When I was younger, if I found myself reading a book that was long or boring, I would often just skip to the last chapter and read that before proudly proclaiming that I had finished the book. This, of course, made my parents somewhat upset and I was told off enough times that I eventually stopped doing it. 

The triumph of the Immaculate Heart will come. In a way, we have been given a sneak peek of the last chapter. We know how the book will end! The question is: what will the rest of the book look like? Only God knows. Those chapters still have to be written. 

The Miracle of the Sun was witnessed not only by thousands of faithful Catholics but also by sceptics, secularists and those who were firm in their belief that the supernatural did not exist. Something extraordinary had happened before their eyes. How could they explain it? For those who rejected a supernatural explanation, the answer was not so simple. 

For those with faith, however, the Miracle of the Sun points us beyond the miracle itself. It was a sign confirming the message that Our Lady had given at Fatima: a message of prayer, penance, conversion and confidence in God. The miracle was spectacular, but Our Lady did not appear at Fatima merely so that people could watch the sun dance. She came to lead souls to her Son. 

That message also reminds us that we aren’t simply spectators waiting around for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart to happen. Our Lady asked the children at Fatima to pray the Rosary, to make sacrifices for sinners and to offer themselves to God. These are not particularly spectacular things. Most of them will never be noticed by anyone else. But perhaps that’s precisely the point. We participate in the great victory promised at Fatima, by God’s grace, through countless little acts of faithfulness: a Rosary prayed when we’re tired, a sacrifice quietly offered, a temptation resisted, a sinner prompted to go back to Confession or a suffering accepted and offered for the conversion of others. The Miracle of the Sun was seen by thousands, but the message it confirmed was meant to be lived one soul at a time. 

Thankfully, we know the truth. Not only the truth of the faith or the truth of Fatima but, more importantly, we know the Truth Himself: Jesus Christ. The truth always wins; God always wins. These things take time…but then again, often the best things require patience. And I can hardly think of anything better than the victory of good over evil, the triumph of Christ and the Immaculate Heart of His Mother! 

The power and promise of God were at the forefront of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. That power and promise weren’t just evident then; they are evident now. Even in our own lives! We see this in prayers answered, in conversions and in reconciliations within families. We see it in the various movements of renewal within the Church. The upcoming consecration of England and Wales to the Sacred Heart immediately comes to mind. 

The victory of God will be revealed in its fullness at the end of time. But it isn’t just something that will happen in the future; in Christ, the decisive victory has already been won and we see its fruits all around us. Every soul brought closer to God is a victory. Every prayer said is a victory. Every Mass offered, every Confession heard, every Baptism, Wedding, Confirmation and Ordination celebrated is another sign that Christ is still at work in His Church. 

Victories are all around us. They may not seem like huge victories but they are victories nonetheless. We may never see a Miracle of the Sun in our lifetimes, but we do see the workings of grace in our own lives. And, after all, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” That’s us! 

Confident in this victory, we can move forward even in the face of difficulty and hardship. Why? How? Because every sacrifice, every prayer, every good work and every penance, offered in union with Christ and strengthened by His grace, allows us to participate in His victory: the victory that has already been won…and yet whose fullness has still not arrived. 

At Fatima, Our Lady gave us a glimpse of the last chapter: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” We already know how the story ends. Our task now is to be faithful in the chapters God has given us to live. 

Fr. Alexander Pumphrey, MIC 

Father Alexander Pumphrey, MIC, is a priest of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, he entered the Catholic Church and later answered the Lord’s call to the priesthood, joining the Marian Fathers in 2018. He was ordained a priest on August 16, 2025, at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Father Alex serves the Marian Fathers’ Divine Mercy mission in London and has a special love for the Rosary, Divine Mercy and St. Stanislaus Papczyński, the Congregation’s Founder. Through his priestly ministry, he seeks to lead others closer to the merciful Heart of Jesus.