Fatima: 91 Years and Still No Era of Peace

Today, as we commemorate the 91st anniversary of Our Lady’s first appearance at Fatima in Portugal, the world still awaits the era of peace promised by the Virgin Mother of God. That era will only arrive when the collegial consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and the papal promulgation of the Five First Saturdays finally take place. If nothing else can convince us, simply living in this world and paying attention to the news should persuade us to pray and work that the hierarchy completely heed these two requests.

Only yesterday, on the eve of May 13, two incredible things happened in communist China. First, the true bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, publicly announced, "The time has still not come for an official [papal] visit from the pope in China. His trip would be used, misunderstood, and it would do nothing to serve the faithful of the Church of Rome.” Quoted by Italy’s ANSA news agency, the cardinal continued, "The Chinese government, even in these pre-Olympic times, wants to control everything.”

In May 2007, Pope Benedict XVI sent to the authorities of Beijing, China a letter, in which he pressed China to respect religious freedom and the Vatican's right to appoint its own bishops. As Cardinal Zen noted yesterday, “After this letter, nothing has changed.” The good cardinal further stated, “In China, there is neither religious freedom nor freedom of the press, even if the government seems to have made overtures because of the Olympics, and there is still control over the Internet.”

Courageous and telling words, for this faithful cardinal specifically spoke of “the Church of Rome” within China, which stands in stark contrast with the CPA (Chinese Patriotic Association, compromised of “jurist” bishops and priests of China who abandoned their union with Rome and their fealty to the pope in favor of the Chinese communist state.) In China, the true Church still exists in the underground “Church of Rome,” while the CPA “church” is the one recognized and controlled by the government. By submitting to this control, the CPA is, objectively, nothing but a schismatic sect, and its compliant existence further persecutes the true Church in China.

Second, on the very same day, communist China suffered a major earthquake in which thousands of people have died. This is a terrible tragedy, one that must be a sign from God. “And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.” (Lk 21:11)

As the inerrant Scriptures prove, earthquakes [along with tumults, lightning, and thunder] are either natural or supernatural phenomenon, but earthquakes are always a sign of God’s omnipotent judgment [Ps 96: 4-5; Joel 2:10; and let’s not forget the earthquake in Exodus!), a warning of God’s wrath, or accompany another one of His magnificent works, like the earthquake at Christ’s death [Matt. 27:54] and again at His Resurrection [Matt. 28:2]. In one instance, the Lord caused an earthquake to deliver Paul and Silas from prison [Acts 16:26], causing the conversion of their prison keeper and a great fear to fall upon their unjust magistrates. Recalling these truths, the faithful Christian may reasonably conclude that Our Lord is not happy with communist China, and so this recent, terrible earthquake is a sign of His judgment and His wrath but also a call for conversion to the one and only Church established by Our Lord.

The fact that Communism not only exists but is thriving and has spread throughout the world makes one ask: Can anyone seriously consider our times to be the era of peace promised to the world? Can a Catholic doubt the word of Our Lady, Who – by God’s Will – shall keep the heavenly promise when what She requests is heeded in its entirety?

Today’s news also reports that the Lebanese army expanded deployment to impose order; the Myanmar regime is accused of hoarding cyclone aid; clashes in Iraq’s Sadr City killed 11 people, and there was much more bad news.

In April – the month in which St. Michael appeared to the three Fatima children – the European Union (formerly known as Catholic Europe, Christendom) welcomed with open arms the Freemasons in “policy development.”

If you are not aware of the chilling development of that latter bit of news, please read the following news piece very carefully, dear reader:

A communiqué from the French Federation of Le Droit Humain, posted at Le Salon Beige, reveals the influence of Freemasonry in the European Union. Le Droit Humain is one of several Masonic lodges in France. (Translator's Note: I am leaving "le Droit Humain" in French, since that seems to be customary. The words actually translate as "human right" in the singular or "human law", but neither one sounds plausible in English.)

The French Federation of Le Droit Humain represented by its president, Michel Payen, met on April 8, 2008 with the president of the European Commission, José-Manuel Barroso, in a delegation composed of the Grand Feminine Lodge of France, the Grand Orient of Portugal and the Grand Orient of France (...)

This meeting constitutes a major event regarding the place of Freemasonry in the construction of Europe; this place was underscored not only by the interest and attentiveness that President Barroso showed to the delegation and the time he accorded them, but also by the commitments he made to the values espoused by liberal and adogmatic Freemasonry, its positions and its opinions on subjects of concern. It was the first time that Freemasonry, as such, was able to express itself to such a high level European institution.

