MAY 11, 2017
11:00 AM ORDINARY FORM MASS (ALL SCHOOL)
In the message of Fatima, there are three secrets.
The first secret, revealed to the children in July 1917, was that Hell is real.
That's the bad news. The good news is that Heaven is also real. And we have a choice as to which place we end up. If we love God, and follow Christ, we understand that we will go to Heaven. If we turn our backs on God, and don't follow the Gospel, it may not go well for us.
The second secret is that wars are caused by sin.
Too often, we are told that wars are caused by economic issues, territorial issues, or sociological issues. But really, when it's reduced to the lowest common denominator, the bottom line is that sin causes conflicts and wars. Being selfish, not doing what is right, going against God's will – these all end up causing strife and ultimately war.
The good news is that God sent His Son to save us from sin and our tendency toward sin. Through the Cross, we are saved, and through Baptism and the Sacraments, we are given God's grace (His power) to do the right thing and to follow Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. God's grace also allows us to love our neighbor as ourself. God desires peace.
Finally, the third secret is that in the end, God's way wins.
No matter how bad things may look for ourselves or for others, God desires to save all of us.
For our part, we should pray (talk to God, and build up our relationship to Him,) do penance (to make up for our sins, and to build up our spiritual strength against temptation), and perform acts of reparation (to make up for the sins of others, through sacrifices and prayers united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.)
God wants everyone to know the truth – and Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – so God wants everyone to know Jesus, and to be saved through His grace.
That's the message of the Gospel; and that's the message of Fatima, as well.
