"The Blessed Virgin and God

Himself Are Infinitely Sad...

We Must Console Them"
Continued from Issue No. 29

VENERABLE FRANCISCO OF FATIMA:

<<GOD IS SO SAD...
IF ONLY I COULD CONSOLE HIM!>>
(OCTOBER 1917 - APRIL 4, 1919)
Since May 13 and the first "vision of God" which Our Lady had granted to Her
privileged ones, Francisco, who had a contemplative and tender heart, was
continually animated by one thought, dominated by just one sentiment: The
Blessed Virgin and God Himself are infinitely sad; we must console Them.

I. The Great Sadness of God

Here is an earth-shaking revelation which the Message of Fatima brings to light.
Of course, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit enjoy an infinite beatitude which
nothing could ever alter. This is an unquestionable truth, taught also by
theology. And yet a mysterious suffering, a real pain that sinners cause Him
coexists in Him with this perfect joy, this unalloyed happiness which is lacking in
nothing.
"CONSOLE YOUR GOD!" In this agony, Jesus looks for souls willing to console
Him, just as He did at Gethsemane. "I looked for compassion, but in vain, and
for someone to console Me, and I found none ..." At Paray-le-Monial, Jesus will
make the same complaint and the same appeal to St. Margaret Mary, showing
her His Heart surrounded by thorns.
The life of little Francisco was marked by this stupefying revelation, this
revelation of the Heart of God, this sadness which is the highest and
unmistakable mark of His love for us. This is the great message Francisco
bequeaths to us.

The Consoler of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

The constant thought and ideal of Francisco was always the same. He wanted to
offer all his prayers and sufferings to console Our Lord and Our Lady:
When Jacinta and I went into his room one day, he said to us:
"Don't talk much today, as my head aches so badly."
"Don't forget to make the offering for sinners," Jacinta reminded him.

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"Yes. But first I make it to console Our Lord and Our Lady, and then,
afterwards, for sinners and for the Holy Father."
He was quite conscious of the fact that his special role was that of consoler of
the Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. This was to be his vocation here below and
in eternity. For if he desired to go to Heaven, it was to be able to console Them
that much better:
On another occasion, I found him very happy when I arrived.
"Are you better?"
"No. I feel worse. It won't be long now till I go to Heaven. When I'm
there, I'm going to console Our Lord and Our Lady very much. Jacinta is
going to pray a lot for sinners, for the Holy Father and for you. You will
stay here, because Our Lord wants it that way. Listen, you must do
everything that She tells you."
His greatest regret was that he could no longer spend long hours before the
Tabernacle, as he once did, to console the "Hidden Jesus".
Later, when he fell ill, he often told me, when I called in to see him on my
way to school: "Look! Go to the church and give my love to the Hidden
Jesus. What hurts me most is that I cannot go there myself and stay
awhile with the Hidden Jesus."
When I arrived at the house one day, I said goodbye to a group of school
children who had come with me, and I went in to pay a visit to him and
his sister. As he had heard all the noise, he asked me:
"Did you come with all that crowd?"
"Yes, I did."
"Don't go with them, because you might learn to commit sins. When you
come out of school, go and stay for a little while near the Hidden Jesus,
and afterwards come home by yourself."
What supernatural wisdom and what love of God is this brotherly suggestion! It
manifests a soul already utterly imbued with the presence of God, completely
transformed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
So as not to lose this Divine Presence, Francisco preferred to be alone:
If he was asked whether he wanted some of the children to stay with him
and keep him company, he used to say that he preferred not, as he liked
to be alone. He would say to me sometimes:
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"I just like having you here, and Jacinta too."

Indeed their presence did not deprive him of the presence of God. Together,
they could pray, or speak about Heaven and the words of Our Lady.

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