OUR LADY OF FATIMA’S Nihil Obs tat: FINTAN G. WALKER, PH. D. Censor Librorum Imprimatur : PAUL C. SCHULTE, D. D. Archbishop of Indianapolis January 15, 1950 This booklet, **OUR LADY OF PATI- MATS PEACE PLAN FROM HEA VEN ^ one of the most complete, authentic and compact on the subject of Fatima, is be- ing made available at the lowest possible cost for quantity distribution, in order to reach as many people as possible. 20 booklets for $ 1.00 100 booklets for $ 4.00 1000 booklets for $ 36.00 5000 booklets for $150.00 Postpaid if remittance accompanies order. Order today from THE GRAIL OFFICE ST. MEINRAD, INDIANA Fourteenth Printing, January 1952 l,j^00,000 copies printed. OUR LADY OF FATIMA’S “PEACE PLAN FROM HEAVEN’’ Six times, from May through October of 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary ap^ geared to three little shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal, to give to the world a **peace plan from HeavenP Today, the world is filled with hate, strife and greed. Humanity is threatened with atomic war, with its accompanying suffering, misery, death and destruction such as has never been seen before in the entire history of mankind. The only hope for averting these dis- asters lies in the fulfillment, by a suffi- cient number of people, of the requests made by the Mother of God at Fatima. These simple requests, if heeded in time, will eliminate all wars, cure the mental and spiritual ills of mankind, and will bring about a lasting, peaceful mode of life that will lead all to Heaven and eternal happiness with Almighty God. The **peace plan from Heaven** forms the only hope for true peace in the world today. Table of Contents Part 1 —• The Story of Fatima 5 Part II— Subsequent Important Events 14 Part Ill- Fatima and the United States and the Future 19 Part IV—• Putting the Peace Plan Into Action 24 (NQTliJ: Parts I and II (ire based upon the hook *^The Children of Fatima'* by Mary Fabyan Windeatt, and published by The Grail, St^ Meinrad, Indiana. Ij^j^ pages. $2.00 cloth binding. $1.00 paper binding.) The cover picture is a photograph of Jose Ferrara Thedim’s statue of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, as Our BlOssed Mother appeared during the June apparition to the Children of Fatima. It was on this occasion that she showed the children her Im- maculate Heart, and begged that the world make reparation for its sins. Part I — THE STORY OF FATrMA On a cool spring day in 1916, Lucy dos Santos, age 9, and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages 8 and 6 respectively, took their parents’ sheep to pasture in a place not far from their homes in the mountain village of Fatima, Portugal, about 90 miles north of Lisbon. It started to drizzle, and the children sought shelter in a nearby cave. Suddenly across the field, a white globe of light ap- peared, moving over the open space toward the cave. The three children stared in awe as they saw in the center of the light a beautiful young man in flowing white garments. The stranger began to speak: ^*Fear not, I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.” Kneeling on the ground, he bowed low and recited this prayer three times, with the chil- dren repeating it after him: my God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love YouJ* In mid-summer, as the children were to- gether, the angel came again, and said, *Tray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way ... 7 am the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Accept and hear with sub- 5 mission all the sufferings the Lord will send you^ The angel came again in the fall of that same year, this time bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both sus- pended in mid air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer : *'Most Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— I adore you profoundly, 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 whereby He is of- fended. And through the infinite merits of His MoH Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor sinnersJ^ Such was the prelude to one of the most re- markable messages ever to be given from Heaven to earth—the ‘^peace plan” of Our Lady of Fatima. THE LADY MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN On Sunday, May 13, 1917, slightly more than a year after the angel’s first visit, the children were pasturing their flocks as usual. This time they were in a rather barren hollow, known as the Cova da Iria (Hollow of Irene), which was about a mile from their homes. It was noon of a clear, sunny day, when suddenly a flash of 6 lightning cut the air—then another. Fearing a storm, the children quickly gathered the sheep to get them home. Then their glances fell upon a small holm-oak tree directly in their path. A dazzling light hovered over the topmost branches, when—wonder of wonders — what should they behold but the form of a lovely lady standing atop the tree in the light, her feet hidden in a shimmering cloud. She was like the angel, only far more beautiful. She wore a long white dress, and the mantle over her head and shoulders reaching to her feet was edged in burnished gold. Her hands were joined before her breast, and from the right hand hung an exquisite rosary of white pearls. As Lucy later described her, ^^She was a lady more brilliant than the sun'' After telling the children not to be fright- ened, the vision said: ''I come