The delegation received assurances from President Barroso of his attachment to the spirit of "laïcité" and to the principle of separation of religion from the State. The delegation stressed the importance of the Enlightenment in the history of Europe, a dimension to be taken into account at least equally with its religious roots, and certainly more closely tied to the roots of antiquity.

Finally, a principle of communication between the liberal and adogmatic Masonic Orders and the services of the European Commission, to be used whenever needed, was decided upon. Thus the French Federation of Le Droit Humain will propose, in the near future, a recommendation concerning the principle of emancipation that ought to form the basis of all European education systems, in direct relation to a recognition of the contribution of the Enlightenment to the common culture of the peoples that compose Europe, and in accordance with the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

[Translator’s Note: I assume "emancipation" refers to the breaking of bonds with religion, although it could refer to freedom for women. Le Droit Humain was founded primarily to allow women into Freemasonry.]

Consequently, the Freemasons of the French Federation of Le Droit Humain are encouraged to debate fully the questions concerning Europe and to make known their opinions in order that an original, strong and well-informed voice characterizes our contribution to the discussions. [ “Masonic Influence in the EU,” English translation from GalliaWatch, http://galliawatch.blogspot.com/2008/04/masonic-influence-in-eu.html ]

Is anyone fooled by this decision and what it really portends? The Freemasons never gave up, and the principles of the French Revolution never died but only went underground (as did modernism for a period of time), where they lurked and planned and continued to secretly advance against the Church and society. The only difference now is that Freemasonry is allowed (in France, of all places! France, “Eldest Daughter of the Church”!) to work out in the open – and that itself must be recognized as a most ominous sign.

Finally, there is the current discussion in the UN (United Nations) to stop children from being involved with religion, usurping the natural rights of parents and the supernatural jurisdiction of the Church. This topic also extended to questioning the Vatican’s involvement, as an organization, with the same UN - and yet another menacing sign.

So we have the French Masons welcomed with open arms by the European Union, and simultaneously, the UN is discussing whether or not religion can be taught to children (specifically, the Catholic religion, since the Vatican's participation at the UN is openly debated with the same topic. As can be seen, even the Church's enemies recognize that Catholicism is the one true Faith.)

Can we not yet recognize “the signs of the times”? What must it take before all the faithful ardently join and promote the Collegial Consecration Campaign? It is God's Will that Russia must be consecrated to the Virgin's Immaculate Heart, promising to save it - and the world - by this means. It is late, very late - but it is not too late to have recourse to Our Lord, Jesus and Our Lady, the Virgin Mary.

Please pray and sacrifice for the Holy Father's intentions, asking God to help the pope command - not simply invite - the bishops to join him in the Collegial Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For this holy cause of the Mother of God, we can pray the Rosary every day, wear the Brown Scapular, offer our daily duty to God as a sacrifice, and participate in the Five First Saturday devotions throughout the year, just as Sr. Lucia did.

Fatima: To Know, Love and Serve God

Today is the 91st anniversary of Our Lady's first appearance at Fatima. As Catholics and as homeschooling parents, May is such a beautiful month to which we may look forward. Like October, it is "Our Lady's month" - and isn't it more than a coincidence that her apparitions at Fatima began and ended with two months especially dedicated to Her?

From the earthly viewpoint, May is also the time at which we are, hopefully, drawing the current school year to its closing, even as we are already thinking about the next year.

When we think about it, Catholic homeschooling centers on the purpose for our lives, as stated in the Baltimore Catechism, "To know, love and serve God in this world in order to be happy with Him in the next life." That is, with each school year, both we and our children continue in the school of life - we are teaching (but so are the children!), they are learning (and so are we), and hopefully, all of us praying and advancing, bit by bit, in our spiritual lives. We pray and study and work through one year and, before we know it, we're planning about the next.

But how can any of us know for certain what the next year will bring? We can 'only' pray and practice virtues to advance in them but we can't do that alone. St. Louis de Montfort, who was so persecuted in his own day, was right when he said that the Virgin Mary is the path to God. She said the same thing of herself at Fatima, "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the path that will lead you to God."

What do we and our children truly know of the Virgin Mother of God? Do we understand that she was prophesied in Genesis 3:15? Do we grasp Her figure types throughout the Old Testament? Are we familiar with what the saints have said of her? Do we recognize Her figure type in The Apocalypse? "A woman clothed with the sun..."(Apoc. 12:1) Do we take the time to study the details of the Marian apparitions declared by the Church as worthy of belief? Do we truly love Her, as Her Son wills we do?

