Apparitions
It’s been about eight months now.
A job I thought I’d keep for good didn’t keep me.
It didn’t seem it would be that way, especially last May. My supervisor and her husband took a wedding anniversary trip to Portugal. They had considered Peru and Greece but finally settled on Portugal after a few months. In one of our conversations, I asked, “Are you going to Fatima?”
Fatima is one of the largest Marian shrines in the world. The Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children over six months, from May to October 1917. The first appearance was on May 13. The final apparition was accompanied by the miracle of the sun. About 100,000 people witnessed the sun spinning, glowing, growing, and changing color, defying the laws of cosmology. It was one of the miracles that led the Church to declare the apparitions authentic.
My supervisor hadn’t considered going but chose to go at the last minute. She and her husband rented a car and zoomed over to the town.
“It was very emotional. I didn’t expect it to be,” she shared. “Thought of you.”
I was touched, as I had grown to like and respect her. She has a daughter with a chronic disease and other family issues that have taxed her energy, time, and spirit over the last few years, but she was so dedicated and a great example of intelligence and grit.
Just a few days after her return, our team of six sat in a restaurant in Baltimore, ready to start a week of team building with our arm of the organization. It was the first time we saw each other in person. She handed each of us a rosary from Fatima.
“They’re blessed.”
She had no idea how meaningful her gift was to me. I’ve wanted to travel to Fatima for a few years now. I don’t know if that will happen soon, but the desire exists. You see, my mother passed away in 2017, the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima. And I feel our Blessed Mother’s prayers accompanied us during those moments. Many good people appeared in my life that year, too. Some have remained in touch, and others I only saw then.
That work gathering was the only time all of us would be together. My position and another on our team were eliminated a few months later. That still saddens me, but that experience and so much of life remind me that often, that’s all we get: people make a brief appearance in our lives, or we go somewhere, never to return. The Virgin Mary only came to Fatima for a short time, one day a month for six months.
The word cherish comes to mind when I reflect on these past few years. The Latin root of this word is carus, which is similar in meaning to the word caress. For me, that means we have to hold on to those moments or memories with care and affection because, often, that’s all we can do. That doesn’t diminish their value, power, or impact on our lives… and even the painful or embarrassing moments can teach us so much.
Let’s cherish what we’ve lived.