from Heaven. I want you to come here at this same hour on the 13th day of each month until October. Then I will tell you who I am and what I want." She also told them to say the Rosary every day, and to bear all the sufferings God would send them. In June the Lady appeared again. There were about 70 people present, though only the children could see the apparitions. She told the youngsters that many souls go to hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them. She said Francisco and Jacinta would soon leave the world for Heaven. Hold- ing out her heart, surrounded by thorns which pierced it from all sides. Our Lady told Lucy: 7 **God wishes you to remain in the world for some time because he wants to use you to es- tablish in the world the devotion to my Im- maculate Heart, I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn His throneJ* THE CHILDREN SEE HELL During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucy's plea, promised that in October she would work a great public miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again the Mother of God told the chil- dren to sacrifice themselves for sinners, and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” As she spoke these words. Our Lady stretched out her hands, and bright rays came forth which seemed to penetrate into the earth. All at once the ground vanished, and the children found themselves standing on the brink of a sea of fire. As they peered into this dreadful place, the terrified youngsters saw huge numbers of devils and damned souls. The devils resembled hideous black animals, each filling the air with despairing shrieks. The damned souls were in their human bodies and seemed to be brown in color, tumbling about constantly in the flames and screaming with 8 terror. All were on fire within and without their bodies, and neither devils nor damned souls seemed able to control their movements. They were tossing about in the flames like fiery coals in a furnace. There was never an instant^s peace or freedom from pain. Looking with compassion at the pale and trembling little ones, the vision spoke to them : **You have seen hell^ where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to es- tablish in the world the devotion to my Im- maculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will he saved and there will he peaceJ^ VISION FORETELLS OF WORLD WAR II AND COMMUNISM **The war (First World War, then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop of- fending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius the Eleventh. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light, (January 25, 1938), know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and of persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. ^*To prevent this, I shall come to ask the con- secration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and 9 persecution of the Church, The good will he martyred^ the Holy Father will have much to stiffery and various nations will be destroyed, , , , , But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will he converted, and a certain period of peace will he granted to the worldJ^ The Lady asked that this message be kept secret until she gave permission to reveal it.” As a favor to yourself and to Mary, please stop and read again—but slowly—the entire last two sections from the vision of hell. They concern your future and that of the world. THE CHILDREN ARE JAILED The apparitions rapidly were creating so much excitement that the atheistic civil au- thorities became alarmed. At the next sched- uled appearance of the Lady, August 13th, though more than 15,000 people were waiting in the Cova, the atheistic mayor of Ourem, under whose jurisdiction Fatima belonged, had the children kidnapped and placed in jail. In spite of his threats to have them burnt alive in boiling oil, the children refused to reveal the secret given to them. Fearing violence from the people, the mayor released Lucy and her cousins the next day. Near the village of Valinhos on August 19th, the Lady appeared to the children again. She told them she was greatly displeased at the action of the mayor. As a result, the miracle promised for October would not be as impressive as originally planned. 10 More than 30,000 people were present in September, and saw a shower of mysterious white petals fall to within 10 feet of the ground before dissolving into the air. Many also saw the globe of light bearing the Lady, come to rest atop the tree, and the branches bend as though someone were standing on them. Later, they saw the cloud depart into the east, from whence it had come. 70,000 GATHER FOR PROMISED MIRACLE By now, all Portugal was stirred by the events taking place at Fatima, suddenly the most important spot in the land. Particularly were the newspapers interested, especially in the statement that a great miracle was to take place. Many reporters and photographers were on hand to record the events, or to prove that the statements were nothing more than lies. On the days preceding October 13th, all roads led to Fatima, with people coming from all parts of the land in any form of trans- portation they could find. Many walked for miles over the rough fields. It rained all the night of the 12th and the morning of the 13th. By noon, more than 70,000 had crowded into the Cova. Standing in mud up to their ankles, they huddled together under