Most of all, do we know the true and complete story of Fatima, which is the message of hope and of motherly warning for our own times? Do our children understand by what is meant in regard to daily duty as a sacrifice? For that matter, do we?

Finally, what might we do to spread devotion to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, first starting in our own minds, hearts and homes? For faith, as we are taught, first comes through the mind, where it is [hopefully] accepted by the intellect, and that is how we first begin to "know" God. For it is through the mind that we know.

May God bless all of you on this day of mercy, when the Mother of God first came to Fatima! May we all pray and work to fully obey this loving Mother, by praying the Rosary every day, offering all we do in sacrifice for the conversion of sinners, partaking of the grace of the Five First Saturdays, and 'praying much' - as did the children of Fatima and as did Sr. Lucia, the sole surviving visionary, during the entire course of her long life - always remembering the Holy Father. Let us pray and sacrifice for Pope Benedict XVI, so that he will command the bishops to join him in the collegial consecration of Russia to the one and only Immaculate Heart.

As Our Lord said, "If you love Me, keep My Commandments."

Hidden Revelations: The Star of Esther and the Secrets of Fatima

As promised, below is my article, "Hidden Revelations: The Star of Esther and the Secrets of Fatima" as it was printed in the May 2008 issue of Catholic Family News. - Marianna Bartold. 

NOTE: As of May 2014, "Hidden Revelations" is further expanded and included in my new book (available in both glossy paperback and on Kindle), Fatima: The Signs and Secrets  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is said that the best place to hide something is in plain sight.

When Sr. Lucia, the last Fatima visionary, was called into eternity on February 13, 2005, both the Catholic and mainstream media sought the significance of the date. Most sources tied-in to May 13, noting the “13” in the anniversary date of the Fatima apparitions (1917), the papal assassination attempt (1981), and the late pope’s world consecration to the Immaculate Heart (1982). Ultimately, the mainstream efforts implied that Sr. Lucia’s death was a sign that Fatima is finished. Yet when an incredible Scriptural connection to February 13th and Fatima is examined as a whole, the opposite conclusion is made: While the date of Lucia’s death is definitely a sign, it is one alerting the world that we have reached the most critical chapter of the Fatima revelations.

Heretofore, it was never noticed that the date of Sr. Lucia’s passing links to a small yellow star, worn by Our Lady of Fatima. This star is a profound symbol long recognized by tradition as the “Star of Esther.” It points to an Old Testament history called The Book of Esther, which relates the story of a Jewish queen whose intercession saved her people from annihilation. Queen Esther’s mediation allowed the ancient Hebrews “to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives” on “the 13th day of Adar.” [1]

Until Lucia’s passing, the magnitude of “the 13th of Adar” could not be realized, even by Fatima scholars. Her death signals that, like the Jews who stood for their lives on the 13th of Adar, our own great battle against annihilation is begun. The secret significance of Lucia’s date of death has been right before our eyes all the time: It occurred exactly 40 minutes before sunset,[2] on the 13th of February[3] – in the Hebrew month of Adar.[4]

P.S. to the Message of Fatima 
Thus it seems that even Lucia’s death accentuated the entire Fatima message, manifesting a kind of heavenly post-script: “Hear, O foolish people, and without understanding: who have eyes, and see not: and ears, and hear not.”[5]

In the Scriptures, the 13th day of Adar is one with historical portent. It marks the Machabees’ liberation of the Holy Land after a four-year combat; the battle throughout the Persian Empire during the reign of Esther; and the day warriors fasted before going out to war. [6] The theme becomes obvious: An epic battle of God’s ecclesia against her enemies.

Because there are no insignificancies in God’s designs, there are great reasons for the Star of Esther adorning Our Lady of Fatima. Only three years ago, its purpose was again emphasized when God willed that Lucia should leave this world on a date directing our attention to both Esther and Our Lady of Fatima.

Of Mary, There is Never Enough
Just as the star adorning Our Lady of Fatima points to The Book of Esther, so does The Book of Esther point to all of the Fatima revelations. Esther’s theme centers on secrets and revelations, suggesting that The Book of Esther is a figure type for The Apocalypse (Greek for Revelations).

