THE DIFFICULT MESSAGE: WARNINGS, PART III of the series THE DIFFICULT MESSAGE OF FATIMA
Kathy Boh on 13th Oct 2017
THE DIFFICULT MESSAGE: WARNINGS
PART III of the series
THE DIFFICULT MESSAGE OF FATIMA
celebrating
OUR LADY OF FATIMA CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
MAY 13, 1917-OCTOBER 13, 2017
SUMMARY OF SECRETS
We gave an overview of the “secrets” of Fatima in Part II of this series… but we summarize here.
During much of the 20th century, many Catholics (and other Christians as well) spoke of and wondered about the “secrets” of Fatima. Some were revealed early in the century, and others in the latter part, under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI.
The apparitions spoke of war—the beginning and ending of wars…. The hopeful prevention of war… and the prayerful, hopeful salvation of many. These young and innocent children were given both the grace and the grave responsibility of seeing and speaking about the vision of hell that was shown to them. We will endeavor to gather these themes together and present a view of the difficult messages from Our Lady of Fatima to three young children.
A DIFFICULT MESSAGE… WHAT ABOUT HELL?
The subject that ‘nobody’ wants to talk about, Mary showed three children.
“Fatima is, first of all, a dreadful warning to the world to stop sinning. The enormity of mankind’s rebellion against God and God’s infinite aversion for sin form the foundation of the Fatima message. Then He gives the sinner hope… Fatima manifests the most misunderstood of the divine attributes—justice and mercy…
The three children saw hell. The vision was not for their instruction or warning, but for ours; the Blessed Virgin had assured them that they were going to be saved. The accent on hell is tremendous. It is the first part of the Secret of Fatima; it is the reason for all of the rest of the revelations.”
" 'Do not offend our Lord anymore. He is already offended,' our Lady said to Lucy while seventy thousand people watched the spinning and falling of the sun." 1
Fr. McGlynn makes the conclusion clear:
“[Our Lady] came to tell us how to keep out of hell!” 2
We would also paraphrase and add to his conclusion, according to Our Lady’s general message, ‘and help others be saved, also’. And that takes us right into the need for prayer…. Specifically, to intercession, or intercessory prayer.
“At the August apparition our Lady said: ‘Pray, pray very much and make sacrifice for sinners. Many souls are lost, because there are none to make sacrifices for them.’ “ 3 (We examined intercessory prayer in Part II of this series.)
“The angel who appeared to the children in 1916 taught them 2 prayers. Our Lady taught them two more during the July apparition in 1917.” The precise meaning of one prayer (due to several translations in the years between 1917 and 1947) was clarified by Lucy to Fr. McGlynn. He quotes Lucy’s answer to him:
“…[E]specially pray for those in imminent danger of damnation.” 4
“Lucia wrote that the Blessed Virgin showed the children what hell was like, complete with the suffering experienced by the souls who are there. The vision lasted only a second, but the children say that it was almost unbearable”… 5
Lucy [Lucia] also added: “We are urged to do penance also, to make at least the sacrifices necessary for fulfilling our duties.”…) 6
SALVATION SCRIPTURES AND FATIMA
“The plea of our Lady on the mountain of Fatima is not different from the dictation of our Lord on another mount:
‘Enter ye in at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth, to destruction, and many there are who go [therein]’ (Matt. 7:13).
The fire of hell cannot be extinguished by our indifference, nor will divine justice be altered by our failure to understand it.
‘Hear ye, therefore, O house of Israel: is it my way that is not right, and are not rather your ways perverse?’ (Ezek. 18:25)
The crime of not seeking heaven is very great. It is much better to be terrified now of hell and avoid it than to ignore it now and after death to discover it.
