We can imagine our lives by picturing ourselves walking down a path. As we look to the right and left, we see others who are doing many of the same things.
Below us, there is another set of paths. The people walking along them are doing bad things to themselves, to each other, and to anyone they can reach.
Above us, people who love God and their neighbor follow their paths. Most of us move along the middle level. We see that sin destroys, so we try to avoid the lower paths. We see that focusing on God and neighbor keeps us from paying attention to ourselves. We who love ourselves too much are proud that we look neither up nor down, but straight ahead, with glances for guidance to those on our left and right.
The billions of fellow-travelers on the middle path sometimes wonder if there’s anything to “all that God business” that takes up so much time of those on the higher levels. Those above often reach out to those below. “You should try this.”, they plead, usually to no avail.
To move up from the lower and middle levels requires a rearrangement of thoughts in the mind. Many, through the ages, have moved from “God is not real.” to “God may be real.” to “God is real.”
Fatima still helps many to make that progression. At Fatima, on October 13, 1917, The Blessed Mother of Jesus appeared to several tens of thousands of people. Tens of thousands of hardened atheists, haters of The Church, and skeptics were there. They all saw the sun literally dance in the sky. They saw it come swooping down on them. Many converted.
Googling “Fatima”, and reading the accounts of what happened, leaves even the most callous despisers of God and His Church wondering. “Could this be real? Could all these people be lying? Even the ones twenty miles away? What was going on here?” The questions make it clear, Fatima still saves souls.
Fatima was an isolated, verified appearance to tens of thousands. Since then, God has not thought that more such appearances to masses of people were necessary. The Appearance at Fatima, alone, makes it easier to move from “God is not real.” to “God may be real.” And, Fatima facilitates the move from “God may be real.” to “God is real.” Once that point is reached, some are able to get to a higher level: “God is real, and so is His Church. Both are to be obeyed.”
Fatima makes all independent thinkers think. Faith sometimes comes from that thinking. For those who are led to faith, The Church, and obedience, Fatima still saves souls.
