Monday, May 26, 2008

www.divinemercy.org

Pope John Paul II, both in his teaching and personal life, strove to live and teach the message of Divine Mercy. As the great Mercy Pope, he wrote an encyclical on Divine Mercy:

"The Message of Divine Mercy has always been near and dear to me… which I took with me to the See of Peter and which it in a sense forms the image of this Pontificate."

In his writings and homilies, he has described Divine Mercy as the answer to the world’s problems and the message of the third millennium. He beatified and canonized Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska, the nun associated with the message, and he did it in Rome and not in Poland to underscore that Divine Mercy is for the whole world.

Establishing Divine Mercy Sunday for the Entire Church
When Pope John Paul canonized Sr. Faustina (making her St. Faustina), he also, on the same day, surprised the entire world by establishing Divine Mercy Sunday (the feast day associated with the message) as a feast day for the entire Church. The feast day falls on the Second Sunday of the Easter season. On that day, Pope John Paul II declared, "This is the happiest day of my life."

Entrusting the World to Divine Mercy
In 2002, the Pope entrusted the whole world to Divine Mercy when he consecrated the International Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki, a suburb of Krakow in Poland. This is where St. Faustina’s mortal remains are entombed. The saint lived in a convent nearby. The Pope himself remembers as a young man working in the Solvay Quarry, just a few meters from the present-day Shrine. He also says that he had been thinking about Sr. Faustina for a long time when he wrote his encyclical on Divine Mercy. Further, the Holy Father has frequently quoted from the Diary of St. Faustina and has prayed The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy at the saint’s tomb.

Beyond the Life of John Paul II
Given all these connections to Divine Mercy and St. Faustina, is it any wonder that Pope John Paul II died on the Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday (the evening before the feast day), which fell that year on April 3. It is also no surprise that the Great Mercy Pope left us a message for Divine Mercy Sunday, which was read on the feast day by a Vatican official to the faithful in St. Peter’s after a Mass that had been celebrated for the repose of the soul of the Pope.

Repeatedly Pope John Paul II has written and spoken about the need for us to turn to the mercy of God as the answer to the specific problems of our times. He has placed a strong and significant focus on the Divine Mercy message and devotion throughout his pontificate that will carry the Church long after his death.

www.divinemercy.org

canonize on 30 apr 2000

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
Graces and Miracles Received
Miracles attributed to the intercession of Sr. Maria Faustina lead to her canonization on April 30, 2000. Today, people from around the world rely on St. Faustina to interceed on their behalf to Our Lord.

Miracle received by Maureen Digan
Innerly she heard Sister Faustina say: "If you ask for my help, I will give it to you."
Before the age of 15, Maureen Digan enjoyed a normal healthy life. Then she was struck down with a very serious, slowly progressive but terminal disease called lymphedima. This is a disease that does not respond to medication and does not go into remission. Within the next ten years Maureen had fifty operations and had lengthy confinements in the hospital of up to a year at a time.

Friends and relations suggested she should pray and put her trust in God. But Maureen could not understand why God had allowed her to get this disease in the first place, and had lost her faith completely. Eventually her deteriorating condition would require the amputation of one leg.

One evening while Maureen was in the hospital her husband Bob watched a film on Divine Mercy and there he became convinced of the healing powers of intercession by Sr. Faustina. Bob persuaded Maureen and the doctors that she should go to the tomb of Sr. Faustina in Poland. Together with her husband, son, and Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC (a priest of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception), they traveled to St. Faustina's tomb at the Shrine of The Divine Mercy outside Krakow, Poland. They arrived in Poland on March 23, 1981 and Maureen went to confession for the first time since she was a young girl.

At the tomb Maureen remembers saying "Okay, Faustina I came a long way, now do something." Innerly she heard Sr. Faustina say: "If you ask for my help, I will give it to you." Suddenly she thought she was losing her mind. All the pain seemed to drain out of her body and her swollen leg, which was due to be amputated shortly, went back to its normal size. When she returned to the USA she was examined by five independent doctors who came to the conclusion that she was completely healed. They had no medical explanation for the sudden healing of this incurable disease.

The accumulated evidence of this miracle was examined in consultation by five doctors appointed by the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Having passed this test it was examined by a team of theologians, and finally by a team of cardinals and bishops. The cure was accepted by all as a miracle caused by Sr. Faustina's intercession to the Divine Mercy. Sr. Faustina was beatified on April 18, 1993.

Miracle received by Fr. Ron Pytel
"I know in my heart that Faustina put in a word with Jesus, and His Heart touched mine. It's as simple as that."
On Oct. 5, 1995, the Feast Day of St. Faustina (who was then a blessed), Fr. Ron Pytel and some friends gathered for prayer at Holy Rosary Church, which is also the Baltimore archdiocesan Shrine of The Divine Mercy. After a time of prayer for the healing of his heart through Sr. Faustina's intercession, Fr. Ron venerated a relic of St. Faustina and collapsed. He felt paralyzed, but was completely at peace. A subsequent visit to his cardiologist showed that his heart had been healed.

Although he was healed through St. Faustina's intercession, Fr. Ron is quick to point out that Jesus healed him. "I know in my heart that Faustina put in a word with Jesus, and His Heart touched mine. It's as simple as that," he explained.

After almost three years of examining Fr. Ron and his medical records, doctors and theologians from the Congregation for the Cause of Saints concluded an exhaustive investigation of the healing. And on Dec. 20, 1999, Pope John Paul II ordered publication of the fact of the healing as a miracle through Sr. Faustina's intercession, leading to her canonization on Mercy Sunday, April 30, in St. Peter's Square.

Grace of Healing received by Ugo Festa
"Entrust yourself to Him and pray to my Sr. Faustina to intercede."
Ugo Festa was born in Vicenza, Italy, in 1951. He was struck down at an early age with multiple sclerosis. Gradually his health deteriorated. This led to many other problems in his young life. By the age of 39 he was suffering from muscular dystrophy and epilepsy. Early in 1990 his spine was becoming distorted and he was having seizures daily. He had been continually attending doctors since he first contracted the disease, but they could not do nothing for him. He decided there was nothing left to try but prayer.

On April 28, 1990, Ugo went with a pilgrimage to Rome. In his unfortunate situation he was introduced to Mother Teresa who was in Rome at the time with a group whom he also became acquainted with. Ugo was invited along with this group to a retreat at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Trent, but he refused. On leaving, one of the group, a nun, gave him five copies of the Divine Mercy Image and a Divine Mercy medal.

The following day, April 29, 1990, Ugo wore the medal and carried in his arms the images to be blessed by the Holy Father. At the bottom of the steps to St. Peter's the Holy Father passed by. Ugo asked him to bless his Divine Mercy images. After blessing the images the Pope asked him how he was. Ugo told him he felt very despondent and was at a crisis in his life. The Holy Father said, "How could you have a crisis with Jesus the Divine Mercy in your arms? Entrust yourself to Him and pray to my Sr. Faustina to intercede."

With this advice Ugo changed his mind and decided that he would go to the Divine Mercy shrine in Trent. At the side altar in the Villa O'Santissima Villazzano, Trent, there is a Shrine to the Divine Mercy with a life size icon of the Divine Image. On the fourth day of praying in front of this icon Ugo suddenly noticed the arms of the image stretched out to him and a tremendous warmth flowed through his body.

He found himself standing on his feet with his arms outstretched to the Lord and he heard himself loudly praising Jesus the Divine Mercy. He saw Jesus coming down to him, His white garment blowing as if in a breeze. He thought: 'My God, this is the Man from Galilee coming towards me.' He heard Jesus say in a clear voice, "Rise up and walk." Ugo began to walk. All his ailments were at that instant cured and he was more physically perfect than he had ever been in his life.

On August 19, 1990, Ugo returned to the Vatican and during a Papal Audience at Paul VI Hall, was taken to meet John Paul II. He told him about the great grace he had received and thanked him for the words of inspiration which led him to Trent, and resulted in this great miracle on that day.

Today Ugo Festa devotes his life to Jesus, voluntarily working in a hospital and spreading the Message of Divine Mercy throughout Italy.

Divine Mercy Part 102

See, I have left my heavenly throne to become united with you. What you see is just a tiny part and already your soul swoons with love. How amazed will your heart be when you see me in all my glory.

But I want to tell you that eternal life must begin already here on earth through Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God throughout eternity.

Page 640

Divine Mercy Part 101

Today the Lord came to me and said,

My daughter, help me to save souls. You will go to a dying sinner, and you will continue to recite the chaplet, and in this way you will obtain for him trust in my mercy, for he is already in despair.

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Divine Mercy Part 100

When a great storm was approaching, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly I heard the voice of an angel:

I cannot approach in this storm, because the light which comes from her mouth drives back both me and the storm."

Such was the angel's complaint to God. I then recognize how much havoc he was to have made through this storm; but I also recognized that this prayer was pleasing to God, and this chaplet was most powerful.

Page 633

Divine Mercy Part 99

How very much I desire the salvation of souls! My dearest secetary, write that I want to pour out my divine life into human souls and sanctify them. If only they were willing to accept my grace. The greatest sinners would achieve great sanctity, if only they would trust in my mercy. The very inner depths of my being are filled to overflowing with mercy, and it is being poured out upon all I have created. My delight is to act in a human soul and to fill it with my mercy and to justify it. My kingdom on earth is my life in the human soul. Write, my secretary, that I myself am the spiritual guide of souls- and I guide them indirectly through the priest, and lead each one to sanctity by a road known to me alone.

Page 631

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 98

My daughter, know that my heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of my mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of my mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approachs you go away without that trust in my mercy which i so ardently dsire for souls.

Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in my mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depend on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of my mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would my mercy not embrace a trusting soul.