‘Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezek. 18:31)”
Fr. McGlynn mentions these few scriptures in connection with the Fatima message. 7
There was another incidence of a dedicated life in the 20th century who also saw hell and visions and heard warnings from God. That was Padre—now St.—Pio, of Pietrelcina, Italy. He was deeply devoted to intercession, and was particularly called to pray for his fellow priests—even bearing the stigmata (suffering and wounds of Jesus Christ) in behalf of this intercessory call. He ministered in many ways to many people, but one predominant way until he died in 1968 was to encourage prayer groups to gather to pray and intercede.
It seems that God was greatly emphasizing the need and call for prayer and repentance throughout the last century. Did we listen? Have we obeyed? Are we repenting? We will look more into that later in this article, but let’s look at some stumbling blocks that we may face… and then “a way out”.
A WAY MADE OUT OF HELL
Frankly, modern mankind has pretty much rejected or soft-pedaled hell for quite some time now. Of course, that may be just the reason for exposing those small children to such a stark revelation, to share with a largely unbelieving world.
We live in a time, and in a culture, that is accustomed to great emphasis on freedom, individual rights, and personal privacy and privileges. Our culture highly values self-assertiveness, personal power, and a “me”-centered life. We simply too often forget that man’s power only rules on this earth for a relatively brief span of years. (And, of course, that perspective ignores the very real answers to the prayer “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”) If we never find ‘the way out’ of our sin dilemmas, we face alternatives that very much include hell, whether we believe it, like it, agree with it… or not.
Our judgments and opinions lose their ephemeral authority when we leave the “kingdom of self” and move on to the rest of our (eternal) lives… where we (gladly or disappointedly) find that other powers “rule”. Our insistence on defining ultimate realities and truth by what “I” think and “I” feel … becomes as ashes and smoke and dust.
Though not often seen this way, warnings are a very kind act of a loving Father. The Bible is full of many more salvation and warning instructions that could be mentioned. Previous cautions and admonitions have been given… In fact, God sent the prophets with precious words from Him, and they were continually ridiculed, tormented and rejected. God the Father finally sent His Son as the Living Word of God, the Savior. Jesus also called Himself the “Way”. And He brought some very good news:
A Way has been made out of hell ! And that “way” is a person, the Person of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life [ Jn 14:6]. He paid the price! He made the way! He IS the “Way” out of hell. There is no other way…
So… We repeat that last truth: A “way” has been made, out of hell … and that “Way” is a person, the Person of Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. There are many who find that too much to swallow… too hard to believe… too difficult to accept. They say, “There must be some other way! There must be many ways…”
MINERS IN CHILE
In answer to this, an analogy comes to mind, in the form of a true story presented in a movie from 2015. There was a mine collapse in Chile, in 2010. Thirty-three miners were trapped for 69 days “when a… chunk of rock two times the mass of the Empire State Building trapped them almost 2000 feet underground with only 3 days worth of food and water rations…” 8
The incident attracted world-wide attention, including that of our U.S. space program. Scientists and technicians developed a machine to drill a way out, and a human-size rescue basket through an extremely narrow tunnel to carry each individual man the long distance to safety.
Here’s the analogy: What if one of the miners had said, “There must be some other way!” The mine had some other avenues, but none led outside… and they could not dig their way out. (2000 feet through stone and rocks is a long way…) The only way out was claustrophobic… and a bit scary. But, in truth, it was the only way back to life.
It makes me wonder: Just what does it take … for us to recognize the truth of this One and only “Way, Truth and Life”? Will we see more clearly… if the freedom that abounds in our country—and in other flourishing nations—is limited? … if prosperity and our vast array of provisions face new limits? If safety and a wide range of choices are cut off? … etc.?
Do we realize that others in history—both B.C. and A. D.—have been very prosperous, very powerful… and just as blind and foolish as we can be? (P.S. It did not end well for them.)
“TEMPORAL PUNISHMENTS” PUT IN PERSPECTIVE
Fr. McGlynn (whom we have been quoting throughout this series) believed that—after many conversations with Lucy—there was a sharp distinction to be made between the eternal and the temporal consequences revealed by Our Lady to the three children.
