Overcoming Obstacles
106 years ago today, on the morning of August 13, 1917, the Mayor of Fatima sent his officers to kidnap the three children, Lucia, aged 10, Francisco, aged 9, and Jacinta, aged 7. After interrogating them, the next day he had them led into the public prison in Ourém. Imprisoned with the thieves, the children were threatened to be fried alive in a cauldron of boiling oil, if they wouldn’t reveal the secret they had reported receiving from our Lady.
The Mayor in question, Artur de Oliveira Santos, in spite of his lack of formal education, had been the editor of the local newspaper, in which he had displayed his opinions against the monarchy and against organized religion, particularly the Catholic faith. He had been a freemason since his twenties, and had actually founded the local masonic Lodge at the Vila Nova de Ourém. With credentials like these, we can easily see in the person of this highly influential politician, an avowed enemy of God.
He deliberately chose the date of August 13 to arrest the three children, as by now it was public knowledge that the Blessed Virgin was to appear on the 13th of each month. In fact, on this day, our Lady did come to the Cova da Iria as planned. An immense crowd of pilgrims, between eighteen and twenty thousand strong, had gathered to witness the apparition. The phenomena of her apparition were noticed as on the previous months: the first thunderclap and lightning, followed by a small white cloud, which stopped for a few moments over the tree and then rose in the air and disappeared; the strange reflection of all the colours of the rainbow on the people and the tree. It was clear that the Mayor’s vain attempt to prevent the apparition had failed, even though he was able to imprison the little children and postpone the revelations that our Lady wished to convey.
This scenario gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our adversary the Devil. Through the use of his human instruments, men and women devoted to the destruction of our faith, he may win battle after battle to suppress many aspects of the faith, but he will not win the war. One of his chief servants, Jorge Bergoglio, has become influential enough within the hierarchy of the Church to make a direct attack on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Holy Eucharist itself. He may even succeed in preventing his followers from receiving valid sacraments. But the message of Fatima is clear and consoling—he will never succeed in obliterating the faith completely. The evil followers of Lucifer know how things have worked out in the past—they remember the terrible persecutions of Nero and the other emperors of Rome, the French Revolution and its attempt to create an atheistic society, and let’s not forget the Crucifixion itself! Their best attempts to thwart God’s plan have always been a partial success, but God has always outsmarted them and brought their evil deeds to nothing.
Tomorrow is the vigil of the Assumption, and it’s a good time to place our petitions at her feet on the day before her feastday. Let’s make sure to include prayers for Holy Church and the salvation of souls, and not least, for our own perseverance in the faith, that in spite of dungeon, fire and sword, we may remain true to God till death.