Page 629

Divine Mercy Part 97

My daughter, I want to instruct you on how to rescue souls through scarifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through all his teachings and sermons alone. I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before me. You must be annihilated, destroyed, living as if you were dead in the most secret depths of your being. You must be destroyed in that secret depth where the human eye has never penetrated; then will I find you a pleasing sacrifice, a holocaust full of sweetness and fragrance. And great will be your power for whomever you intercede. Outwardly, your sacrifice must look like this:silent, hidden, permeated with love, imbued with prayer. I demand, my daughter, that your sacrifice be pure and full of humility, that I may find pleasure in it. I will not spare my grace, that you may be able to fulfill what I demand of you.

I will now instruct you on what your hlocaust shall consist of, in everyday life, so as to preserve you from illusions. You shall accept all sufferings with love. Do not be afflicted if you heart often experiences repugnance and dislike for sacrifice. All its power rests in the will, and so these contrary feelings, far from lowering the value of the sacrifice in my eyes, will enhance it. Know that your body and soul will often be in the midst of fire. Although you will not feel my presence on some occassions, I will always be with you. Do not fear; my grace wll be with you...

Page 627

Divine Mecy Part 96

Write, my daughter that I am mercy itself for the contrite soul. A soul's greatest wretchedness does not enkindle me with wrath; but rather, my heart is moved towards it with great mercy.

Page 614

Divine Mercy Part 94

As I was praying for Poland, I heard the words:

I bear a special love for Poland, and if she will be obedient to my will, I will exalt her in might and holiness. From her will come forth the spark that will prepare the world for my final coming.

Page 612

Note:
It has been thought that the spark mentioned here is the Polish Pope John Paul II.
Who was responsible for establishing the Feast of Divine Mercy in the Catholic calender

Divine Mercy Part 93

Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when i heard the words:

Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.

I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn't even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words:

Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with my will.

Page 612

Divine Mercy Part 92

Write: I am thrice Holy, and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to my generosity toward it. My mercy embraces and justifies it. With my mercy, I pursue sinners along their paths, and my heart rejoices when they return to me. I forget the bitterness with which they fed my heart and rejoice at their return.

Tell sinners that no one shall escape my hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart...when will it beat for me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voices of the church. And if they bring all My Graces to naught, I began to be angry with them, leaving them alone and gicing them what they want.

Page 610

Divine Mercy Part 91

My daughter, just as you prepare in my presence, so also you make your confession before me. The person of the priest is , for me, only a screen. Never analyze what sort of a priest it is that I am making use of; open your soul in confession as you would to me, and I will fill it with my light.

page 610

Divine Mercy Part 90

If you did not tie my hands, I would send down many punishments upon the earth. My daughter, your look disarms my anger. Although your lips are silent, you call out to me so mightily that all heaven is moved. I cannot escape from your requests, because you pursue me, not from afar but within your own heart.

Page 609

Whe the soul of a certain young lady came to me one night, she made me aware of her presence, and made known to me that she needed my prayer.I prayed for a while, but her spirit did not leave me. Then I thought to myself," If you are a good spirit, leave me in peace, and the indulgences I will gain tomorrow will be for you."
At that moment. the spirrit left my room, and I recognized that she was in purgatory.

Page 609

Divine Mercy Part 89

There are souls with whom I can do nothing. They are souls that are continuously observing others, but know nothing of what is going on within their own selves. They talk about others continually, even during times of grand silence, which is reserved for speaking only with me. Poor souls, they do not hear my words; their interior remains empty. They do not look for me within their own hearts, but in idle talk, where I am never to be found. They sense their emptiness, but they do not recognize their own guilt, while souls in whom i reign completely are a constant source of remorse to them. Instead of correcting themselves, their hearts swell with envy, and if they do not come to their senses, they plunge in even deeper. A heart, which thus far is envious, now begins to be filled with hate. And they are already at the edge of the precipice. They are jealous of my gifts in other souls, but they themselves are unable and unwilling to accept them.

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Divine Mercy Part 88

When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, she instructed me concerning the interior life. She said,

The soul's true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in his presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing; because the Lord is great, but he is well pleased only with the humble; he always opposes the proud.

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Divine Mercy Part 87

Towards the end of the Way of the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the souls of religious and priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls.

I will allow convents and churches to be destroyed.

I answered, "Jesus, but there are so many souls praising you in convents." The Lord answered,

That praise wounds my heart, because love has been banished from convents. Souls without love and without devotion, souls full of egoism and self love, souls full of pride and arrogance, souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep them alive:My heart cannot bear this. All the graces that I pour upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand them, because they are neither good or bad. I called convents into being to sanctify the world through them. It is from them that a powerful flame of love and sacrifice should burst forth.And if they do not repent and become enkindled by their first love, I will deliver them over to the fate of this world...

How can they sit on the promised throne of judgement to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart specially chosen by me, were you chosen for this, to give me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on my heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce my heart through and through...

Do not cry. There are still a great number of souls who love me very much, but my heart desires to be loved by all and, because my love is great, that is why I warn and chastise them.

page 602

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 86

My daughter, faithfully live up to the words which I speak to you. Do not value any external thing too highly, even if it were to seem very precious to you. Let go of yourself, and abide with me continually. Entrust everything to me and do nothing on your own, an you will always have great freedom of spirit. No circumstance or events will ever be able to upset you. Set little store on what people say.Let everyone judge you as they like. Do not make excuses for yourself; it will do you no harm. Give away everything at the first sign of a demand, even if they were the most necessary things. Do not ask for anything without consulting me. Allow them to take away even what is due to you- respect, your good name- let your spirit rise above all that. And so, set free from everything, rest close to my heart, not allowing your peace to be disturbed by anything. My pupil, consider the words which I have spoken to you.

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Divine Mercy Part 85

Listen, my daughter, although all the works that come into being by my will are exposed to great sufferings, consider whether any of them has been subjected to greater difficulties than that work which is directly mine- the work of Redemption. You should not worry too much about adversities. The world is not as powerful as it seems to be; its strength is strictly limited. Know, my daughter, that if your soul is filled with the fire of my pure love, then all difficulties dissipate like fog before the sun's rays and dare not touch the soul. All adversaries are afraid to start a quarrel with such a soul, because they sense that it is stronger than the whole world...

Page 581

My daughter, write that involuntary offenses of souls do not hinder my love for them or prevent me from uniting myself with them. But voluntary offenses , even the smallest, obstruct my graces, and I cannot lavish my gifts on such souls.

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Divine Mercy Part 84

My daughter, be at peace; do as I tell you. Your thoughts are united to my thoughts, so write whatever comes to your mind. You are the secretary of my mercy. I have chosen you for that office in this life and the next life. That is how I want it to be in spite all the opposition they give you. Know that my choice will not change.


Page 570

Divine Mercy part 83

Daughter, when you go to confession, to this foundation of my mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from my heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in my mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of my grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. if their trust is great, there is no limit to my generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud ramain always in poverty and misery, because my grace turns away from them to humble souls.

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Divine Mercy Part 82

Chosen souls are, in my hand, lights which I cast into the darkness of the world and which I illumine it. As stars illumine the night, so chosen souls illumine the earth. And the more perfect a soul is, the stronger and more far reaching is the light shed by it. It can be hidden and unknown, even to those closest to it, and yet its holiness is reflected in souls even to the most distant extremities of the world.

Page 568

Divine Mercy Part 81

In the old convenent I sent prophets wieding thunderbolts to my people. Today I am sending you with my mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart. I use punishment when they themselves force me to do so; my hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice. Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy.

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Divine Mercy Part 80

Tell souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to my mercy, which so greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of my mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of my mercy.

Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore my mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from my mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in my mercy.I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. The graces of my mercy are drawn by means of ones vessel only, and that is- trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to me, because I pour out all the treasures of my graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is my desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts.

Page 560

Divine Mercy Part 79

I remind you, my daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in my mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened waide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world- mercy triumphed over justice.

My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of The Cross in this hour, provided that your dutied permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, my heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a brief instant. I claim veneration for my mercy from every creature, but above all from you, since it is you that I have given the most profound understanding of this mystery.

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Divine Mercy Part 78

When I entered the chapel for a moment, the Lord said to me,

My daughter help me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the chaplet that I have taught you for him.

When I began to say the chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as it were powerless against the enormity of the soul'sisery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as he is depicted in in the image. The rays which issued from from Jesus's heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sic kman peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God.

PAGE 556

Divine Mercy Part 77

3 Febuary 1938. Today after Holy Communion, Jesus again gave me a few directives:

First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all its force. Second, during these ordeals do not lose your peace; live in my presence; ask My Mother and the Saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you. Fourth, do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptations, because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give me great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a chance to show me your fidelity.

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Divine Mercy Part 76

28 January 1938. Today the Lord said to me:

My daughter, write down these words: All those souls who will glorify my mercy and spread its worship, encouraging others to trust in my mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death. My mercy will shield them in that final battle...

My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It pleases me to grant everything they ask of me by saying this chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.

Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of their misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with a trust let it throw itself into the arms of my mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to my compassionate heart, they have first access to my mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon my mercy has been dissapointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in me.

Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between my Father and the dying person, not as a judge but as the merciful saviour.

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Divine Mercy Part 75

I saw the great anger of God hanging heavy over Poland. And now I see that if God were to visit our country with the greatest chastisement, that would still be great mercy because, for such grave transgressions, he could punish us with eternal annihilation. I was paralyzed with fear when the lord lifted the veil a little for me. Now I see clearly that chosen souls keep the world in existence to fulfill the measure [of justice].

Page 546

In return for my blessings, I get ingratitude. In return for my love, I get forgetfulness and indifference. My heart cannot bear this.

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Divine Mercy Part 74

My daughter , do not tire of proclaiming my mercy. In this way you will refresh this heart of mine, which burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell my priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about my unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in my heart. To priests who proclaim and extol my mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those whom they will speak.