umbrella, seek- ing protection from the relentless rain as they prayed their rosaries. Shortly after noon the Lady arrived for her final appearance. She told the children: “I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to 11 warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not of- fend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue say- ing it every day.” THE SUN WHIRLS IN THE SKY As the Lady was about to leave, she pointed to the sun. Lucy excitedly repeated the gesture and the people looked into the sky. The rain had ceased, the clouds parted, and the sun shone forth, but not in its usual brilliance. In- stead, it appeared like a silver disc, pale as the moon, at which all could gaze without straining their eyes. Suddenly, impelled by some mysterious force, the disc began to whirl in the sky, casting off great shafts of multi- colored light. Red, green, blue, yellow, violet, the enormous rays shot across the sky at all angles, lighting up the entire countryside for many miles around, but particularly the up- turned faces of those TOjOOO spellbound people. After three minutes the wonder stopped, but was resumed again a second and a third time —three times in all in about 12 minutes. It seemed that the whole world was on fire, with the sun spinning at a greater speed each time. Then a gasp of terror rose from the crowd, for the sun seemed to tear itself from the heavens and come crashing down upon the horrified multitude. *^Ifs the end of the world” shrieked one woman. *^Dear God, don’t let me die in my sins,” implored another. **Holy 12 VirgiUy protect us,'* cried a third. All were on their knees in terror, asking pardon for their sins. Just when it seemed that the ball of fire would fall upon and destroy them the miracle ceased and the sun resumed its normal place in the sky, shining forth as peacefully as ever. When the people arose from the ground, cries of astonishment were heard on all sides. Their clothes, which had been soaking wet and muddy, now were clean and dry. Many of the sick and crippled had been cured of their afflictions. THE CHILDREN ENJOY SPECIAL VISIONS While the miracle of the sun was taking place, the children alone were privileged to witness several remarkable visions in the heavens. As our Lady had promised, St. Joseph had come with the Holy Family and he had blessed the world. Then, Our Lady appeared as the Mother of Sorrows, accom- panied by her Divine Son, who also blessed the world. Finally, Lucy had seen the Blessed Virgin Mary, dressed in the brown robes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned as queen of heaven and earth, holding a brown Scapular in her hand, with her infant Son upon her knee. However, in none of these visions had any of the figures spoken to the children. Truly, it had been a great day for Portugal. The reporters, many of whom had come to scoff, gave long and detailed accounts of what had taken place, while the newspapers pub- 13 lished many photographs of the great crowds and of the children. Although these were re- leased to the entire world, (copies on file in U. S. Congressional Library), few people out- side Portugal paid any attention to these events, and newspapers in most other coun- tries ignored the story completely. * :|c :|c 9{c )|e Part II— SUBSEQUENT IMPORTANT EVENTS As the Blessed Mother had promised, Fran- cisco and Jacinta soon joined her in Heaven. The little boy died from the flu in April 1919, and his sister from pleurisy in February 1920. Before she died, little Jacinta, revealed some little known but remarkable statements made by Our Lady of Fatima. Here are some of them: *^More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason^ Certain fashions will he introduced that will offend Our Lord very much/* **Many ma/rriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God/* **Priests must he pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything ex- cept what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests to their superiors and to the Holy Father is very displeasing to Our Lord.** **The Blessed Mother can no longer restrain the hand of Her Divine Son from striking the world with just punishment for its many crimes/* 14 **If the government of a country leaves the Church in peace and gives liberty to our holy religion, it will he blessed by God.^^ ^‘Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Tell them to ask graces from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary^ for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to herJ^ OUR LADY APPEARS WITH CHRIST CHILD TO SISTER LUCIA In 1921, upon the advice of the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, Lucy entered a convent board- ing school to learn to read and write. Later she became a nun in the order, a Sister of St. Dorothy, whose Motherhouse was at Tuy, Spain. One day, while Lucy (now Sister Lucia) was kneeling in prayer in the convent chapel (December 10, 1925), the Blessed Mother and the Christ Child appeared to her with a new and wonderful message for souls. The first to speak was the Christ Child, who said: ''Have pity on the heart of your Most Holy Mother. It is covered with thorns with which ungrate- ful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to remove them with an act of repa- ration.