The Book of Esther appears to encapsulate what Fatima highlights about both the Virgin’s and the Church’s singular office in salvation history. Esther’s Star on Our Lady’s gown directs the Church to “the history of Queen Esther, who was herself a great [figure] type of our Queen Mary!”[7]

But first, what is meant by a figure type? In its application to the whole of Scripture, an Old Testament figure type is a person, place, thing or event foreshadowing a New Testament archetype (a perfect model or type). The New Testament archetype is always greater than its Old Testament figure type.[8]

Our Lord Himself plainly alluded to Scriptural figure types when, after His Resurrection, he appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things that were concerning him.” Our Lord used similar words when He subsequently appeared to the apostles.[9]

So, too, "Mary appears on every page of the Old Testament," said St. Bernard.[10] In Genesis 3:15, God Himself literally prophesied Our Lady as “the woman,” but She is foreshadowed in many figure types - including but not limited to Miriam, Sarah, the foot-shaped cloud of Mt. Carmel, Ruth, Anna, Judith, and Esther; in the Gebirah (queen mother of the Davidic kings); in the mother of the seven Machabees; in the spouse of the Canticle of Canticles, the daughter of Zion, the burning bush on Mt. Sion, the Ark of the Covenant, the Root of Jesse, the City of God, and the Temple of Jerusalem.

In The Apocalypse, the Woman (the Virgin Mary) is prefigured by a “type within type” — “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” [11] This woman is a type of the Church, but the eternal Church is herself a type of Mary. With these examples, one begins to see what is meant by “types within types.”

 The Book of Esther, The Book of Revelations
 Among the many women who are figure types of the Virgin, Esther is foremost for three reasons: she interceded for her people; her Star appears on Our Lady’s dress; and the number “13” is central to her history. Space does not permit a thorough explanation of the doctrinal depths found in The Book of Esther’s figure types. However, the following comparisons are those most pertinent to the purpose of this essay.

· In the Old Testament, the fourth chapter of The Book of Esther relates the history of a “fair and exceedingly beautiful” virgin named Edissa, “who by another name was called Esther.”[12] In the Old Testament of the Hebrew text, her name was Hádássah - meaning myrtle, a white, five-pointed, star-shaped flower. [13]

· An orphan, Esther was raised by her uncle Mardochai, who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the onset of the Babylonian Exile. Esther was in her uncle’s care from the time she was a “little one”[14]- a “figure-type” phrase foreshadowing the Virgin Mary’s sublime humility.

· Mardochai himself is an enigmatic “type within type.” He seems to embody in his person the faithful in exile but also a “vizier” or vicar, if not the Vicar of Christ.

· Esther and Mardochai lived in Susan, Persia’s capital city. The Persian king was Assuerus (a figure type for God) and his queen was Vasthi.

The Book of Esther, permeated with figure types, opens with the historical narration of the king’s feast. To grasp the types, one must understand that the first chapter of Esther alludes to the glory of the heavenly kingdom, the hierarchy of creation, and the Garden of Paradise, even to the first woman, Eve:

“Now in the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all the princes, and for his servants, for the most mighty of the Persians, and the nobles of the Medes, and the governors of the provinces, that he might show the riches of the glory of his kingdom, and the greatness, and boasting of his power, for a long time, to wit, for a hundred and fourscore days. And when the days of the feast were expired, he invited all the people that were found in Susan, from the greatest to the least: and commanded a feast to be made seven days, in the court of the garden, and of the wood, which was planted by the care and the hand of the king.”[15]

At the time, “Vasthi the queen made a feast for the women in the palace, where the king Assuerus was used to dwell.”[16] However, on the seventh day of the second feast, she disobeyed the king’s solitary command “to show her beauty to all the people and the princes; for she was exceedingly beautiful. But she refused, and would not come at the king’s command.”[17]

Vasthi, the first queen, is a figure type for the Lady Eve, queen of the earthly Paradise where God Himself “used to dwell.” But she forever lost her office when she refused the King’s singular command. No more is said of Vasthi’s fate other than the words of an edict proclaiming she could “come in no more to the king, but another, that is better than her, be made queen in her place.”[18]

“After this, when the wrath of King Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered.” [19] In the Old Testament, a phrase like “he remembered” signaled that the very next action, no matter how innocuous or unconventional, is an immediate manifestation of God’s mercy. This Divine intervention looks like a natural human event, but it is always God Who is behind it. Knowing this helps us understand why one moment the king remembered Vasthi but, in the very next sentence, he issued an edict summoning all the most beautiful virgins of the land, so that he might select a new bride. The virgins were brought to the capital, and “were delivered to Egeus the eunuch; Esther also among the rest of the maidens were delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.” [20]

