It was indeed a great day in Fatima. We walked from our hotel to the Sanctuary of Fatima and we started the day with a private mass,at the Little Chapel. The message of Fatima was reiterated to us and we were challlenged to pray and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners. After the mass, we walked to the Basilica of our Lady of Rosary where we saw the tombs of Lucia, Franciso and Jacinta and proceeded later to the Basilica of the Holy Trinity. The next stop of the group after lunch were the Stations of the Cross - Via Sacra (The Sacred Way) and culminated in the Chapel of Calvary. It was deja vu, tracing the stations of the cross over cobblestone amidst olive trees. The Via Sacra of Fatima was as difficult, perhaps even more with my worsening knees compared to the Via Cruzis in the Holy Land. The memory of crying due to pain came back while traversing the narrow streets of the Via Cruzis lined with peddlers selling their wares and small shops catering to tourists and competing with the sacredness of the place. Knowing however how little the discomfort compared to the crucifixion of the Lord somewhat eased the pain. This time, I could not help but cry again as my knees were almost giving up and was almost collapsing due to exhaustion. Butch just reminded me to offer all the pain to the Lady of Fatima and perhaps She will look kindly at our petitions for our families and friends. We proceeded later to the houses of Lucia and Jacinta. I stayed in the bus while Butch joined them. He later showed me the pictures he took and vicariously experienced what he saw. Tomorrow will be another day in Fatima but will be less tiring as we will only be visitng the museums. Not the least to mention, we lighted also candles at the shrine for our petitions to the Lady of Fatima. Despite the pain and exhaustion, it was a glorious day!
Comments