Page 543

I have opened my heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in my mercy will be filled with my divine peace at the hour of death.

Page 542

Divine Mercy Part 73

My daughter, tell souls that I am giving them my mercy as a defense. I myself am fighting for them and am bearing the just anger of my Father.

Page 542


Satan gained nothing by tempting you, because you did not enter into conversation with him. Continue to act in this way. You gave me great glory today by fighting so faithfully. Let it be confirmed and engraved on your heart that I am always with you, even if you don't feel my presence at the time of battle.

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Divine Mercy Part 72

My beloved child, delight of my heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing to me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of my heart are open to you. Take from this heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world. For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases me more than a thousand imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the godless overwhelm me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimitedvalue in my eyes because of your great love for me. In a soul that lives on my love alone , I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find my happiness; my ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often i anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by me, apple of my eye, rest a moment near my heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity.

But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by my grace, and fight for my kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, my child, a great number of souls who will glorify my mercy for all eternity. My child, that you may answer my call worthily, receive me daily in holy Communion. It will give you strength...

Page 533

Divine Mercy Part 71

My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not to disturb your interior peace, even not momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self love. Have confidence, my child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify my mercy.

Page 530

It is because you are not of this world that the world hates you. First it persecuted me. Persecution is a sign that you are following in my footsteps faithfully.

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Divine Mercy Part 70

My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has dissapeared in the depths of my mercy. Do not argue with me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of my grace.

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Divine Mercy Part 69

Chosen souls who do not have my spirit, who live according to the letter and have placed the letter above my spirit, above the spirit of love.

I have founded my whole law on love, and yet I do not see love, even in religious orders. This is why sadness fills my heart.

Page 520

Divine Mercy Part 68

Oh, how painful it is to me that souls so seldom unite themselves to me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust me. I want to lavish my graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat me as a dead object, whereas my heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of my pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children. While those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble feeble image and likeness of my love.

Write, speak of my mercy . Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the sacrament of reconciliation].There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of my representative and to reveal to him one's misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God's mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late.

Page 511

Divine Mercy Part 67

The loss of each soul plunges me into mortal sadness. You always console me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, my daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.

Page 498

Divine Mercy Part 66

Oh, if sinners knew my mercy, they would not perish in such great numbers. Tell sinful souls not to be afraid to approach me; speak to them of my great mercy.

page 497

I desire to unite myself with human souls; my great delight is to unite myself with souls. Know, my daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, my hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to me; they leave me to myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! they treat me as a dead object.

Page 494

Divine Mercy Part 65

As I was meditating on the sin of the Angels and their immediate punishment, I asked Jesus why the Angels had been punished as soon as they had sinned.I heard a voice:

Because of their profound knowledge of God. No person on earth, even though a great saint, has such knowledge of God as an Angel has.

Page 480

At three o'çlock, implore my mercy, especially for sinners; and if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in my passion, particularly in my abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into my mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of me in virtue of my passion.

Page 474

Divine Mercy Part 64

Daughter, I need sacrifice lovingly accomplished, because that alone has meaning for me. Enormous indeed are the debts of the world which are due to me; pure souls can pay them by their sacrifice, exercising mercy in spirit.

I know my daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions or storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain my mercy on the day of judgement. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they wouls not be judged, for they would forestall my judgement with their mercy.

Page 473

Divine Mercy Part 63

Jesus came to the main entrance today, under the guise of a poor young man. this young man, emaciated, barefoot and bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen because the day was cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I went to the kitchen, but found nothing there for the poor. But after searching around for some time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and into which I crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate it. As I was taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that he was the Lord of heaven and earth. When I saw him as he was, he vanished from my sight. When I went back in and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these words in my soul:

My daughter, the blessings of the poor who bless me as they leave this gate have reached my ears. And your compassion, within the bounds of obedience, has pleased me, and this is why I came down from My throne- to taste the fruits of your mercy.

Page 472

Divine Mercy Part 62

19 September 1937. today, the lord told me:

My daughter, write that it pains me very much when religious souls receive the Sacrament of Love merely out of habit, as if they did not distinguish this food. I find neither faith nor love in their hearts. I go to such souls with great reluctance. It would be better if they did not receive me.


Page 464

My secretary, write that I am more generous toward sinners than toward the just. It was for their sake that I came down from heaven; it was for their sake that my Blood was spilled. Let them not fear to approach me; they are most in need of my mercy.

Page 460

Divine Mercy Part 61

When the same poor people come to the gate a second time, I treat them with greater gentleness, and I do not let them see that I know they have been here before;[I do this] in order not to embarrass them. And then they speak to me freely about their troubles and needs.

Although Sister N. tells me that is not the way to deal with beggars, and slams the door in their faces, when she is not there, i treat them as my master would. Sometimes more is given when giving nothing, than when giving much in a rude manner.

Page 462

Divine Mercy Part 60

My daughter, do you think you have written enough about my mercy? What you have written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am love and mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for my mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted- it increases. The soul that trusts in my mercy is most fortunate, because I myself take care of it.

Page 459

Divine Mercy Part 59

On 15 August 1937 Saint Faustina saw the Virgin Mary again.

Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in my congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbour; compassion and mercy.

Page 450

Divine Mercy Part 58

Ninth Day
Today bring to me souls who have become lukewarm, and immmerse them in the abyss of my mercy. These souls wound my heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out:"Father,take this cup away from me, if it be your will." For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to my mercy.

Page 442

Divine Mercy Part 57

Eighth Day
Today bring to me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of my mercy. Let the torrents of my blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by me. They are making retribution to my justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of my church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to my justice.

Page 441

Divine Mercy Part 56

Seventh Day
Today bring to me the souls who especially venerate and glorify my mercy, and immerse them in my mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my passion and entered most deeply into my spirit. they are living images of my compassionate heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each of them at the hour of death.

Page 440

Divine Mercy Part 55

Sixth Day
Today bring to me the meek and the humble souls and the souls of little children, and immerse them in my mercy. these souls most closely resemble my heart. They strengthened me during my bitter agony. I saw them as earthly angels, who would keep vigil at my altars. I pour out upon them the whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is able to receive my grace. I favour humble souls with my confidence.

Page 439

Divine Mercy Part 54

Fifth Day
Today bring to me the souls of heretics and schismatics, and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. During my bitter passion they tore at my body and heart; that is my church. As they return to unity with the church my wounds heal, and in this way they alleviate my passion

Page 438

Divine Mercy Part 53

Fourth Day
Today bring to me the pagans and those who do not yet know me. I was thinking also of them during my bitter passion, and their future zeal comforted my heart. Immerse them in the ocean of my mercy.

Page 438

Divine Mercy Part 52

Third Day
Today bring to me all devout and faithful souls, and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.

Page 437

Divine Mercy Part 51

Second Day
Today bring to me souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in my unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me the strength to endure my bitter passion. Through them, as through channels, my mercy flows out upon mankind.

Page 436

Divine Mercy Part 50

First day
Today, bring to me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. In this way you will console me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges me.

Page 436

Divine Mercy Part 49

I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fount of my mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever graces they need in the hardships of life and, especially, at the hour of death.
On each day you will bring to my heart a different gruop of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of my mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of my Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of my mercy. On each day you will beg my Father, on the strenght of my bitter passion, for graces for these souls.

Page 435

Divine Mercy Part 48

From all my wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in my heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn me. I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about my mercy.

Page 431

My daughter, know without doubt, and once and for all, that only mortal sin drives me out of a soul, and nothing else.

Page 429

Divine Mercy Part 47

When I once asked the Lord Jesus how he could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the lord answered me,

I have eternity for punishing[these], and so I am prolonging the time of my mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of my visitation. My daughter, secretary of my mercy, your duty is not only to write about and proclaim my mercy, but also to beg for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify my mercy.

Page 424

Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect my mercy. My heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of my beloved must resemble mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of my mercy for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as mine.

Page 421

Divine Mercy Part 46

[Let]the greatest sinners place their trust in my mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of my mercy. My daughter, write about my mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to my mercy delight me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to my compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in my unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just judge, I first open wide the door of my mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of my mercy must pass through the door of my justice...

Page 420

Divine Mercy Part 45

Apostle of my mercy, proclaim to hte whole world my unfathomable mercy. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties you encounter in proclaiming my mercy. These difficulties that affect you so painfully are needed for your sanctification and as evidence that this work is mine. My daughter, be diligent in writing down every sentence I tell you concerning my mercy be cause this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it.

Page 419

Divine Mercy part 44

My beloved daughter, write down this words, that today my heart has rested in this convent. Tell the world about my mercy and my love.

The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause me when they do not want to accept them!

My daughter, do whatever is within your power ro spread devotion to my mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to my merciful heart, and I will fill it with peace.

Tell, my daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.

Souls, who spread the honour of my mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a judge for them but the Merciful Saviour.At the last hour, a soul has nothing to defend itself except my mercy. Happy is the soul thatcduring its lifetime immersed itself in the foundation of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.

Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in the bowels of my mercy, more deeply than an infant in its mother's womb. How painfully distrust of my goodness wounds me! Sins of distrust wound me most painfully.

page 404

Divine Mercy Part 43

I desire trust from my creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in my fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of my mercy.

Page 400

Divine Mercy Part 42

The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the Passion Service, although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my own room. Suddenly i heard the bell in the next room, and i went in and rendered a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly saw the lord Jesus, who said,

My daughter, you gave me greater pleasure by rendering me that service than if you had prayed for a long time.

