When Joseph Card. Ratzinger was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he shared another important aspect on the secrets. “I would like finally to mention another key expression of the “secret” which has become justly famous: “My Immaculate Heart will Triumph”. What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise”.  The Jubilee Year of Mercy during the 100th Fatima Anniversary If ever a time was needed for mankind to repent and repair their lives, it is during this Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016. We invite those in faith to help those who are spiritually lost and guide them back to the church in faith, hope and love. During the Irish Famine, people stayed loyal to the Mass, clutching their rosary beads to sustain them during their suffering. In comparison today, many Catholics ignore Sunday Mass as they clutch mobiles, laptops and remote controls. In times of great trials to come, those who go to Mass every Sunday say the daily Rosary, practice the Five First Saturday and Divine Mercy devotions will receive many graces. For those who do not, we are reminded of the story in the gospel of those looking for oil for their lamp from those who wait outside for the gates of Heaven to open. The ‘oil’ in that story is a metaphor for ‘love’.  All love must come from ones heart in Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is love, according to St Paul. Jesus confirms, “If you love me you will keep my commandments”.  Sr Lucia confirms that from her book “Calls”, that the central Fatima message are the last words by Our Lady in Fatima on the 13th October 1917, “Do not offend the Lord God anymore, because He is already so much offended”.

In answer to the call by Pope Francis, The Call to Fatima team is available to give parish presentation on Fatima in 2016. Sr Lucia’s books / DVD’s are also available srluciacalltofatima@gmail.com  or by phone + 353-87-2229135 Blog www.thecalltofatima.wordpress.com

 

The ‘Urgency of the Hour’ during the Jubilee Year of Mercy

The ‘Urgency of the Hour’ during the Jubilee Year of Mercy

Last month’s article in the Catholic Voice sparked a chain of support from members of the Legion of Mary, Alliance of the Two Hearts and many others wanting to help to spread more intensely the Fatima message during 2016 / 2017. One lady from Northern Ireland sponsored our Five First Saturday ad in the Fermanagh Herald. Other newspapers contacted us seeking to put the Five First Saturday ad in seven leading local newspapers around the country. At times like this, we wish we knew somebody who won the lotto. On the 13^th February 2016, we received an email from Sr Lucia’s private doctor, Dr Branca Paul from Coimbra in Portugal and she says: “Please keep going with all your hearts doing your best, working in “GOD´S FARM”. We have to be patient and persevere in our lives”. With this encouragement, we wish to share some more insight into the writings left behind by Servant of God Sr Lucia.

13^th February 2005

On this date 11 years ago, Sr Lucia passed away to her eternal reward. Dr Branca Paul and the Carmel sisters in Coimbra Portugal asked us after her death to double the efforts to spread the Five First Saturday and daily Rosary devotions. Servant of God Sr Lucia stated, “Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is why I desire its propagation so ardently, especially because this is also the will of our dear Mother in Heaven.”.

Six years ago, we both personally witnessed Pope Benedict XVI on the 13^th May 2010 in Fatima praying before the statue of Our Lady and making the following request “May the seven years which separate us from the Centenary of the Apparitions hasten the expected Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Glory of the Most Holy Trinity”. Are we witnessing the fruits of the Holy Father’s prayer unfolding before us, when on the 12^th February 2016,  after 1000 years, Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church met for the first time in Cuba to open the way for unity and world peace?

No matter what happens in the future, Our Lady still requires our corporation and is ready to assist us in this great battle for souls. Our Lady is inviting each one of us to enter with joy and immense hope into the secure refuge of Her Immaculate Heart and promising us that in the end Her Immaculate Heart of Mary will Triumph. The Rosary and the Five First Saturday devotions are all interlinked to help expediate the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

 

Five First Saturday Devotion

Why did Our Lady ask for the Five First Saturday devotion? Our Blessed Lord answered that question when He appeared to Sr. Lucia. He explained that it was because of the five offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, namely:

(1) blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception,

(2) against her perpetual virginity,

(3) against the divine and spiritual maternity of Mary,

(4) blasphemies involving the rejection and dishonouring of her images, and

(5) the neglect of implanting in the hearts of children a knowledge and love of this Immaculate Mother.

