STORY OF THE SECOND APPARITION OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

[WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1917]

Though after the first apparition, the little seers resolved not to relate it to any one because no one would believe them.  But the little heart of Jacinta could not conceal the joyful news for long.  She did not hesitate to jump the news on her mother Maria Rosa when she returned in the evening of that day.  Whether they believe or not she insisted and obtained the daily recitation of the Rosary in her family.  The little Jacinta became a fearless apostle in the bosom of her family.  In this manner the children did not only learn to recite the Rosary from the apparition themselves but to make everybody recite it also.  The news of this mysterious apparition was not slow in spreading.

WEDNESDAY JUNE, 13th being the day of the second apparition, was the feast of the patron Saint of the Parish of Fatima St. Anthony, and contrary to the village Pastor, Reverend Manuel Marques Jerreira’s advice that the children should be allowed to go to Cova da Iria on the 13th June, the mothers of the seers wanted to dissuade them from going to Cova da Iria by persuading them to attend the St. Anthony’s feast instead.  But the fearless Jacinta did not give any room for that.

“Mamma”. Jacinta said the previous evening, “do not go to the feast of St. Anthony tomorrow, come instead with us to Cova da Iria to see the Blessed Virgin”  “It is useless to go there”, replied the mother, “the Blessed Virgin will not appear to you”.  “O yes, yes, she said she would appear and she will certainly do so!”  “Then you will not go to the feast of St. Anthony?” enquired Senhora Marto Jacinta’s mother.  “No! St. Anthony is not beautiful”  “How can you say that he is not beautiful? “This Lady is much, much more beautiful! We shall go first to Cova da Iria, and if the Lady tells us to go to the feast of St. Anthony we shall go”.

Before midday the three children arrived, knelt in the shade of a large oak and recited the Rosary devoutly with about fifty people who betook themselves to Cova da Iria, most of them through curiosity.  Just as Francisco and Jacinta were insisting that another Rosary be recited, suddenly Lucia made a gesture of surprise “Look”, she says “that was a flash of lightning, The Lady is coming!”  She hurried with her two little cousins down to the tree of the first apparition, and the vision appeared “Madam” says Lucia, “you have made me come here what do you want of me?  The heavenly vision asks them to come back on July 13th and to recite the Rosary every day.  

Then she adds.
“I want you to learn to read, in order that I may be able to tell you what I want”.  Lucia intercedes for a sick person recommended to her.

“If he is converted, he will recover in the cause of the year” replied the Lady.  “I would like to ask you also to take us to Heaven!, says Lucia.  “Yes” Our Lady answered; “I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon.  You however are to stay here a longer time.  Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved.  He wants to establish the Devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the World.  I promise salvation to those who embrace it and God will love their souls as flowers placed by myself to adorn His Throne”.

“Am I going to stay here alone?”  Lucia asked full of sadness at the thought of losing her beloved cousins.  “No My daughter” Lucia’s eyes filled with tears.  “Does this cause you to suffer a great deal?  I will never leave you, my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”

“It was at the moment when She pronounced these last words that she open her hands and communicated to us for the second time, the reflection of that immense light.  In it we saw ourselves as submerged in God.  Jacinta and Francisco appeared to be in the part of the light which elevated itself to Heaven and I in the part which spread itself on the earth.”

“In the palm of the right hand of Our Lady, was a Heart, surrounded by thorns which seemed to pierce it.  We understood that it was the Immaculate Heart of Mary outraged by the sins of humanity, which demanded reparation.”

Lucia rose quickly to her feet.  Stretching out her arm she cried,  “Look, there she goes; there she goes?”   Not everyone who had been in the Cova da Iria left immediately after the Litany.  Some few remained to ask the children the details of the apparition.  The little ones told what they were allowed to tell, but kept the rest to themselves.

Francisco, quite moved by what he had seen, later ask Lucia;  “Why did the Virgin have a heart in Her hand radiating out over the world that light as great as God,  you, Lucia, were with her, in the light that flowed down to the earth and Jacinta and  I in the light that rose up to the sky?”

“Well” answered Lucia, “you, and Jacinta are soon going to go to heaven.  I will stay here with the Immaculate Heart of Mary on earth”.

From this day onwards, the apparitions at Cova da Iria became the invariable subject of conversation.  As was to be expected, some believed, while others jeered openly, even reproaching the parents of the little seers for not recalling their children to reason.

The children started encountering many difficulties both at home and outside.  Though the parents of Francisco and Jacinta did not doubt their children’s sincerity, and in their hearts were inclined to believe in these apparitions, but how justify their conviction before the scoffers?  Besides, diabolical influence was always a possibility.  Then their mother in annoyance threatened one day to punish them severely if they continued to draw people to Cova da Iria.  The fearless Jacinta was well able to defend herself:
“We do not call anyone to Cova da Iria” she replied.  “Those who wish go.  We go ourselves and those who do not want to go have only to remain at home!  But for those who refuse to believe, the punishment of God awaits them.  And be careful, Mamma, for if you yourself do not believe, God might punish you.”  At once the storm was averted.

But Lucia’s mother was not so easily disarmed.  Persuaded that her daughter was taking part in a wicked hoax, she wished her to retreat publicly.  “But Mamma,” replied the girl in tears, “If I have seen, how can you ask me to say I have not seen?  Then I should be lying”.  Being taken once more to the Pastor of Fatima who wished to question her after each apparition she was so scared that the priest put an end to the interview with these words.  “All this does not seem to come from God, since instead of exposing everything simply to her pastor, the child is timid and reticent.  It might quite possibly be some mischief of the devil.  The truth will come out in time”.

The thought that she might be the plaything of the devil completed the frustration of poor Lucia who revealed her fears to her two little companions.  Jacinta bravely reassured her.  “No, no” said she,  “It is not the devil.  The devil according to what is said is very ugly and lives under the earth in hell.  This Lady on the contrary, is so beautiful and we have seen her go up to heaven.