A central element in God’s plan of salvation, and therefore in our Catholic faith is the role of Mary. Of course physically, she is the mother of Jesus. But more widely, she is the only one among us who has ever been fully faithful to God’s plan.

The fidelity of Mary means that the chain of our sinfulness going back to Adam and Eve has been broken by Mary’s holiness. Sin never touched or compromised her. Mary is, therefore, God’s gift to the world and, in a way, the world’s gift of fidelity back to God.

Living our faith fully adds one further dimension to Mary’s role in the life of the Church and in our lives. It comes from the last moments of Jesus on the cross.

Looking at Mary Jesus said to St. John, “Behold your mother.”

To each one of us Mary is our mother. We each have a personal relationship to Mary. And, like any mother, Mary personally watches over each of us, her children, with her love beyond telling.

It is this personal and motherly love of Mary that helps us to understand fully the meaning of apparitions of Mary that grace the Church and the world periodically.

In 1541 in Mexico, Mary said to the poor and lowly Juan Diego, “Am I not your mother?” Her love led to massive conversions to the Catholic faith.

At Lourdes in 1858, Mary said very little to St. Bernadette. She did, however, ask for prayers for sinners.

And she directed Bernadette to the spring that has continuously cured the bodies and souls of Mary’s children for well over a century. Once again, a mother’s love.

This context is important as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the apparitions of Mary at Fatima in Portugal. Over the course of six months Mary appeared to three young children, Lucia dos Santos, and her younger cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

Those children gave witness to the world of their own sense of the motherly love of Mary. They also served as witnesses to Mary’s urgent message to the modern world.

At Fatima Mary warned of the consequences for us, her children, of sin and the failure to love her Divine Son. Through a vision given to the children she reminded the world that hell is real, not a myth.
And she foretold the sorrows to be suffered by the Church and the human race during the 20th century because of the growing loss of faith in God.

“Penance, penance, penance,” Lucia recalled hearing from an angel that appeared with Mary. We need to do penance for our sins and those of others. And we need to pray for the conversion of sinners.

A mother’s message is always one of love, even when she must correct wandering children. At Fatima, Mary told the children also of God’s love. She promised that the purity, love and faith of her Immaculate Heart will prevail over sin.

And on Oct. 13, 1917, 100 years ago today, during the miracle of the sun witnessed by thousands, the vision of Jesus blessing the world reaffirmed that salvific love of Jesus for us.

To continue that affirmation I offered a Mass this week to honor our Lady of Fatima and renew the consecration of the diocese and faithful of Rockford to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, first done by Bishop Thomas G. Doran.

In addition, I and the priests of this diocese offered the service of our priesthood to the protection of Mary.

If you were able to join us at that Mass or simply joined us in prayer ... thank you.

And always, remember to pray to Mary each day. She is truly our loving mother.