Our Lady of Fatima requested the daily Rosary and Five First Saturday devotion. “If what I ask is done, many souls will be saved.” Since Her request is largely ignored, we continue to witness many wars and persecutions of the Church, including the Holy Father. The good are being martyred and various nations are annihilated. (The daily Rosary and the Five First Saturday devotion bring graces for the individuals, families, Bishops and Priests, religious and for each nation).

The role of the Priest and the Laity 

The key elements of the Five First Saturday devotion are captured with the story of the child Jesus appearing to Sr Lucia only emphasises the urgency of the Five First Saturday devotion for our time. What makes this devotion so beautiful is that Our Lady invites her beloved priests to promote it in the parish. Without the priests, three components of this devotion cannot take place namely: Confession, Mass and Holy Communion. Our Lady wisely incorporated the priests in this grace filled devotion to protect Her flock, just like Our Lady did over 2000 years ago for the first apostles.

Five First Saturday Devotion role of the priest is to:    

1. Hear Confession: The confession can be made eight days before or after the First Saturday, provided that Holy Communion is received in the state of grace and that it should be offered in reparation.
2. Offer Mass and Holy Communion: Before receiving Holy Communion, it is likewise necessary to offer the Mass in reparation to Our Lady.

Five First Saturday Devotion role of the laity is to:

1. Go to confession, attend Mass, receive Holy Communion and recite the Holy Rosary and to do 15-minute meditation:-To comply with the request of Our Blessed Mother, it must be offered in reparation and said properly while meditating. Also offered in reparation, the meditation may embrace one or more mysteries; it may include all, taken together or separately. This meditation should be the richest of any meditation, because Our Lady promised to be present when she said “…those who keep me company….”.

To those who faithfully follow Our Lady’s requests for the Five First Saturdays, she has made a wonderful promise: “I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation.”.

After completing the Five First Saturdays, one may continue the devotion simply to console the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady. A tender love of Our Blessed Mother will lead one to do all he/she can to make reparation for the sins which pierce Her Immaculate Heart.

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The Daily Rosary  

For six months from May to October, on the 13^th day in 1917, the Virgin Mary invited us to recite the daily Rosary, in which the three children would be made humble witnesses to the heart of God in a long-suffering World War I at that time.

The life of Sr Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, the little shepherds of Fatima, is a love story of grace and mercy from Heaven to all of humanity. The heavenly peace plan for the world was given to three children to spread the power and beauty of the Most Holy Rosary.

The Carmel Nuns in Coimbra recently shared the following insight with us.“The spontaneous reply by Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco in 1917, which ‘the Lady welcomed as the first fruits of Her Message, that is confirmed by the Virgin with an immense light that penetrated the innermost parts of the three children, making them see themselves in this light that was God. This light, in which they receive in June 1917 will also prepared them to receive the secret that was revealed in July 1917: in a succession of images unveiled by the Lady, the children understood that God is not indifferent to our human history; that sin is indifferent to the heart of God; that God’s heart is still merciful and is always in search of humanity entangled in their terrible events.”

One hundred years later pilgrims come to Fatima in hope and turn their gaze to Our Lady of the Rosary. This is, and should be the refuge of millions of human suffering. Today the world continues to rage wars and there is the gigantic struggle of good against evil. This is how the 20^th century came to be known.

Those of us who are open to receive the light from the heart of God are invited by Our Lady to join in the daily Rosary, the Five First Saturday devotion and by offering their sacrifice in reparation of sin. What each nation needs in the 21^st century is God’s Grace and Mercy.

Pope Francis and the ‘Urgency of the Hour’  

We  recall in the Holy Scriptures how Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach a warning and a message of repentance to the very sinful people of that city, boldly preaching “Forty days and the great city of Nineveh will be destroyed”. To their great credit, together the Ninevites fasted and repented of their sins and “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not carry it out”. [Jonah 3: 1-10]

For our time, Pope Francis has issued from (8^th December 2015 to 20^th November 2016) the Jubilee Year of Mercy for the whole world. This special occasion is normally celebrated every 25 years in order to allow each generation to experience at least one during their lifetime. This time the special year was called nine years earlier than required indicating ‘the urgency of the hour’ for the Mercy of God. After being elected Pope, Francis said “Mercy is the best thing we can feel; it changes the world.” In this regard, Pope Francis is following the path of Jonah, asking us all to repent, repair our lives and do penance. One of the central messages of Fatima according to Servant of God Sr Lucia is summarised in the last words of Our Lady in Fatima on 13^th October 1917, “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended”.

