It was ninety-three years ago today when tens of thousands of ordinary persons thronged a remote meadow near Fatima, Portugal, hoping for the miracle promised by three apparently ordinary children. The extraordinary fulfillment of that promise has defied non-religious explanation for almost a century now, inspiring the faith of millions around the world. Although few now living remember the event, the miracle lives on, reminding us to believe in God and to live in a way that would please him.
It had rained earlier in the day, but at the appointed time the clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc, said by some to be significantly duller than normal; it threw colorful lights across the landscape, even lighting up the surrounding clouds. Some eyewitnesses said that the sun dived towards the earth in a zigzag pattern.
The people’s clothing, that had been wet from the rain, became “suddenly and completely dry, as well as the wet and muddy ground that had been previously soaked.” The miracle, promised by the heavenly messanger, was fulfilled (notwithstanding the terror of those who thought the world was coming to an end with the sun falling on them).