Don’t Offend, Amend
Sometimes I think of our Blessed Mother’s plea to people to amend their lives. Then I think about the miracle of the sun that occurred in Fatima, Portugal, on October 13, 1917. Could the miracle have been greater? Yet, “a lack of faith can diminish God’s miraculous power,” warns Fr. Andrew Apostoli in his book Fatima for Today.
Though thousands witnessed the spiraling sun, many resisted the Marian apparitions and our Blessed Mother’s call at Fatima: “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because he is already so much offended.” Those offenses continue. Until we amend our lives, our world will remain fractured.
Healing Love
What can we do? Our Lady said we should pray very much, especially the rosary. Now before anyone heaves a sigh, thinking: I already pray the rosary regularly, what more can I do? Let us ponder….The mysteries of the rosary convey the depth of the Gospel message. They help us to see, through the lives of Jesus and Mary, what it means to be open to heaven’s graces in body and mind, heart and soul. The Gospel’s teachings and heaven’s graces are offered to us when we celebrate the Mass.
Praying the rosary maintains our lifeline to heaven and helps us deepen our faith in and devotion to the holy Mass, where we experience heaven on earth. Each time we participate in the Mass, our Savior comes to unite his Body, Blood, soul, and divinity with our body, mind, heart, and soul because God loves us. At Mass, divinity and humanity unite! The union our Savior offers heals us of what separates us from God’s love.
Thus, our devotion to prayers and participation at Mass strengthens our faith, hope, and especially our love, securing our bond with heaven. We are then called to share the healing love of God with one another. That is our mission.
Moving Forward
Living our faith—loving one another as God loves each of us—is how we amend our lives and world. That is how we stop offending God. We cannot go through life keeping our faith behind closed doors.
October is dedicated to the most holy rosary. Therefore let us rededicate ourselves to the rosary to enliven our participation at holy Mass. Then let us share God’s love with heaven’s graces. Our lives and our world will be better for it. Thanks be to God! Amen.