I answered , "But it was not to you, Jesus, but to that patient that I rendered this service," and the Lord answered me,

Yes, my daughter, but whatever you do for your neighbour, you do for me.

page 391

Divine Mercy Part 41

Today, I received some oranges. When the sister had left, I thought to myself, "Should I eat the oranges instead of doing penance and mortifying myself during Holy Lent?" After all, I am feeling a little better." Then, i heard a voice in my soul:

My daughter, you please me more by eating the oranges out of obedience and love of me than by fasting and mortifying yourself of your own will. A soul that loves me very much must, ought to live by my will. I know your heart, and I know that it will not be satisfied by anything but my love alone.

Page 390

Divine Mercy Part 40

I want to give myself to souls and to fill them with my love, but a few there are who want to accept all the graces my love has intended for them. My grace is not lost; if the soul for whom it was intended does not accept it, another soul takes it.

Page 388

Divine Mercy Part 39

1 March 1937. the Lord gave me to know how displeased he is with a talkative soul.

I find no rest in such a soul. The constant din tires me, and in the midst of it the soul cannot discern my voice

Page 387

These words are for you. Do all you possibly can for this work of my mercy. I desire that my mercy be worshipped, and I am giving mankind the last hope of salvation; that is, recourse to my mercy. My heart rejoices in this feast.

Page 382

Friday, May 23, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 38

Souls perish in spite of my bitter passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation; that is the Feast of Mercy.If they do not adore my mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of my mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of mine, because the awful day, the day of my justice, is near.

Page 374

You will receive a greater reward for your obedience and subjection to your confessor than you will for the practices which you will be carrying out. Know this, my daughter, and act accordingly: anything, no matter how small it be, that has the seal of obedience to my representative is pleasing to me and great in my eyes.

Page 362

Divine Mercy Part 37

Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of my tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet. Write down this words, my daughter. Speak to the world about my mercy; let all mankind recognize my unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of my mercy; let them profit from the blood and water which gushed forth for them.

Page 332

Divine Mercy Part 36

December 16[1936].I have offered this day for Russia. I have offered all my sufferings and prayers for that poor country. After Holy Communion, Jesus said to me,

I cannot suffer that country any longer. Do not tie my hands, my daughter.

page 322

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 35

The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by my mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.

page 302

At the hour of their death, I defend as my own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgnece is the same. when this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of my tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful passion of my son.

page 320

Divine Mercy Part 34

My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere my mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in my mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for me. You are to show mercy to your neighbours always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbour:the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third -by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverance to my mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of my mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of my mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works.

Page 298

Divine Mercy Part 33

There are few souls who contemplate my passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on my passion.

page 296

Divine Mercy Part 32

The graces I grant you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls as well... And your heart is my constant dwelling place, despite the misery that you are. I unite myself with you, take away your misery and give you my mercy. I perform works of mercy in every soul. The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to my mercy. my mercy is confirmed in every work of my hands. He who trusts in my mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are mine, and his enemies wll be shattered at the base of my footstool.

Page 292

Divine Mercy Part 31

My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of my mercy. the soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grce flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, b it of man or angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of my most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to me will contemplate my love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. it is my desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy.

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Divine Mercy Part 30

Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from my infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world knows my infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in my mercy.

page 282

Divine Mercy Part 29

Saint Faustina mentions this encounter with the Virgin Mary on 25 March 1936.

Then I saw the Mother of god, who said to me, oh, how pleasing to God is the soulthat follows faithfully the inspirations of his grace! I gave the Saviour to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the world about his great mercy and prepare the world for the second coming of him who will come, not as a merciful saviour, but as a just judge. Oh, how terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is still time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you.

Pag 264

Divine Mercy Part 28

When you reflect upon what I tell you in the depths of your heart, you profit more than if you had read many books. oh, if souls would only want to listen to my voice when I am speaking in the depths of their hearts, they would reach the peak of holiness in a short time.

Page 246

Divine Mercy Part 27

I am more deeply wounded by the small imperfections of chosen souls than by the sins of those living in the world. These little imperfections are not all. I will reveal to you a secret og My Hrat: what I suffer from chosen souls. Ingratitude in return for so many graces is My Heart's constant food, on the part of [such] a chosen soul. their love is lukewarm, and My Heart cannot bear it; these souls force me to reject them. Others distrust my goodness and have no desire to experience such that sweet in their own hearts, but go in search of me, off in the distance, and do not find Me. This distrust of My Goodness hurts me very much. If my death has not convinced you of My love, what will? Often a soul wounds Me mortally, and then no one can comfort Me. They use My graces to offend me.There are souls who despise My graces as well as all the proofs of My love. They do not wish to hear my call, but proceed into the abyss of hell.The loss of these souls plunges me into deadly sorrow. God though I am, I cannot help such a soul because it scorns me; having a free will, it can spurn me or love me. You , who are the dispenser of my mercy, tell all the world about my goodness, and thus you will comfort my heart.

Page 245

Divine Mercy Part 26

Write what I say to you. my delight is to be united with you. With great desire, I wait and long for the time when I shall take up my residence sacramentally in your convent. My spirit will rest in that convent and I will bless this neighbourhood in a special way. Out of love for you all, i will avert any punishments which are rightly metred out by my Father's justice. My daughter, I have inclined my heart to your requests.Your assignment and duty here on earth is to beg for mercy for the whole world. No soul will be justified until it turns with confidence to my mercy, and this is why the first Sunday after Easter is to be the Feast of Mercy. On that day, priests are to tell everyone about my great and unfathomable mercy. Tell the confessor that the Image is to be on view in the church and not within the enclosure in the convent. By means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let every soul have access to it.

Page 242

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 25

During the night, a soul I had already seen before visited me. However it did not ask for prayer, but reproached me saying that I used to be very haughty and vain..."and now you are interceding for others while you yourself still have certain vices." I answered that I indeed had been vain and haughty, but that I had confessed this before an had done penance for my stupidity, and that I trusted in the goodness of my God, and that if I still fell occasionally, this was indeliberate and never premeditated, even in the smallest things. Still the soul continued to reproach me, saying,"Why are you unwilling to recognize my greatness?" Why do you alone not glorify me for the great deeds as all others do?" Then i saw that it was Satan under the assumed appearance of this soul and I said,"Glory is due to God alone;begone Satan!" And in an instant this soul fell into an abyss, horrible beyond all description. And I said to the wretched soul that I would tell the whole Church about this.

Page 221

Divine Mercy Part 24

This episode happened at the cemetary of the Congregation of our Lady of Mercy in Cracow.Saint Faustina was in Cracow for an eight days retreat. All the sisters who die in Cracow are buried there.Saint Faustina was buried there too until her exhumation on 25 november 1966.

In the evening I was walking in the garden saying my rosary and came to the cemetary, I opened the gate a little and began to pray for a while, and I asked them interiorly,"You are very happy are you not?" Then I heard the words,"We are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled god's will"- and then silence as before...





Page 220

Divine Mercy Part 23

This prayer will serve to appease my wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one our Father and Hail Mary and the I Believe In God. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words: "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." On the HAIL MARY beads you will say the following words:"For the sake of his sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world." In conclusion , three times you will recite these words:"Holy God, Holy mighty One,Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Page 208

Divine Mercy Part 22

13 September 1935

In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a dazzling robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing to his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, for good reasons I cannot name, I began to implore the angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of the divine anger. Just then I saw the Most holy Trinity. The greatness of its majesty pierced me deeply, and i did not dare to repeat my entreaties. At that moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus' grace, which dwells in my soul. When I became concious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. oh, how great is our lord and God and how incomprehensible his holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this greatness, because before long we shall see him as he is. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly.

As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel's helplessness: He could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins.Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then.The words with which I entreated God are these:

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us.


Page 207

Divine Mercy Part 21

You will prepare the world for my final coming.

Page 190

My daughter, have fear of nothing; I am always with you. All your adversaries will harm you only to the degree that I permit them to do so. You are my dwelling place and my constant repose. For your sake I will withhold the hand which punishes; for your sake I will bless the earth.

Page 191

Divine Mercy Part 20

This encounter with the Lord happened on 12 May 1935.

In the evening,I was just about to go into bed, and I fell asleep immediately. Though I fell asleep quickly, I was awakened more quickly. A little child came and woke me up. the child seemed about a year old, and I was surprised it could speak so well, as children of that age either do not speak or speak very indistinctly. The child was beautiful beyond words and resembled the Child Jesus, and he said to me,

Look at the sky.

And when I looked at the sky I saw the stars and the moon shining. Then the child asked me,

Do you see this moon and the stars?

When I said yes, he spoke these words to me,

These stars are the souls of the faithful Christians, and the moon is the souls of religious. Do you see how great the difference is between the light of the moon and the light of the stars? Such is the difference in heaven between the soul of a religious and the soul of a faithful Christian.True greatness is in loving god and in humility.

Page 188

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 19

Jesus spoke to to Saint Faustina on 28 April 1935 which was the Feast of the Divine Mercy.

This feast emerged from the very depths of my mercy and it is confirmed in the vast depths of my tender mercies. Every soul believing and trusting in my mercy will obtain it.

Page 186

Divine Mercy Part 18

I fell asleep as soon I lay down, but at 11 o'çlock Satan shook my bed, I awoke instantly, and I started to pray peacfully to my Guardian angel. Then i saw the souls who were doing penance in purgatory. They appeared like shadows, and among them I saw many demons. One of these tried to vex me; taking the form of a cat, he kept throwing himslf onto my bed and on my feet, and he was quite heavy, as if[weighing]a ton.

I kept praying the rosary all the while, and toward dawn these things vanished, and I was able to get some sleep. When I entered the chapel in the morning I heard a voice in my soul,

You are united to me; fear nothing. But know, my child, that Satan hates you; he hates every soul, but he burns with a particular hatred for you, because you have snatched so many souls from his dominion

Page 184

Divine Mercy Part 17

Who will proclaim my great mercy.I shall protect them myself at the hour of death, as my own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he gives me the greatest praise and is the glory of my passion. When a soul praises my goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of hell.