^* Holding in her hand a heart encircled with sharp thorns. Our Lady then said to Sister 15 Lucia: childy behold my heart surrounded with the thorns which ungrateful men place therein at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me. Announce in my name that I promise to assist at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation^ all those who^ on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to Confession and receive Holy Communion, re- cite the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to me/' SISTER LUCIA’S SECRET Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia in 1927, this time giving her permission to reveal the first two parts of the message of Fatima: the visions of the angel; the promise to take the children to Heaven ; the vision of hell ; the pre- dictions of another war, martyrdom for Chris- tians, the destruction of nations, the persecu- tion of the Church and of the Holy Father, and the spread of Communism. All this had previously been kept secret. In 1929, Our Lady came once again. She completed the promise made on July 13th to come and ask for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Communion of Reparation on the First Satur- days. If men fulfilled her requests, Russia would be converted and there would be peace. There is still an unknown part of the message of Fatima that has never been re- 16 vealed. A few years ago, Sister Lucia wrote down this secret, placed it in an envelope, which was sealed and given to the Bishop of Fatima to be opened in 1960. General opinion is that this secret contains threats of disasters more terrible than anything else predicted at Fatima, and these will come to pass unless enough people grant Our Lady's requests for penance ; the Eosary ; the five First Saturdays ; and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On the night of January 25, 1938, Sister Lucia stood at her convent window and saw an ominous red glow that lit the entire sky. This light was seen throughout all Europe and Africa and part of America and Asia. Scien- tists tried to explain it as a most unusual Aurora Borealis. But Sister Lucia knew that it was the great sign foretold by Our Lady July 13, 1917, that the punishment of the world was at hand. Several weeks later. Hitler invaded Austria, striking the match that was to set the world aflame. (Thus began another and worse war in the reign of Pius the Eleventh as predicted by the Mother of God at Fatima.) ECCLESIASTICAL APPROVAL FOR THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA The Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, after 13 years of thorough and careful investigation, released in 1930 his pastoral letter stating that the revelations at Fatima were worthy of belief by the faithful. Today, in the place where the 17 Blessed Mother appeared to the children as they pastured their sheep, there is now a mag- nificent Shrine, where, annually, millions of people come to pay homage to the Queen of Heaven and earth. Pope Pius XII, on October 31, 1942, person- ally consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with special reference to Rus- sia. Not long after, he instituted throughout the universal Church, the feast of the Im- maculate Heart of Mary, which is celebrated everywhere in the world on August 22nd each year. Finally, on May 1, 1948, Pope Pius XII issued a special encyclical letter to all the bishops, priests and laity throughout the world. Following is part of the text from that letter: . . And even as Our predecessor of immortal memory, Leo XIII, at the dawn of the twentieth century saw fit to consecrate the whole human race to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, so We have likewise, in the guise of representative of the whole human family which He redeemed, desire to dedicate it in turn to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, It is our wish, consequently, that whenever the opportunity suggests itself, this consecra- tion he made in the various dioceses as well as in each of the parishes and families. And We are confident that abundant blessings and favors from Heaven will surge forth from this private and public consecration,,,** (Signed Pope Pius XII) 18 Part III— FATIMA AND THE UNITED STATES and the Future Not much was heard about Fatima in the United States until World War II began, and particularly until the consecration by the Holy Father in 1942. Since that time, a steady stream of new literature has been made avail- able on the subject. Many excellent books have been written; pamphlets printed in the mil- lions; lectures and sermons delivered; articles published in many magazines and newspapers; plays and radio dramas enacted—all about the remarkable apparitions of Our Lady at Fati- ma. In addition, a small delicately carved wooden image of Our Lady of Fatima, called the “Pilgrim Virgin,’’ has been touring the United States for many months. Millions of Ameri- cans have become familiar with Our Lady’s requests as a result of the widespread publicity given the tour. However, in spite of all this, it is evident that out of all the millions who hear, only a few take the message to heart and put it into practice in their daily lives. Each passing day brings additional proof, with a more complete fulfillment of the dire predictions made by Our Lady at Fatima in 1917. Already we have fought World War II; less than 5 years later American soldiers were dying in Korea; na- tions have been destroyed ; there has been much famine and bitter