The devotion to Our Holy Mother, which is desired by Heaven, and united to that of her Son, is essential in these turbulent times. Her pure and holy heart is also a Sorrowful heart, ‘And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed’ (Luke 2:35). This Immaculate Heart was given to us by Our Saviour when He was on the cross. He gave His own Mother, to be ours. It is a devotion that has grown and been fostered down the centuries by the popes, holy theologians, and the saints. The Church has always encouraged us to go to our Mother, “Our life, our sweetness, and our hope.”

As our Mother, and a prophet of these times, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been sent on numerous occasions to warn us of the impending dangers to our souls, and calls us to reparation. She has come to help us, lead us, and protect us. Some of the more recent visitations of the Queen of Heaven to the little ones here on earth as of note mentioned below.

La Salette

In September, 1848, Our Blessed Lord revealed important things to Sr Marie de St Pierre, messages so important for people to heed, but she could not spread the message outside the walls of her convent in Tours (France). She asked Him if He would tell someone else; someone outisde the convent. Then, a few days later, on the 19th September, 1848, Our Blessed Mother appeared to the two shepherd children, Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, who were watching their sheep on the mountains of La Salette. The ‘Beautiful Lady’ in tears, surrounded by light entrusted them with a message of conversion, for ‘all her people’.

Fatima

Then on May 13, 1917, Our Lady returned to green pastures, but this time of Portugal. She appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos, and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. “Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may choose to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as a supplication for the conversion of sinners?” at the Cova da Iria and asks that they return for five more months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour.

The following month, June 13: At the Cove da Iria, Our Lady tells the children that God wants to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. About 50 people came to witness the apparition.

Then, on July 13, Our Lady shows the children a vision of hell and tells them that She will come back at a later date to ask for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. She tells the children the Secret (in three parts) and promises to prove Her appearances with a miracle on October13, 1917. There were about 5,000 people at the Cova da Iria.

Just before the fourth apparition, on August 13, the children were kidnapped by the Mayor of Ourém, and missed their meeting with Our Lady. There were about 15,000 people at the Cova da Iria, even though the children were not there. Many of them witnessed a supernatural phenomena indicating that Our Lady did in fact come. Six days later, (August 19) Our Lady appeared to the children in Valinhos, near where they lived, and again prophesied the miracle to come in October. Meanwhile, she told the children to pray and make sacrifices for sinners.

The following month, September 13, Our Lady told the children that in October, Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Carmel. Also, Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus in order to bless the world. There were about 30,000 people at the Cova da Iria and many witnessed the supernatural phenomena indicating the presence of the Holy Virgin.

October 13, Our Lady said, “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more for He is already too much offended.” She told us to pray the Rosary every day. There were 70,000 people present at the Cova da Iria, who witnessed the great Miracle of the Sun.

There is much more to say on the topic of Fatima, and the work of reparation that the Holy Virgin Mary was sent to ask for, which includes most especially the First Five Saturdays devotion, which we will elaborate on in future posts.