This past weekend marked the 106th year since the first apparition in Fatima, Portugal. The question then is, “Is Fatima still relevant?” Let us look at the three secrets:

• The First Secret is the reality of hell. It is a very sad reality that many people live in today’s times without thinking that there is a life after this one on earth. How can you explain to the Lord the times you took advantage of other people? On the other hand, there are those who will say, “If God is love, why will there be hell”? The answer is simple. What if one doesn’t accept the love of God? God will always respect our free will and certainly, there is a place for that person – away from the Lord.
• The Second Secret is Chastisement. “The first world war will end and if man continues to offend God, there will be another chastisement”. That chastisement was the second world war. Nowadays man is even further from God. We have mocked God and lost our sense of sin. Did God punish us with the pandemic? I would like to say, you take away God from our lives, and another spirit takes over. 
• The Third Secret, accordingly, was the persecution of the Church and the assassination attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II.  The third secret is still very much relevant because, to date, the Catholic Church is the most persecuted institution in the world. 

While the message of Fatima is still very relevant, in 1973 Mama Mary appeared to Sr. Agnes Sasagawa in a convent in Akita, Japan. Her messages were a continuation of Fatima, as mentioned by Bishop John Shojiro. Some of which, include:

• First, the devil will infiltrate the Church. Due to that, you will see Cardinals opposing Cardinals, Bishops opposing Bishops. Many priests will be tempted and leave the priesthood. Remain hopeful, as Jesus said when he founded the Church, “Not even the gates of the netherworld will prevail against it.”
• Second, Many men will continue to afflict the Lord and if this continues, a terrible punishment will be inflicted on all humanity. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity. 
• Third, the call of Fatima is also the call of Akita: 
  • Pray the Rosary. Mama Mary is our greatest intercessor and as a mother, she will do everything for our salvation.
  • Pray for the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. They are the primary target of the devil and their minions.
  • Make sacrifices and fasting for the sins of humanity to avert punishment.

Obviously, when we hear of these things, we get frightened and anxious. Yet, we can always approach these hard messages with hope. While we are here, there is hope, that if punishment comes, the Lord will not abandon us and should we move to the next life – there is also the hope of life eternal.