THE SECOND APPARITION OF THE ANGEL

  On another occasion, in the month of July or August, 1916, the children were playing together near the well in Lucia’s Garden when the same Angel suddenly appeared and said to them:  “What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal! The hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of Mercy for you!  Offer continually to the Most High prayers and sacrifices!”  But how are we to sacrifice ourselves? “Lucia” asked?  “Offer up everything within your power as a sacrifice to the Lord in an act of reparation for the sins by which he is offended; and of supplication for the conversion of sinners.  Thus invoke peace upon our country.  I am her Guardian Angel; the Angel of Portugal.  Above all, accept and bear with submission the sufferings that the Lord may send you” Burning with curiosity, Francisco who only saw the Angel but did not hear him wanted to know what the Angel had spoken to Lucia and Jacinta.  He was told to wait till tomorrow for they could not speak then.  

  The next day Lucia managed to attend to the many questions posed by Francisco.  The children became more meditative.
“Those words”, writes Lucia, “engraved themselves on our minds like a living light that made us realize who God was, how He loved us and wanted to be loved; the value of sacrifice to what degree it pleased him., and how it was rewarded with the conversion of sinners.

  Henceforth we began to offer to the Lord everything that mortified us, without trying to find any other ways of mortification or penance than passing hour after hour bowed to the ground, repeating the prayer that the Angel had taught us”.