Tuesday, 5th DECEMBER. Life story of the three shepherds of Fatima in prison.

Tuesday, 5th DECEMBER
Luke 10:21-24

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."

God reveals Himself and the secrets of His Wisdom to whoever He chooses. The 'wise and learned' try to find the truth without God, but… how can you seek the truth without the 'Truth'? 

History is full of saints who have been very simple, had no university degrees or didn't even know how to write and yet they knew God better and did more for the conversion of the world than many theologians. Children with wisdom and composure that defied the people of their times.

On 13th August 1917 the three shepherds of Fatima were put in prison with common criminals to scare them into revealing the secret that Our Lady commanded them to keep. When one of the prisoners advised the little shepherds to tell the administrator the secret, St Jacinta (who was 8 years old) said: "Never, I'd rather die". And then she took off a medal and asked a prisoner to hang it up for her on a nail in the wall. Kneeling before this medal, they began to pray the rosary. Then the most amazing thing happened: the prisoners, all of them, one by one, knelt down and started praying with them! You can imagine the face of the administrator (who had put the children in prison to frighten them) when they got the whole bunch of criminals to pray the rosary on their knees.

Humility teaches us that there are mysteries that we don't understand. In fact, as St Josemaría used to say, "if God fitted into this poor head of mine, my God would be very small". But even if God doesn't fit into our 'heads', He still fits into the 'hearts' of those who become like little children.

Advent is a special time to grow in spiritual childhood, to contemplate the coming of Our Lord with the eyes of a child. 

My Mother, during the Novena that we start tomorrow, help me to be like a child, and to know your Son better every day.

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Commentary of the day :

Blessed Guerric of Igny (c.1080-1157), Cistercian abbot
2nd Sermon for Advent (trans. ©Cistercian Publications, Inc., 1970; SC 166, p. 109

"Many prophets and kings longed to see what you see"

Come then, Lord, "save me and I shall be saved" (Jer 17:14). Come and "smile upon us and we shall find deliverance" (Ps 79[80]:4,8,20). We have waited for you, "be our stronghold, our deliverer in time of trouble" (Is 33:2). In this fashion did the prophets and holy men, with great desire and longing, run to greet the Christ who was to come, hoping if possible to see with their eyes what they foresaw in their hearts. 

Hence the words of the Lord to his disciples: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see; I tell you there have been many prophets and holy men who longed to see what you see and never saw it, to hear what you hear and never heard it." Abraham, our father, "was full of joy to see the day" of Christ. "He saw it" — but in the lower regions — "and rejoiced" (Jn 8:56).

In that day the coldness and hardness of our hearts will be greatly punished—I mean, if we do not look forward with joy of spirit to the anniversary of Christ's birth which, we are promised, we shall, God willing, see very soon. 

In fact Holy Scripture seems to insist we have such joy so that our spirit, lifted out of itself, may run to meet the arrival of Christ in transports of joy, and, straining forward impatient of delay, may strive to pierce the future even now

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