Day 8 - Novena to Our Lady of Fatima for Conversion

Day 8 Novena Reflection

In the appearances at Fatima Mary told the children her heart would triumph. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us the heart is the seat of our moral personality:

"Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication and Jesus, in the sixth beatitude teaches "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Mary's heart was pure, singularly turned toward the Lord. She was preserved from sin to be the Mother of the Sinless One. Her choices were always ordered toward the good, the true, the noble and the virtuous.

We need hearts like hers to be free and holy and happy.

Novena to Our Lady of Fatima

Catholic Moral teaching offers a unique insight which has enormous potential to engage a culture enamored with self-fulfillment - but enslaved by making choices which lead to emptiness, division and despair. It affirms that the act of choosing places the person in a relationship with the object, or the subject, chosen.

In other words, what is chosen not only changes the world around us but changes us Or, even more simply, we become what we choose.

Saint Gregory of Nyssa provided an insight concerning our choices in an ancient sermon quoted approvingly by Saint John Paul II in his letter on the Moral Life, The Splendor of Truth and is cited in the section on the Moral Life in the Catechism of the Catholic Church :

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"All things are subject to change and becoming never remain constant, but continually pass from one state to another, for better or for worse.. Now human life is always subject to change; it needs to be born ever anew. But here birth does not come about by a foreign intervention, as is the case with bodily beings; it is the result of free choice.

Thus, we are, in a certain sense, our own parents, creating ourselves as we will, by our decisions".

What we choose determines who we become.

Novena to Our Lady of Fatima

Let us pray that our hearts would become like the heart of Mary, singularly given to the Lord.

When our hearts are given totally over to the Lord, we will become more and more like Him. That is the path to holiness and holiness leads to true happiness and freedom

Our Lady of Fatima Pray for us.

Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sin, save us from the fires of hell,

Lead all souls to heaven

Especially those most in need of your Mercy

Novena Prayer Asking the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima

Beloved Father, through the life, death and resurrection of your only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, we have become your adopted sons and daughters.

Through Baptism we are now members of His Body, the Church, which is Your family.

Our Savior Jesus taught us that "whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother."

We thank you that promise includes each one of us.

As members of the family of Jesus we now turn to you in prayer, as OUR FATHER, ABBA.

Before your Son and our Savior gave up the last drop of His Sacred blood - and breathed his last breath - to set us free from sin and death -

He turned to His Beloved Mother at the foot of the Cross.

And said

'Woman, behold your son.'

Then he said to the disciple whom he loved with a special affection, John, and said,

'Behold your mother'" (John 19: 26-27).

Throughout the Church's history and Tradition great theologians, mystics, popes and saints have all viewed John as representing each one of us.

So, the last gift Jesus gave to us - before giving Himself fully - was His Mother

to be our Mother.

The Mother of Jesus is the Mother of His Church -

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and our Mother.

Father, in your loving plan of salvation, you promised through the prophets of Israel that a Virgin would conceive - and bear a Son - who would be called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14, Matt. 1:23)

You taught us to hope for salvation.

You fulfilled your promise. You gave us the complete fulfillment of that hope

As the Apostle Paul taught, in the fullness of time you chose that woman, born under the law to redeem us - and make us your sons and daughters. (Gal. 4:4)

Jesus Christ the Lord

The humble Virgin whom you chose is Mary.

Her "Yes" - her FIAT, brought heaven to earth and earth to Heaven.

She responded to the message of your angel and all of human history was changed.

She is now a part of that great cloud of witnesses gathered in your communion of love.

And she prays, for each one of us, in the Body of Her Son, the Church.

She participates in His ongoing redemptive mission, to bring all men and women to faith in Jesus Christ, holding a special place of honor and veneration.

She is a Messenger of His Mercy, calling the whole world to turn away from sin and turn toward Jesus -

to be converted, made holy by being made new in Him.

In that ongoing role in your plan of salvation, she has appeared to some whose hearts are simple, childlike and open to the continued work of your Holy Spirit.

In her appearance to the three children of Fatima, she warned of what would occur if men, women and Nations made the wrong choice

refusing to repent,

refusing to turn away from sin and turn toward Jesus Christ.

But always with the goal of repentance and conversion.

Like Her Son, who said "Let the children come to me", (Matt 19:4),

His Mother Mary often appears to children.

We believe that she appeared to Lucia, Jacinto and Francisco in the fields outside of Fatima Portugal in 1917 at a pivotal time in history.

She gave them a series of messages, accompanied by a miracle, which continue to inspire and move men, women and Nations,

to conversion to Jesus Christ.

Oh, how we need sincere, heartfelt and life changing repentance and conversion today.

So, Through her intercession, the Intercession of Our Lady of Fatima

- we pray for the ongoing conversion of Russia,

I pray for the conversion of my own Nation, the United States.

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Here, add your own Nation...

We pray for the conversion of all Nations.

Through her intercession we pray for the graces we need to continue to turn away from sin and be more deeply converted to Jesus Christ.

And Now Dear Father, in the name of Jesus, and under the maternal care of Mary, His Mother, under her title of Our Lady of Fatima, and I present my own personal intention:

PAUSE FOR YOUR PRAYER INTENTION

Finally, as the Family of God, let us join in praying that beloved prayer which includes the words which the Angel of the Lord spoke to the Mother of the Lord

followed by the heartfelt cry of believers throughout the centuries who have sought her assistance through her ongoing prayer and intercession for the Nations:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace,

The Lord is with You
Blessed are You among women
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of death
Amen

Final Blessing:
May the Blessing of Almighty God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
come upon you and remain with you forever
AMEN