Having spoken about the events of Fátima, let us now look more deeply at the message. In the previous segment, we talked about the miracle of the sun. This powerful miracle is a striking demonstration of both the existence of God and His power. But let us think for a moment. Why would such a demonstration be given? Such grand and large-scale miracles don’t happen every day. What, then, is the deeper significance and reasoning for this unprecedented miracle? For an answer to this question, let us turn to Church teaching.
The Church teaches that every so often, God will intervene in human history in order to draw us back to Himself. He offers us His help in a “particularly difficult moment” of human history. What, then, was going on in 1917 that God intervened in such a notable manner? In order to answer this question, let us take a step back in time to the 19th century.
The 19th century had seen many uprisings and revolutions that threatened the peace of nations and undermined the very fabric of society. Social unrest was very prevalent throughout Europe due to strife that had arisen between the social classes as a result of the rise of industry and the means of production. Within this context, ideas that were contrary to the laws of God and the holy Faith, such as Socialism and Communism, were being invented and disseminated, and religion was marginalized in favor of “progress.” In short, man was rejecting God, and this rejection was about to take a very serious turn.
In late 1917, Vladimir Lenin successfully overthrew the Russian monarchy and replaced it with Communism. This particular development was noteworthy because up to 1917, Communism was an idea on paper. After Lenin’s revolution, Communism not only possessed the power of the State to enforce its ideas, but it became a formidable power in the world. Russia became the epicenter of Communism, and this fact was going to be at the heart of much of twentieth century history.
Communism believes that the State is supreme. Nothing else is higher and there is nothing to which the State is beholden or answerable. In this light, Communism requires atheism as well as materialism. Materialism teaches that only the material world exists, and therefore we should be occupied with material things instead of spiritual things. Since it denies the spiritual side of man’s nature, it usually goes hand-in-hand with atheism.
As a godless political system, Communism sought to eradicate God and Faith in Him from the world. Regretfully, Communism was not averse to using horrific means to attain its ends, means such as torture and physical or psychological abuse. One of its most effective means, however, was the spread of atheistic propaganda from Moscow.
Gradually, the atheism at the heart of Communism would spread, causing much upheaval within many societies and cultures of the world—unfortunately, even within the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XI (r. 1922-1938) himself characterized the revolution against the Church as exceeding “in amplitude and violence anything yet experienced in the preceding persecutions launched against the Church.”
During her July 13th apparition in Fátima, Our Lady summarized all of the problems to come, speaking in terms of the “errors of Russia” that would “spread throughout the world.” She even specified what would happen as a result, as we discussed in the previous segment concerning the “second secret.” This message was then confirmed in a very grand manner via the miracle of the sun and the rapid drying of people’s clothes and the ground.
To summarize, then, Our Lady warned against the spread of Russia’s errors. Chief among these errors was atheism and materialism. These errors, among others, can destroy the supernatural faith given to us in baptism and lead to hell—foretasted on earth and confirmed in eternity. God intervened by sending Mary to Fátima to give us a powerful message: God does exist, hell is real (and people do go there), and it is necessary for us to have Faith and to make sacrifices in order to help others go to heaven.
In the last lesson, we saw the prayers taught to the three visionaries by the Angel of Portugal. He taught them prayers and encouraged them to make sacrifices first “as an act of reparation for sins by which [God] is offended.” Second: for “supplication for the conversion of sinners.” He encouraged them to “accept and endure with submission the suffering which the Lord will send you.” Shortly thereafter, Sr. Lúcia’s family fell on hard times. Lúcia recalled the Angel’s words and went away to pray and offer up this suffering.
What does it mean to sacrifice in order to make reparation to God? Reparation is what we do to make up for the harm against justice that is caused by sin. Jesus made reparation for our sins to His Father. We, as baptized members of His mystical body, are spiritually united to Him. Thus, we too are able to make reparation for others, by Christ’s merit and power. This act requires a generous gift of love on the part of a person, and it is this sacrificial love that pleases God the most when acts of reparation are done.
The Angel of Portugal seemed to be calling the children to make acts of loving sacrifice, so that those actions might, in some way, “make up” for the injustice of those who ungratefully insult Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament. What the Angel prepared Our Lady brought to fulfillment. She encouraged the recitation of the Rosary and proposed that devotion to her Immaculate Heart be spread as a path to God and for a renewal of faith. At that time, she mentioned a devotion that she called the “Five First Saturdays.”
Our Lady did not specify the precise form of this devotion until December 10, 1925. At this time, Our Lady and the Child Jesus appeared to Lúcia. She was encouraged by Jesus to have compassion on Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart and to make reparation. Our Lady spoke next, telling Lúcia:
Look, my daughter, at my Heart surrounded with thorns, which ungrateful men at every moment pierce with blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me. Tell everyone that for five months, on the first Saturday, if they confess, receive Holy Communion, recite a [five decade] Rosary and pass fifteen minutes with me in companionship, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the end of making reparation to me, I promise to assist them in the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls.
In short then, the Blessed Virgin had commanded Lúcia to console Our Lady, but also to tell others about the Five First Saturdays devotion. Those who practice the devotion are promised to have Our Lady’s assistance at the hour of their death. This promise is very serious, and while it is bound to five successive months, some people extend the devotion, even in perpetuity.
Jesus was even more merciful and made it known to Sr. Lúcia that if people were unable to go to Confession on the first Saturday, they could do so later. The proviso was that they had to be in the state of grace when they received Holy Communion and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. If they forgot to have this intention, they could do so at their next confession — made, of course, at the earliest opportunity to receive this Sacrament.
In the next segment, we will look at why this particular devotion was proposed by Heaven as a remedy against the foretold evils. But first, we’ll look at a little more of the history surrounding Fátima as it relates to evangelization.