With souls that have recourse to my mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim my great mercy to others, I will deal according to my infinite mercy at the hour of their death.

My heart is sorrowful, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of my mercy. Their relationship[with me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds my heart! Remember my passion, and if you do not believe my words, at least believe my wounds.

Page 172

Divine Mercy Part 16

There is more merit to one hour of meditation on my sorrowful passion than here is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of my painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings me great joy. I am surprised that you still have not completely renounced your self-will, but I rejoice exceedingly that this change will be accomplished during the retreat.

page 166

Divine Mercy Part 15

My heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand thaqt I am the best of fathers to them and that it is for them that the blood and water flowed from my heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. for them I dwell in the tabenacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow my graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You , at least, come to me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console my heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of my love! My heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to me for graces.

So I turn to you-chosen souls, will you also fail to understand the love of my heart? Here, too, my heart finds dissapointment; I do not find complete surrender to my love. So many reservations, so much distrust, so much caution. To comfort you, let me tell you that there are souls living in the world who love me dearly. I dwell in their hearts with delight. But they are few. In convents too, there are saouls that fill my heart with joy. They bear my features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. the love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence.The infidelity of a soul specially choen by me wounds my heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce my heart.

Page 165

Monday, May 19, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 14

When the priest acts in my place, he does not act of himself, but I act through him. his wishes are mine.

page 150

Everything that you say about my goodness is true; language has no adequate expression to extol my goodness.

Page 162

Divine Mercy part 13

On August 9 1934 Saint Faustina offered Adoration hour for the conversion of hardened sinners.After that she encountered the Lord.

Jesus made known to me how very pleasing to him were prayers of atonement.He said to me,

The prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean of blessings.

After the adoration,halfway back to my cell,I was surrounded by a pack of huge black dogs who were jumping and howling and trying to tear me to pieces.I realized that they were not dogs,but demons.One of them spoke up in rage,"Because you have snatched so many souls away from us tonight,we will tear you to pieces." I answered,"If that is the will of the most merciful God,tear me to pieces,for I have justly deserved it,because I am the most miserable of all sinners,and god is ever Holy,just and infinitely merciful." To these words all the demons answered as one,"let us flee,for she is not alone;the almighty is with her!" And they vanished like dust, like the noise of the road,while I continued on my way to my cell undisturbed,finishing my Te Deum and pondering the infinite and unfathomable mercy of God.

page 145

Divine Mercy part 12

When,on one occassion, my confessor told me to ask the Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image,I answered,"very well, I will ask the Lord."

During prayer I heard these words within me:

These two rays denote Blood and Water.The pale ray stands for the water which makes souls righteous.The red ray stands for the blood which is the life of souls...

These two rays issued from the very depths of my tender mercy when my agonized heart was opened by a lance on the cross.

These rays shield souls from the wrath of my Father.Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter,for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.

Ask of my faithful servant[Father Sopocko] that,on this day he tell the whole world of my great mercy ;that whoever approaches the fount of life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment.

Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my mercy.

Oh how much i am hurt by a soul's distrust!Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not trust in my Goodness.Even the devils glorify my Justice but do not believe in my Goodness.

My heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.

Proclaim that Mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of my hands are crowned with mercy.

page 139

Divine Mercy part 11

Once Jesus said to me,

Do not be surprised that you are sometimes unjustly accused. I myself first drank this cup of undeserved suffering for the love of you.

Page 136

Divine Mercy Part 10

1934.Once when I returned to my cell,I was so tired that I had to rest a moment before I started to undress and when I was already undressed,one of the sisters asked me to fetch her some hot water.Although I was tired,I dressed quickly and brought her the water she wanted,even though it was quite a long walk from the cell to the kitchen,and the mud was ankle deepWhen I re-entered the cell,I saw the ciborium with the Blessed Sacrament,and I heard this voice,

"Take the ciborium to the table."

I hesitated at first but when I approached and touched it,I heard these words,

"Approach each of the sistes with the same love with which you approach me;and whatever you do for them,you do ti for me."

page 134

Divine Mercy Part 9

I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in my heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon my passion.Call upon my mercy on behalf of sinners;I desire their salvation.When you say this prayer,with a contrite heart and with a faith on behalf of some sinner,I will give him the grace of conversion.This is the prayer:

O blood and water,which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us,I trust in you.

page 102

Divine Mercy Part 8

My daughter,speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy of mine. The flames of mercy are burning me- clamouring to be spent;I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in my goodness.

Page 98

Divine Mercy Part 7

My daughter,do not omit Holy Communion unless you know well that your fall was serious; apart from this,no doubt must stop you from uniting yourself with me in the mystery of my love. Your minor faults will dissapear in my lovew like a piece of straw thrown into a great furnace.Know that you grieve me much when you fail to receive Holy Communion.

Page 87

Friday, May 16, 2008

Divine Mercy Part 6

Write this: before I come as the just judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy.Before the day of Justice arrives, there will be given to the people a sign in the heavens of this sort:
All light in the heavens will be extinguished,and there will be great darkness over the whole earth.Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and feet of the Saviour were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day.

Page 42

Divine Mercy Part 5

This entry was dated on the 22nd of Febuary 1931.

In the evening, when i as in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drwn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy.After a while Jesus said to me,

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature:Jesus I trust in you.I deisre that this image be venerated,first in your chapel, and throughout the world.
I promise that the soul that will vnerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. i myself will defend it as my own glory...I desire that there be a Feast Of Mercy.I want this image, which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy.
I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of mine towards the souls of sinners.Let the sinner not be afraid to approach me.The flames of mercy are burning me-clamouring to be spent;i want to pour them upon these souls.
Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at my insides. the distrust of a chosen soul causes me greater pain;despite my inexhaustible love for them they do not trust me.even my death is not enough for them.woe to the soul that abuse these.

Page 25

Divine Mercy Part 4

On one occassion I was reflecting on the Holy Trinity, on the essence of God.I absolutely wanted to know and fathom who God is...In an instant my spirit was caught up in what seemed to be the next world.I saw an inaccesible light..And from this light came a voice which said:

"Who god is in his essence,no one will fathom,neither the mind of Angels nor of man.Get to know God by contemplating his attributes."

page 17

Divine Mercy part 3

Once she has entered the convent Saint Faustina's encounters with the Divine increased. "I saw my Guadian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls.They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My guadian angel did not leave me for an instant.I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory.The souls call her "The Star of the Sea." She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk to them some more but my Guradian Angel beckoned me to leave.We went out of that prison of suffering.[I heard an interior voice] which said,

"My mercy does not want it, but justice demands it"
page 11

Divine Mercy Part 2

Saint Fautina writes about her journey to the convent in Warsaw in July 1924: " Once I was at a dance with one of my sisters. While everybody was having a good time, my soul was experiencing deep torments. As I began to dance,I suddenly saw Jesus at my side, Jesus racked with pain, stripped of his clothing, all covered with wounds, who spoke those words to me:

" How long shall I put up with you and how long will you keep putting me off?"

Page 6

Story of the Feast day Of Divine Mercy Part 1

Got hold of Saint Fautina's Diary entitled Divine Mercy In My Soul. It details her experiences with Jesus that eventually led to the establishment of the Feast day. I will extract only parts of her diary as the book is over 600 pages.

Helen Kowalska was born on 25 August 1905 in the village of Glogowiec, Turek county, Lodz Province, Poland. it was at the age of seven in 1912 that she hears for the first time a voice in her soul calling her to a more perfect way of life.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Feast Day of Saint Matthias

Not much is known about Matthias except from the Acts of the Apostles which documents his selection as the one to replace Judas after lots were cast.b


According to Nicephorus (Historia eccl., 2, 40), Matthias first preached the Gospel in Judea, then in Ethiopia (made out to be a synonym for the geographically quite separate Colchis, now Caucasian Georgia) and was crucified in Colchis. A marker placed in the ruins of the Roman fortress at Gonio (Apsaros) in the modern Georgian region of Adjara claims that Matthias is buried at that site.

The Synopsis of Dorotheus contains this tradition:

Matthias in interiore Æthiopia, ubi Hyssus maris portus et Phasis fluvius est, hominibus barbaris et carnivoris praedicavit Evangelium. Mortuus est autem in Sebastopoli, ibique prope templum Solis sepultus. ("Matthias preached the Gospel to barbarians and meat-eaters in the interior of Ethiopia, where the sea harbor of Hyssus is, at the mouth of the river Phasis. He died at Sebastopolis, and was buried there, near the Temple of the Sun.")

An extant Coptic Acts of Andrew and Matthias, places his activity similarly in "the city of the cannibals" in Ethiopia.

Alternately, another tradition maintains that Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem by the Jews, and then beheaded (cf. Tillemont, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire ecclesiastique des six premiers siècles, I, 406-7).

According to Hippolytus of Rome, Matthias died of old age in Jerusalem.

The Three Secrets

Here is the accouunt written by Lucia :

This will entail my speaking about the secret, and thus answering the first question.

What is the secret? It seems to me that I can reveal it, since I already have permission from Heaven to do so. God's representatives on earth have authorized me to do this several times and in various letters, one of which, I believe, is in your keeping. This letter is from Father José Bernardo Gonçalves, and in it he advises me to write to the Holy Father, suggesting, among other things, that I should reveal the secret. I did say something about it. But in order not to make my letter too long, since I was told to keep it short, I confined myself to the essentials, leaving it to God to provide another more favourable opportunity.

In my second account I have already described in detail the doubt which tormented me from 13 June until 13 July, and how it disappeared completely during the Apparition on that day.

Well, the secret is made up of three distinct parts, two of which I am now going to reveal.

The first part is the vision of hell.

Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.