Figure Types within Figure Types 
It was not until the twelfth month (known as Adar in the Hebrew calendar) that “every virgin’s turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage.” [21] This “going in to the king” represents spiritual union “in God,” which requires grace, time and merits. The Book of Esther relates that the virgins were given a year’s preparation before “going in to” the king, “so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for [sic] other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.”[22]

Again, we see figure types within figure types. In the Old Testament, myrrh is used in the “oil of unction,” which God commanded Moses to prepare immediately before the building of the Ark of the Covenant – which itself is another figure type of Mary. Myrrh (Arabic, “bitter”) was used for the healing of wounds and bruises; it was also a symbol of self-sacrifice.[23]

How striking, then, is the six month’s anointing with oil of myrrh during the virgins’ preparation. Likewise, the other perfumes and sweet spices in the second six months’ preparation are reminiscent of the ingredients in the holy incense, which God ordered Moses to set before the tabernacle of the testimony. In all of the Fatima revelations, the need for prayer and sacrifice was stressed repeatedly.

When Esther’s turn came to “go in to the king…she sought not women’s ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all…And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favor and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.” This event took place “in the tenth month which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of the king’s reign.” [24]

In this passage, we can easily see why Esther is a figure type of the Virgin Mary, She who is “full of grace” and blessed amongst all women. [25]

· The time between Vasthi’s fall to Esther’s appearance before the king is a span of four years. These four years prefigure the four centuries of Advent.[26]

· Tebeth correlates with the Gregorian calendar’s twelfth month of December, [27] the month in which we commemorate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

· When Our Lady, Esther’s archetype, appeared at Fatima, She also wore no adornments other than those symbolizing that with which God Himself adorned her.
 The Secrets of the StarThus Esther became the Queen of Persia, but for a reason established by the Lord. In obedience to her uncle, Mardochai, she revealed to the king neither her ancestry, her Hebrew name nor their kinship. The Hebrew texts relate that she gave her name as Hester (in Persian, Esther – which means “star.”). As we shall see, this change in name was more than a translation.

The alteration from Hádássah to Hester refers to a secret, because Hester translates to “hidden [meaning of the] star.”[28] Esther had three secrets, as does Our Lady of Fatima.

· The Hebrew name for The Book of Esther is Megillat Esther – e.g., "revelation of [that which is] hidden.”[29] By displaying the Star of Esther, it seems Our Lady of Fatima not only wishes to “discreetly suggest a hidden and sublime aspect of Her unique vocation”[30] as Mediatrix but also “secrets within secrets” or “revelations within revelations.”

· The word play of Megillat Hester suggests another meaning: God is hiding His Face. The Hebrew text of The Book of Esther, which ends with Ch. 10:3, lacks any mention of God’s name. Jewish scholars refer to the Lord’s role as Hester Panim or “hidden Face”. [31] The implications for our own times are staggering.

The plot in Esther builds after her uncle Mardochai did not attend her marriage banquet; rather, he “stayed at the king’s gate.”[32] This one reference is a deep figure-type: the royal marriage banquet foreshadows the Virgin as the Bride of the Divine Spouse and the Church as the Bride of Christ; Mardochai standing at the king’s gates typifies he who guards the kingdom of God on earth, as well as the faithful in the kingdom; the gates themselves refer to both the Virgin (Gate of Heaven) and the Church (the Narrow Gate).

So it was that by lingering at the gate, Mardochai overheard a conspiracy to kill the king. He told Esther, who told the king in Mardochai’s name, thus saving the king’s life.[33]

Soon afterward, the king advanced Aman, of the race of Agag (which was at enmity with the Jews), setting him above all the princes. The king’s servants bent their knees and worshiped Aman – all but Mardochai. Aman became so obsessed with Mardochai’s fidelity to the First Commandment that he plotted revenge against him and all the Jews.[34]

Cunningly employing his position in the royal court, Aman issued a decree that all Jews living throughout Persia would be massacred on one day, down to the last man, woman, and child. To choose the date of this annihilation, lots were cast into an urn. The month chosen was the twelfth month, called Adar.[35] It seems Aman himself (who is an anti-Christ figure) chose the date – the 13th of Adar.[36]

The Intercession of the Queen
 The Scriptures relate that Mardochai asked Esther to intervene with the king, but Esther explained that the king had proclaimed none could enter his inner court without being called; those who dared were immediately put to death unless the king showed his clemency by holding out his golden scepter. Mardochai reminded her, “Think not that thou mayest save thy life only, because thou art in the king’s house, more than all the Jews…And who knoweth whether thou are not therefore come to the kingdom, that thou mightest be ready in such a time as this?”[37] This passage also foreshadows Christian doctrine, for the Virgin Mary is placed above all others for the sake of all.

