To help us begin this New Year well, let us recall the Principle and Foundation of St. Ignatius of Loyola. “Man created to praise, reverence and serve God, Our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.” In other words, we created for heaven — for God. That was also the first words of Our Lady at Fatima. “Do not be afraid, l will not harm you… I am from heaven.”

So, we must aim high this year 2017. We must live in such a way as to merit the kingdom of heaven. How? By praising, reverencing and serving God. However, praising does not mean that we should always shout and clap our hands like the Charismatics do. No, it means that we will try to become a reflection of God’s goodness.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 5:16) So, our attitude should not be like scavengers who always look at the dark side of life and have not appreciated life itself. Reverence is to recognize God’s excellence and to voluntarily submit His authority. He is our Father; we are His children.

Then, let us not make Him lose His facet All evils come from this lack of filial reverence to God, from our disobedience to our heavenly Father. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (Joh 24;25) Zo serve is to put into action towards our visible neighbors that praise and affection which we have towards God my invisible Father. “Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth. (1 Jo 3:18)

Now, that’s quite a program in this centenary of Our Lady of Fatima! Yet it is the only way to put into practice what she requested in her last apparition at Fatima. “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend God anymore for He is already too much offended.”

At Fatima, Our Lady declared: “To save them (the souls from Hell) God wants to establish throughout the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart…I shall come to ask the consecration of Russia and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.” So, we cannot and we should not be indifferent to the devotion of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to make reparations to her. If we do these, pray her rosary daily and wear her scapular devoutly; then we have her reassurance — “I will never leave you, my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.” So, what are we waiting for? If we have not yet accomplished the First Five Saturday devotions — Confession, Communion, Rosary and 15 minute meditation, then let us not let this centenary of Fatima pass without completing them, at least once in our lifetime! Indeed, we must do what we can in order to hasten the triumph of the Immaculatae Heart of Mary.