We revere you

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word."

Luke 1:38

Her yes, changed the history of mankind. Her yes, was a yes to our redemption. Her yes, opened the gates of Heaven to us. Her yes, changed the history of mankind forever. Who was this self-less woman who willingly accepted the Will of God in all things, in incomparable joy and in excruciating anguish? In unfathomable happiness and unbearable torments? None other than, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.”

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

It's truly a wonder to stand in awe before and a mystery of love to ponder, that the God-Man chose no other way to save mankind than through co-operating with the Immaculate Virgin. That He had found no better way, than living in the womb of the most spot-less and pure being to ever exist, after Christ, and coming forth from her. Her heart was Heaven for Him. Jesus Christ honored and exalted the Blessed Mother above everyone and everything; she alone found favor with God and was filled with grace.

"To give worthy praise to the Lord's mercy, we unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother, for then our hymn will be more pleasing to You, because She is chosen from among men and angels. Through Her, as through a pure crystal, Your mercy was passed on to us. Through Her, man became pleasing to God; Through Her, streams of grace flowed down upon us." (1746)

St. Faustina

As women, we are called to reflect and embody the purity and holiness of Our Mother. This is only possible in and through Our Lady. For she is the one who calls the soul to the Banquet of Angels, The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. For she is the one who takes your hand it puts it in the Hand of the Father, as Father Michael had once said. For she is the one to lead us to reconciling with the Lord Jesus in the confessional. To honor and revere her is our duty, for she is truly Our Mother. To attain purity of heart one must aspire and desire intimate union with Mary. How do we do this? The Rosary.

”Jesus honored her before all ages, and will honor her for all ages. No one comes to Him, nor even near Him, no one is saved or sanctified, if he too will not honor her. This is the lot of Angels and of men.”

Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Martyr

In "True Devotion to Mary", St. Louis De Montfort had written that if all the mother's hearts were united as one, it would still not be as powerful as the love of Mary's heart.

“What a joy to remember that she is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?”

Saint Therese of Lisieux

Women are entrusted with bringing Christ to all people. Just like the Blessed Mother, all women are called to be living tabernacles of Jesus Christ and are to bring Him into the world, to every person that crosses their path. Since Our Lady has already successfully brought Christ to everyone she crossed paths with while on her earthly pilgrimage, and is still bringing Christ to everyone who seeks Him with a sincere heart, so are we to bring Christ to all those whom the Lord has brought into our lives. Our Lady embodies purity and modesty, for she lives in God and God lives in her. We are to aspire after sanctity, following in the footsteps of the Queen of Virgins whose steps lead us to holiness in all of our thoughts, words and actions.

Our Lady of Fatima came to Portugal in 1917 for this reason, "I have come to warn the faithful, to amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not continue to offend Our Lord, Who is already too much offended." Her messages were an exhortation to change; messages to the faithful for them to be hopeful, to be encouraged and to repent. Our Lady told Lucia Santos "Don't lose heart, I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God." She reminds the faithful of her maternal love and care; she exhorts them to trust in her as their mother who loves them, your mother who loves you. She also stressed that fashions would be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much. It is our duty and responsibility to heed and adhere to Our Mother's message. In almost all of Our Lady's apparitions she exhorts us to "Say the Rosary everyday to obtain peace for the world." She also said, "Pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them." If these were not important and grave matters, she would not have came down from Heaven to inform her children.

These messages from Our Lady are a call to repentance, conversion, prayer and sacrifice and they are messages for our good. She so earnestly desires for all souls to be saved, whose Son shed all His Precious Blood for, and is asking you and I today to make a choice. Whether we will revere her and heed the heavenly messages she gave to us out of mercy, or persist in our worldly ways.

"And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal."

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.