Hearing Mardochai’s plea, Esther for the first time commanded her uncle, “Go…gather together all the Jews...and pray ye for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days and three nights: and I with my handmaids will fast in like manner, and then I will go in to the king, against the law, not being called, and expose myself to death and danger.” [38]

Thus Esther, her maidens and the faithful prayed and fasted. How tragically apt to our own day are these words from Esther’s prayer for the people:
“…We have sinned in thy sight, and therefore thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies, for we have worshiped their gods. Thou are just, O Lord. And now they are not content to oppress us with most hard bondage, but attributing the strength of their hands to the power of their idols, they design to change thy promises, and destroy thy inheritance, and shut the mouths of them that praise thee, and extinguish the glory of thy temple and altar…”[39]

In the meantime, Aman planned Mardochai’s death, preparing a gibbet upon which he would be hanged. Aman had every reason to believe he would succeed, but his final goal was the king’s usurpation. However, armed with prayers and sacrifices and the king’s love for her, Esther revealed her secrets to Assuerus, denounced Aman, and pled for her people.[40]

“But the king being angry rose up from the place of the banquet into the garden set with trees. Aman also rose up to entreat Esther the queen for his life, for he understood that evil was prepared for him by the king. And when the king came back…he found Aman was fallen upon the bed on which Esther lay…”[41] Seeing this and thinking that Aman’s audacity knew no limits, the king ordered his death on the very gibbet prepared for Mardochai.[42] Assuerus then placed Mardochai in Aman’s place, making him second in authority after the king – another emphasis that Mardochai is a type of a “vicar.”[43]

Aman, as a figure type, suggests a high-level infiltration within the kingdom (the Church), which plots to overthrow the monarch (Christ the King). To accomplish this, he and others lay plans to first destroy the king’s allies. Aman’s act of throwing himself upon Esther implies a great offense against the Virgin, resulting in the wrath of God.

The Faithful Must Stand for Their Lives 
To save the Jews, the king gave Mardochai liberty to issue a new edict commanding the Jews “to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives.”[44]

After the battle of the 13th of Adar, the king was told the number of those slaughtered and then asked Esther, “What wilt thou have me to command to be done?”[45] Esther asked that it be granted to the Jews “to do to morrow in Susan as they have done this day and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged on gibbets.”[46] So it was that the Jews defended themselves in the capital city on both the 13th and 14th days of Adar. But in other areas of Persia, the battle occurred only on the 13th.[47]

From the human standpoint, the requests of Mardochai and Esther appear vindictive but, when understood as figure types, we better follow the meanings. The Jews represent the ecclesia of the Old Dispensation saved from annihilation. Esther’s request to the king signifies the Virgin’s desire to completely eradicate all of the heresies afflicting the Catholic City; the death of Aman and his ten sons suggest the defeat of the apocalyptic anti-Christ and the ten horns of the Beast. [48]

The doctrine of Mediatrix of all Graces is foreshadowed in Esther, the mediatrix of her people. Thus, Esther is a great figure type for the Virgin Mary, especially under her title Our Lady of Fatima.

Like Esther, the Virgin of Fatima acts to save her people from annihilation, first asking that the pope, bishops and the lay faithful heed all of her requests. Unlike Esther, however, the Virgin Mary does not need our prayers and sacrifices for her own sake, but for ours.

Sr. Lucia and the 13th of Adar: The Last Warning? 
In the Biblical sense, the date, day and time of Lucia’s death are three great signs from heaven. As we’ve already seen, February 13 directs us to Esther, and all that it signifies. The third sign is the day of Lucia’s passing, which fell just before sunset on the first Sunday in Lent - the liturgical season dedicated to prayer and self- sacrifice. Surely, Our Lady’s words to the child Lucia have proven true in every aspect: “Jesus wishes to use you to make Me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart. To whoever embraces this devotion, I promise salvation; these souls shall be dear to God, as flowers placed by Me to adorn His throne.” [49]

This devotion throughout the world has not yet occurred, because there has been no solemn collegial consecration of Russia to the Virgin’s Immaculate Heart. For this singular, constant offense against the Virgin’s request, Heaven has already warned that what awaits us is a horrific victory of the incessant Revolt against the Church and the Holy Father. The culmination is rapidly approaching.

Certain words of Our Lord's to Sr. Lucia strongly indicate that the full portent of the Third Secret of Fatima may occur within ten years’ time. This probable tragedy alone should inspire those who possess confidence in Our Lady of Fatima to courageously accept our collective obligation to declare the entire Fatima message throughout the Catholic world.