“Our Lady went on to tell of temporal punishments that would be visited on the rest of the world if men did not amend their lives. We have seen them come—war, famine, persecution of the Church, the destruction of many nations. “From the words of our Lady we must fear even greater affliction unless there is a change in human conduct.” 9
[Blog author’s note: This was written in 1947 by the priest who extensively interviewed Lucy before she went into final seclusion in the Carmelite cloister in Coimbra. Therefore, his comments refer to things before 1947, only! Much, of course, has happened since that time 70 years ago!]
“The temporal punishments are secondary; they are punishments that strangely impress us more than hell. Yet all the bleeding, dying and despair of a thousand wars cannot equal the disaster of a single soul being damned. And damnation is… an actuality already claiming countless souls who did not and now can never fulfill the purpose of their existence…” 10
Fr. McGlynn comments on sin and the loss of souls.
“The enemy of peace is… sin, which abounds within all borders." 11
“Fatima” [blog author: and the implied interceding prayer] “is intended to stop this devastation. War can come or not; it is evil, in the final analysis, only in the measure that it brings about the only final evil, the loss of souls.” 12
“‘Do not offend our Lord anymore; He is already much offended,’ our Lady said to Lucy while seventy thousand people watched the spinning and falling of the sun.” 13
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WARNINGS?
So what happens after God warns and warns? Fundamentally, we need to remember that God has sent many, many messengers to us with communications (as mentioned above) similar in warning, throughout time… throughout Bible history, to begin with.
We have often heard that God is omniscient—that He knows everything in the past, present and future. We see throughout history that God deals with His people, and with the world, in various ways after He gives warnings.
There are many things that are revealed as both patterns and differences in the ways that He handles human behavior and world events after warning the people. One way that is particularly seen through the history of the Old Testament is this: God warns and warns… He acts enormously--in kindness and generosity--and speaks often of His mercy… and then, later… He allows (also in mercy toward those being hurt and harmed) and/or moves in with consequences—positive or negative. However, there are “differences”: Consequences can come sooner (that very day) or later (centuries or generations later) … but they do come.
An example of “sooner” was in the terrifying handwriting on the wall in Daniel [Dan. 5:5-6, 25-30] as the Babylonian king was partying and drinking out of the gold and silver sacred vessels from the Jerusalem temple (that had been carried off from Judea previously, along with the Israelites as slaves). The consequences came very suddenly and surprisingly to the Chaldean king of Babylon on that very evening, as Darius the Mede came in and took over as ruler… and killed King Belshazzar.
God warns and warns… He sends messengers and blessings… then rebellion or continued (especially blasé’ or flagrant) disobedience and idolatry (honoring/ worshipping/ preferring [so many] things above and before God) receive the warned consequences. He is (in a poor analogy) like a heart-felt early warning system… for instance, for a hurricane… warning those in a path of destruction, knowing and wanting us to avoid unpleasant, undesirable consequences.
He loves; He knows; He sees… the action and work and evil destructions engendered by the Destroyer of peace, love and life on earth. This is the same evil one who desires to bring as many souls to hell with him as possible. He is the deceiver of souls who never find “the Way out” of a path toward eternal destruction and endless death and suffering in hell. God has warned; prophets have warned; Jesus both warned and cruelly died in our place to make “a way/ Way” out—His very self as Savior-Redeemer-Messiah. And later, saints have warned, along with—in more recent centuries—Mary the mother of Jesus Christ.
In rejecting the loving, merciful God Who continually seeks us to give us “a future and a hope”, we also reject “the way/Way out”. [“ ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.’ “ Jer 29:11; Prov 23:18; Prov 24:14].
For, as we have said (and the Bible [and B.C./A.D. history] centers around the fact of the act that) God has provided that “Way” in the form of Jesus Christ His Son. For Jesus faced the cruel horrors of that same enemy of our souls mentioned above—with complete success and total victory. He did this for us. Hell—the home of the Destroyer of life and Deceiver of souls—was never meant as a destination for our lives.
