THE PASSION OF OUR DIVINE LORD: This month of the Passion, which coincides with the penitential season of Lent, provides a critical opportunity to understand the urgency of Our Lady's plea at Fatima for Amendment of Life, that men "cease offending Almighty God, for He is already too much offended". Her sorrowful entreaty can be fully comprehended only by a salutary realization of the terrible punishments inflicted by our sins upon the Sacred Person of our loving Redeemer in His bitter Passion. If we would truly know God, that we might love and serve Him as we should, then we must meditate often on His Sufferings. Such reflection will teach us, first, of the great malice of sin, which caused the Only-begotten Son of God to undergo so bitter a death to satisfy the Divine Justice, and thus to conceive a lively horror of sin and a healthy fear of committing it. Meditation on the Passion, secondly, will convince us of the infinite love which our Divine Savior has shown us in choosing to suffer so much, precisely that He might prove to us the vehemence of His love, and thus inflame our cold hearts with love for Him, so full of love for us. That we may prove our love for Him, we will then more willingly deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him, making reparation for our previous offenses. This is the goal of the Lenten liturgy and devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross. Thus, the holy Season of Lent and its proper spirit may be summed up in the words of St. Paul to the Galatians: "With Christ I am nailed to the Cross – I live now, not I – but Christ liveth in me." Let us reflect upon – and attempt to live – these words every day of Lent. Let us make a constant effort to dwell on the Suffering and Agony of Jesus, and to imagine the love He manifested for each and every one of us in undergoing His sufferings, together with the sufferings of His Sorrowful Mother. So few people love Jesus and Mary because they do not reflect upon Their tremendous sufferings. They could not sin the way they do if Christ's Agony were constantly before them. Let us strive for an intimate union with Jesus Crucified, and with Our Sorrowful Mother. In the spirit of the requests of Our Lady at Fatima for sacrifice, penance, and reparation, let us carefully consider how, why, when, and where we will respond to her pleas; particularly by hours of reparation before the Blessed Sacrament; vigils of prayer; and individual acts of penance and self-denial. For motivation, let us often reflect upon the great merit of suffering with and for Our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of His Cross, the immense Sorrows of Our Lady and the great need of reparation for sins, especially for our own.

ST. JOSEPH: On October 13th, St. Joseph also appeared at Fatima in a tableau representing the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. After the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is no saint who possesses a more intimate union with the Three Divine Persons, or a greater power of intercession. Not only is St. Joseph a singular model for Fatima apostles in striving to faithfully fulfill their sacrifice of daily duty, as he did so perfectly; he has also been named by the Holy Fathers as the Patron of the Universal Church, which is now in mortal combat with the enemies of Christ in myriad form. As we witness the spread of atheistic Communism and Materialism under new and innovative guises, with the final objective a new world of atheistic Socialism, we turn to St. Joseph who is also the Patron of the battle against this evil foe, that he may protect the Universal Church and her faithful children from all spiritual and temporal harm.

1. CATHOLIC LITURGY & DEVOTION: (a) Conclude and review Parts I and II of "The Holy Season of Lent". (b) Read pages 17-22 of The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ by St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, on how necessary it is to meditate on the Passion of Our Divine Redeemer if we are to persevere in the way of life to which we are called as followers of the Crucified (15 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: Articles – The Holy Season of Lent: Part I - The History of Lent;; Part II - The Mystery of Lent; St. Alphonsus' book on the Passion.
2. THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT: Discuss the first part of the article, "The Children's Crusade" (10 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: "The Children's Crusade."
3. COURT OF THE QUEEN: We cannot hope to dwell one day in the Heavenly Court of Our Immaculate Queen unless we strive diligently in the pursuit of holiness. The Blessed who already dwell in Her Heavenly Court are inspirations for us in this pursuit of that life of holiness to which Jesus calls us. Read the list of saints' feasts observed during this month: Ven. Francisco Marto; St. Casimir; St. Colette; St. Cunegunda; St. Gregory the Great; St. Thomas Aquinas; St. Frances of Rome; St. Clement Maria Hofbauer; St. Heribert of Cologne; St. Cyril of Jerusalem. How do the lives of these saints inspire us to a more perfect living of our holy Faith and our Consecration to the Immaculate Queen of Heaven? Choose two or three saints from the first part of the list; briefly review their holy lives and the lessons and virtues we learn from them. Discuss practical ways in which we can imitate them and apply their virtues in our own daily lives. (10 min. report & discussion) Reference: Martyrology; Article on Venerable Francisco Marto, Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 120; Article on St. Frances of Rome, Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 102.

1. CATHOLIC LITURGY & DEVOTION: Discuss "The Holy Season of Lent: Part III – Practices During Lent" (15 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: Article – "The Holy Season of Lent III".
2. THE TRAIL OF THE SERPENT: Conclude and review the article, "The Children's Crusade" (10 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: "The Children's Crusade."
3. OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS: Discuss the article, "The Love of a True Christian for Mary" (10 min. report & discussion). Reference: Cover article, Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 110.

1. ST. JOSEPH appeared at Fatima with Our Lady and the Christ Child on October 13th during the miracle of the sun, thus reminding the faithful of the importance of devotion to this glorious Patriarch. Review Fr. Patrignani's article on St. Joseph, Patron of the Agonizing and of a Happy Death. Discuss the three great motives which commend him to us at the dread hour of death and judgment: 1) he is the adopted Father of our Judge; 2) his power over the legions of Hell is very great; and 3) his own death in the company of Jesus and Mary is the wonder of the ages. Consider ways in which we may secure the assistance of St. Joseph at the hour of our death (15 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: "Motives for Devotion to St. Joseph: St. Joseph is the Special Patron of the Dying", by Fr. Patrignani.
2. CATHOLIC LITURGY AND DEVOTION: Discuss the Article – "Passiontide and Holy Week" (15 min. report – 10 min. discussion). Reference: "Passiontide and Holy Week", Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 136.
3. MARY IN DOCTRINE AND DEVOTION: Discuss the Feast of the Compassion of Mary (Friday in Passion Week); (10 min. report & discussion). Reference: Articles "Our Sorrowful Mother, Co-Remptrix" and "Mater Dolorosa, Lessons from the Queen of Martyrs", Salve Maria Regina Issue No. 120.