CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN
On the thirteenth of October 1917, the Cova da Iria was transformed into a pool of mud. As a fierce rainstorm raged, approximately seventy thousand pilgrims were assembled, umbrellas aloft, yet soaked through. Undeterred, they all sang hymns and prayed the Rosary together.
Maria Rosa quietly followed Lucia on her way to the small holm oak. Jacinta was crying, afraid of the surging masses of people. Lucia put her arm around her cousins.
"No one will harm you," she said comfortingly, and Jacinta wiped her tears.
Having arrived before the holm oak, now stripped of all its foliage by souvenir-hunting pilgrims, they observed the crude arch local people had erected from three three stems, which supported a cross and two burning lanterns. Lucia turned to the expectant crowd.
"Please put down your umbrellas," she requested respectfully. The people obeyed silently. Then, as from one powerful throat, the Rosary of the Seventy Thousand resounded over the Cova:
"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!"
Suddenly the children stopped praying.
"We have seen the light beam!" Lucia exclaimed, "There, I see her!"
The children, eyes raised, saw the beauty of Our Lady.
The hushed crowd observed a white cloud which was descending on the site of the apparition. Three times it descended and three times it ascended upwards, as a cloud of incense, moved by an invisible hand.
Lucia's calm voice resounded amid the hush:
"Who art Thou, and what dost Thou desire from me?" she requested.
As promised Our Lady now finally revealed Herself:
"I am the Lady of the Rosary,
I have come to encourage the faithful to change their lives;
To cease to sadden by sin Our Lord, Who has been so deeply insulted;
To pray the Holy Rosary;
To improve themselves;
And to do penance for their sins."
For a moment Our Lady was silent. Then She resumed:
"I desire that on this spot a Chapel be built in My Honour."
And She made a great promise;
"If the people improve their lives, the war will soon cease. I shall hear your prayers."
Moving away from the direction of the sun, Our Lady opened Her Hands which were reflected in the sun that was becoming bright again.
"Look at the sun!" the multitude heard Lucia exclaim.
All at once the rain ceased to pour and the clouds disappeared. The sun breaking through the clouds now resembled a silver wheel of fire, revolving with great speed, whilst sending out radiant beams of light, turning the sky and the Cova yellow, green, red, blue and violet in rapid succession. The sun ceased for a spell, then repeated the performance, paused again and then resumed the dance for the third time.
Entranced, the people stared at the incredible phenomenon. Then a roar of fear was heard as they fell to the ground, whilst the sun appeared to loosen itself from the sky and zigzagged down towards the multitude.
"A miracle!" some cried.
"Hail Mary!"
"My God, I believe in Thee!"
"Holy Virgin, Blessed Virgin!"
"Our Lady of the Rosary, save Portugal!"
Whilst the people were wrapped up in the miracle of the sun, Our Lady fulfilled Her Promise to the children concerning Joseph and the Divine Infant. They beheld Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus, both dressed in red, near the sun. Jesus was only about a year old. When they had disappeared, Our Lord appeared and blessed the crowd. Our Lady reappeared, dressed as Our Lady of Seven Dolours. Finally Our Lady again appeared, attired, it would seem to Lucia, as Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
After Our Lady had finally departed, the sun ceased its display and the people found that their clothes, raindrenched some minutes ago, were now bone dry. Marvelling and rejoicing, they departed for their homes. An amusing touch enlivened their departure when it was found that an overenthusiastic pilgrim had cut off Lucia's plaits as a souvenir.
And that my friends, is all I am going to tell you about our three shepherds at the moment.
Apart from a brief explanation at the end, concerning the recitation fo the Rosary, as well as the Great Promise of the Five First Saturdays, to which Our Lady had referred when she appeared to the children on the thirteenth of July and which she explained to Lucia later, this book has come to its close.
The important thing about the shepherds of Fatima is that way they brought Our Lady's message to the word; to you and to me.
Many have never been told the truth about this message and it was in order to reach those of you that I sat down with Lucia's autobiography at my left hand and my pen in my right hand, so that you too may learn of these wonderful promises.
The Fatima message has been accepted and embraced, notably also by Pope John Paul II who made a pilgrimage to Fatima on 13 Mary 1982.
Perhaps you may wish to follow his example, and make a holy pilgrimage to Fatima.
Did you listen to Our Lady's message? If not, hush, and you'll hear it again:
"I am the Lady of the Rosary,
I have come to encourage the faithful to change their lives;
To cease to sadden by sin Our Lord, Who has been so deeply insulted;
To pray the Holy Rosary;
To improve themselves;
And to do penance for their sins."
THE END
No comments:
Post a Comment