Today the Church Universal celebrates the great feast of Our Lady’s Assumption, body and soul, into Heaven. Marian theologians acknowledge that all of Mary’s special prerogatives, including the Assumption, flow from Her divine maternity. [1] Meditating upon the Incarnation is something Holy Mother Church calls her children to every day, e.g. by the pious devotion of praying the Angelus three times a day (6 am, noon, 6 pm) and genuflecting daily during the Last Gospel (et verbum caro factum est). Hence, it is quite appropriate for us to reflect today on Her Assumption and on that singular moment when She became the Mother of God.
Fatima and the Assumption
There is a deep and profound link between the Message of Fatima and the Mystery of the Assumption. In every apparition at Fatima there was an Assumption-like event. The saintly shepherd children saw Her come down to the earth, where She received their prayers and showered many graces. Then they would witness Her rise gloriously (surrounded by light) into the east and enter Heaven. Lucia even used the imagery of the doors of Heaven closing shut again after the Blessed Mother had returned Home.
The Assumption must necessarily precede the Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Catholics naturally pray the fourth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary before they pray the fifth. At Fatima, Our Lady promised that our world will experience a period of peace when Her Immaculate Heart shall reign (a type of the Fifth Glorious Mystery). Yet it must first be preceded by the Fatima Event (a type for the Fourth Glorious Mystery). Marian mystics have informed us that prior to the Assumption, the angel Gabriel came again to Our Lady. He announced a choice God was extending to Her. Would She willingly suffer more by remaining on earth (another three years) and prolonging Her reunion with Her Son in Heaven, for the salvation of men?
The connection to Fatima is clear. Our Lady comes filled with sorrow. Lucia recounts how somber She was and did not smile. She is suffering terribly, holding back the divine chastisement, similar to how She suffered on earth prior to Her Assumption. During Her final three years on earth She relived Christ’s Passion along the Via Dolorosa and at Calvary. Tradition tells us the Twelve Apostles gathered together at Our Lady’s bedside just prior to Her passing (some perhaps miraculously transported there).[2] At Her request, St. Peter then offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Does this not echo in our mind’s eye the Pope in union with the bishops offering a public Mass where Russia is consecrated?
Furthermore, as the Apostles led the faithful Christians in Our Lady’s funeral procession towards the Valley of Josaphat, [3] they were insulted and ridiculed by members of the Sanhedrin and unbelieving Jews. Are we not quite certain that many unbelievers will mock the Consecration of Russia when it does occur? These mockers, however, were struck with blindness. St. Peter prayed for them and they were healed. Surely when Russia is consecrated there will be miracle(s) which convert unbelievers; after all, the Russian people themselves will enter into the Roman Catholic Church en masse! When the Holy Father, in union with all the bishops of the world, finally consecrates Russia, specifically by name, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, it will be a type of the glorious Assumption.
This should not surprise us. Pope Pius XII had styled himself a Marian Pope and specifically a ‘Fatima Pope.’ During the 1950s, many people thought he was going to fulfill the Fatima consecration. [4] He had already made an initial consecration on October 13, 1942, which altered the course of the Second World War, reduced its potential carnage, and assured its ultimate end. In fact, as Pius XII was preparing to formally define the dogma of the Assumption, he was thrice privileged with the grace of witnessing a minor ‘Miracle of the Sun’ over the Roman skies. He saw it a fourth and final time on the octave day (Nov. 8, 1950) of the publication of Munificentissiums Deus (Nov. 1, 1950). It would seem that Our Lady was not only confirming Her good pleasure at having this dogma defined, but was Herself drawing the profound connection between Fatima and the Assumption; and thereby also encouraging Pius XII to obey all Her requests. [5]
Fatima and a Scriptural Reflection
Our Lady’s query just prior to the Incarnation, “How shall this be done, because I know not man?” (Luke 1:34), often becomes a stumbling block for those who merely read the Sacred Scriptures superficially, out of context, without the ‘mind of Holy Mother Church’ or disregarding the guidance of the Church Fathers, Doctors and saintly mystics. Some erroneously think Our Lady doubted as did Zachary (cf. Lk 1:20). The context of the passage easily shows this is an erroneous reading since the archangel Gabriel punishes Zachary yet praises the Blessed Virgin Mary. Such a doubt would also constitute a grave imperfection in the Blessed Mother, which is offensive to the sensus fidei and contrary to infallible Catholic dogma. [6]
Every passage of Holy Writ is divinely inspired by the Holy Ghost, and thus contains a myriad of meanings which aid the Catholic faithful in meditating upon the deep Mysteries of our Triune God. Let us consider just three of the meanings revealed by Our Lady’s profound words and reflect upon their relevance for the Fatima Message.
