“The Lights of Advent” seem to be the correct title to name a blog the day after Thanksgiving! It’s the opposite of what this day is usually referred to as “Black Friday.”
Thanksgiving Day is a family day – a day of gratitude to God for our blessings and enjoying the company of our loved ones – sharing meals and conversation. The next day, however, is a day of cleaning up and getting the house back into “right order” if you were the one who hosted! I did find myself in that position today!
However, it gave me time to reflect on how I would begin this First Sunday of Advent. Was I going it alone? I hadn’t chosen a meditation book yet that I might use for the journey. However, it seemed the Holy Spirit was shining a “flashlight” on three little shepherd children for me to follow!
Well – join me on a little journey of learning about the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima and why I’ve chosen these “three” to lead me on in the coming days of Advent!
Pictured above are Lucia dos Santos and her two cousins, Francisco Marto and his sister Jacinta. They lived in a small village town named Aljustrel which is a small hamlet near Fatima, Portugal. In 1916, as they were shepherding their flock – an Angel of Peace appeared to them.
The Angel would tell them that the “Hearts of Jesus and Mary” were listening to their prayers.
He was “preparing” them in so many ways to meet the Mother of God. This meeting would occur the following year on May 13th of 1917. The Angel of Peace taught them to pray, offer up penances and sacrifices. Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco were shown in this way how to console the hearts of Jesus and Mary for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
They were little children and yet what was being taught to them would seem way above their heads!
However, did not Jesus say – “let the little children come to me?” And so it is the same with His Mother! She “called” to these three little shepherd children on May 13, 1917 and for six months thereafter to come to Her. The “three” children came faithfully to meet their Heavenly Mother each month and learn what She was teaching them.
The children took most seriously their “calling” and adhered to the instructions from the “Lady of Light.” Lucia would describe to little Francisco the following in answer to his question – “Why did Our Lady have a heart in her hand, spreading out over the world that great light which is God?
In Sr. Angela De Fatima Coelho’s book – “Inside the Light – Understanding the Message of Fatima” she writes the following in regard to what is the meaning of these apparitions.
“Francisco’s question actually answers ours:
Spreading the light of God to the world through the Heart of Mary. That is why Fatima radiated a light that shown in the darkness of the early twentieth century and why that lights shines in our times as well.”
St. Pope John Paul II spoke of St. Francisco and St. Jacinta as “two candles which God lit.”
Pope Benedict XVI stated the following:
“that Light deep within the shepherd children, which comes from the future of God is the same Light which was manifested in the fullness of time and came for us all: The Son of God made man.”
Pope Benedict would also say the following at the Sanctuary of Fatima on May 13, 2010:
“All of you, standing together with lighted candles in your hands, seem like a sea of light around this simple chapel, lovingly built to the honor of the Mother of God and our mother, whose path from earth to heaven appeared to the shepherd children like a way of light. However, neither Mary nor we have a light of our own: we receive it from Jesus. His presence within us renews the mystery and the call of the burning bush which once drew Moses on Mount Sinai and still fascinates those aware of the light within us which burns without consuming us. (cf. Ex 3:2-5)
On May 13, 2017 – Pope Francis would say the following in regard to Fatima being a Mantle of Light for the world –
“In Lucia’s account, the three chosen children found themselves surrounded by God’s light as it radiated from Our Lady. She enveloped them in the mantle of Light that God had given her. According to the belief and experience of many pilgrims, if not of all, Fatima is more than anything this mantle of Light that protects us.”
On May 14, 2017 – Pope Francis would add:
“Let us be guided by the Light which comes from Fatima. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary always be our refuge, our consolation and the path that leads to Christ.”
Last night after way too much food – the “women” went for a walk. Our eyes beheld the twinkling Christmas lights already lit on neighboring homes.
Yes, Christmas is already upon us!
But first – we need to go through the coming weeks of Advent beginning with this Sunday.
I found this image today and it was one of those “lights” that sparked this blog.
Isn’t Advent a “quiet ascent” of the soul? It’s a time of reflection and a time of listening.
It’s a time to keep company with the Blessed Mother as She awaits the birth of Her Son anew in our world and in us.
How will we choose the path – go it alone? Or possibly choose some companions to help lead the way. . .such as Sr. Lucia, St. Jacinta and St. Francisco!
You may want to use a book that will give you further information for meditation on the Apparitions of Fatima. One that I highly recommend is the book written by Sr. Angela De Fatima Coelho – “Inside the Light – Understanding the Message of Fatima.” Since 2009, Sr. Angela has served as vice postulator for the Causes of Canonization for Sts. Francisco and Jacinta of Fatima and in 2012 became Roman postulator for the same causes. In 2014, she became the vice postulator for the Cause of Canonization for Sr. Lucia. Today she lives in Fatima and travels the world speaking the message of Fatima. The book was written in 2020.
Sr. Lucia sought “to live in the light, to live for the light, to live from the light.”
Let us be those burning candles on our Advent wreaths this 2024. As we light each candle – each new week – let us invite possibly one of the two children – whether it be St. Jacinta or St. Francisco to lead us on the week ahead. Let us invite Sr. Lucia as well. Let the last candle – be for Our Mother – Our Lady of Light – to birth us anew with Her Son and for us to be a candle to the world that God lights Himself. Let us set the world aflame with the Love of Jesus Christ!
©2024 Anita Guariglia
Featured Images – Instagram and Pinterest
Last image – Our Lady of Fatima – Corpus Christi Church – Anita Guariglia
Quote from Lucia de Jesus, O Meu caminho – June 18, 1970
Quote from St. John Paul II – Homily May 13, 2000 -Beatification of the Little Shepherd – Sanctuary of Fatima
Quote from Benedict XVI – Homily May 13, 2010 – Sanctuary of Fatima
Quotes from Pope Francis – tweet, May 13, 2017 and Regina Caeli, May 14, 2017
One Response
Anita, this is BEAUTIFUL! “Isn’t Advent a “quiet ascent” of the soul? It’s a time of reflection and a time of listening. It’s a time to keep company with the Blessed Mother as She awaits the birth of Her Son anew in our world and in us.”