Sunday, September 27,2020

In August, a new movie premiered called “Fatima”. It depicts the 1917 Portuguese miracle from the perspective of Lucia, the oldest child who experienced the Apparition at Fatima.

To fully appreciate the significance of the movie, an appreciation of the historical context of the Fatima Apparition should be considered. At that time, the world was engaged in World War I and the forces of Fascism and Communism were taking root throughout the world. The Spanish Flu would soon devastate the population world wide and the western world was evolving from an agricultural to an industrial age.

At this pivotal point in history, “Our Lady of the Rosary” (as she identified herself to the children) appeared to three peasant children in a Portuguese village. They were instructed by Her to return to the “rotunda” where she appeared on the 13th of each month, imparting messages and visions to the children. The children’s innocence and strong belief in what they experienced, despite familial, religious, and political pressure, resulted in extraordinary perseverance on their part to fulfill their role in allowing the Apparitions to manifest.

On the 13th of October, the final Apparition occurred. Lucia had asked the Lady to perform a miracle so that the villagers would believe in Her message of world peace. (The Lady had also imparted other more devastating information to Lucia warning against what would happen if her message was ignored. Some believe that the full information was censored and suppressed by Church officials).

On October 13, 1917, the Miracle of the Sun took place. Hundreds of people had gathered with the children in the pouring rain at the rotunda to witness the Apparition. Suddenly, the rain ceased and the sun began to descend from the sky toward the screaming crowd and then returned harmoniously to its original position. The Lady never appeared again and Lucia lived as a cloistered nun until her death at an advanced age.

Why is this movie about a message of world peace, and the unfortunate repercussions if world peace is ignored, relevant to us today?

The parallels of the 1917 miracle and the world events in 2020 are compelling. Today we are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, just as 1917 was on the cusp of the Spanish Flu, which can be compared to Covid-19. 1917 was a transition time from farming and individual craftsmanship to the industrial revolution. We are transitioning today to a technological age which is causing economic upheavals and cataclysmic social change.

Finally, with the upcoming election, we are faced with a profound decision not yet realized by those living in the second decade of the twentieth century. As the twentieth century advanced beyond the first world war, another world war would be fought against fascism and after that a cold war against communism. These events, while devastating, allow us to live in freedom today. Do we continue to embrace our capitalistic system that includes aspects of socialism such as Medicare, employee health plans, and financial assistance to the disabled? Or do we turn toward socialism and the possible demise of our personal liberties? It is a decision that we all must contemplate as election day approaches

In the movie, the female Apparition identifies Herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary.” Let’s use this “spiritual tool”, the rosary, to guide us toward discerning action against tyranny,

“When you become inspired toward divine service, this desire flows first to the heart, to the very foundation and mainstay of the entire body. And thereafter, this goodwill filters through the heart to all of the organs and limbs of the body. Then, the will of all the limbs and organs of the body join with the will of the heart, and together they draw upon themselves the illumination of the Shecheenah (the feminine attribute of the Divine-Presence) who then dwells with you. And in that moment, you become merged with God.”

*–Sefer Ha’Zohar, Vol 2, folio 198