persecution; and Commu- nists now rule some 800 million people, (about 60% of world’s population)—aZZ because men 19 refuse to amend their lives and give up sin. This is particularly true in our country, where men hear for a while, and then return to their former evil ways, as a frank look at life in the United States will reveal. LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES While those on the side of Almighty God and His Blessed Mother try to spread her ‘‘peace plan from Heaven,’’ the forces of evil are meeting with even greater success in their ef- forts to draw men into sin—and Our Lady said at Fatima that ''Wars are a punishment from God for sin/^ Everywhere in this country there has been a tremendous increase in divorce, birth control, abortions, immorality, paganism, materialism and secularism. Eecently the Holy Father said: "The greatest sin of our generation is that it has lost all sense of sinJ* How true these words are becomes apparent when the statements of Jacinta concerning im- morality are recalled, and we see that in the United States: 1. One out of every three marriages ends in divorce, with resultant broken homes, misery for children, etc. 2. Advocates of birth control-—insisting that children are a burden and not a blessing —are successfully inducing millions of young couples to use contraceptives, and to live in mortal sin from the day they are married. They say in effect that God can create life but cannot provide for it. 20 3. By a conservative estimate, more than one million abortions are performed in the United States each year, over 98% of them among married women. 4. Prostitution, juvenile delinquency, sex crimes, and immorality in general have increased to an alarming degree since the last war. Much of this has been caused by the indecent fashions worn by modern women today, and much of the tilthy propaganda reaching Americans through the movies, television, radio, newspapers, and particularly through the overwhelm- ing torrent of indecent literature which has deluged us the past several years. All of this is designed as part of an organ- ized campaign to break down morality among our young people ever3rwhere. 5. Money, material possessions, fame and power have become the ^^god” worshipped by millions of Americans today—a man's success in life now being measured by what he has, not by what he does. It little matters how he gets what he has. 6. Too many men and women now are turn- ing to drink instead of to God for the solution of life's problems. As a result, they create an even greater problem for themselves, their families, and all with whom they come into contact. 7. Worst of all, there is an organized at- tempt, which is coming out into the open more all the time, to deny the existence of God, and to destroy Him in the minds 21 of the youth of our country. The coins of our nation proclaim : God we Trust''—yet, in 1948 the Supreme Court trough the McCollum case ruling ban- ished in effect the name of God from most of our public schools. All of these and many other crimes are cal- culated to bring down the wrath of God upon us, in the form of suffering, persecution and an atomic war that may well be the end of our civilization. WHAT OF THE FUTURE It is sin that is destroying the world today. Since not enough people are willing to grant the requests of Our Lady at Fatima and give up sin, what does the future hold in store for us? In April, May and June of 1946 the Blessed Virgin Mary is reported to have appeared to an 18-year-old girl by the name of Barbara Reuss, in Germany, giving her many terrible messages to be made known to the world. The gist of these messages is : *^The world will have to drain the cup of God's wrath to the hitter dregs for the countless offenses committed against His Divine Heart." There are increas- ing signs that the days of God’ff justice and wrath may soon be upon us. A few months after the close of the last war—the bloodiest in all history—Our Holy Father warns: ^^Men must prepare themselves for suffering such as mankind has never seen." The Vicar of Christ indicates that we must 22 prepare for suffering even worse than the deluge, which wiped out the whole human race except for Noah and his family; for suffering worse than all the wars and disasters that have been the long history of mankind. Yes, this is what the future holds for America and the world—suffering such as mankind has never seen, unless a sufficient number of people still can be found willing to grant the requests of Our Lady of Fatima. IS THERE ANY HOPE? No matter how late the hour, so long as these threatened disasters have not yet struck, there is still hope of averting them if enough people will amend their lives and do what God asks. We read in the Old Testament (Jonas, 3rd Chapter) that Almighty God sent Jonas the prophet to warn the people of Nineveh that in 40 days their city would be destroyed. Upon receiving the news, the king immediately pro- claimed fasting and abstinence, told the people to don sackcloths and ashes, to do great pen- ance and to give up the evil and inquity in their hearts—and they did. Almighty God was pleased, and at the end of 40 days Nineveh was still standing. God had spared the city because enough reparation had been made. We also read in the Old Testament (Gene- sis, 18th Chapter) that God would have spared the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had there been found 10 just people in them. Today, Almighty God will spare the world, or even the United States, from the horrible punishment predicted for us if, proportionate- 23 ly, the ''10 just” can be found willing to make reparation—^willing to follow the "peace plan from Heaven.” 