Mary, Our Mother‏

Dearest Ones,

Mary, our heavenly Mother, is able to help us, if only we ask her. During the 1980's over 300 apparitions of the Blessed Mother Mary all over the world were reported and approved by the Catholic Church. The past century is the time given by God for Mary to save the world. We do not pray to Mary instead of God - neither do we worship her, we only ask her to intercede with her Son. If Jesus honored His mother, then who should we not honor her? In 1917, during the first World War, God allowed Mary to appear to 3 young children in Fatima, Portugal. She told them she was sent by God with a message for every man, woman and child in the world. The message was asking that people reform their lives and pray the Rosary or there would be a more terrible war. Many people, including priests, accused them of lying and refused to believe them. The children continued to believe and make sacrifices. They went without lunch and offered their hunger for sinners. Before the vision, they did not know they could help save souls. If they had a disappointment, which caused them suffering, they offered that too, to save souls from hell. God even allowed the children to see hell. They saw souls suffering intense pain, which made them all the more ready to suffer, if only they could save one soul from going there. You may wonder why God allowed little children to see such a horrible place as hell. I believe it is so that people will believe that hell and the devil do exist. Lucy, the oldest of the children, begged Our Blessed Mother to show the people a sign so they would believe their story. Our Lady agreed and on October 13, 1917, 92 years ago, in the presence of 70,000 people, (half of whom were unbelievers) a miracle was seen above Fatima. The sun began to dance all over the sky. All the people saw it and were so afraid they fell to their knees because they thought it was the end of the world. Then it began to rain in torrents until the people, standing in mud, were thoroughly soaked. Suddenly, at 12 noon, when Our Lady appeared, the sun went back to its normal place, the rain immediately stopped and the ground, as well as the people, were completely dry! Not one of the 70,000 people could explain what caused this to happen. Many people were healed of their diseases that day. Mary asked the people to pray the Rosary and make sacrifices for sinners. She said if they offered their ordinary daily work to God with love, this would be the best prayer. If enough people believe and pray, she said, there will not be another war. Many ignored the message and did not pray - and so we all know World War 11 began in 1941. This was a more terrible war than anyone had ever seen. The rosary is the key to peace. It can restore harmony in families. It is a powerful armor against hell and will destroy evil. The devil hates it. Even if you don't pray the entire rosary, then just pray ten Hail Mary's, one decade. A young mother told me she was trying to explain the importance of the rosary to her 12-year old son. She told him how powerful it is against evil and then asked if he would kneel and pray one decade (10 Hail Mary's) with her. He said, "Yes." After finishing the boy said, "If the rosary is so powerful, why did we only say 10 Hail Mary's and not the entire rosary?" She said she thought it was too long for him, but he didn't think so. This shows that children are not too young to pray the rosary and they want to do it all the way. The children at Fatima were ages 8, 9 and 11 and Mary didn't think they were too young to pray the rosary. Two of the children, Francisco and Jacinta, died at the early age of 10, while Lucia, the oldest, lived to be 90. Mary wants to help us in all our needs. She is waiting to hear our requests, so she can take them to Jesus. She is really our Mother. There is nothing in our lives that she won't ask her Son, Jesus, to help us with. Please don't shut her out or ignore her. She is Mother of us all - no matter what faith, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Jew. All are her children and she loves us all the same. I know its hard to believe, but many things are hard to believe in this life, but they are still true. It takes great faith - let's all pray for faith for one another.

In the love of Jesus and Mary,
Sister Francelle