On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared for the first time to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Each time our Blessed Mother visited Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia, she gave some specific instructions to the children.

“I have come, to warn the faithful,
to amend their lives
and ask pardon for their sins.
They must not continue to offend Our Lord,
Who is already too much offended.”

– Our Lady Of Fatima

In her third appearance on July 13, 1917, she requested that the following prayer be included at the conclusion of every Rosary decade.

“Say the Rosary everyday
to obtain peace for the world.
And after each decade,
say the following prayer:
O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell.
Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of thy mercy.”

Our Lady Of Fatima

Today, we call this prayer the Fatima Prayer, but many Catholics still do not know that Our Lady of Fatima requested it be prayed at the end of each decade of the rosary. It was officially approved for use by the Catholic Church in 1930. Though it is an optional prayer of the Rosary, it is the prayer that Mary herself encourages us to include in our devotion.

Why Pray The Rosary?

Why does Mary so deeply desire us to pray the Holy Rosary daily? Why did she specifically ask us to intercede on the behalf of all souls for mercy?

Our Blessed Mother wants to see all of her children in Heaven one day, and she weeps for those who have fallen into sin and away from God. She knows that the Rosary is the tool we can use to restore peace and mercy in our broken world.

Official Prayer of Consecration To Our Lady of Fatima

Hail, Mother of the Lord,

Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary of Fatima!

Blessed among all women,

you are the image of the Church dressed in the Paschal light,

you are the honour of our people,

you are the triumph over the mark of evil.

Prophecy of the merciful Love of the Father,

Teacher of the Annunciation of the Good News of the Son,

Sign of the burning Fire of the Holy Spirit,

teach us, in this valley of joys and sorrows,

the eternal truths that the Father reveals to the little ones.

Show us the strength of your mantle of protection.

In your Immaculate Heart,

be the refuge of sinners

and the way that leads to God.

In unity with my brethren,

In Faith, Hope and Love,

I surrender myself to you.

In unity with my brethren, through you, I consecrate myself to God,

O Virgin of the Rosary of Fatima.

And thus surrounded by the Light that comes from your hands,

I will give Glory to the Lord for ever and ever.

Amen

.

Photo by Dolina Modlitwy on Unsplash