Why is Fatima relevant 100 years later?

When Mary appeared in Fatima, Portugal, a century ago and spoke to three children, she provided the world some very timely warnings. She promised that World War I would soon end, but warned of the rise and spread of Communism and the possibility of a second, and worse, world war. She predicted events related to the Cold War. She even predicted the attempted assassination of Pope Saint John Paul II, which happened in 1981.
 
In the midst of a century plagued by constant and terrible warfare, Mary repeatedly asked everyone to pray the rosary every day for peace. To lend credibility to what the children were reporting, since nobody else could see Mary, the sun miraculously danced in the sky on Oct. 13, 1917. As many as 75,000 people witnessed this and it was reported in secular, anti-Catholic newspapers. It was undeniable that something amazing had happened.
 
These events were remarkable. But, what relevance do they have today, given that the World Wars, the Cold War, and even the foretold assassination attempt on the Holy Father have all taken place? Does Fatima still matter? As Pope Saint John Paul II said in 1981, “Fatima is more important now than in 1917!” Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, likewise said in the year 2000 that “we would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete.”
 
After all, Communism is still a threat to Christians around the world, such as in China. Mary’s advice for countering it in 1917 is still valid. Mary’s advice is likewise valid in opposing the numerous other threats facing us now: relativism, secularism, the culture of death, the many attacks on marriage and family life, militant Islam, and so on.
 
What was Mary’s advice at Fatima? In short, it was to change the world by prayer, penance, and through our own deeper conversions to Christ. Practically speaking, as Fr. Andrew Apostoli summarized it, to live the message of Fatima we must do several things. We must strive to live good Christian lives. We must pray every day, especially the rosary. We should observe the Five First Saturdays devotion which includes monthly confession, reception of Holy Communion, the praying of and meditation upon the rosary, all done with the intention of making reparation for sacrileges and blasphemies committed against Mary’s Immaculate Heart.  Finally, we should make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners, especially by accepting suffering patiently in reparation for our sins and those of others. If enough people do these things, the world will change for the better.
 
While Mary announced these instructions in 1917 and requested the new devotion of the Five First Saturdays in 1925, nothing essentially new was prescribed in them. God has always encouraged us, through his Church, to pray, do penance, and participate frequently in the holy sacrifice of the Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation. He has likewise always called us to deeper conversion from sin.
 
Fatima is relevant because it reminds us that the remedy for the many threats we face in the world is not complicated and new: it is simply living of lives of prayer, penance, and union with God. It reminds us that, as St. Augustine put it, “God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us.” God wills that the benefits he won for us upon the cross be in some way distributed with our cooperation. Our prayers and sacrifices made in union with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross really do matter. At Fatima, we were reminded that there is a plan for peace and that we all have a part in it.
 
For those who want to learn more about Our Lady of Fatima, I recommend the book Fatima for Today by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, published by Ignatius Press. To learn how you can become more involved in living out the message of Fatima, visit the World Apostolate of Fatima online at http://wafusa.org. And for information about our Diocesan Division of the World Apostolate of Fatima, call Deacon Doug Helbing at 400-0233 or email him at [email protected].
 
Fr. Signalness is pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Strasburg, St. Michael in rural Linton and St. Mary in Hague. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with the “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.