“The war in Ukraine, and Fatima” - Homily
for March 5th and 6th
At the
beginning of our Eucharistic Prayer, we will once again say blessing the bread
and wine “which we offer you firstly for your holy catholic Church. Be pleased to grant her peace, to guard,
unite and govern her throughout the whole world”
As we have
watched the events in Ukraine unfold these past 2 weeks, I can’t help but think
of Our Lady of Fatima. Fatima is a
Marian Apparition that has been recognized by the Church, and it was a series
of 6 visits by Mary to 3 shepherd children in Portugal. The final apparition on October 13th,
1917 was accompanied by a miracle of the sun dancing in the sky, which was
witnessed by approximately 70,000 people.
There were also
three visions given to the children, and in the second vision, our Blessed
Mother asked that the Holy Father, in union with all the bishops of the world,
consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady cautioned that if Her requests were
not granted, “Russia will spread its errors throughout the world, raising up
wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father
will have much to suffer and various nations will be annihilated.”
Russia was
never consecrated the way Our Lady of Fatima had requested, and so the error of
Russia, which is Communism, has spread literally from 1917 onward, now being present
in China, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam and Cuba, but also a stunning number of
Americans and Europeans also have a favorable view of Communism – 30% of young
adult Americans report being supportive of Communism…clearly Russia’s error has
spread not just to countries to where Communism is the official government of
the land.
In a
stunning move on Ash Wednesday, the Bishops of Ukraine asked Pope Francis to
consecrate Russia as Our Lady of Fatima requested. I cannot see anything that
the Pope has to lose in consecrating Russia and asking all the bishops of the
world to join him. Let us unite our
prayer, fasting and almsgiving to this effort as well.
Let us pray
for the Holy Father, and for the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the Catholic
Church around the world, that God “be pleased to grant her peace, to guard,
unite and govern her throughout the whole world!”
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