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From the Director of Sacred Music & Liturgy - October
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The month of October is dedicated to the prayer of the rosary, a prayer that Our Lady of Fatima urgently requested over the course of her appearances to the three Portuguese shepherd children in 1917. She asked that the rosary be prayed every day, especially for an end to World War I and for peace in the entire world. Sister Lucia, the only one of the three visionaries to live to adulthood, famously said that “There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy rosary.”
Our Lady promised that, at her final appearance to the children, she would give a sign of her heavenly provenance. This was famously delivered on October 13, 1917 when more than 70,000 people—including many atheistic journalists and scientists, who were themselves out to disprove the apparitions—witnessed the “miracle of the sun.” In this miracle, the sun appeared to dance throughout the sky, zig-zagging so close to the earth that the assembly feared that this was the end of the world. After the sun returned to its place, each person found that their clothing, which had been soaked through due to heavy rains, was now completely dry.
For more on the miracles at Fatima, I would encourage you to listen to episodes #40, 64, and 65 of the Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World podcast. These can be found on YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Our Lady guarantees that “in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” In the meantime, we ought to continue to pray and fast for the conversion of sinners (ourselves first of all!) and the salvation of souls. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
