Fatima

Fatima

Cl. Mario D’Couto SDB

            Fatima, a small insignificant town in Portugal, became a pilgrim centre after our Lady appeared to three shepherd children. To understand a little more about the apparition of our Lady at Fatima, we must understand the background of this particular apparition. This apparition took place during the First World War.
            The war had taken its toll on the world and this had an adverse effect on Europe. A lot of violence, corruption and all other forms of vices were going on. It was in a situation like this that our Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal.
            It may be worth inquiring, however, as to why Almighty God in His providential dealings with the universe should see fit in this day to give us a revelation of His Blessed Mother in order to bring us back to prayer and penance.

            One reason that immediately comes to mind is that since the world has lost Christ, it may be that through Mary it would recover Him. When our Lord was lost at the age of twelve, it was our Blessed Mother who found Him. Now that He has been lost again, it may be through Mary that the world will recover Christ their Saviour. Another reason is that Divine Providence has committed to a woman the power of overcoming evil. In that first dread day when evil was introduced in the world, God spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden and said, “I shall put enmity between thee and the woman; between thy seed and her seed and thou shall lie in wait for her heel.” In other words, evil shall have a progeny and a seed. Goodness, too, shall have a progeny and a seed. It will be through the power of the woman that evil will be overcome. We live now in an evil hour, for though goodness has its day, evil does have its hour. All evil can do in that hour is to put out the lights of the world; but it can do that. If then we live in an evil hour, how shall we overcome the spirit of Satan except by the power of that Woman to whom Almighty God has given the mandate to crush the head of the serpent?    

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