FATIMA AND MONTFORT

FATIMA AND MONTFORT

As a Montfort Father, the Fatima message has always had a special appeal to me.

The reason being that I have long perceived the similarity as well as the complementary relationship that exists between Montfort’s message and that of Our Lady of Fatima. In fact, I doubt if a person can really understand and live out the message of Fatima if he does not already understand and live the Montfort message. Let me explain briefly.

THE MESSAGE . . .

First, let us take a look at the Fatima message. Without going into details, I believe it can be summed up in four words; Prayer, Penance, Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and Communion of Reparation.

“I am the Lady of the Rosary,” she said in her first apparition. “Say the Rosary every day to obtain world peace.” Montfort had written two centuries before: “I pray you urgently, by the love I bear you in Jesus and Mary ., . to say the beads, or even, if you have time, the entire Rosary every day.”

“I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins”. Penance and sorrow for sin is at the root of Christian life. Montfort built his structure of True Devotion to Mary on that same foundation. He calls his Consecration, “a perfect renewal of the vows of holy Baptism” by which a soul renounces sin and pledges undying fidelity to Jesus Christ through Mary.

Devotion and Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart is undoubtedly the central theme of the Fatima message.

“Our Lord wishes that devotion to my Immaculate Heart be established in the world”. (3rd Appar.). She also indicated the means: “I have come to ask for the Consecration of the world to my Immaculate Heart”.  Montfort’s form of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a perfect answer to that request.

. . . OF FATIMA

The fourth request was for Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. “… I promise to assist at the hour of death with the
graces necessary for salvation all those who, on the 1st Saturday of five consecutive months, go to Confession and receive Holy Communion, say the Rosary and spend a quarter of an hour in meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary, with the object of making reparation to me”.  (3rd Appar.). To expatiate on this striking resemblance between Fatima’s message and that of St. Louis de Montfort on this point, I would have to quote the entire closing chapter of Montfort’s True Devotion, entitled: “Manner of practicing this devotion to Our Lady when going to Holy Communion.”

In a word, I have always felt that although Fatima contains in itself a complete four-point program of true devotion to Mary, to be fully understood and carried out it should be interpreted in the light of St. Louis de Montfort’s writings.

Is it any wonder then that I was more than delighted when a friend of mine, Mrs. Phillip Atiyeh, a Blue Army member, offered me the possibility of having the International Pilgrim Virgin statue visit our house, here at the QUEEN?

We not only had her once, we had her twice within the month; the first time for our 1st Saturday Vigil of Reparation, held monthly here; the second time, for a seminar on True Devotion, giving me the opportunity to explain Total Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, according to the writings of St. Louis de Montfort.

It’s great to visit Our Lady’s house – her shrines. But it’s something else to have Our Lady visit your own house!