Fundamental importance of Fatima

 

It is my firm belief that Fatima is one of the most tangible events in Modern Day History of the Roman Catholic Church. Our Lady’s Revelation was of God’s plan to bring Peace to the World. This message of hope and joy was made during a time of horrific upheavals Worldwide, notably the First World War, the Irish Rebellion and the Russian Revolution. Our Blessed Mother’s plea for prayer and fasting was possible then. However in today’s World, fasting has been cast aside as archaic and medieval. Many Catholics seem to focus mainly on abstaining from food and drink; however we can use many other forms of abstinence to strengthen our self-control against the lures of this world. For example, we could restrict our viewing time of Television for at least 20 minutes per night, thus enabling us to spend quality time talking with our family, teaching them the wonderful benefits of the Sacraments and encourage the family to attend Sunday Mass.

Contrary to what many Catholics have heard, the road to Heaven is a hard and tough road and definitely not a stroll in the park. Without God’s help and clearer teaching from the Church, we will find it very difficult to make it on our own. Never forget that Our Lady has appeared at numerous places all over the World during the last 2 Centuries. Millions of pilgrims visit them on a yearly basis. What happens during these visions are of paramount importance. Catholics can no longer stand idly by while our Faith is rapidly disappearing throughout the World. We must step back and take stock of what is happening, in our Parishes, our cities, our countries and our world.

The Church is facing moral Bankruptcy and the stifling of Spiritual Growth through the spread of Materialism. More serious is the fertile ground of Christianity (the family) has become barren and desolate, with people now more concerned with what can be bought and sold instead of what’s in their heart and soul. Here is an example of the dangers that lie ahead: In the space of a week after releasing the ‘Pokémon Go’ game which has spread like wild-fire throughout the World, Nintendo’s Stock Market value rose by more than $12 billion!

The message of our Blessed Mother must be taken seriously. It is imperative that we stop cluttering up our minds with useless information fed to us by the Media, News, Television, Radio, the Press, game consoles, the internet etc. By acting upon her messages, we will come closer to our Holy Mother and deeper into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and thus closer to Eternal Life.

Recently Our Lady has been quoted as saying what had begun in Fatima will be fulfilled in Medjugorje. This of course may be just hearsay, but who knows for sure? This year we have reached 3 milestones in Modern World History: The Centenaries of the First World War Battle of the Somme, the Irish Rebellion and the Russian Revolution. In October next year, the Centenary of Fatima will be celebrated by millions of Catholics Worldwide. I ponder on how many will be ready for this momentous event? People need to be reminded of the many appearances of our Holy Mother. Surely it gives us a sign that God is not sitting idly by, but is encouraging the Human Race not to lose faith in him. We must never forget that the World rejected his Peace plan. It is now paying the awful price for its actions. The only solutions lie with God and his Holy Mother and supported by a fully united Church, Clergy and Laity.