Today we honor our mothers, and it is a blessing it coincides with the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and especially Our Blessed Mother Mary. Today is May 13th, and it marks 95 years since the apparition of Mary in Fatima, Portugal to three young children–Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. Mary appeared to the children the 13th of every month for six consecutive months starting on May 13, 1917. Mary gave an important message to follow a prayerful and holy life through living the gospel and praying the rosary. I am adding links at the bottom which detail the message of Fatima, with resources. Today, the site of the apparitions has become one of the most visited Marian Shrines in the world, and I pray that I can make a pilgrimage there one day. It is fascinating that the bullet that was fired at Pope John Paul II is now in the crown of the Mary statue in Fatima. Pope John Paul II attributed the saving of his life to Mary. Following is a short trailer for a new DVD from The World Apostolate of Fatima:
Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta
Fr. Andrew Apostoli spoke on EWTN’s Bookmark in more detail about the message of Fatima.
Fatima Shrine
There are two fantastic movies made about Fatima that I would like to recommend. The first is The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952), which is considered a classic film about Fatima. The second, The 13th Day (2009), is a beautifully filmed modern version of the story and well worth watching. Both movies do a great job in telling the message of Fatima and making it a more meaningful event in history that we should all be mindful of and honor through our thoughts, actions, and prayers in daily life. There is also a follow-up movie to The 13th Day called Finding Fatima which researches and interviews some of the 70,000 people who witnessed the miracle of the sun.
Clip from Our Lady of Fatima (1952):
Clip from The 13th Day (2009):
It is interesting that Mary chose to appear in a town called Fatima. Mary is also thought of highly in the Muslim faith. Fatima was the name of Mohammed’s daughter, and it is speculated that Mary might also be trying to reach the Muslim faith with her message. A vision of world peace can only be met if all faiths unite in peace.
LINKS
The World Apostolate of Fatima, USA
The 13th Day Movie (2009-Ignatius Press)
Pilgrims to Fatima
Rome Reports video — Fatima 95 years later:
I enjoyed your post. If you ever come to NY, be sure to visit the Shrine in Lewiston, NY. Here is a link to my blog where I visited if you’d like see some photos: http://exploringtheburnedoverdistrict.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/basilica-of-the-national-shrine-of-our-lady-of-fatima/