4c 9|c :]c ^ Part IV — PUTTING THE PEACE PLAN INTO ACTION History has recorded as having taken place, many of the terrible disasters predicted by the Mother of God in 1917. These things cannot be undone. But we still have our futures ahead of us. They can be happy futures, filled with peace if we live our lives according to Our Lady's requests. These requests: 1) penance and reparation; 2) the daily recitation of the Rosary; 3) the five First Saturdays; and 4) consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary form the "peace plan from Heaven”—our only hope. PENANCE AND REPARATION By penance, Our Lady explained that men must amend their lives, give up their easy lives of sin, ask pardon for their sins, and make reparation to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary so grievously offended by the sins of men. By reparation, Our Lady means: 1) offering sacrifice to atone for our sins; 2) fulfilling our daily duties to the best of our abilities; 3) accepting the responsibilities of our state in life; 4) obeying the Commandments of God. The sacrifice Our Lord requires of each of us is that sacrifice necessary to avoid sin and 24 the occasion of sin; and to accept with submis- sion all the suffering sent to us. We should make everything we do a sacrifice, and in of- fering it to God should say this prayer: ^^0 my JesuSy I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinnerSy and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Im- maculate Heart of MaryJ^ THE DAILY ROSARY Our Lady pleaded and insisted that men must say the daily Rosary. Reparation holds back the hand of God from striking the world in just punishment for its many crimes. The Rosary is like a sword or weapon the Mother of God can use to cut down heresy and the forces of evil. It is most powerful, and many times has saved the world from situations as bad as, if not worse than, the one facing us today. A few centuries ago, the Turks were over- running all Europe, and seemed on the verge of wiping out Christianity. When all seemed lost. Pope Pius V organized a Rosary Crusade. The Christian soldiers literally went into bat- tle with swords in one hand and rosaries in the other. At Lepanto one of the greatest military upsets in all history took place. The little Christian fleet, very greatly outnum- bered, defeated the mighty Turkish Armada and Christianity was saved—all through the power of the Rosary. Today, we are threatened on all sides by Communism. But the Blessed Virgin Mary can overcome these forces of evil overnight if 25 enough people will say the daily Rosary. Particularly is the Family Rosary recom- mended, for ^Hhe family that prays together stays together/^ and today our families are threatened with break up on all sides. After each decade of the Rosary recite the prayer: ^^0 my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercyy THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS This devotion consists in 1) going to Con- fession; 2) receiving Holy Communion; 3) re- citing 5 decades of the Rosary; and 4) spend- ing 15 minutes with Our Lady meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary—all with the in- tention of making reparation. The Mediatrix of All Graces has promised all graces necessary for salvation to those who faithfully practice this devotion for the First Saturday of any five consecutive months. (NOTE: The Confession may he made under the usual conditions of 8 days before or after the Holy Communion, provided the person is not is the state of mortal sin when he receives Holy Communion,) The first Friday, first Saturday, and first Sunday of the month normally come together in the same week. The Confession good for one is good for the others. It is recommended that people receive Holy Communion in repa- ration on all three days, giving Our Lady a 26 little more than she asks—and helping to make up for those who refuse to give her anything at all. In addition to assisting at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, receiving Holy Communion is the most perfect form of reparation that can he offered by the layman. CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY This consecration is the least understood, but one of the most important parts of the mes- sage of Fatima. Our Lady is looking for people willing to become cells of prayer and sacrifice through consecration to her. This means , giving to Mary all our thoughts, words, ac- tions, sufferings, possessions, and the merits from our good works, that she may use them as she sees fit in reparation for sin, for the conversion of poor sinners, and for the greater love and honor and glory of God. Personal consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can take many forms. It can be done simply by reciting with sincerity the act of consecration printed further on. This consecration can be renewed each day merely by saying the morning offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. However, the act itself should be repeated on all important feast days of the Blessed Mother. More important than reciting the act, is to live up to the