THE SPIRIT OF PEACE AND OUR LADY OF FATIMA

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Reflection from Friar Nicholas Okeke, OP

Acts 19:1-8; Ps 68:2-7; Jn 16:29-33

Theme: The Spirit of Peace and Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the source of peace that results from justice. True and lasting peace comes when we have satisfied the requirement of justice. As St. Augustine explains in his work on the City of God, a man cannot be said to be just who removes himself from the Lordship of his maker. Hence, justice involves our coming to God in deep repentance. It also requires our making atonement for our offenses against his divine Majesty. Since no one can worthily atone for our grievous sins against God, justice is outside our reach, and peace follows the satisfaction of justice. This is part of the heavenly bounty we have received from the Father who gave us his only Begotten Son to be the atonement of our sins and the satisfaction of the demand of divine justice. Thus, we read about the encounter between St. Paul and the twelve men who were disciples of John the Baptist. It was not surprising to Paul that they did not know the Holy Spirit since they had only received the baptism of John, which was only for repentance. “When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him—in other words, Jesus’” 

Our repentance from evil and sin is necessary, but not sufficient, for the demand of justice. Because of this, John asked the people to wait for the one coming after him, the thongs of whose sandal he is unworthy to untie. The revelation of the Father by Jesus Christ culminated in his death on the cross; his death satisfied the requirement of divine justice and made us worthy to receive the Spirit of peace. Hence, John the Baptist informed the people that the One coming would baptise them with Holy Spirit and fire in addition to the water with which he was baptising them. Thus, when the twelve men believed in Jesus Christ, they were baptised in his name and immediately received the gift of the Holy Spirit of peace. It is clear from this encounter that faith in the name of the risen Lord is necessary and sufficient to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit of peace. Our Lord confirms this in the gospel: “I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.” The revelation of the Father to us is necessary and sufficient for peace to dwell in us. But the revelation is not complete without the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. His death not only satisfied the requirement of divine justice, but it also revealed how evil sin is and showed the infinite justice and mercy of God at the same time. 

It is this intermingling of the divine justice and mercy in the life and death of the Son of Man that Our Lady of Fatima brought to us her children in the series of her apparitions in Fatima which occurred on the 13th of the month, from May to October, 1917. The central message of the Blessed Mother at Fatima was the importance of repentance and reparation for our sins against God, a deepening of our spirituality by the recitation of the holy Rosary and meditation on the mysteries therein, which summarise the Gospel message of our Lord Jesus, and a return to worthy celebrations of the Sacraments; especially the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. She encouraged her children to pray and do penance for peace in the world, ravaged at that time by war and the threat of world wars. Our Lady, through her apparitions, reminded us of the connection between sin and war on one hand, between repentance, penance done with faith in Jesus Christ, and peace on the hand. True peace is conferred on man when he is reconciled with God by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Finally, Our Lady’s introduction of herself as Queen of Peace reinforced our conviction and teaching on the central role she plays in the salvation of her children. The Maiden and her Son remain the sign of human salvation and reconciliation with God.

Let us pray: Grant us, Lord, the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, that through the abundance of graces her prayers provide for us, we may repent of our sins and do penance, frequent the celebration of the Sacrament of Confession and worthily receive our Lord in the Eucharist, so that we may receive the Holy Spirit of peace. 

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