Fatima Prayers

The Fatima Prayer (pronounced|ˈfatimɐ) or Invocation is a common version of the Jesus Prayer used by Roman Catholics. It, along with four other "Fatima prayers", originated during the Marian apparitions at Fátima, Portugal in 1917. The Decade Prayer, as the most commonly said of these five prayers is known, is commonly added at the end of each decade of the Dominican Rosary, one of the most popular devotional practices in Roman Catholicism. Two other prayers are also associated with the visions and may be classed as Fatima Prayers, however they did not come to existence in Fatima, but in Spain many years later. This brings the number of prayers to Seven.

The Decade Prayer

While not part of the original tradition of the Rosary or in the original text of the vulgate, many Roman Catholics choose to add it after the Glory Be to the Father after the Blessed Virgin Mary was said to have requested its use during her apparition at Fatima, a miracle deemed "worthy of belief" by the Church. The following text of the prayer appears first in Latin and then in English.

:"Oh me Iesu, dimitte nobis debita nostra, libera nos ab igne inferni, conduc in caelum omnes animas, praesertim illas quae maxime indigent misericordia tua. Amen."

:"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen."

Here is the original Portuguese version:

:"Ó meu bom Jesus perdoai e livrai - nos do fogo do inferno, levai as almas todas para o céu e socorrei as que mais precisarem de vossa infinita misericordia."

The Other Fatima Prayers

The Less commonly said "Fatima Prayers" include four others, known as the Pardon Prayer, the Angel's Prayer, the Eucharistic Prayer and the Sacrifice Prayer which were taught to the seers during the visions. Another two prayers, which are sometimes classed as "Fatima Prayers" are two which were allegedly taught in 1931 to Sister Lucia in a vision, the last remaining seer of the three. These two are known as the Conversion Prayer and the Salvation Prayer

The Pardon Prayer

This prayer is believed to have been taught to the seers in the initial Fatima Apparition in the spring of 1916, by an Angel.

:"My God, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee! I beg pardon for all those that do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee."

The Angel's Prayer

In Autumn of that year the Angel, to whom the young seers had spoken initially, returned and taught them a second prayer. Which was illustrated with a vision of the Blessed Sacrament suspended in the air before which the Angel prostrated itself and prayed:

In Catholic tradition, Muriel is primarily known as the angel of Portugal, and it was during his feast day that the Fatima events took place, and therefore he is referred to as the Fatima Angel. He is especially associated with the Fatima Prayers.

:"O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners."

The Angel's Prayer is an Act of Reparation to Jesus Christ.

The Eucharistic Prayer

On May 13, 1917, The Angel did not appear to them, rather a Woman clad in radiant white, who told them she had a message for the world. She exhorted them to pray the Rosary and a third prayer:

:"Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament."

The Sacrifice Prayer

On the 13th of June of that year, she appeared again and taught the seers two more prayers, the Decade Prayer and the Sacrifice Prayer. This second prayer was to be said when offering up an action or some suffering in a spirit of Sacrifice.

:"O Jesus, it is for the love of You, in reparation for the offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners [Some add here "that I pray/do this"] ."

The Conversion and Salvation Prayers

The final two prayers were taught to the last of the living seers, Lucia, as her two companions had since died. These prayers were taught to her in 1931 in a vision where she met Christ. He Asked her to pray for the Conversion and Salvation of the World through the Heart of Mary, His Mother.

:"By your pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the whole world!"

:"Sweet Heart of Mary, be the salvation of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the whole world."

Other Prayers and Practices related to the Visions

These prayers were not the only devotions which arose from the visions of Fatima. The visions also called for a series of devotions, including the Five Saturdays, frequent recitation of the Rosary, Prayers for the Conversion of Russia (at the time viewed by the Church as a godless, Communist nation).

This spurred the creation of an organisation known as the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, dedicated to carrying out the requests of Our Lady of Fatima, as well as promotion of the Brown Scapular.

Further reading

* Our Lady of Fatima
* Three Secrets of Fatima
* Consecration of Russia
* Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima
* Marian apparition
* Catholic devotions

References

* [http://www.fatimaprayers.com/a-brief-history-of-our-lady-of.html A Brief History of Our Lady of Fatima]
* [http://www.excerptsofinri.com/fatima.html Acute Prophecy of Our Lady of Fatima]
* [http://www.fatima.org/ The Fatima Network]