conditions which it sets forth, particularly by fulfilling Our Lady*s requests cct Fatima, One of the best forms of consecration for the 27 average layman is to wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A person who wears this Scapular declares that he or she belongs to Mary. In return, the Mother of God has promised eternal life to those who die wearing the mantle. When she gave the Scapular to St. Simon Stock and the world in 1251, the Queen of Heaven stated: **Who- soever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire"* Wearing the Scapular serves as a constant reminder of one’s personal conse- cration to Mary, and of the necessity of imi- tating her virtues and heeding her requests. NOTE: The Scapular Medal may be substi- tuted when it is impossible or impractical to wear the cloth Scapular. However, to be worn validly, the person wearing the medal must first have been enrolled in the cloth Scapular, and the medal must be blessed by a priest. It is not necessary to have the cloth Scapulars blessed. Probably the most exalted form of personal consecration is for a person to renounce the world and enter the direct service of God under Mary by becoming a priest or nun or brother. This form of consecration has vary- ing degrees, depending upon one’s choice of a secular, religious or contemplative community. TRUE DEVOTION ONE OF MOST PERFECT FORMS OF CONSECRATION Another excellent, but more difficult form of consecration is the practice of True Devo- tion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as preached 28 by St. Louis Grignon de Montfort. This con- sists in giving one’s self as a slave and servant to the Blessed Mother, so he or she can he used as an instrument of God’s mercy in drawing the souls of poor sinners to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. St. Louis de Montfort says that as Christ came to us through Mary, He desires we come to Him through her. The Saint states that by consecrating ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the two are one. All we do for Mary we do for Jesus; all we ask of her we ask of Him, and Our Lord cannot refuse if His Blessed Mother intercedes for us. In a word, to know and find Mary is to know and find Jesus—and eternal happiness. Since she desires and requests it, can we choose a more perfect form of consecration to Jesus, than through the Immaculate Heart of His Holy Mother? OIMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH At Fatima, Our Lady promised that in the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph, Rus- sia will be converted, and some time of peace will be granted to the world. That final triumph can come soon, without a lot of blood being shed, if enough people will still grant the requests made at Fatima. Or, it can come after an atomic war, or more ter- rible disasters, that may see the greater part of humanity wiped off the face of the earth. 29 It depends upon how many of us are will- ing to follow Our Lady’s “peace plan from Heaven.” ACT OF CONSECRATION from St. Louis Grignon De Montfort I, an unworthy Christian/ renew and ratify today in thy hands, O Immaculate Virgin Mary/ the vows of my Baptism;/ I renounce forever Satan and all his works;/ I give my- self entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom/ that I may carry my cross after Him all the days of my life/ and to be more faith- ful to Him than I have ever been before./ In the presence of all the Heavenly Court/ 1 choose thee this day for my Mother and Mis- tress./ As thy slave I deliver and consecrate to thee my body and my soul/ all that I have of interior and exterior goods/ including all the value of my good actions, past, present and future;/ giving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me/ and all that belongs to me, without exception/ according to thy will, for the greater honor and glory of God in time and in eternity. Amen./ “If my requests are heard RUSSIA WILL BE CONVERTED.” Words of Our Lady at Fatima. 30 2. PRAYERS:— Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, ^ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Crea- tor of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgive- ness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. The Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres- pass against us. And lead us not into tempta- tion; but deliver us from evil. Amen. The Hail Mary Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee ; Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. The Glory Be to the Father Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the be- ginning, is now, and ever shall be, world with- out end. Amen. 31 HOW TO SAY THE ROSARY The whole rosary is composed of fifteen dec- ades; each decade is recited in honor of a mystery of Our Lord’s life and that of His Blessed Mother, beginning with the Annunci- ation to Mary of the Incarnation and end- ing with Mary’s triumphal Coronation in heav- en. A decade consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory be to the Father. The ordinary beads or chaplet contain five decades as it is customary to recite five decades at a time while meditating on one set of mysteries. 1. MECHANICS:— Sign of the Cross The Apostles Creed on the crucifix The Our Father on the large beads The Hail Mary on the small beads Glory be to the Father, after the last Hail Mary of each decade ifu'te 7-UU (Continued on Page 31)