We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly:

“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world”.(7)


“J.M.J.

The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Fatima, on 13 July 1917.

I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.

After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White ‘we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.

Tuy-3-1-1944”.


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INTERPRETATION OF THE “SECRET”



LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO SISTER LUCIA
(original text)







(translation)

To the Reverend Sister
Maria Lucia
of the Convent of Coimbra

In the great joy of Easter, I greet you with the words the Risen Jesus spoke to the disciples: “Peace be with you”!

I will be happy to be able to meet you on the long-awaited day of the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, which, please God, I will celebrate on 13 May of this year.

Since on that day there will be time only for a brief greeting and not a conversation, I am sending His Excellency Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to speak with you. This is the Congregation which works most closely with the Pope in defending the true Catholic faith, and which since 1957, as you know, has kept your hand-written letter containing the third part of the “secret” revealed on 13 July 1917 at Cova da Iria, Fatima.

Archbishop Bertone, accompanied by the Bishop of Leiria, His Excellency Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva, will come in my name to ask certain questions about the interpretation of “the third part of the secret”.

Sister Maria Lucia, you may speak openly and candidly to Archbishop Bertone, who will report your answers directly to me.

I pray fervently to the Mother of the Risen Lord for you, Reverend Sister, for the Community of Coimbra and for the whole Church. May Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity, keep us always united to Jesus, her beloved Son and our brother, the Lord of life and glory.

With my special Apostolic Blessing.

IOANNES PAULUS PP. II

From the Vatican, 19 April 2000.


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CONVERSATION
WITH SISTER MARIA LUCIA OF JESUS
AND THE IMMACULATE HEART

The meeting between Sister Lucia, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sent by the Holy Father, and Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, took place on Thursday, 27 April 2000, in the Carmel of Saint Teresa in Coimbra.

Sister Lucia was lucid and at ease; she was very happy that the Holy Father was going to Fatima for the Beatification of Francisco and Jacinta, something she had looked forward to for a long time.

The Bishop of Leiria-Fatima read the autograph letter of the Holy Father, which explained the reasons for the visit. Sister Lucia felt honoured by this and reread the letter herself, contemplating it in own her hands. She said that she was prepared to answer all questions frankly.

At this point, Archbishop Bertone presented two envelopes to her: the first containing the second, which held the third part of the “secret” of Fatima. Immediately, touching it with her fingers, she said: “This is my letter”, and then while reading it: “This is my writing”.

The original text, in Portuguese, was read and interpreted with the help of the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima. Sister Lucia agreed with the interpretation that the third part of the “secret” was a prophetic vision, similar to those in sacred history. She repeated her conviction that the vision of Fatima concerns above all the struggle of atheistic Communism against the Church and against Christians, and describes the terrible sufferings of the victims of the faith in the twentieth century.

When asked: “Is the principal figure in the vision the Pope?”, Sister Lucia replied at once that it was. She recalled that the three children were very sad about the suffering of the Pope, and that Jacinta kept saying: “Coitadinho do Santo Padre, tenho muita pena dos pecadores!” (“Poor Holy Father, I am very sad for sinners!”). Sister Lucia continued: “We did not know the name of the Pope; Our Lady did not tell us the name of the Pope; we did not know whether it was Benedict XV or Pius XII or Paul VI or John Paul II; but it was the Pope who was suffering and that made us suffer too”.

As regards the passage about the Bishop dressed in white, that is, the Holy Father—as the children immediately realized during the “vision”—who is struck dead and falls to the ground, Sister Lucia was in full agreement with the Pope's claim that “it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death” (Pope John Paul II, Meditation from the Policlinico Gemelli to the Italian Bishops, 13 May 1994).

Before giving the sealed envelope containing the third part of the “secret” to the then Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, Sister Lucia wrote on the outside envelope that it could be opened only after 1960, either by the Patriarch of Lisbon or the Bishop of Leiria. Archbishop Bertone therefore asked: “Why only after 1960? Was it Our Lady who fixed that date?” Sister Lucia replied: “It was not Our Lady. I fixed the date because I had the intuition that before 1960 it would not be understood, but that only later would it be understood. Now it can be better understood. I wrote down what I saw; however it was not for me to interpret it, but for the Pope.

Finally, mention was made of the unpublished manuscript which Sister Lucia has prepared as a reply to the many letters that come from Marian devotees and from pilgrims. The work is called Os apelos da Mensagem de Fatima, and it gathers together in the style of catechesis and exhortation thoughts and reflections which express Sister Lucia's feelings and her clear and unaffected spirituality. She was asked if she would be happy to have it published, and she replied: “If the Holy Father agrees, then I am happy, otherwise I obey whatever the Holy Father decides”. Sister Lucia wants to present the text for ecclesiastical approval, and she hopes that what she has written will help to guide men and women of good will along the path that leads to God, the final goal of every human longing. The conversation ends with an exchange of rosaries. Sister Lucia is given a rosary sent by the Holy Father, and she in turn offers a number of rosaries made by herself.

The meeting concludes with the blessing imparted in the name of the Holy Father.


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ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO
SECRETARY OF STATE

At the end of the Mass presided over by the Holy Father at Fatima, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Secretary of State, made this announcement in Portuguese, which is given here in English translation:

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord!

At the conclusion of this solemn celebration, I feel bound to offer our beloved Holy Father Pope John Paul II, on behalf of all present, heartfelt good wishes for his approaching 80th Birthday and to thank him for his vital pastoral ministry for the good of all God's Holy Church; we present the heartfelt wishes of the whole Church.

On this solemn occasion of his visit to Fatima, His Holiness has directed me to make an announcement to you. As you know, the purpose of his visit to Fatima has been to beatify the two “little shepherds”. Nevertheless he also wishes his pilgrimage to be a renewed gesture of gratitude to Our Lady for her protection during these years of his papacy. This protection seems also to be linked to the so-called third part of the “secret” of Fatima.

That text contains a prophetic vision similar to those found in Sacred Scripture, which do not describe photographically the details of future events, but synthesize and compress against a single background facts which extend through time in an unspecified succession and duration. As a result, the text must be interpreted in a symbolic key.

The vision of Fatima concerns above all the war waged by atheistic systems against the Church and Christians, and it describes the immense suffering endured by the witnesses of the faith in the last century of the second millennium. It is an interminable Way of the Cross led by the Popes of the twentieth century.

According to the interpretation of the “little shepherds”, which was also confirmed recently by Sister Lucia, “the Bishop clothed in white” who prays for all the faithful is the Pope. As he makes his way with great difficulty towards the Cross amid the corpses of those who were martyred (Bishops, priests, men and women Religious and many lay people), he too falls to the ground, apparently dead, under a hail of gunfire.

After the assassination attempt of 13 May 1981, it appeared evident that it was “a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path”, enabling “the Pope in his throes” to halt “at the threshold of death” (Pope John Paul II, Meditation from the Policlinico Gemelli to the Italian Bishops, Insegnamenti, XVII, 1 [1994], 1061). On the occasion of a visit to Rome by the then Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, the Pope decided to give him the bullet which had remained in the jeep after the assassination attempt, so that it might be kept in the shrine. By the Bishop's decision, the bullet was later set in the crown of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

The successive events of 1989 led, both in the Soviet Union and in a number of countries of Eastern Europe, to the fall of the Communist regimes which promoted atheism. For this too His Holiness offers heartfelt thanks to the Most Holy Virgin. In other parts of the world, however, attacks against the Church and against Christians, with the burden of suffering they bring, tragically continue. Even if the events to which the third part of the “secret” of Fatima refers now seem part of the past, Our Lady's call to conversion and penance, issued at the start of the twentieth century, remains timely and urgent today. “The Lady of the message seems to read the signs of the times—the signs of our time—with special insight... The insistent invitation of Mary Most Holy to penance is nothing but the manifestation of her maternal concern for the fate of the human family, in need of conversion and forgiveness” (Pope John Paul II, Message for the 1997 World Day of the Sick, No. 1, Insegnamenti, XIX, 2 [1996], 561).

In order that the faithful may better receive the message of Our Lady of Fatima, the Pope has charged the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with making public the third part of the “secret”, after the preparation of an appropriate commentary.

Brothers and sisters, let us thank Our Lady of Fatima for her protection. To her maternal intercession let us entrust the Church of the Third Millennium.

Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genetrix! Intercede pro Ecclesia. Intercede pro Papa nostro Ioanne Paulo II. Amen.

Fatima, 13 May 2000


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THEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

A careful reading of the text of the so-called third “secret” of Fatima, published here in its entirety long after the fact and by decision of the Holy Father, will probably prove disappointing or surprising after all the speculation it has stirred. No great mystery is revealed; nor is the future unveiled. We see the Church of the martyrs of the century which has just passed represented in a scene described in a language which is symbolic and not easy to decipher. Is this what the Mother of the Lord wished to communicate to Christianity and to humanity at a time of great difficulty and distress? Is it of any help to us at the beginning of the new millennium? Or are these only projections of the inner world of children, brought up in a climate of profound piety but shaken at the same time by the tempests which threatened their own time? How should we understand the vision? What are we to make of it?