Mary warned of some consequences at Fatima:
“From the words of our Lady we must fear even greater affliction unless there is a change in human conduct.” 14
Have there been, then, “greater afflictions” since 1917… or 1947?? All this was described before all the wars, persecutions, famines and violence in the 100 years between 1917 and now!
WHAT ABOUT RUSSIA?
Lucy told Fr. McGlynn, “Our Lady commanded that the Holy Father consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart and that he command all the bishops to do it also in unison with him at the same time… [our Lady made this known] in 1929”. 15
The call to pray for Russia was clear and urgent… (to prevent the spread of what we know now, after 100 years, truly is “Godless” communism). Lucy has made it clear that there was a call to have a joint (“in unison”) dedication prayer for Russia by church bishops. That mammoth task of gathering the world wide bishops to consecrate Russia was finally accomplished by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Many of us have—at least years ago—heard the call for prayer for Russia and the salvation of souls.
100 YRS… HAVE WE LISTENED?
How shall that question be answered? Most will find various ways to respond to what they have heard or known previously about Fatima’s message, or what this series has reported. We will leave most conclusions to the readers…
For now, we will give a few facts, and tell a couple stories. (Later, in Part IV we will look a little deeper into how we might respond now to Fatima’s message and God’s call, and look further into these past 100 years.)Let’s start with the facts.
The communist revolution in Russia was 100 years ago—precisely coinciding with the year of the Fatima apparitions. Coincidence or Providence? It was in 1917 that the Bolsheviks (who later changed their name to the “Communist Party”) took over control of Russia, several months after the Romanov dynasty (and czar Nicholas II) was violently overthrown. Fatima’s centennial celebration and connection to Russia’s communist beginnings that same year of 1917 is, many believe, God’s hand in desiring to see many souls saved that had turned, or would turn, to belief in atheistic communism.
Communist domination of Russia and Eastern Europe shaped the lives of many both inside and outside of those borders over much of the 20th century. Prayer is still needed, even though the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 (in communist East Germany). Czechoslovakia underwent non-violent protests and revolution against communist and Russian control in 1989 also, resulting in free elections in 1990. Other countries rebelled under communist rule. There ended up being 8 new independent nations in central Asia, and 6 new countries in Eastern Europe. There are many side effects and consequences of all those years under communist domination.
It was the 90’s before “free” elections were held in Russia. Although there are elections in Russia now, the communist party still is predominant. (See the news footnote below.) 16
Certainly, Russia became a major American “enemy” threat throughout much of the 20th century. But even two years after World War II ended, Fr. McGlynn puts things in perspective.
“The enemy of peace is not Russia [writer’s note: Again, this was written in 1947, and believed for much of the 20th century to be a major issue by Americans and their Allies], but sin, which abounds within all borders.” 17
“Fatima is intended to stop this devastation. War can come or not; it is evil, in the final analysis, only in the measure that it brings about the only final evil, the loss of souls.” 18
In fact, Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and reports of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but it will not yet be the end.” [Mt 24:6]
Some people generalized the message of Fatima to mean “peace” in the world. While almost all of us desire that greatly, God’s word shows us that rejection of God’s ways and His answers for peace—along with the predominance of our own foolish answers and ways—becomes a recipe for anything but peace.
RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE
Prayer, repentance, intercession and sacrifice for others is what Mary at Fatima asked the children. Mary had a rosary in her hands. We will never know how many responded, or what all the prayer has accomplished. We have no idea just how many have looked at their lives, turned to the Lord, chosen His truth and His love, and walked out a new life in a new direction.
Sometimes, though, we find out the effects of prayer. At times, what happens is astounding. We will end with two miraculous stories from World War II, and Pope Benedict XVI’s (then Cardinal Ratzinger’s) comment about prayer… that resulted in a bullet receiving a surprising honor.
