From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   August 13: Our Lady of Fatima: Prelude to the 4th Apparition   
      
   In May 1917, Our Blessed Mother began a series of visits with three   
   Portuguese shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. During   
   the months that followed the initial visitation, the three visionaries   
   were graced with six messages from the Blessed Virgin, as well as   
   three apparitions of the “Angel of Portugal,” all of which culminated   
   in the spectacular “Miracle of the Sun,” witnessed by tens of   
   thousands of the faithful. Each month, on the 13th day, Our Lady of   
   Fatima delivered a message to the children-- a message of the   
   importance of devotion to the Immaculate Heart and praying the   
   Rosary--through which the ruinous course of humanity could be   
   converted and redeemed.   
      
   Following the initial visits of the Angel of Portugal, who had taught   
   the children how to pray, and prepared them for the first apparition   
   of Our Blessed Mother, Mary had appeared in a wondrous light,   
   conversed with the children, and instructed them: “Say the Rosary   
   every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war.” She   
   promised to return the following month. During her second visitation,   
   in June 1917, Our Blessed Mother taught the children what has come to   
   be known as “the Fatima Prayer:”   
      
      
   Oh my Jesus,   
   Forgive us our sins.   
   Save us from the fires of Hell.   
   Lead all souls to Heaven,   
   especially those most in need of Your Mercy. Amen.   
      
      
   During the July 1917 apparition, Our Blessed Mother revealed to the   
   visionaries the three secrets of Fatima--secrets they guarded   
   carefully until after the deaths of Francisco and Jacinta, and   
   revealed only by Lucia at the behest of her bishop. Our Lady of the   
   Rosary showed a vision of hell to the children, and said to them   
   (among other things): “Make sacrifices for sinners, and say often,   
   especially while making a sacrifice: O Jesus, this is for love of   
   Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for offences   
   committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”   
      
   Following the last apparition, the children had been placed under   
   great scrutiny by both the Church and the local government. As the   
   date of Our Lady’s next apparition approached, the local district   
   administrator, Artur de Oliveira Santos, imprisoned the children.   
   Against their families’ wishes, he held Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia   
   for two days, during which time he threatened them with various   
   tortures (including boiling them in oil) to procure the release of the   
   secrets of Fatima. Each of the three seers demonstrated great courage,   
   refusing to reveal any of the truths sworn to them, and withstanding   
   all threats and fears. All three--but Francisco in   
   particular--believing themselves to be killed during interrogation,   
   were filled with joy at the thought of being reunited with Our Blessed   
   Mother in heaven.   
      
   On August 13, 2010, while the children were imprisoned, approximately   
   20,000 people visited the Cova da Iria, awaiting the appearance of Our   
   Lady of the Rosary. Despite the children’s absence, Our Blessed Mother   
   appeared. One faithful woman present described the scene:   
      
   “The clap of thunder was more or less similar to that of the preceding   
   time. Some say that it came from the road, others from the holm-oak ….   
   It seemed to me that it came from very far. Everyone kept quiet,   
   frightened .... At the clap of thunder there followed lightning, and   
   at once we began to notice a small cloud, very pretty, white in color,   
   very light, which hovered some moments over the holm-oak, then rose   
   towards the sky, and disappeared in the atmosphere.   
      
   While looking around us, we observed a strange thing, which we had   
   already seen the previous time, and which we were going to see again   
   in the future. The faces of the people had all the colors of the   
   rainbow: pink, red, blue ... The trees did not appear to have branches   
   and leaves but only flowers; everything seemed laden with flowers, and   
   every leaf appeared to be a flower. The ground was covered with   
   squares of different colors. Clothes were also of every color of the   
   rainbow.”   
      
   Our Lady would return to speak to the visionaries in just six days--on   
   August 19, continuing her message of penance and salvation. Through   
   prayers of adoration and reparation, we turn to Our Lady of Fatima--to   
   whom God has entrusted our redemption through her grace and   
   cooperation with her divine spouse--to rectify the state of the world,   
   reduce the influence of evil, save the sinful, and draw ourselves   
   closer to Our God through devotion to the Immaculate Heart   
      
   Saint Quote:   
   “God in his omnipotence could not give more, in His wisdom He knew not   
   how to give more, in His riches He had not more to give, than the   
   Eucharist.”   
   --Saint Augustine   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the   
   three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the   
   recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with a sincere love of   
   this devotion, so that by meditating on the mysteries of our   
   redemption that are recalled in it, we may gather the fruits and   
   obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and this   
   favor that I so earnestly seek, request which I ask of you in this   
   novena, for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the   
   good of all people. Amen.   
      
   <><><><>   
   Another prayer to your Guardian Angel:   
      
   My good Angel, thou comest from heaven; God has sent thee   
   to take care of me.   
      
   Oh, shelter me under thy wings.  Lighten my path, direct my steps.  Do   
   not leave me, stay quite near me and defend me against the spirit of   
   the Evil One.  But above all come to my help in the last struggle of   
   my life. Deliver my soul so that with thee I may praise, love and   
   contemplate the greatness of God forever and ever.  Amen.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)