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STORY OF THE FIFTH APPARITION OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA TO THE THREE LITTLE SEERS

Story of the fifth apparition of our lady of fatima to the three little seers

[Thursday, September 13th 1917]


The attack of the free thinkers on Fatima had a result quite different from what they had hoped.  After the draconian inquiry by the sub-prefect, and the phenomena observed on August 13th in the children’s absence, hardly anyone doubted the sincerity of the little seers and the reality of the apparitions.  So on September 13th the crowed was larger than ever in spite of the work in the fields at the harvesting season.  Certain observers estimated the crowd gathered at about thirty thousand.  Lucia reported as follows:  “As the hour drew near, Jacinta, Francisco and I started out for Cova da Iria amidst, the multitude.  It was difficult to walk because the roads were full; everyone wanted to see and speak, and basic human respect was nowhere to be found.  Many people from the town, and even ladies and gentlemen of high standing, who managed to break through the crowd around us, knelt down before us, begging us to present their needs to Our Lady.  Others who could not get near, yelled out from afar.   One of them said:

“For the love of God, ask Our Lady to cure my son, who is handicapped!” 
 Another:
 “Have Her cure my son who is blind.”
 Another:

“Mine, who is deaf”

“Ask her to bring back my husband and my son from the war;” “still others asked that a sinner be converted, or for health”, “I have got tuberculosis,” etc.

“All the miseries that afflict the human race were represented there.  Some shouted at us from rooftops and treetops  saying, “Yes” to some and giving a hand to others in order to help them stand, we moved up the hill.  Thanks for the help of some men who opened a path for us among the crowd.  Now, when I read those beautiful scenes in the New Testament describing the passing of Our Lord through Palestine, I think about our poor roads of Aljustrel, Fatima and Cova da Iria and I thank God, offering Him the faith of our good Portuguese people.  And I think that if they could be so humble before three poor children, only because they were blessed with being able to speak with the mother of God, what would they not do if they could see Our Lord in person before them?  [Though this has nothing to do with the subject at hand].

Finally, we arrived at Cova de Iria.  When we got to the Oak, we began to say the rosary along with the people gathered there.  Not long after, we saw the light and just then, Our Lady appeared over the tree”.

“Continue saying the Rosary in order to end the war.  In October, I will come with Our Lord, Our Lady of Dolores and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Joseph with the Baby Jesus to bless the world.  Your sacrifices have pleased God, but I do not want you to sleep with the rope on, wear it only during the day.”
“They have begged me to ask you many things: to cure the sick, a deaf boy, etc.”

“Yes, some I will cure, but others, no because Our Lord does not trust them”.

That might mean that the sick persons had not the dispositions of faith, contrition and fervour required for a supernatural care.  It might also mean that for the salvation of certain souls the cross of illness was more useful than healing.

A simple child had asked Lucia to offer the Lady a little bottle of eau-de-cologne.  This she did and the Lady’s answer is worth remembering and meditating upon:

“That is not needed in Heaven.”
After these words the Lady left and Lucia said to the people:

“If you wish to see her, look in that direction”

The children had taken very seriously the words of the Virgin in August when she asked for sacrifices for the sinners.  One of the most painful sacrifices was the rope that each wore around the waist.  It hurt them so much that Jacinta broke out crying in pain at times.  The Virgin told them with motherly like love that they should not wear the rope at night, so they could sleep better.  Among the other sacrifices they made were, not eating the afternoon meal, which they gave to the poor.  They stopped eating figs and grapes.  “At times we would sacrifice by not drinking for a novena or even a month.  Once we did this in the middle of August, and the heat was suffocation”.  Still the suffering that stemmed from the mission the Virgin had given them was even greater: humiliations, curiosity and unpleasantness; interminable visits and questions, persecution and prison, and finally, Francisco’s protracted illness and especially, that of Jacinta [who, was visited several times by the Virgin, who warned her that she would die alone after much suffering].



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