Our Lady of Fatima Asked for our Help Converting Sinners

Patti Maguire Armstrong explains Our Lady of Fatima's call for conversion of sinners: a call to prayer for all the faithful.

It’s wonderful that Pope Francis, in union with all the bishops, consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25. The consecration was inspired by Our Lady of Fatima’s messages..Everyone should know about the story of Fatima, one of the Church-approved apparitions.

The consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was only part of what Our Blessed Mother said was necessary for the conversion of Russia and for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart. during the Fatima apparitions in 1917 to three shepherd children. The Blessed Virgin Mary revealed that World War I would end, but predicted another war during the papacy of Pius XI if people continued to offend God. She promised to come and ask the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart.

Our Lady returned multiple times to visit Discalced Carmelite Sister Lucia (March 28, 1907 – February 13, 2005), in her convent. In 1925, the Blessed Mother gave Lucia the Five First Saturdays devotion, promising to all who make them to supply all the graces they needed at the time of their death. They are meant to be made continually so that “every time you complete a series of five, you merit that grace for another soul.”

The Blessed Mother returned again to Lucia on June 13, 1929, telling her that the time was now for Russia to be consecrated to prevent the spreading its errors of atheism and communism. Unfortunately, attempts in 1942, 1952, and 1964 were not accepted as following the instructions correctly, but according to Lucia, the 1984 consecration by St. John Paul II on March 25, 1984, in St. Peter’s Basilica satisfied the request. He consecrated the whole world in front of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, inviting all other bishops to join him in prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Sister Lucia confirmed that it satisfied Our Lady’s request.

But people are neglecting that Our Lady asked for two things to secure the conversion of Russia and peace in the world: the consecration of Russia and the First Saturdays devotion. Our Blessed Mother had also asked people to sanctify their lives to Jesus in union with her Immaculate Heart.

Here is a daily offering that does that.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and suffering of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians;
I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

Our Lady of Fatima statue in a church

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While we put great hope in the March 25th Consecration, we also need to respond to Our Lady’s requests. #catholicmom

While we put great hope in the March 25th Consecration, we also need to respond to Our Lady’s requests.

The First Five Saturdays

The Blessed Mother explained the Five First Saturdays to Lucia on Dec. 10, 1925:

“See, my daughter, my Heart encircled by thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Tell them that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation all those who, in order to make reparation to me, on the First Saturday of five successive months, go to Confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour, meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary.”

In a 1930 locution from Jesus to Sr. Lucia, He explained that the Five Saturdays’ devotion is in response to the five kinds of offenses and blasphemies spoken against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

First: blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
Second: blasphemies against her Virginity
Third: blasphemies against the Divine Maternity, refusing, at the same time, to receive her as the Mother of mankind
Fourth: those who seek publicly to implant, in the hearts of children, indifference, disrespect, and even hate for this Immaculate Mother
Fifth: those who revile her directly in her sacred images

Jesus told Lucia:

“Here, dear daughter, is the motive that led the Immaculate Heart of Mary to petition Me to ask for this small act of reparation. And, out of regard for her, to move My mercy to pardon those souls who have had the misfortune to offend her. As for you, seek endlessly, with your prayers and sacrifices, to move Me to mercy in regard to these poor souls.”

statues of Our Lady of Fatima and child visionaries outside a church