2. THE UNFOLDING OF THE WINGS

Sometime later, in 1916, when Lucia's favourite cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, had permission to shepherd their family flocks, Lucia chose to graze her thirty sheep with theirs on land belonging to branches of two of their respective families.

One morning when the children and their sheep were on the hill called Cabeco a light rain caused them to seek shelter beneath some overhanging rocks. Even when the rain stopped they remained in the comfort of the rocky recess where they ate their lunch and began to say their Rosary. Lucia later recalled that they had got into the habit sometimes of saying only the words Hail Mary! or Our Father! on each bead, so anxious were they to get back to the game they called 'pebbles'. She wasn't sure whether they employed this abbreviated form of the Rosary on this occasion, but soon they were at their game.

Suddenly, without warning, a strong wind began to shake the trees. Since the light rain earlier the sun had been shining and there hadn't even been a breeze. Startled, they looked up and there, above the trees, just as Lucia had seen it before, was the effulgent figure like a statue made of snow.

Neither Francisco nor Jacinta had been with Lucia on the previous occasion when the strange shape had appeared so they were dumbfounded. The three remained absorbed in this light above the tree tops and, instead of disappearing as it had done before, it began to approach them, floating down from among the branches. As it drew nearer it became that it was not a being wrapped in a sheet but a very beautiful youth, about 14 or 15 years old and as transparent as spring water with the sun dancing on it.

When his feet touched the ground and he was standing among them he said, "Do not be afraid,' just as angels had said to other shepherds near Bethlehem. "I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me," whereupon he knelt down, bowed until his forehead touched the ground and said "My God, I believe in You, I adore You, I hope in You and I love You! I ask pardon for those who do not believe in You, do not adore You, do not hope in You, and do not love You." He taught the children to repeat words three times. When he had risen from the ground and before disappearing, he said to them, "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplication."

This prayer and the admonition of the angel, penetrated to the very core of their beings

Question

2.  THE UNFOLDING OF THE WINGS

Sometime later, in 1916, when Lucia's favourite cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, had permission to shepherd their family flocks, Lucia chose to graze her thirty sheep with theirs on land belonging to branches of two of their respective families.

One morning when the children and their sheep were on the hill called Cabeco a light rain caused them to seek shelter beneath some overhanging rocks.  Even when the rain stopped they remained in the comfort of the rocky recess where they ate their lunch and began to say their Rosary.  Lucia later recalled that they had got into the habit sometimes of saying only the words Hail Mary! or Our Father! on each bead, so anxious were they to get back to the game they called 'pebbles'.  She wasn't sure whether they employed this abbreviated form of the Rosary on this occasion, but soon they were at their game.

Suddenly, without warning, a strong wind began to shake the trees.  Since the light rain earlier the sun had been shining and there hadn't even been a breeze.  Startled, they looked up and there, above the trees, just as Lucia had seen it before, was the effulgent figure like a statue made of snow.

Neither Francisco nor Jacinta had been with Lucia on the previous occasion when the strange shape had appeared so they were dumbfounded.  The three remained absorbed in this light above the tree tops and, instead of disappearing as it had done before, it began to approach them, floating down from among the branches.  As it drew nearer it became that it was not a being wrapped in a sheet but a very beautiful youth, about 14 or 15 years old and as transparent as spring water with the sun dancing on it.

When his feet touched the ground and he was standing among them he said, "Do not be afraid,' just as angels had said to other shepherds near Bethlehem.  "I am the Angel of Peace.  Pray with me," whereupon he knelt down, bowed until his forehead touched the ground and said "My God, I believe in You, I adore You, I hope in You and I love You!  I ask pardon for those who do not believe in You, do not adore You, do not hope in You, and do not love You."  He taught the children to repeat words three times.  When he had risen from the ground and before disappearing, he said to them, "Pray thus.  The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplication."

This prayer and the admonition of the angel, penetrated to the very core of their beings

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

Once upon a time, in the year 1916, when the world was but a fragile place and the hearts of mankind trembled with fear and uncertainty, there lived a young maiden named Lucia. She was fair of countenance and possessed a spirit as radiant as the sun itself. Lucia was blessed with a kinship of love, for her dear cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, were the cherished companions of her days. Together, they roamed the vast pastures and tended to their flocks with youthful vigor.

One fine morning, as the sun began its ascent and the heavens shed a gentle rain upon the earth, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta sought refuge beneath the sheltering embrace of age-old rocks that graced the slopes of a hill named Cabeco. Protected from the elements, they nestled in the cozy nooks and crannies of their sanctuary, partaking in the sustenance of their humble repast. Moments passed, and their hearts turned towards a higher purpose, a sacred ritual that had become a part of their innocent existence - the recitation of the Rosary.

Lucia, in her recollections, would later muse upon the penchant she and her dear cousins had developed for abbreviating their prayers, using mere fragments of the holy words that should grace each bead. So fervent were their desires to return to the delightful games that held their fancy, the game they lovingly dubbed 'pebbles'. It is not clear whether this abridged form of devotion graced their lips in that moment, but soon they abandoned themselves to the mirthful distraction of their play.

But fate, ever fickle and capricious, had different plans for these innocent souls. In an unexpected rapture, a tempestuous wind stirred the branches of the trees, rustling their leaves with an alarming force that belied the calmness of the hitherto sun-kissed afternoon. Astonished, the children beheld a spectacle that defied explanation - a luminous figure, ethereal and resplendent, hovering amidst the verdant foliage.

Lucia, the sole witness to this spectral apparition in times past, stood rooted to the spot with awe deeply etched upon her countenance. Francisco and Jacinta, unaware of the previous encounter, were struck dumb by the sheer beauty and ethereality that graced their eyes. The three were united in their captivation, their gaze fixed upon the heavenly light descending from the heavens like a celestial cascade.

And lo, as the figure drew nearer, it revealed itself as no mere apparition draped in a shroud of mystery, but a wondrous youth of unparalleled beauty, akin to a flawless statue carved of glistening snow. His form radiated with a delicate transparency, reminiscent of the crystal-clear waters that flowed through a babbling brook under the warm caress of the sun's gentle rays.

The youth, standing among them with a grace that whispered of divine origins, spoke with a voice that resonated with the echoes of angels. "Do not be afraid," he implored, his words a soothing balm upon their trembling souls. "I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me," he continued, his countenance a reflection of divine serenity. With utmost reverence, he knelt upon the sacred ground, his forehead humbly pressed against the earth. His supplication, a testament to his unshakable faith, rang through the air, its cadence imbued with a holy fervor. "My God, I believe in You, I adore You, I hope in You, and I love You! I ask pardon for those who do not believe in You, do not adore You, do not hope in You, and do not love You."

The children, their hearts stirred by the angel's words, followed his example and repeated the prayer thrice, their voices united in both clarity and purity. And before vanishing into the ethereal realms from whence he came, the angel left them with his final commandment, words that would echo in the chambers of their souls for eternity. "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplication."

Indeed, this divine encounter and the profound teaching of the celestial messenger pierced the deepest recesses of their beings, igniting a flame of profound contemplation and utter fascination. Their spirits soared with questions and newfound wisdom, as they pondered the significance of this encounter, and their place within the grand tapestry of the universe. The unfolding of the wings of celestial providence had graced them that day, and they knew, with unyielding certainty, that their lives would never be the same again.