Public Revelation and private revelations – their theological status

Before attempting an interpretation, the main lines of which can be found in the statement read by Cardinal Sodano on 13 May of this year at the end of the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in Fatima, there is a need for some basic clarification of the way in which, according to Church teaching, phenomena such as Fatima are to be understood within the life of faith. The teaching of the Church distinguishes between “public Revelation” and “private revelations”. The two realities differ not only in degree but also in essence. The term “public Revelation” refers to the revealing action of God directed to humanity as a whole and which finds its literary expression in the two parts of the Bible: the Old and New Testaments. It is called “Revelation” because in it God gradually made himself known to men, to the point of becoming man himself, in order to draw to himself the whole world and unite it with himself through his Incarnate Son, Jesus Christ. It is not a matter therefore of intellectual communication, but of a life-giving process in which God comes to meet man. At the same time this process naturally produces data pertaining to the mind and to the understanding of the mystery of God. It is a process which involves man in his entirety and therefore reason as well, but not reason alone. Because God is one, history, which he shares with humanity, is also one. It is valid for all time, and it has reached its fulfilment in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has said everything, that is, he has revealed himself completely, and therefore Revelation came to an end with the fulfilment of the mystery of Christ as enunciated in the New Testament. To explain the finality and completeness of Revelation, the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes a text of Saint John of the Cross: “In giving us his Son, his only Word (for he possesses no other), he spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word—and he has no more to say... because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son. Any person questioning God or desiring some vision or revelation would be guilty not only of foolish behaviour but also of offending him, by not fixing his eyes entirely upon Christ and by living with the desire for some other novelty” (No. 65; Saint John of the Cross,The Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 22).

Because the single Revelation of God addressed to all peoples comes to completion with Christ and the witness borne to him in the books of the New Testament, the Church is tied to this unique event of sacred history and to the word of the Bible, which guarantees and interprets it. But this does not mean that the Church can now look only to the past and that she is condemned to sterile repetition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says in this regard: “...even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made fully explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries” (No. 66). The way in which the Church is bound to both the uniqueness of the event and progress in understanding it is very well illustrated in the farewell discourse of the Lord when, taking leave of his disciples, he says: “I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority... He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:12-14). On the one hand, the Spirit acts as a guide who discloses a knowledge previously unreachable because the premise was missing—this is the boundless breadth and depth of Christian faith. On the other hand, to be guided by the Spirit is also “to draw from” the riches of Jesus Christ himself, the inexhaustible depths of which appear in the way the Spirit leads. In this regard, the Catechism cites profound words of Pope Gregory the Great: “The sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them” (No. 94; Gregory the Great,Homilia in Ezechielem I, 7, 8). The Second Vatican Council notes three essential ways in which the Spirit guides in the Church, and therefore three ways in which “the word grows”: through the meditation and study of the faithful, through the deep understanding which comes from spiritual experience, and through the preaching of “those who, in the succession of the episcopate, have received the sure charism of truth” (Dei Verbum, 8).

In this context, it now becomes possible to understand rightly the concept of “private revelation”, which refers to all the visions and revelations which have taken place since the completion of the New Testament. This is the category to which we must assign the message of Fatima. In this respect, let us listen once again to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church... It is not their role to complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history” (No. 67). This clarifies two things:

1. The authority of private revelations is essentially different from that of the definitive public Revelation. The latter demands faith; in it in fact God himself speaks to us through human words and the mediation of the living community of the Church. Faith in God and in his word is different from any other human faith, trust or opinion. The certainty that it is God who is speaking gives me the assurance that I am in touch with truth itself. It gives me a certitude which is beyond verification by any human way of knowing. It is the certitude upon which I build my life and to which I entrust myself in dying.

2. Private revelation is a help to this faith, and shows its credibility precisely by leading me back to the definitive public Revelation. In this regard, Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, the future Pope Benedict XIV, says in his classic treatise, which later became normative for beatifications and canonizations: “An assent of Catholic faith is not due to revelations approved in this way; it is not even possible. These revelations seek rather an assent of human faith in keeping with the requirements of prudence, which puts them before us as probable and credible to piety”. The Flemish theologian E. Dhanis, an eminent scholar in this field, states succinctly that ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation has three elements: the message contains nothing contrary to faith or morals; it is lawful to make it public; and the faithful are authorized to accept it with prudence (E. Dhanis,Sguardo su Fatima e bilancio di una discussione, in La Civiltà Cattolica 104 [1953], II, 392-406, in particular 397). Such a message can be a genuine help in understanding the Gospel and living it better at a particular moment in time; therefore it should not be disregarded. It is a help which is offered, but which one is not obliged to use.

The criterion for the truth and value of a private revelation is therefore its orientation to Christ himself. When it leads us away from him, when it becomes independent of him or even presents itself as another and better plan of salvation, more important than the Gospel, then it certainly does not come from the Holy Spirit, who guides us more deeply into the Gospel and not away from it. This does not mean that a private revelation will not offer new emphases or give rise to new devotional forms, or deepen and spread older forms. But in all of this there must be a nurturing of faith, hope and love, which are the unchanging path to salvation for everyone. We might add that private revelations often spring from popular piety and leave their stamp on it, giving it a new impulse and opening the way for new forms of it. Nor does this exclude that they will have an effect even on the liturgy, as we see for instance in the feasts of Corpus Christi and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From one point of view, the relationship between Revelation and private revelations appears in the relationship between the liturgy and popular piety: the liturgy is the criterion, it is the living form of the Church as a whole, fed directly by the Gospel. Popular piety is a sign that the faith is spreading its roots into the heart of a people in such a way that it reaches into daily life. Popular religiosity is the first and fundamental mode of “inculturation” of the faith. While it must always take its lead and direction from the liturgy, it in turn enriches the faith by involving the heart.

We have thus moved from the somewhat negative clarifications, initially needed, to a positive definition of private revelations. How can they be classified correctly in relation to Scripture? To which theological category do they belong? The oldest letter of Saint Paul which has been preserved, perhaps the oldest of the New Testament texts, the First Letter to the Thessalonians, seems to me to point the way. The Apostle says: “Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything, holding fast to what is good” (5:19-21). In every age the Church has received the charism of prophecy, which must be scrutinized but not scorned. On this point, it should be kept in mind that prophecy in the biblical sense does not mean to predict the future but to explain the will of God for the present, and therefore show the right path to take for the future. A person who foretells what is going to happen responds to the curiosity of the mind, which wants to draw back the veil on the future. The prophet speaks to the blindness of will and of reason, and declares the will of God as an indication and demand for the present time. In this case, prediction of the future is of secondary importance. What is essential is the actualization of the definitive Revelation, which concerns me at the deepest level. The prophetic word is a warning or a consolation, or both together. In this sense there is a link between the charism of prophecy and the category of “the signs of the times”, which Vatican II brought to light anew: “You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; why then do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (Lk 12:56). In this saying of Jesus, the “signs of the times” must be understood as the path he was taking, indeed it must be understood as Jesus himself. To interpret the signs of the times in the light of faith means to recognize the presence of Christ in every age. In the private revelations approved by the Church—and therefore also in Fatima—this is the point: they help us to understand the signs of the times and to respond to them rightly in faith.

The anthropological structure of private revelations

In these reflections we have sought so far to identify the theological status of private revelations. Before undertaking an interpretation of the message of Fatima, we must still attempt briefly to offer some clarification of their anthropological (psychological) character. In this field, theological anthropology distinguishes three forms of perception or “vision”: vision with the senses, and hence exterior bodily perception, interior perception, and spiritual vision (visio sensibilis - imaginativa - intellectualis). It is clear that in the visions of Lourdes, Fatima and other places it is not a question of normal exterior perception of the senses: the images and forms which are seen are not located spatially, as is the case for example with a tree or a house. This is perfectly obvious, for instance, as regards the vision of hell (described in the first part of the Fatima “secret”) or even the vision described in the third part of the “secret”. But the same can be very easily shown with regard to other visions, especially since not everybody present saw them, but only the “visionaries”. It is also clear that it is not a matter of a “vision” in the mind, without images, as occurs at the higher levels of mysticism. Therefore we are dealing with the middle category, interior perception. For the visionary, this perception certainly has the force of a presence, equivalent for that person to an external manifestation to the senses.

Interior vision does not mean fantasy, which would be no more than an expression of the subjective imagination. It means rather that the soul is touched by something real, even if beyond the senses. It is rendered capable of seeing that which is beyond the senses, that which cannot be seen—seeing by means of the “interior senses”. It involves true “objects”, which touch the soul, even if these “objects” do not belong to our habitual sensory world. This is why there is a need for an interior vigilance of the heart, which is usually precluded by the intense pressure of external reality and of the images and thoughts which fill the soul. The person is led beyond pure exteriority and is touched by deeper dimensions of reality, which become visible to him. Perhaps this explains why children tend to be the ones to receive these apparitions: their souls are as yet little disturbed, their interior powers of perception are still not impaired. “On the lips of children and of babes you have found praise”, replies Jesus with a phrase of Psalm 8 (v. 3) to the criticism of the High Priests and elders, who had judged the children's cries of “hosanna” inappropriate (cf. Mt 21:16).

“Interior vision” is not fantasy but, as we have said, a true and valid means of verification. But it also has its limitations. Even in exterior vision the subjective element is always present. We do not see the pure object, but it comes to us through the filter of our senses, which carry out a work of translation. This is still more evident in the case of interior vision, especially when it involves realities which in themselves transcend our horizon. The subject, the visionary, is still more powerfully involved. He sees insofar as he is able, in the modes of representation and consciousness available to him. In the case of interior vision, the process of translation is even more extensive than in exterior vision, for the subject shares in an essential way in the formation of the image of what appears. He can arrive at the image only within the bounds of his capacities and possibilities. Such visions therefore are never simple “photographs” of the other world, but are influenced by the potentialities and limitations of the perceiving subject.

This can be demonstrated in all the great visions of the saints; and naturally it is also true of the visions of the children at Fatima. The images described by them are by no means a simple expression of their fantasy, but the result of a real perception of a higher and interior origin. But neither should they be thought of as if for a moment the veil of the other world were drawn back, with heaven appearing in its pure essence, as one day we hope to see it in our definitive union with God. Rather the images are, in a manner of speaking, a synthesis of the impulse coming from on high and the capacity to receive this impulse in the visionaries, that is, the children. For this reason, the figurative language of the visions is symbolic. In this regard, Cardinal Sodano stated: “[they] do not describe photographically the details of future events, but synthesize and compress against a single background facts which extend through time in an unspecified succession and duration”. This compression of time and place in a single image is typical of such visions, which for the most part can be deciphered only in retrospect. Not every element of the vision has to have a specific historical sense. It is the vision as a whole that matters, and the details must be understood on the basis of the images taken in their entirety. The central element of the image is revealed where it coincides with what is the focal point of Christian “prophecy” itself: the centre is found where the vision becomes a summons and a guide to the will of God.

