by Thomas Drake
My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior Because He hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His name. (The Magnificat in Luke 1: 46-49)
May 13th is a special day. Over a century ago, Mary appeared at a place in Portugal known as Fatima. There She gave a prophetic message of tragedy and hope to three shepherd children: Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia.
In the style of the TFP Ladies Tea programs, a dynamic mother-and-daughter team put together a wonderful educational and cultural program for that special day.
Starting with a rosary reflecting on the Glorious Mysteries, Fr. Taj Glodd crowned the beautiful pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima at the start of the fifth decade: the Crowning of Mary in Heaven, as Queen of all the universe.
After the rosary, there was an illustrated talk on the many conversations of St. Jacinta of Fatima with Our Lady. These conversations took place after the Miracle of the Sun on October 13th, 1917 and St. Jacinta’s lonely death in a Lisbon hospital on February 20th 1920. She and her brother Francisco were among the millions who died of the Spanish Flu that ravished the world immediately after World War I. These conversations covered a range of topics: bad fashions in the world, priests, marriages, medical doctors, virtues such as purity and self-abnegation for love of God. These were but some of the subjects of these frequent chats between Our Lady and Jacinta Marto. Our Lady made herself the spiritual director of little Jacinta who before the age of ten had, in the opinion of the Church, reached the state of heroic virtue.
In her [Jacinta] was literally confirmed the words of the great devotee of Mary, St. Louis de Montfort. That in the school of the Virgin, the soul progresses more in a week than in a year outside it.
– Rev. Fr. John Demarchi IMC – The Lady More Brilliant than the Sun
Can this amazing spiritual journey be ours? Is this how nations will return to God? What does the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary really mean? These were questions briefly discussed in the presentation.
My teenage daughters were both so impressed that they shared everything they remembered with their grandmother. Also, my younger daughter now wants to chose St. Jacinta for her Confirmation name!
– letter from a happy mother.
An entertaining number of workshops gave hands-on lessons in calligraphy, on how to make an elegant invitation, on multiple ways of folding napkins, and the art of table setting. All these classes were put to the test later on, when setting up for the formal social tea.
My 15 year old daughter was so impressed with everything that now she is determined to host a similar tea party event at her church. They’ve already discussed it with their youth minister and he is all for it!
– one mother to another mother after the Ladies Tea Program on May 13th.
After lunch, there was another talk. It had an interesting title: The Angels and Fatima. Also illustrated, it highlighted some of the teachings of the Catholic Church and of the saints on the angels who are powerful beings created higher in nature than men. Consideration was given to how angels have been depicted in religious art through the centuries; and how artistic license has sometimes distorted the understanding of angels as when portraying them as baby cherubs. The presentation covered in detail the three apparitions of an angel to the Fatima children a year before Our Lady – Queen of Angels and terror of demons – came to the Cova da Iria. There was a lively discussion of what this means for us today.
After lunch, there was another talk. It had an interesting title: The Angels and Fatima.
The Grand Finale was the Portuguese Tea. With all hands on deck for bringing out the china, the tiers of delicacies, placing napkins folded into new forms of art, table decorations appearing as if out of nowhere, the large room was transformed in the blink of an eye. The organizing, planning and efficient cooperation were really on display in this magnificent transformation of what the French call ambience.
Tea pots and plates loaded with homemade culinary delights whizzed from the kitchen to the tables. After prayers to sanctify the meal, time and conversation flowed fast.
On the lower tier were Coronation Chicken sandwiches, bolinhos de bacalhau (Portuguese codfish croquettes), Manchego sheep cheese and quince jam open sandwiches, and many other savories. For the young diners the lower tier represents the Earth, whereas the middle tier represents Limbo: scones, egg custard pastries (Portuguese pasteis de nata), etc. And the top tier is loaded with the sweetest: miniature cakes, Belgian cream puffs and other delightful creations. For the girls the sweetest tier represents, well… sounds like the road to Heaven, right? Yes, the simplest things of daily life should symbolize the profound realities of our faith.
And hovering over the whole feast the sound of harp music filled the room. An accomplished harpist played one musical piece after another. A discussion point for the next Ladies Tea program: why does the harp convey to the human mind the idea of angelic choirs?
Closing this special Fatima day with prayer, Fr. Glodd gave a solemn blessing to all the participants. It was a day hallowed with Catholic conviviality, new knowledge and expertise, a renewed spiritual growth. Everyone left invited to inflame their souls with the spirit of St. Jacinta of Fatima. We must return to the world to pray and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners so they don’t suffer the eternal loss of Heaven for which we were created.
An email from one of the participants after her conversations with several mothers: Girls [are] telling their grandparents all about the day including the talks, making napkins folds, and planning teas. Another said it was like they were in another world, another like a retreat. This is what we hope for- good for thought and contemplation.
St. Jacinta of Fatima, pray for our country and families.