John C. Preiss - The Miracle and the Message: 100 Years of Fatima

In his book The Miracle and the Message: 100 Years of Fatima, author John Preiss makes a century-old message relevant for today. Prayer, penance, conversion, and reparation are important and can be practiced and lived not only by individuals but also by societies indeed by countries as a whole. What our Blessed Mother revealed to three shepherd children in 1917 echoes throughout the decades as a heavenly battle cry to save the world and all its peoples from self-destruction.

Father Wade Menezes, C.P.M., Fathers of Mercy Assistant General and EWTN Series Host

In The Miracle and the Message: 100 Years of Fatima, John Preiss recounts a number of significant, mostly unknown, details which show that Fatima remains one of the most relevant messages for the world today. He demonstrates that Fatima is not simply a pious tale from the past, but a Message that re-presents the essential elements of the Gospel and motivates us to greater fidelity to God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I recommend The Miracle and the Message to all who want to better live the Gospel.

Father Joseph M. Wolfe, M.F.V.A., Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word

Francisco and Jacinta Marto have been canonized and the Servant of God Lucia Dos Santos advances toward the honors of the altar, as well but the miracle and meaning of Fatima are far from over. The Fatima message remains as relevant today as when it was first given to the world one hundred years ago. In this wonderful book, John Preiss does a remarkable job of reminding us of the fundamentals of Fatima. In essence, Jesus and Mary continue to call us to repentance, prayer, and acts of reparation to the Eucharistic Presence of Our Lord and the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady.

Father Donald Calloway, M.I.C., S.T.L., author, Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon

The Miracle and the Message
100 Years of Fatima

The Miracle

and the

Message

100 Years of Fatima

John C. Preiss

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Scripture selections taken from the New American Bible, revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by license of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Copyright 2017 by John C. Preiss. Published 2017.

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ISBN: 978-1-68192-167-9 (Inventory No. T1882)

eISBN: 978-1-68192-168-8

LCCN: 2017944648

Cover design by Tyler Ottinger

Cover photo: EPA PHOTO/Newscom

Cover background and photo on page 148: Shutterstock

Photos on pages 141147 courtesy of Fatima Family Apostolate

Printed in the United States of America

About the Author

John Preiss is President of the Fatima Family Apostolate International, a Public Association of the Faithful, founded in 1986 by the late Father Robert J. Fox. The mission of the Fatima Family Apostolate International is to promote the message of Fatima and the sanctification of family life.

John is also the editor of the quarterly newsletter the Fatima Family Messenger. He has been interviewed on Catholic radio and on Vatican Radio about the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Pope Francis. John has written several articles on the message of Fatima and the blessings of family life. He is also the author of Our Lady of Fatima: True Devotion and the childrens book The Miracle of the Dancing Sun at Fatima. In the past John hosted a radio show called Family Matters.

John is an adult convert to the Catholic faith. He and his wife, Teresa, currently reside in Hanceville, Alabama, with their eight children (and counting): Mark, Lauren, Brenden, John David, Anna Sophia, Ella, Luke, and Angelica.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Heaven and Earth. Marys greatest desire is to bring souls to Her Beloved Son, Jesus.

My hope is that, through the messages of Our Lady and the example of the three humble shepherds, this book will bring you closer to Our Lord and Our Lady. Also, I pray that Fatima will become a part of your daily spiritual life by praying the Rosary, wearing the brown scapular, and making the Five First Saturdays devotion.

Finally, I acknowledge the late Father Robert J. Fox, without whom this book would have never become a reality.

May this book serve in some way to carry out to the world the mission given to us by Our Lady of Fatima.

John C. Preiss
President, Fatima Family Apostolate

Contents

Introduction
Fatima: A Message for the World

Chapter 1
Fatima from the Beginning

Chapter 2
Visits from Our Lady (MaySeptember)

Chapter 3
The Miracle of the Sun (October 13, 1917)

Chapter 4
Francisco and the Hidden Jesus

Chapter 5
Jacinta: Prophet and Mystic

Chapter 6
Sister Lucia: Lifetime of Witness

Chapter 7
The Consecration of Russia

Chapter 8
The Secret of Fatima

Chapter 9
Living the Message of Fatima

Appendix
Prayers of Fatima

Introduction

Fatima: A Message for the World

I can remember when I first heard about the apparitions at Fatima. I was in Father Robert J. Foxs living room. After writing several books and doing all he could to increase devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, Father Fox was known throughout the world as the Fatima Priest.

I wondered at the time, Why Fatima? With all the countless devotions in the Church, why should a nearly one-hundred-year-old apparition to three shepherd children in Portugal have any special importance? Over time I came to realize the answer: Fatima is not just a place; it is a message and a call.

The message of Fatima is universal a message for you and for me that reflects all the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is at once simple enough for children to understand and deep enough to baffle theologians. It is not simply directed to pilgrims or for those seeking Marys intervention in specific areas of their lives. In fact, we dont have to go to Fatima to live out the Fatima message. The message of Fatima can become a part of our daily spiritual lives wherever we are. Simply put, the message of Fatima is that Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, is living, real, and present in our lives, interceding for us.