In 1916, the Angel of Peace appeared to the three seers of Fatima and implored for them to pray for sinners, especially for their conversion, using these words: “O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ…”. 

To those of us who pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, these words sound strikingly familiar! “Eternal Father, I offer You, the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ…” Coincidence? I think not. 

Lent is underway, Easter approaches and Divine Mercy Sunday (the 2nd Sunday of Easter) is in our sights. As we approach the sacred and silent days of the Triduum, we can reflect on the significance of it all and how we play a role in all of it. 

Just as Our Lord offered Himself on the Cross and offers Himself to us in the Eucharist, we can participate in His offering to the Heavenly Father by offering our prayers and praises as well. As members of the common priesthood, which was conferred in our Baptism, we too are able to unite ourselves to the Sacrifice of Christ, a sacrifice which brought redemption, atonement and salvation for us all. 

The Eucharist is not a thing, it is a person: Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Only He can save souls and convert sinners. While there are many here in the UK (and around the world), who do not know of Him and the great gift He gives us in His Body and Blood, we can intercede for these our lost brothers and sisters and beg the Lord to give them the grace of conversion. 

We do so through our Rosaries, through our sacrifices and offerings, through Masses and through Chaplets of Divine Mercy. We do so through saying the prayers taught to the children of Fatima (and taught to us) by the Angel of Peace and we do so through Holy Hours and times of Adoration and prayer. 

If one were to look at the seers of Fatima with merely human eyes, we would see three little children. There’s nothing extraordinarily special about that. With spiritual eyes, however, we can see that the message given to these three changed the world and many souls, thousands, millions, have been enriched and converted by their efforts and prayers and our efforts and prayers as well. 

Our Lord promised that great graces would be poured out on us and the world on Divine Mercy Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Easter. We pray that those graces will include conversion for the world, for sinners and those who have left the Church, for our family and friends and for us as well. After all, all of us are in need of conversion. After all, all of us are sinners. 

As we pray our Chaplets, our Rosaries and the prayers taught by the Angel of Peace, we can be confident that Our Lord and Our Lady hear them and that all we do in union with them is effective for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls. No prayer is wasted, no sacrifice wasted! They are all effective and made even more effective in the Providence of God. 

Even if we are not physically able to adore the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we can adore Him in our thoughts and our hearts, making acts of spiritual communion and uniting our tasks and duties with our pious aspirations. 

I encourage you, my friends, to continue in your praying for sinners in whatever way is best for you but especially through the recitation of the Fatima prayers, through your Rosaries and your Chaplets of Divine Mercy and especially through your Holy Hours and times of Adoration. 

I pray also that you will have a blessed and fruitful Divine Mercy Sunday and that the Lord will pour forth His mercy and grace on you, your loved ones and on the whole world!