We continue below, the article which begins in Issue Number 9-10, which gives some practical ideas on how to live the message of Fatima today, as explained by Father Gino Buressi, O.M.V., an Oblate of The Virgin Mary, who has built a shrine in honor of Our Lady of Fatima in San Vittorino, Italy. Father Gino's knowledge and understanding of the message of Our Lady of Fatima, and his gift for teaching, have enabled many young people to understand the message that Our Lady of Fatima has for them as individuals, and to answer Our Blessed Mother's call in their own lives. Since 1971, over 200 young men, a majority from the U.S.A., have come to San Vittorino with the intention of becoming Oblate Priests and Religious. Thirty have since been ordained priests and deacons. Eight are professed Brothers. One hundred and thirty others are in various stages of philosophy and theology. About seventy women have joined the Oblate Sisters of the Virgin Mary of Fatima - a group founded by Father Gino in 1979.

       We give, in this article, in some detail, words of Father Gino himself, on living the message of Fatima, as he has explained in various writings, conferences, talks and interviews. We are publishing this article with the hope that through it, more people will come to have a better understanding of how to put into practice in their own lives what Our Blessed Mother asks of us at Fatima.

The Sacrament of Penance

       When asked what place the Sacrament of Penance should have in the lives of Catholics, Brother Gino replied: "I think it should have the first place, because every day we need to convert ourselves and to purify ourselves and to fortify ourselves. Hence, the first place. Because if I do not remove the obstacle, there is never union with Jesus Christ ..." Brother Gino also said that a person who receives Holy Communion while in the state of mortal sin, commits a grave sin, a sacrilege. Saint Paul tells us: "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the chalice of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice; for he who eats and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing the body, eats and drinks judgment to himself. This is why many among you are infirm and weak, and many sleep. But if we judged ourselves, we should not thus be judged; (1 Cor. 2:27-31). One must first purify his soul from mortal sin by a good sacramental confession.

How To Know Your Vocation

       In speaking about vocations to a young men's pilgrimage to Fatima, Brother Gino said: "Even before we were born, God had a plan for each of us. Even before we were born, God in His designs had already assigned some particular work for us. We must discover what that plan of God is. How can I realize it in my life? Even if God is calling us to serve Him totally for Himself, we must not be afraid, because He will take care of us.

       "Do not be like some young men who go to church and say, 'Jesus, I want to pray. I want to receive many graces. But please don't come too close to me. Sanctify me but please do it my way.'

       "We must come to Jesus with confidence and permit Him to work in us. Pray to Him with confidence and He will help you to know His will, and what you are to do . . ."

Pray the Rosary

       Brother Gino points out that all the recent Popes have insistently emphasized the importance of praying the Rosary. "And if we ask why we should pray the Rosary, we see very clearly that in the Rosary is contained the truths found in Sacred Scripture. Every single image we find in meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary should lead us to imitate a certain virtue of that mystery which we must implement in our lives. If we imitate those virtues (shown in those mysteries), we will find, then, that our hearts are not open to materialism."

       Here is a meditation that Brother Gino gave to a group of young people at Fatima on one of the mysteries of the Rosary. We find in it applications of the Fatima Message:

       "Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: Our Lord Carries the Cross. Our Lady calls us to embrace our cross. What is our cross? It is that which we must do - our daily duty, the observance of the Holy Laws of God. This must be our cross. Cost what it may; we must not commit sin, because sins destroy that which is most beautiful, the grace which Jesus has placed in our hearts. We must always be on guard so that this ugly cancer will never enter within us. Therefore, let us embrace our cross. There will never be a time but that the devil is prepared to destroy within us all those beautiful resolutions we have made these days. This war we must embrace. With the aid of Our Lady, we shall be victors. When one fights in this war, there is always some suffering. Let us accept that too, for the love of God. We must not ask only for ourselves, but let us ask for all our brothers who don't wage war against the devil and who accept no cross. We must ask the Immaculate Mother to obtain help for us but also to obtain help for those poor sons of Hers who have great need of the help of God."

Our Guardian Angels

       Before Our Lady's appearance at Fatima, an Angel appeared to the children and taught them prayers of adoration of the Holy Trinity and of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. This visit of the Angel also serves to remind us that, contrary to efforts on the part of some to hide from us the reality of Angels, these blessed spirits do exist, and they help us and pray for us before God. They are part of His Creation, and God uses them for our salvation.

(Continued next issue)

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