Recently I purchased The World of Marian Apparitions by Wincenty Laszewski from Sofia Press. It is a beautiful hardcover book filled with photos and maps chronicling 48 of the hundreds of reported apparitions of Mary from Fatima to today. Mary appeared in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, so it is shocking to think that Mary has appeared hundreds of times to tens of thousands of people on all continents in the last 107 years. It may be the world’s best kept secret. Jesus is sending his mother to instruct and warn us.
The book is chronological and I started reading from the back anxious to learn about the most recent apparitions. There is consistency in them. One visionary received this message from Jesus: “Your Mother wants to lead you, to form you. In these times, My chosen souls must rely heavily on Mary, My Mother. She has made herself available to you in an exceptional way, for she wants to help her children. Be humble, and ask your Mother for help. You will not be disappointed. My Blessed Mother wants to lead her children, for which she has received the heavenly Father’s full permission.”
If I were to choose three consistent messages throughout the apparitions, it would be these: Mary wants to save souls before it is too late. The evil one is manipulating people so they do not believe there is a Hell, but Mary knows better and her Immaculate Heart breaks for the souls that will be lost. Abortion has become mainstream, but Mary refers to it as the “crime of abortion” and says, “I am one of the voices begging God to intervene in order to save my unborn children. I am unable to describe the sorrow that wells up within me at the very thought of this terrible crime.”
Her solution for all sufferings, all sins, all discord is to pray the Rosary. Mary says, “I am the Queen of the Holy Rosary. Its strength is great; it is a victorious and mighty weapon.” That was the main message of her apparitions in Fatima and the visionary, St. Lucia, tells us, “There is no problem, no matter how difficult, that we cannot solve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will console our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls.” It takes twenty minutes to pray the Rosary. What could be more important than offering twenty minutes a day to bring peace to the world, to our nation, and to your family?
Scripture: Read Philippians 4:6-9. What stands out?
Call to Action: October is the month of the Rosary. Let’s listen to our mother and begin praying the Rosary daily. For help, go to rosarycenter.org or take a flyer from the back of the church.