First, Our Lady’s words only make sense when we accept the Mystery of Her Perpetual Virginity (infallibly taught by Pope St. Martin I in the third canon of the Lateran Synod of 649 AD). Why would any espoused virgin (cf. Lk 1:27) ask “how shall this be done?” when told that she will bear a child? This is the natural and expected course of events, after all. By adding “since I know not man” Our Lady makes an implicit and subtle reference to a sacred vow of perfect chastity and total consecration She has already made to God. The angel acknowledges this vow and asserts that it will be a supernatural work (great miracle) of the Holy Ghost.
In the light of Fatima, we see that the three little shepherd seers, and most notably Sister Lucia, all strove to imitate Our Lady by living celibate consecrated lives. This should lead us to reflect upon how intimately connected are the mysteries of celibacy and consecration. Celibacy is likewise integral for those consecrated to serve God at the Altar as an alter Christus. Note too how the Fatima Message calls the highest-ranking celibates to be the ones who must consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart. Is it any wonder that the devil has virulently attacked those consecrated by holy celibacy and even now is levelling a frenzied ‘Amazonian’ attack to weaken (even demolish) priestly celibacy? [7]
Secondly, Our Lady does not explicitly say “I have made a vow” but responds subtly, not to befuddle scriptural exegetes, but to discern the spirits. [8] Numerous saints have explained that Our Lady regularly saw and communicated with angels. Therefore it should surprise us to read that She was ‘troubled’ when the archangel appeared to Her. Yet Her statement and reaction make perfect sense if Our Lady is prudently discerning if this message is truly from God or from the devil masquerading as an angel of light (cf. 2 Cor 11:14). The devil could not know of Her sacred vow and so Her reply afforded Her an opportunity to unmask the devil, had it been him attempting to deceive and ensnare Her.
Lucia dos Santos also had to discern the spirits. The devil often attacked her; and many acquaintances, even the local parish priest, suggested it was the devil, not the Blessed Mother, who was appearing at the Cova da Iria. Likewise, our entire approach to the Message of Fatima requires careful discerning of spirits. A careful and prudent discernment is particularly imperative in this time, to quote Sr. Lucia, of diabolical disorientation.
Far too many have simply accepted the notion that Russia was already consecrated, that the Third Secret has been fully disclosed, and that the Message of Fatima ought to be relegated to past events of the Twentieth Century. Yet Our Lord warned us against false prophets who come as wolves in sheep’s clothing; they remain discernible by their fruits (cf. Mt 7:15-20). St. Paul puts us on guard against those who would “pervert the gospel of Christ.” He goes so far as to anathematize anyone, including himself or even an “angel from Heaven,” who would preach a ‘gospel’ different from the teachings of Jesus Christ (cf. Gal 1:6-9). Far too many voices today are preaching a false ‘gospel’ which deviates from the saving truth of Christ handed-on through Holy Mother Church’s Sacred Tradition.
Third, Our Lady’s words directly reveal a profound cause which compelled Our Lord to “dwell amongst us.” For centuries, faithful Jews had been awaiting – with a deep national yearning – for the Messiah. We can imagine how pious families and young maidens fervently prayed that they might serve as the means for the Messiah’s birth. Yet Our Lady’s humility was so great that She willingly gave up all [human] possibility of being the chosen maiden who might fulfill Her people’s greatest desire and, like Judith and Esther of old, help save Her people. So consumed was She by God alone, that She forsook all earthly goods and became the first to ever consecrate Herself through a vow of total continence for the sake of the Kingdom of God. The Blessed Trinity responded to Mary’s perfect love, humility and purity by assuming the most intimate union possible between God and man – the Eternal Son took flesh and a human nature within Her sacred womb.
