Devotion to the Immaculate Heart by Father Howard E. Rafferty, O Carm

Hello Everyone:
Today is Day 3 of the 9 Day Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Today we will focus on the devotion to the Immaculate Heart spoken of at Fatima. Father Rafferty has written alot in his day and very beautifully.  He is a true knight for Our Lady! Below is an excerpt from an article that he did on The Immaculate Heart of Mary. This will help all those who want to offer Reparation and give themselves to Mary in order for Her to watch over them in return. This is taken from "Take This Scapular" pages 94-98. Enjoy!

"In August of 1917, Our Lady pleaded: "Many souls go to Hell because they have no one to sacrifice and pray for them." It is impossible for you and I to live apart, to have no influence on others. A great saint, Mary Magdalen of Pazzi, once stated: "How humbled we shall be for all eternity, if because of our negligence many souls that might have enjoyed an eternity of happiness are found to be in Hell." Then it will be too late for us to help them. Now there is yet time to save ourselves and save many more together with us. We therefore ask: What means has Mary offered to us in Her Fatima Message?

She offers Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart. In the very first vision of the Angel of Peace, the children were told to pray because the Angel said: "The Hearts of Jesus and Mary will be attentive to the voice of your supplication." Again, late in the summer of 1916, the Angel appeared the third and last time, gave the children the Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion saying: "Through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, beg of God the conversion of poor sinners."

Our Lady herself brought out the fuller meaning of Devotion to Her Heart when in June of 1917, after telling the children they must say the Rosary daily and offer sacrifices for sinners, she suddenly opened her hands and revealed Her Immaculate Heart. That Heart was surrounded with thorns, pierced and bleeding. Although Our Lady said nothing about Her Heart on this occasion, the children understood that Her Heart was pierced and bleeding because of sin:  that Our Lady wanted reparation for sin.

Again in July of the same year, our Mother told about the coming plague of Communism, cause of wars and persecution of the Church, promised that She would stop the tide of sin by asking that Devotion to Her Immaculate Heart be established in the world. She concluded with the triumphant words: "In the end, My Immaculate Heart shall triumph, and an era of peace will be given to the world."

The deeper meaning of Devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart may be gained from the prayer Our Lady told the children to say before making a sacrifice: "O my Jesus, it is for love of you, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for all the crimes committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."

At Fatima, She pleaded for a Consecration, a Consecration in which we give ourselves in a surrender of love, promising Her that we will first of all say the daily Rosary, secondly, offer little sacrifices for sinners; thirdly, make the five Holy Communions of Reparation on the First Saturdays.

In the last tabloid at Fatima, She gave us the outward sign of this Consecration when She appeared as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and held the Brown Scapular in Her outstretched hand. It is the same mark of salvation given by Her to St. Simon Stock saying: "Whosoever dies wearing this shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace." Our Lady said nothing when She held out Her Scapular at Fatima; no words were necessary because Our Lady's Scapular has been a sign of special dedication to Her for these past seven hundred years. It should now remind all Catholics of Consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart."

May we take heed to these words and live out our Consecration by wearing our Scapular, make reparation for our sins and those of others, pray our daily Rosary, fulfill the Five First Saturday devotion and spread the news of these Fatima messages which are for our times and to help win souls to Heaven before they go to Hell. By doing this, we are pleasing not only the Immaculate Heart of Mary but the sweet Heart of Jesus who thirsts for all of our souls. Let us satiate that thirst!

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