Throughout the ages, Mary has appeared many times to devout souls delivering messages that concerned the salvation of her children. Arguably no other Marian apparition was more dramatic and left more of an impact on the Church and the world than the story of Our Lady of Fatima. Here are five warnings from Our Lady of Fatima taken from Compendium of Marian Devotions.
Five Warnings From Our Lady Of Fatima
In our chronicle of the story of Fatima, we did not give much detail about Our Lady’s actual words and messages to the children. Let us dive more deeply into what she said, then, because she came like a prophet warning us of the dangers of sin.
It must be said that Our Lady did not come to add anything new to the Gospel; rather, Our Lady came to bring us back to the essentials of the Gospel message, to bring us to the Heart of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Her message is perennial, just as important now as it was one hundred years ago.
As the good Mother that she is, Our Lady came to warn us of certain perils or dangers that could place in jeopardy that which is most important—the eternal salvation of our immortal souls. Here we would like to list and explain five of the most salient warnings that Our Heavenly Mother invites us to think about, meditate upon, and incorporate into our lives.
The Brevity Of Life
On one of her visits, Our Lady told the children: “If men would only meditate upon eternity, then they would change their lives immediately.” The short, ephemeral, and transitory character of human life can be seen clearly in two of the children visionaries—Saint Jacinta Marto and her brother, Saint Francisco Marto. Both of them contracted a serious illness not long after Our Lady’s six apparitions and passed from this life to the next. In her words, Our Lady is clearly warning all of us that our life is short, uncertain, and precarious. We know neither the day nor the hour when the Lord will call us to render an account of our lives. Ask yourself this all-important question: if you were to die this very day, would you be ready?
The Evil Of Sin
Our Lady pointed out that sin is what hurts Jesus most. In the Fatima message, contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus and especially the Immaculate Heart of Mary surrounded and pierced by sharp thorns manifests powerfully what sin actually does—it pierces the loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Sin is not simply breaking a law; it is hurting the ones you love and who love you—Jesus and Mary!
The Reality Of Hell
Mary is a tender and loving Mother; she is, as we pray in the Hail Holy Queen, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. Still, Our Lady of Fatima does not shy away from revealing to the three children, and to the world at large, a graphic vision of hell. Seeing and hearing the utter suffering and despair of the damned souls moved the children to the very depths of their souls with an insatiable desire to pray fervently, to suffer willingly, as well as to offer frequent and difficult sacrifices to save poor sinners from precipitating into the fiery pit of hell. Even though this is an unpleasant topic, something many today deny or forget, Our Lady challenges us to meditate often on God’s Infinite Mercy, but also His justice which is manifested by hell and those who choose this reality by dying unrepentant in the state of mortal sin.
Sins Against Purity
Continuing on the topic of lost souls, with great sadness of heart, Our Lady revealed that the primary reason for the loss of souls to the eternal chastisement of hell is due to sins against the virtue of holy purity. Our Lady revealed that many marriages were not pleasing to God, lacking purity and true love. She also lamented the many immodest fashions that would enter into the world and be very displeasing to God. It is difficult to deny in recent times the rampant diffusion of immodesty in dress, fashion, movies, television programs, commercials, ads, billboards, the internet, and much more. In the midst of the storms of impurity that seek to inundate the world, we must seek out a sure refuge and haven in the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Warning To Priests
In one of the later visions received by Lucia, Our Lady spoke about priests, conveying two important messages: (1) priests should strive to be pure; and (2) priests should dedicate their time and effort to that which refers to God and the salvation of souls, and not to extraneous matters. This being said, let us turn to Our Lady, Mother of the High Priest, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and beg for vocations to the priesthood. Let us turn to Mary to pray for priests, for bishops, for the Holy Father, and for the Catholic Church and all its shepherds and leaders.
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This article is taken from a chapter in Compendium of Marian Devotions: An Encyclopedia of the Church’s Prayers, Dogmas, Devotions, Sacramentals, and Feasts Honoring the Mother of God by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV which is available from TAN Books.
