Fatima visions offer hope to believers

Almost 108 years ago, in July, 1917, something wonderful, yet fearful occurred in a small, out of the way town called Fatima, Portugal. Most of us know the story of Our Lady of Fatima appearing to three young children named Lucia and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco. In our own Diocese of Metuchen, the Blue Army Shrine in Washington, (dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima) provides ongoing opportunities for people to learn more about Fatima.

In July, 1917, Our Lady gave the children a vision of hell which well-nigh horrified them. Then the children looked up at Our Lady, who said to them so kindly and so sadly:

Over the course of several months, Our Lady said: “Pray the Rosary…in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” She went on: “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially when you make a sacrifice, ‘O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’ ”

Why did Our Lady at Fatima show the three children hell? Because people in the world today do not generally believe in hell or the existence of the devil. The vision of hell was given for our times when Christians often downplay the idea of eternal punishment. Fatima confirms the existence of angels and demons, and the existence of hell. Fatima also teaches that prayer and penance are necessary for eternal salvation.

Our Lord refers to hell many times. In Saint Matthew’s Gospel (10:28), we hear Him warn, “Be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” He calls hell “fiery Gehenna” (Matthew 5:22), “fiery furnace” (Matthew 13:42), “eternal punishment” (Matthew 26:46), and “everlasting fire.” In Saint Matthew’s Gospel it is “Depart from me you accursed, into the everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). And, in Saint Mark’s Gospel it is the “unquenchable fire…where the worm does not die and the fire is not extinguished” (Mark 9:44, 48).

Saint Paul observes: “Those who do not acknowledge God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, these will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians1:8-9). This is not to say that God is not merciful and loving. Rather, it means that God is also a “just God”. Recall the vision of hell shown to the three children at Fatima. Lucia said they would have died of fright at seeing hell if not having been previously told by Our Blessed Mother that they were going to Heaven.

Jacinta was the most affected by this vision of hell: “Oh, Hell! Oh, Hell!” she exclaimed. “Mother of God have pity on those who do not amend their lives. If people only knew what awaits them in eternity, they would do everything in their power to change their lives.” Often she would say to her brother, Francisco: “We must pray very much to save souls from hell, so many go there!” At times she would ask Lucia, “Why doesn’t Our Lady show hell to sinners? If only they saw it they would never commit sins again.”

The Fatima apparitions should remind us to pray for poor sinners, especially those who have no one to pray for them. But, the prophetic words of Our Lady of Fatima also highlight circumstances in our present world, such as wars and persecutions of the Church. Our Lady says, “the good will be martyred,” “various nations will be annihilated.”

And, why are these members of the Church persecuted? Why are the churches burned and looted? Why is there sacrilege of every kind? Because the enemy hates people who are consecrated to Christ, born-again through the waters of baptism. In short, our fellow Christians are hated because they love Christ. They are tortured, enslaved, imprisoned, and even put to death and martyred – all because they believe in Jesus Christ and practice their faith by attending Holy Mass and receiving the sacraments.

We know and we believe that God will have the last word, but meanwhile, those caught up in the struggle to survive desperately need our prayers so that they may not lose hope.

Pray each day for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, those persecuted Christians who suffer so dearly for our shared belief in Jesus Christ. Pray the Rosary daily, if at all possible. Pray for all of us.

Father Hillier serves as diocesan director, Office of Pontifical Mission Societies, the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Censor Luborum.