For the Love of God
When our Blessed Mother appeared before three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal, in 1917, Mary said: “Pray the rosary every day.” We cannot emphasize enough the importance of prayer. Without prayer, we cut ourselves off from our Lord’s amazing graces. God’s love is essential, especially in great difficulty.
Consider Fátima’s miracle of the spiraling sun on October 13, 1917. As spectacular as it was, the miracle would have been greater if more people believed and prayed. Thousands in Fátima had faith in God, but there also was great opposition, according to Fr. Andrew Apostoli, the author of Fátima for Today.
Sadly, today’s trials come as society grows more distant from God. As more people turn from God, it will be more difficult to overcome the challenges all of us face. Human hands working alone are not enough to take away the pain and suffering often caused by human hands.
If more people prayed and put their lives in God’s hands, the bond between heaven and earth would be stronger. Many prayers and rosaries have been and continue to be offered up, particularly in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest.
However, we need to follow through on the commitment that comes with prayer. We are called to sanctify our families; instill faith into our children; follow Christ’s teachings; offer up our joys, our works, and our sorrows to God; and ultimately consecrate our lives to our Lord. If we are indifferent to our commitments, if we reject God’s love—as many have done—we are no longer faithful stewards of God’s creation: the gift of life.
Listen to Mary’s warning in 1917: “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore because he is already so much offended.” The truth is we cannot lift up our hearts in prayer to the Lord if our minds and priorities are someplace else. Without commitment, without reliance on God’s loving graces, and without our willingness to share those graces, life in this world cannot thrive.
At Fátima, our Lady said her immaculate heart—which is united with the sacred heart of Jesus—would triumph. Therefore, pray very often, especially the rosary. Through the help of Mary’s intercession with our Savior, let us amend our lives and our nation, and may those who have strayed from our Lord be converted for the love of God. Amen.