As we get closer to the launch date of our coast-to-coast campaign, the Fatima Centennial Tour for Peace, I am reflecting on my current role as the custodian or escort of Our Lady. I feel unworthy but honored to travel with the world-famous International Pilgrim Virgin Statue.
Why me? I often ask Our Lady. There are so many other persons better than me. Holy men and women. I am a faithless sinner. But during World Youth Day in Brazil, I heard Pope Francis telling the young people to be evangelizers. Where is he sending them? To everywhere! Because he said there are no boundaries to proclaiming the Good News!
So, I am spreading the Gospel call to prayer, penance and conversion – the message of Our Lady of Fatima, which is a call from Heaven. I am telling you this because indeed there are no boundaries, no age limit, no right or wrong accent. It is the Lord speaking, and it does not matter what color our skin is or where we come from. We are all called to be evangelizers to the world, in our families, our workplaces, and even on social media. The Fatima visionaries were little children who were not scholars or theologians.
The message of Our Lady is a simple yet profound call; thus, everyone can respond and MUST respond. There should be no excuses to not responding to this beautiful messenger from heaven. Surely, what she has asked us will bring true peace! True peace can only come from the Lord. This is what Mary has given to the world. This is what Pope Francis advocates the whole world respond to, by means of prayer and penance, and to show gestures of dialogue and reconciliation. We live in a troubled world because we live a sinful life. There is so much suffering and pain in this world because there is so much hatred and selfishness. Our Lady begged humanity to stop offending God because He is already too much offended.
This then is our prayer, that we may replace our hearts with a heart worthy of Christ, as we consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As Our Lady promised to Lucia, and therefore to all of us, “My Immaculate Heart will always be your refuge, your consolation, and the way that will lead you to God!” We pray that we may have a clear and perfect vision of the Lord. Like how Mary sees her Divine Son. And like the shepherd children of Fatima, that we may respond to God’s call.