In imitation of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sister Lucia likewise had to give up the great desire to “save her people” and bring “peace to the world.” She obediently shared Heaven’s only plan for peace with the world (the proper Consecration of Russia, daily recitation of the Rosary, the First Saturday devotion, etc.), and in return suffered tremendously as the Catholic hierarchy and laity – even the whole world, good and evil alike – paid little attention to Heaven’s Solution. How great must her trust in Divine Providence have been? How great was her love for God alone?
In faithful imitation of Our Lady and Sister Lucia, we too must prudently discern the spirits and fervently support the celibacy of those who live consecrated lives. We stand at a great precipice where it seems clear that no human solution can possibly resolve the current crisis in the Church and the world. We need God to miraculously work that which for man is impossible. Yet it is only when more of us members of Holy Mother Church obey the Message of Fatima and imitate the humility, purity and love of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, that the Militant Bride of Christ will ‘compel’ her Savior to once again arise and save His people (cf. Ps 3:7).
[1] cf. Pius XII’s encyclical Munificentissimus Deus (1950), No. 25, infallibly defining the dogma of the Assumption
[2] Here we use the term “Twelve Apostles” as referring to them as a collective group as opposed to the original Twelve. Judas, of course, hanged himself many years earlier; he was replaced by Matthias. According to Ven. Mary of Agreda’s City of God, St. Peter was the first to arrive, having been miraculously transported from Rome by an angel, and St. Paul was also present. Most likely, St. James was also miraculously transported from Spain (after Our Lady of the Pillar appeared to him, circa 42). Tradition relates that St. Thomas arrived late.
The following comes from Raphael Brown’s The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics (TAN, 2012), p.257: On the morning of the Assumption, St. Peter and St. John noticed that the music of the angels had ceased. They presumed Her body may have been taken up to Heaven. As they were debating whether to open the tomb, St. Thomas arrived. He wished to see and venerate one last time the body of his Queen. When the Apostles opened the tomb they discovered it was empty, save for Our Lady’s robe and mantle.
There is also a tradition that the tomb contained fragrant flowers. All this served as physical confirmation for the Apostles that Our Lady’s body had indeed been assumed into Heaven.
[3] There is a long standing tradition from the Church Fathers’ interpretation of the Scriptures (cf. Joel 3:2, 12), that the Valley of Josaphat will be the site of the General Judgment. Hence its name always evokes the End Times and Judgment. Will not the Consecration of Russia and the events which lead up to it be a small type prefiguring this Judgment, bringing an end to an age filled with much evil, and ushering in the reign of the Immaculate Heart?
[4] Fatima experts note that Pius XII’s letter Sacro vergente anno (July 7, 1952), in which he does consecrate Russia by name, is the closest we have ever come to Our Lady’s request being fulfilled. Yet even this effort fell short for, as Sr. Lucia explained, it was not done in union with the world episcopate.
[5] For a more detailed narration of how Fatima relates to Pius XII’s infallible declaration of the Assumption in 1950, see Chapter 10 of Mark Fellow’s Fatima in Twilight (Marmion Publications, 2003). Copies of this book are available through The Fatima Center.
[6] cf. Pius IX’s encyclical Ineffabilis Deus (1854) proclaiming Her Immaculate Conception and sinlessness.
[7] For a more in-depth treatment of this truth of the Faith, see Fr. Rodríguez’s talk, Fatima and the Purity of Love at the Catholic Altar, on The Fatima Center’s YouTube channel.
[8] For more on “discerning the spirits,” I recommend St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises or the shorter Rules of Discerning the Spirits by Fr. Ludovic-Marie Barrielle. I recently addressed the importance of discerning the spirits in a talk entitled Heresy of Emotionalism, available on The Fatima Center’s YouTube channel. An expanded audio-only version of that presentation can also be heard on The Fatima Center’s podcast channel.