A particular warning of Our Lord’s to Sr. Lucia about the collegial consecration brings to our attention the apparitions of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Paray-le-Monial, France. Through this saint, Our Lord gave the world the devotion of the Nine First Fridays with its Twelve Promises. Yet there is another serious matter surrounding these apparitions to the saint, one which is very little known.

St. Margaret Mary was told by the Lord that she was to "inform the King of France, 'Eldest son of His Sacred Heart,' that the Sacred Heart wished 'to reign in his palace, to be painted on his standard, to be engraved on his arms,' and that it [the Sacred Heart] will make him 'triumphant over all the enemies of Holy Church,' if the King obeyed Christ's command on these matters. However, as history relates, “Either Louis XIV never received the letter or he refused to reply. But the command still stands.”[50]

On June 17, 1689, Our Lord also told the saint to tell the Catholic King Louis XIV that France must be solemnly consecrated to His Sacred Heart. This command, too, was ignored by the king and his heirs. As a result, France – first daughter of the Church – succumbed to the “enemies of the Church.”

THE TIME LIMIT EXPIRED
Exactly one hundred years later, on June 17, 1789, the godless “Third Estate” declared itself a national assembly, lawlessly stripping the reigning Catholic monarch (Louis XVI) of his authority. Thus the Reign of Terror went into full motion; the king, his queen, and other innocents were martyred. Due to the ravenous “Mademoiselle Guillotine” and her devotees, the streets literally ran ankle-deep in blood, and apostasy reigned.[51]

To think of what France - and with it, the Church - could have been spared, if only one of the reigning kings had obeyed the simple command of Our Lord!

Christ our King wished to establish the public consecration and devotion to His Sacred Heart in order to save France, "First Daughter of the Church," and with it, Christendom. As we now know through the apparitions to Sr. Lucia of Fatima, the Sacred Heart also wills the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary - this time to save the entire world from the punishments it deserves for its many sins.

Our Lord also wishes to have the whole world acknowledge that Russia and the world will be saved by the collegial consecration, so that the Immaculate Heart of His Mother will honored beside His Own.

IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS 
In briefly reviewing the tragic history of the French Revolution, especially the fates of the Catholic monarchs and thousands of innocents, we fully understand how the Lord's apparitions and requests at Paray-le-Monial are linked to Our Lady's requests at Fatima.

On July 13, 1917, Our Lady said to the child Lucia: “…I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. ... In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted, and an era of peace will be granted to the world.” [52]

Eleven years, eleven months later - on June 13, 1929 - Our Lady appeared to Sr. Lucia, saying: “The moment has come when God asks the Holy Father to make, in union with all the bishops of the world, the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, promising to save it by this means.” [53]

Two years passed, but Sr. Lucia’s endeavors proved fruitless. Those with the authority to fulfill the command would not comply.

In August 1931, Our Lord Himself spoke to Sr. Lucia, referring to His command for the collegial consecration of Russia. By the choice of God's own words, He left no doubt that the request of His Mother was also His own command and Will:

“Make it known to My ministers that given they follow the example of the King of France in delaying the execution of My request, they will follow him into misfortune. It will never be too late to have recourse to Jesus and Mary." [54]

With only the release of the Third Secret Vision (which did not include Our Lady’s words elucidating it), Our Lord's warning to Sr. Lucia in 1931 makes itself tragically clear…

Like the Kings of France who disobeyed the heavenly King’s command by delaying the solemn consecration of France for 100 years, the Lord’s ministers who do the same in regard to the collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary “will follow the French king into misfortune.”

Like the countless numbers who also followed the King of France and his family "into misfortune" by their deaths at the guillotine, the Third Secret Vision of Fatima makes it clear that, "if my (Our Lady's) requests are not heard," a "bishop in white” (generally understood to be the pope) will die at the hands of soldiers who bear both guns and arrows, followed by a long line of faithful Catholics from all states in life.[55]

In regard to the long-awaited collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart, is it not possible that Our Lord was also telling us that, “like the King of France,” He will again allow exactly 100 years for His ministers to completely obey Him? If so, the 100 years conclude either on June 13, 2017 or June 13, 2029 (anniversary of the day the Virgin returned to officially make the request).
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Footnotes

[1] Sunrise and Sunset in Coimbra, timeanddate.com [http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.htm]

[2] “Last Fatima Witness Sister Lucia Dies at 97,” CathNews. [http://www.cathnews.com/news/502/80.php] According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, Sr. Maria Lucia of the Immaculate Heart, born in 1907 as Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, died of old age at the Carmelite convent of St. Teresa of Coimbra in central Portugal, at 5:25 pm local time.