An attempt to interpret the “secret” of Fatima

The first and second parts of the “secret” of Fatima have already been so amply discussed in the relative literature that there is no need to deal with them again here. I would just like to recall briefly the most significant point. For one terrible moment, the children were given a vision of hell. They saw the fall of “the souls of poor sinners”. And now they are told why they have been exposed to this moment: “in order to save souls”—to show the way to salvation. The words of the First Letter of Peter come to mind: “As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1:9). To reach this goal, the way indicated —surprisingly for people from the Anglo-Saxon and German cultural world—is devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. A brief comment may suffice to explain this. In biblical language, the “heart” indicates the centre of human life, the point where reason, will, temperament and sensitivity converge, where the person finds his unity and his interior orientation. According to Matthew 5:8, the “immaculate heart” is a heart which, with God's grace, has come to perfect interior unity and therefore “sees God”. To be “devoted” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary means therefore to embrace this attitude of heart, which makes the fiat—“your will be done”—the defining centre of one's whole life. It might be objected that we should not place a human being between ourselves and Christ. But then we remember that Paul did not hesitate to say to his communities: “imitate me” (1 Cor 4:16; Phil 3:17; 1 Th 1:6; 2 Th 3:7, 9). In the Apostle they could see concretely what it meant to follow Christ. But from whom might we better learn in every age than from the Mother of the Lord?

Thus we come finally to the third part of the “secret” of Fatima which for the first time is being published in its entirety. As is clear from the documentation presented here, the interpretation offered by Cardinal Sodano in his statement of 13 May was first put personally to Sister Lucia. Sister Lucia responded by pointing out that she had received the vision but not its interpretation. The interpretation, she said, belonged not to the visionary but to the Church. After reading the text, however, she said that this interpretation corresponded to what she had experienced and that on her part she thought the interpretation correct. In what follows, therefore, we can only attempt to provide a deeper foundation for this interpretation, on the basis of the criteria already considered.

“To save souls” has emerged as the key word of the first and second parts of the “secret”, and the key word of this third part is the threefold cry: “Penance, Penance, Penance!” The beginning of the Gospel comes to mind: “Repent and believe the Good News” (Mk 1:15). To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance – of conversion – of faith. This is the correct response to this moment of history, characterized by the grave perils outlined in the images that follow. Allow me to add here a personal recollection: in a conversation with me Sister Lucia said that it appeared ever more clearly to her that the purpose of all the apparitions was to help people to grow more and more in faith, hope and love—everything else was intended to lead to this.

Let us now examine more closely the single images. The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgement which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and, stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to penance. In this way, the importance of human freedom is underlined: the future is not in fact unchangeably set, and the image which the children saw is in no way a film preview of a future in which nothing can be changed. Indeed, the whole point of the vision is to bring freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction. The purpose of the vision is not to show a film of an irrevocably fixed future. Its meaning is exactly the opposite: it is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right direction. Therefore we must totally discount fatalistic explanations of the “secret”, such as, for example, the claim that the would-be assassin of 13 May 1981 was merely an instrument of the divine plan guided by Providence and could not therefore have acted freely, or other similar ideas in circulation. Rather, the vision speaks of dangers and how we might be saved from them.

The next phrases of the text show very clearly once again the symbolic character of the vision: God remains immeasurable, and is the light which surpasses every vision of ours. Human persons appear as in a mirror. We must always keep in mind the limits in the vision itself, which here are indicated visually. The future appears only “in a mirror dimly” (1 Cor 13:12). Let us now consider the individual images which follow in the text of the “secret”. The place of the action is described in three symbols: a steep mountain, a great city reduced to ruins and finally a large rough-hewn cross. The mountain and city symbolize the arena of human history: history as an arduous ascent to the summit, history as the arena of human creativity and social harmony, but at the same time a place of destruction, where man actually destroys the fruits of his own work. The city can be the place of communion and progress, but also of danger and the most extreme menace. On the mountain stands the cross—the goal and guide of history. The cross transforms destruction into salvation; it stands as a sign of history's misery but also as a promise for history.

At this point human persons appear: the Bishop dressed in white (“we had the impression that it was the Holy Father”), other Bishops, priests, men and women Religious, and men and women of different ranks and social positions. The Pope seems to precede the others, trembling and suffering because of all the horrors around him. Not only do the houses of the city lie half in ruins, but he makes his way among the corpses of the dead. The Church's path is thus described as a Via Crucis, as a journey through a time of violence, destruction and persecution. The history of an entire century can be seen represented in this image. Just as the places of the earth are synthetically described in the two images of the mountain and the city, and are directed towards the cross, so too time is presented in a compressed way. In the vision we can recognize the last century as a century of martyrs, a century of suffering and persecution for the Church, a century of World Wars and the many local wars which filled the last fifty years and have inflicted unprecedented forms of cruelty. In the “mirror” of this vision we see passing before us the witnesses of the faith decade by decade. Here it would be appropriate to mention a phrase from the letter which Sister Lucia wrote to the Holy Father on 12 May 1982: “The third part of the ‘secret' refers to Our Lady's words: ‘If not, [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated'”.

In the Via Crucis of an entire century, the figure of the Pope has a special role. In his arduous ascent of the mountain we can undoubtedly see a convergence of different Popes. Beginning from Pius X up to the present Pope, they all shared the sufferings of the century and strove to go forward through all the anguish along the path which leads to the Cross. In the vision, the Pope too is killed along with the martyrs. When, after the attempted assassination on 13 May 1981, the Holy Father had the text of the third part of the “secret” brought to him, was it not inevitable that he should see in it his own fate? He had been very close to death, and he himself explained his survival in the following words: “... it was a mother's hand that guided the bullet's path and in his throes the Pope halted at the threshold of death” (13 May 1994). That here “a mother's hand” had deflected the fateful bullet only shows once more that there is no immutable destiny, that faith and prayer are forces which can influence history and that in the end prayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than armies.

The concluding part of the “secret” uses images which Lucia may have seen in devotional books and which draw their inspiration from long-standing intuitions of faith. It is a consoling vision, which seeks to open a history of blood and tears to the healing power of God. Beneath the arms of the cross angels gather up the blood of the martyrs, and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God. Here, the blood of Christ and the blood of the martyrs are considered as one: the blood of the martyrs runs down from the arms of the cross. The martyrs die in communion with the Passion of Christ, and their death becomes one with his. For the sake of the body of Christ, they complete what is still lacking in his afflictions (cf. Col 1:24). Their life has itself become a Eucharist, part of the mystery of the grain of wheat which in dying yields abundant fruit. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians, said Tertullian. As from Christ's death, from his wounded side, the Church was born, so the death of the witnesses is fruitful for the future life of the Church. Therefore, the vision of the third part of the “secret”, so distressing at first, concludes with an image of hope: no suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God. The loving arms of God welcome not only those who suffer like Lazarus, who found great solace there and mysteriously represents Christ, who wished to become for us the poor Lazarus. There is something more: from the suffering of the witnesses there comes a purifying and renewing power, because their suffering is the actualization of the suffering of Christ himself and a communication in the here and now of its saving effect.

And so we come to the final question: What is the meaning of the “secret” of Fatima as a whole (in its three parts)? What does it say to us? First of all we must affirm with Cardinal Sodano: “... the events to which the third part of the ‘secret' of Fatima refers now seem part of the past”. Insofar as individual events are described, they belong to the past. Those who expected exciting apocalyptic revelations about the end of the world or the future course of history are bound to be disappointed. Fatima does not satisfy our curiosity in this way, just as Christian faith in general cannot be reduced to an object of mere curiosity. What remains was already evident when we began our reflections on the text of the “secret”: the exhortation to prayer as the path of “salvation for souls” and, likewise, the summons to penance and conversion.

I would like finally to mention another key expression of the “secret” which has become justly famous: “my Immaculate Heart will triumph”. What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.



JosephCard. Ratzinger
Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith




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(1) From the diary of John XXIII, 17 August 1959: “Audiences: Father Philippe, Commissary of the Holy Office, who brought me the letter containing the third part of the secrets of Fatima. I intend to read it with my Confessor”.



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(2) The Holy Father's comment at the General Audience of 14 October 1981 on “What happened in May: A Great Divine Trial” should be recalled: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, IV, 2 (Vatican City, 1981), 409-412. back


(3) Radio message during the Ceremony of Veneration, Thanksgiving and Entrustment to the Virgin Mary Theotokos in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, IV, 1 (Vatican City, 1981), 1246. back

(4) On the Jubilee Day for Families, the Pope entrusted individuals and nations to Our Lady: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, VII, 1 (Vatican City, 1984), 775-777.


(6) In the “Fourth Memoir” of 8 December 1941 Sister Lucia writes: “I shall begin then my new task, and thus fulfil the commands received from Your Excellency as well as the desires of Dr Galamba. With the exception of that part of the Secret which I am not permitted to reveal at present, I shall say everything. I shall not knowingly omit anything, though I suppose I may forget just a few small details of minor importance”.

(7) In the “Fourth Memoir” Sister Lucia adds: “In Portugal, the dogma of the faith will always be preserved, etc.

(8) In the translation, the original text has been respected, even as regards the imprecise punctuation, which nevertheless does not impede an understanding of what the visionary wished to say.

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Taken from:
L'Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
28 June 2000, special insert
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