THE FIRST SECRET OF FATIMA - THE EXISTENCE OF HELL
Since there are those who would deny others the story of Fatima because it mentions Hell which they no longer believe in, I will put forward the teaching of Jesus on the subject and then go to what was the first secret that the children were told not to reveal at that time in Fatima.
The story of Jesus tells us quite clearly that however discomforting it is, however we would 'rationally' challenge his words, Jesus told us in no uncertain terms that there was a Hell and that people would go there. We have for example the story of the Last Judgement in Matthew 25. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the Devil and His Angels". There is also the story of the rich young man who asked Jesus what to do to earn 'eternal life'. Jesus told him to obey the Commandments. But let us turn to Fatima.
Having assured the children that they were all going to Heaven Our Lady gave them a vision of Hell. The vision Lucy told us was only for an instant. But it was horrific. "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 unknowns light know that this is the great sign given to you by God that He is about to punish the world for our crimes by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father".
I am forbidden to go into the events that saw the Mother of God being pushed to the fringes of the Catholic Faith, for Our Mother is never drawn into a situation where she judges between her children. Justice belongs to Jesus who will be our judge, but Mary only deals in Mercy. The greatest sinner if he turns to her will always find compassion and a willingness to speak to Jesus on his or her behalf. This compassion has been acclaimed through the centuries and I as a poor sinner have experienced it.
In the above quotation from Our Lady of Fatima she tells us that IT IS GOD who wishes devotion to be established towards her Immaculate Heart. She is not seeking honour on her own account. The question of devotion to Mary then changes from why should we show devotion to why does God want us to show devotion? And what is this about her Immaculate Heart?. In my previous posts I have at her inspiration, for I am a poor scribe, related how she was the bridge between the Father and the Son. Jesus could not be born to a sinful woman since he had to live his life in holiness and only a mother free from sin could really love him as he deserved to be loved and only a woman close to God could have prepared him for Calvary and supported and suffered with him in his work of Redemption. Mary was the one who made the plan possible. Little wonder then that God holds her up as a model for the rest of us. And especially she is a model for loving Jesus. Nobody could love Him as much as she did, but in loving her son she felt all his pain, agony, and disappointments. This continued in Heaven for when Jesus is hurt by our sins, she is hurt. That is why the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the source of her love, is surrounded by thorns which are our sins.
So why Fatima? Just look at the world around you and ask yourself "After two thousand years of Christianity is this how the world should be? Was it worthwhile for Jesus to die on the Cross? And if we are really brave and look at the Church are we comfortable enough to say - yes, this is what Jesus wanted?. Vatican II, yes Vatican II, gave Our Lady the title 'Mother of the Church". Do we see ourselves as her children and she as our Mother? Yet Mary still comes to us, plead with, and tries to save us from our sins. Yet we almost pride ourselves in not listening.
Those who doubt the message of Fatima will have to tell God why when He worked a great miracle and made the Sun dance in the sky in the presence of 70,000 people, when such a miracle was forecast and people came to scoff yet stood in wonder, why did they refused to listen to or check the story. did three small shepherd children work this great hallucination? To turn your back on Fatima, is to turn your back on God Himself.
The story of Jesus tells us quite clearly that however discomforting it is, however we would 'rationally' challenge his words, Jesus told us in no uncertain terms that there was a Hell and that people would go there. We have for example the story of the Last Judgement in Matthew 25. "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the Devil and His Angels". There is also the story of the rich young man who asked Jesus what to do to earn 'eternal life'. Jesus told him to obey the Commandments. But let us turn to Fatima.
Having assured the children that they were all going to Heaven Our Lady gave them a vision of Hell. The vision Lucy told us was only for an instant. But it was horrific. "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 unknowns light know that this is the great sign given to you by God that He is about to punish the world for our crimes by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father".
I am forbidden to go into the events that saw the Mother of God being pushed to the fringes of the Catholic Faith, for Our Mother is never drawn into a situation where she judges between her children. Justice belongs to Jesus who will be our judge, but Mary only deals in Mercy. The greatest sinner if he turns to her will always find compassion and a willingness to speak to Jesus on his or her behalf. This compassion has been acclaimed through the centuries and I as a poor sinner have experienced it.
In the above quotation from Our Lady of Fatima she tells us that IT IS GOD who wishes devotion to be established towards her Immaculate Heart. She is not seeking honour on her own account. The question of devotion to Mary then changes from why should we show devotion to why does God want us to show devotion? And what is this about her Immaculate Heart?. In my previous posts I have at her inspiration, for I am a poor scribe, related how she was the bridge between the Father and the Son. Jesus could not be born to a sinful woman since he had to live his life in holiness and only a mother free from sin could really love him as he deserved to be loved and only a woman close to God could have prepared him for Calvary and supported and suffered with him in his work of Redemption. Mary was the one who made the plan possible. Little wonder then that God holds her up as a model for the rest of us. And especially she is a model for loving Jesus. Nobody could love Him as much as she did, but in loving her son she felt all his pain, agony, and disappointments. This continued in Heaven for when Jesus is hurt by our sins, she is hurt. That is why the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the source of her love, is surrounded by thorns which are our sins.
So why Fatima? Just look at the world around you and ask yourself "After two thousand years of Christianity is this how the world should be? Was it worthwhile for Jesus to die on the Cross? And if we are really brave and look at the Church are we comfortable enough to say - yes, this is what Jesus wanted?. Vatican II, yes Vatican II, gave Our Lady the title 'Mother of the Church". Do we see ourselves as her children and she as our Mother? Yet Mary still comes to us, plead with, and tries to save us from our sins. Yet we almost pride ourselves in not listening.
Those who doubt the message of Fatima will have to tell God why when He worked a great miracle and made the Sun dance in the sky in the presence of 70,000 people, when such a miracle was forecast and people came to scoff yet stood in wonder, why did they refused to listen to or check the story. did three small shepherd children work this great hallucination? To turn your back on Fatima, is to turn your back on God Himself.
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