Like the Ninevites, all nations need to contemplate the mystery of mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s action in our lives. Pope Francis suggests for the Jubilee Year to invocate Jesus with a short prayer “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You.” or “Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner”.

Pope Francis has also granted the Jubilee Indulgence for those who do corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisioned, bury the dead, and also those who do spiritual works of mercy: to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, comfort the afflicted forgive offences, bear patiently those who do us ill and pray for the living and the dead.

St Faustina:

Taken from her diary, Saint Faustina reminds us what God wants for our time.  To Saint Faustina Kowalska Jesus told her: “In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My Mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish suffering mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy”. (#1588)…..“I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation” [Diary of St. Faustina, # 1160]

An open invitation

We encourage Irish Bishops, Priests and various religious groups like the Legion of Mary, Alliance of The Two Hearts, World Fatima Apostolate and Marian Movement of Priests to double their efforts to spread the Five First Saturdays and daily rosary devotions during the Jubilee Year of Mercy / 100^th anniversary of Fatima in 2016 / 2017. We invite the laity to promote and display the Five First Saturday devotion in their community, so that God’s graces and mercy is more widely known and loved.

In answer to the call by Pope Francis, The Call to Fatima team is available to give parish presentation on Fatima in 2016. Sr Lucia’s books / DVD’s are also available srluciacalltofatima@gmail.com or by phone + 353-87-2229135 Blog www.thecalltofatima.wordpress.com

 

Spiritual Exercises for lent: Day 29 & 30

Spiritual Exercises for lent: Day 29

Let the word “Sorry” be on the top of your agenda today! Make peace and find joy. Say sorry to those who you have mistreated, done wrong and hurt. Ask God’s help for courage to face difficult situation to lead to forgiveness.

Spiritual Exercises for lent: Day 30

Return to or start the practise of good old Catholic devotions like making sign of the Cross passing the Church, blessing yourself with the Holy Water, making morning and  evening offering, saying grace before and after meals, praying the Angelus, family Rosary, praying for the deceased, Saint Michael the Archangel/ Guardian Angel prayers, reciting Divine Mercy Chaplet, consecrating yourself to the Immaculate heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus or hanging the  two hearts images in your home.

Spiritual Exercises for Lent:Day 15

Spiritual Exercises for Lent:Day 15

Recite this prayer to Saint Joseph:

Oh, St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God. I place in you all my interests and desires. Oh, St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you, and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for me.                   Amen.

13th October 2013- Day the Pope Francis consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

On 13th October 2013, in Vatican, Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Here is the consecration prayer recited by Pope Francis in consecrating the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

Holy Mary Virgin of Fatima,                                                                       

with renewed gratitude for your maternal presence

we join our voice to that of all the generations

who call you blessed.

We celebrate in you the works of God,

who never tires of looking down with mercy

upon humanity, afflicted with the wound of sin,

to heal it and save it.

Accept with the benevolence of a Mother

the act of consecration that we perform today with confidence,

before this image of you that is so dear to us.

We are certain that each of us is precious in your eyes

and that nothing of all that lives in our hearts is unknown to you.

 We let ourselves be touched by your most sweet regard

  and we welcome the consoling caress of your smile.

  Hold our life in your arms:

 bless and strengthen every desire for good;

revive and nourish faith;

sustain and enlighten hope;

awaken and animate charity;

guide all of us along the path of holiness

 Teach us your own preferential love

  for the little and the poor,

  for the excluded and the suffering,

  for sinners and the downhearted:

  bring everyone under your protection

  and entrust everyone to your beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus.

                                                                                                     Amen.

 

Sister Lucia of Fatima and the Five First Saturdays devotion

Sister Lucia of Fatima and the Five First Saturdays devotion

“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…”

 Fragment from the book “Fatima in Lucia’s own words”, written by Sr Lucia, p. 196

Christmas Novena

                                               Christmas Novena Prayer

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary at midnight in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. 

In that same hour and moment, vouchsafe, O my God, hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother.  Amen

 

This Novena is to be said from 30th November (sorry for delay) until 25th December, Christmas Day