Christ Wills This Devotion

In May, 1943, the Bishop of Gurza announced to Sr. Lucy that he was going to consecrate a parish to the Immaculate Heart. She responded to him on the 27th of that month:

The following passages are taken from THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT FATIMA, Vol. III, by Frère de la Sainte Trinité.

I am very grateful and I thank Your Excellency for your letter and the printed matter I received the day before yesterday; I was pleased with them and I thank you for it.

LOVE IS NOT LOVED

 The news of the consecration they are making over there-----with all the details you give me-----gave me great pleasure, because it reveals a great deal of love for the Immaculate Heart of our Heavenly Mother who is so good, and through Her, for our Good Lord. They love us so much! What they desire the most is to see Their love known, and to see us correspond to it. This is one of Their common complaints: "I love, and I am not loved; I manifest Myself; and I am not known; I give and nobody responds (to My advances).

THE FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

I desire very ardently the institution for the Universal Church of an office in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When I stated this request in my letter to the Holy Father, I presented it as a simple desire of my poor heart, and so I felt it to be; but in reality this desire is not only my own; Someone has placed it in me. It comes from the Most Holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

DEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY, SALVATION OF SOULS

 They love and desire this cult because They use it to draw souls to Them, and this is Their whole desire: To save souls, many souls, all souls, salvar almas, muitas almas, todas as almas. Our Lord told me a few days ago: "I desire very ardently the propagation of the cult and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, because this Heart is the magnet which draws souls to Me, the fire which makes the rays of My light and My love beam out over the earth, and the inexhaustible well causing the living water of My mercy to gush over the earth."

If these communications are certain (I feel that they are, in spite of so many fears), I do not want to prevent them from being communicated to souls. This is why I give them to you. They are not mine; I myself am nothing. Do with them what you feel will be the most useful for the glory of God.

On the 31st, I will be there in spirit. I ask you to be so good as to bless me.

"THE GREAT PROMISE WHICH FILLS ME WITH JOY

Shortly afterwards, on April 14, 1945, Mother Cunha Mattos, Superior of the house at Tuy since October, 1944, was getting ready to leave for Fatima. Sister Lucy wrote her this charming letter, where she opens her heart  . . . at the same time forcefully expresses the wonderful promise which is the very essence of the message of the Immaculate Virgin it Fatima:

. . . I hope that you will not forget me there, over there at the feet of our little Heavenly Mother, . . . Do not think I am sad that I too cannot go there. I offer this sacrifice with pleasure, because with this we save souls and I always remember the great promise which fills me with joy: "I will never leave you alone. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way which will lead you to God."
 
I believe that this promise is not for me alone, but for all souls who wish to take refuge in the Heart of their Heavenly Mother, and let themselves be led along the paths traced out by Her . . . It seems to me that such are the intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: to make this ray of light shine before souls once more, to show them once more this harbor of salvation, always ready to welcome all the shipwrecked of this world . . .