ON October 13, 1917, exactly 100 years ago today, the World or at least many parts in Portugal experienced what is now known as the Miracle of the Dancing Sun.
A few newspapers in Portugal at that time covered the miracle as it happened.
So what is the miracle? Who saw the miracle? Who was responsible for it?
To begin with this brief but very important story let us explain what is a miracle? A miracle is an event or happening that cannot be explained by science or natural reasoning.
A few major events occurred during the year 1917 and I wish to highlight three important ones.
Firstly, the world experienced the First World War or at least it was coming to an end.
Secondly, was the ousting and killing of the Ruling Czar family in Russia and the beginning of communism under Lenin, and thirdly, the appearance of Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus to three little children in Fatima, a village in Portugal.
On May 13, 1917, a beautiful Lady dressed in blue with shining clothes first appeared to these three little children named Jacinta (8 years old) Francisco (9 years old) and Lucia (11 years old) at Fatima, Portugal.
They were cousins and were out in the woods to get firewood.
The beautiful Lady appeared to them above an Oak tree. The children were afraid at first but she told them not to be afraid.
When they asked her who she was, she told them to return to that place a month later on the same date, and at around the same time, and she would tell them about herself.
A month later on June 13, 1917, as she had promised, she told them she was the Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and that she is from heaven.
She told them to pray the Holy Rosary daily for World peace. If not then the world would experience another world war.
The mother of Jesus appeared to them over a period of six months from June to October 1917 on the 13th of each month.
During these six months, she showed them the visions of hell and Heaven, and that she would take Francesco and Jacinta earlier to Heaven while Lucia would remain in the world a little bit longer.
Francesco and Jacinta both died two years later in 1919 as a result of the epidemic known as the Spanish flu.
Lucia became a nun and joined the order of the religious Carmelite sisters in Spain. She died in 1995 at the age of 95.
What was the main message that the Mother of Jesus and our mother too brought to the children in 1917.
The message was and is from God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit or the Holy Trinity.
The three parts to the main message are; i) Believe in God and repent ii) Pray for the conversion of Russia and iii) Pray for the Pope not to be killed.
Russia or the Soviet Union had collapsed in 1989 and Pope John Paul 11 was almost killed in St Peter’s square in 1981 by a Muslim gunman Ali Agmet.
It is believed that Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus saved the pope’s life.
Before I close, let me briefly touch on the miracle of the dancing sun.
Many people and including the authorities did not believe in the children’s messages from Heaven.
They did not believe that the Mother of Jesus did appear to Francesco Jacinta and Lucia.
They thought the children were mentally deranged.
So on September 13, 1917, the children asked our Lady, Mother of Jesus to perform a miracle a month later on 13th October, so that the people would believe.
She told them that their request would be granted.
So on October 13, 1917, about 50,000 people gathered at the field to witness the miracle.
The miracle of the dancing sun did happen as the mother of Jesus had promised.
The miracle occurred after a torrential rain had subsided, the clouds opened and the sun started to dance.
It was moving from its stationery position, and spiralling down towards the earth.
Many thousands of people fled and thought this was the end of the world while many others knelt down and prayed.
Many people believe in the messages from the mother of Jesus and Heaven. They also believed in the children.
At this juncture, a question that can be asked is why our Lady, the mother of Jesus appeared to children.
From a layman’s view, the simple answer is that Children are more honest and innocent than adults.
When children pray, their prayers are more powerful than adults.
May be the world today is similar to the time of the early 1900s, except that we now have many more problems; climate change, natural disasters, refugees, sporadic wars, religious wars, immorality is on the rise, God’s commandments are being challenged each day, nuclear weapons and tensions for example, between Trump and the little rocket man, and the threat of war looming large.
In spite of these, we must continue to pray, and although the messages at Fatima were given to us 100 years ago, it is still relevant for us today and well into the future.
Pray for world peace, Repent and Belief in God always.
By Sam Alasia
