(1910-1920) Jacinta (7), along with her brother, Francisco (8), and their cousin, Lucia (10), were poor shepherd children who witnessed monthly apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary near Fatima, Portugal, between May 13 and October 13, 1917. The Blessed Mother shared with them a message encouraging them to pray, especially by reciting the Rosary, for the conversion of sinners and reparation for sins, as a form of devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Jacinta was described by her cousin, Lucia, as a sweet, affectionate girl with a gift for dancing. She died over two and a half years after the apparitions from the Spanish flu pandemic and is the youngest saint who was not a martyr.
Terrified by a vision of Hell, Jacinta spent the last two years of her life offering penance and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners. Consider that our final end should invigorate our efforts for recovery and our turning to God daily. Has “having had a spiritual awakening” in recovery made you more passionate to bring the message to others?
“If men knew what eternity is, they would do everything to change their lives” (Saint Jacinta Marto).
Reflection by Brad Farmer