On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary miraculously appeared to three poor shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Between May and October of 1917, Our Lady appeared five more times, each time on the 13th of the month.

She identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary and gave the children an urgent message for the whole world. The Mother of Jesus desired for souls to avoid Hell and to warn us of the coming tragedies that would happen if we didn’t repent and change our ways.

The children, Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta also were taught the words to five new prayers by an angel and Our Lady herself. Today, they are known as the Fatima prayers.

The Theological / Pardon Prayer

In the Spring of 1916, before Our Lady appeared, an angel taught the children of Fatima this prayer, repeating it three times:

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon for all those who do not believe in You, do not adore You, do not hope in You, and do not love You.

Calling himself the the angel of peace and the angel of Portugal, he then said:

“Pray in this way. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are ready to listen to you. To believe, hope, adore, and love God is to practice the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.”

The Angel’s / Trinitarian Prayer

In August of 1916, the children saw the angel prostrate before a host and chalice that hung in the air. Leading them in worshiping the Eucharist, he taught them this prayer again saying it three times.

“O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners.”

The Eucharistic Prayer

The day of the first apparition of Our Lady, May 13, 1917, she said to the children: “you will have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.” A bright light shone all around them, and they felt “moved by an interior impulse” to pray this.

“Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

The Sacrifice Prayer

On June 13th, 1917, Our Lady appeared to the children and taught them to pray when offering your suffering and spiritual sacrifices to God.

“Oh my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

The Rosary Decade Prayer

The Blessed Mother stressed the importance of praying the Rosary for the conversion of sinners and the repentance of the world. On the same day as the teaching of the sacrifice prayer, Our Lady taught the children to pray this after each decade of the Rosary.

“Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”

Photo credit: Ricardo Perna / Shutterstock.com
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