[3] Hebrew Date Converter [http://www.hebcal.com/converter/] Let it be noted that the Gregorian calendar is solar-based, while the Hebrew (or Jewish) calendar is lunar-based. In October of 1582, Pope Gregory XII advanced the solar calendar date by 11 days. Thus, according to the Gregorian calendar, which is used almost universally, Lucia died on the 13^th of February. The Jewish lunar calendar was also revised (and many times). By the Jewish lunar calendar of 2005, Sr. Lucia died on the 4^th of Adar II. It is the author’s conjecture, which is submissive to the Church’s ultimate judgment, that God wished to highlight the 13^th day of the universal Gregorian calendar, which would call the attention of Catholics familiar with the story of Our Lady of Fatima. However, by calling Lucia’s soul from this life in the Hebrew month of Adar, He also called attention to the sign of the Star of Esther on Our Lady's long tunic. The Star is the symbol of the Queen who saved her people from annihilation, and thus Heaven chose this symbol to silently tell us many things, as this article and the following series will show.

[4] Jer. 5:21. (The Holy Bible, Douay-Rheims-Challoner)

[5] “Timeline: Adar in Jewish History,” Wikepedia. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adar]

[6] St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Glories of Mary. Fourth Reprint Revised. (Brooklyn, NY: Redemptorist Fathers, 1931): p. 39.

[7] Bob Stanley, “Types, Antitypes, Signs and Shadows are Absolutely Indispensable for Proper Scriptural Interpretation,” Catholic Treasure Chest. [http://www.thecatholictreasurechest.com/type.htm]

[8] Lk 24:27.

[9] John S. Stokes, Jr., “Bible Gardens Revisited,” republished on the Mary Gardens website. [http://www.mgardens.org/JS-BGR-MG.html]

[10] Apoc. 12:1.

[11] Esther 2:7.

[12] “Myrrh…Mor…Mordechai,” Excerpts from Philip Goodman, The Purim Anthology. (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1988 pages): 126-27. Jewish Heritage Online Magazine. (http://www.jhom.com/calendar/adar/names.html]

[13] Esther 2:20.

[14] Esther 1:5.

[15] Esther 1:9.

[16] Esther 1:11-12.

[17] Esther 1:19.

[18] Esther 2:1.

[19] Esther 2:8.

[20] Esther 2:12.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Exod. 30: 23.

[23] Esther  2:15-17.

[24] Lk 1:28.

[25] Ibid., 1:3, 2:16.

[26] Introduction to the Jewish Calendar, JewishGen. [http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/m_calint.htm]

[27] “Girls Names,” Jewish Literacy. [http://www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/Girls_Names.asp]

[28] “Purim,” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim

[29] Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, The Whole Truth about Fatima: Science and the Facts, Vol I. (Buffalo, NY: Immaculate Heart Publications, Revised edition 2003): 147.

[30] Rabbi David Dov Levanon, “Ester and the Dawn,” The Torah World Gateway. [http://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/shiur.asp]

[31] Esther 2:19.

[32] Esther 2: 21-22.

[33] Esther 2:6.

[34] Esther 3: 7.

[35] Esther 3:12.

[36] Esther 4:12, 14.

[37] Esther 4: 15-17.

[38] Esther 14: 6-9.

[39] Esther 7: 5-6.

[40] Esther 7:23.

[41] Esther 7: 7-8.

[42] Esther 10.

[43] Esther 8:2.

[44] Esther 11.

[45] Esther, 9: 11-12.

[46] Esther 13.

[47] Esther 7-18.

[48] Apoc. 13:1.

[49] Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, op. cit., pp. 158-159.

[50] Henri Gheon, “The Secret of Saint Margaret Mary,” Secrets of the Saints. (Image Books: 1963) Republished on the Catholic Information Network (CIN) website. [http://www.cin.org/sstmargm.html]

[51] Fr. John Laux, Church History. (Rockford, IL. Republished by Tan Books and Publishers): pp. 522-526.

[52] Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, op. cit., pp. 182-183.

[53] Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, The Whole Truth about Fatima, Vol. II. (Buffalo, NY: Immaculate Heart Publications, Revised edition 2003): p. 464.

[54] Ibid., pp. 543-544.

[55] The Message of Fatima, issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 26, 2000. Vatican website. [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000626_message-fatima_en.html]