The Dance of the Sun

Short Summary: Three shepherd children were visited by "Our Lady of the Holy Rosary," who delivered messages of prayer and conversion, culminating in the Miracle of the Sun witnessed by 70,000 people, where the sun appeared to dance in the sky.

Details

Location: Fatima, Portugal

Year: 1917

Prayer: In the third apparition, Mary asks for the prayer below be added to the rosary. Let us pray it with sincerity of heart. "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most in need of Thy mercy." Amen.

Verse: The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. -Is 60:19

Full Story

Three shepherd children (ages 7-10) were visited seven times by a "lady more brilliant than the sun". She eventually revealed herself as "Our Lady of the Holy Rosary". In her messages, she asked for prayer, penance, and conversion. She also predicted the end of World War I, but warned of a worse war ahead and the spread of communism to come (specifically, that Russia will spread its "errors"). After five appearances to the children, news had spread throughout Portugal, attracting large crowds to the site. The final apparition was attended by an estimated 70,000 people, who waited under the rain in anticipation. Suddenly, the rain stopped, and within a minute the clouds completely cleared, revealing the bright sun. An incredible spectacle began, as the sun began to tremble. It then began to spin, emitting rays of color on all sides, coloring the spectators’ faces with blue, red, violet, and green. The sun stopped spinning, and remained still before spinning a second time. A moment later, it detached itself from its position, and began to zigzag around eccentrically in the sky. It was then seen to “fall from the sky”, plunging towards earth, causing much commotion within the crowd. The sun then returned to its normal state. In total, the phenomenon lasted for ten minutes. After the event, the area and people had become completely dry, despite the soaking rain that had preceded the miracle. Newspapers quickly spread the word. "O Século", the leading newspaper in Portugal, described the event in great detail with the headline, "Amazing Phenomenon: How the Sun Danced at Fatima at Midday". No observatory in the world noticed anything unusual that day. Only those in the local Fatima area witnessed the miracle. The reports drew much attention to the three children of Fatima, and to the several messages they received from the lady. For instance, in her fourth apparition she told the visionaries, “Pray, my children, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls are lost because nobody makes sacrifices and prays for them.”

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