SOME HEARD, SOME PRAYED… MIRACLES HAPPENED
In August on this blog, we wrote about the life of St. Maximilan Kolbe—whom Pope John Paul II called the “patron saint of the 20th century”. Maximillian Kolbe also has some connection with one of these stories. It tells of the remarkable protection of a Franciscan monastery in Nagasaki, Japan during World War II.
We
will quote from Donald H. Calloway's CHAMPIONS OF THE ROSARY
as we
tell two
protection stories from World War II. The second one is the Nagasaki story. 20
“When Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, 1945, an entire house of Jesuits survived, completely unaffected by the bomb. The Jesuit house was located only eight blocks from where the atomic bomb went off and should have been completely annihilated. A church attached to the Jesuit house and everything else around it for miles was obliterated, but the house with the Jesuits in it survived largely intact. Furthermore, none of the Jesuits suffered any ill effects from radiation or loss of hearing whatsoever. In fact, all eight Jesuits lived healthy lives for years after the event. One of the survivors, Fr. Hubert Schiffer, SJ, gave public testimony more than 200 times about what had miraculously happened to him and his confreres. He testified that he firmly believed that they were spared because they prayed the rosary every day in that house in response to the request of Our Lady of Fatima.
Similarly, when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, it exploded in the Urakami district of the city. That district had been the heart and soul of Catholicism in Japan since the 16th century. It was in that area that St. Maximilian Kolbe founded a Conventual Franciscan mission in the 1930’s, calling it the ‘Garden of the Immaculate.’ When St. Maximilian settled on that particular property, he was informed that he had made a poor decision. It was in a horrible location, he was told, since the property was facing away from the city, behind a hill, and situated in an area that nobody desired to visit. The saint was unmoved, however, and the house was built on that property. Miraculously, when the atomic bomb was dropped, the Franciscans’ house was left standing and all the friars inside were unharmed. Just as the Jesuits had done at their house in Hiroshima, the Franciscans prayed the rosary every day in their house. Our Lady had guided St. Maximilian to obtain a piece of property that would be protected from the bomb blast.”20
THE BULLET ENDS UP IN HER CROWN
As we said when we were discussing the “secrets”, Pope John Paul II believed that intercession for him, and his prayers through Mary’s intercession, saved his life.
Then-Cardinal Ratzinger commented:
“John Paul II attributed his survival to Mary guiding the bullet so that he did not die…
[P]rayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than armies.’" 21
As we mentioned in Part I, the bullet that was shot is now imbedded in the crown of one of the primary statues of Our Lady of Fatima at Fatima.
We continue with this series:
THE DIFFICULT MESSAGE OF FATIMA
in honor of the
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION of OUR LADY OF FATIMA
With Part IV: FATIMA: WHY PAY ATTENTION NOW?
PARTS I and II were published earlier.
Part I is called THE FATIMA STORY AND THE ROSARY
Part II is called SECRETS AND A CALL TO PRAY
FOOTNOTES:
1 Vision of Fatima, Fr. Thomas McGlynn, O.P., 1948, 2017 (currently by) Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, N.H., p. 203.
2 Ibid
4 Ibid, p. 92
5 https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/the-three-secrets-of-fatima-explained
7 Ibid
8 ROGEREBERT.COM, November 13, 2015 by Glenn Kenny
10 Ibid
11 Ibid, p. 208
12 Ibid, p. 204
13 Ibid, p. 203
14 Ibid
15 Ibid, p. 89
16 BBC news, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37410725, Sept 19k, 2016
17 Vision of Fatima, p. 208
18 Ibid, p. 204
19 trinitychurchsupply.com/blog, Maximillian Kolbe, by Kathy Boh, August 10, 2017,
20 CHAMPIONS OF THE ROSARY, by Donald H. Calloway, MIC, Marian Press, Stockbridge, MA, 2016, p.172.