Vision Date: August 4, 2024

Dear Robert,

Today in the Traditional Latin calendar, we remember one of the most important saints of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers.

He and his order have been essential in safeguarding the faithful from heresy and developing devotion throughout the centuries.

St. Dominic was born in 1170 and during his academic studies, he was soon recognized as an exceptional individual.

As focused and determined as he was, he had a tender heart filled with the love of God.

His love of Jesus moved him to love his neighbor and seek to aid the poor at his own expense.

As inspirational as his charity was, what sets St. Dominic and the Dominicans apart is their zealous devotion to truth.

After passing through a town that had been scourged by the Albigensian heresy, St. Dominic’s heart was set afire to protect the faithful from error and lead them closer to the Word made flesh.

One of the mottos of the Dominican Order is simply “Veritas”, which means, “Truth”.

God is Truth, and without truth, we cannot know God, love Him, or understand what is right or wrong, or who and what we are.

Without truth, we are left only with our corrupted appetites and pride.

This is precisely what Our Lady of Fatima warned us about.

Today we live in a culture that has lost sight of Truth.

As Our Lady of Fatima warned, the errors of Russia have spread throughout the world.

Atheism and moral relativism have spread far and wide causing many Catholics to lose vigor or their faith entirely.

We must hold fast to the Truth. We need more people like St. Dominic, to spread and protect the faith.

We need to listen to Our Lady of Fatima!
But how can we have any real effect in a culture so permeated with error?

The good news is Our Lady did not leave us wondering.

She told us to keep our eyes fixed on Her and Her Son.

She told us to consecrate ourselves, and especially Russia to Her Immaculate Heart.

She told us to do penance and turn away from sin which blurs our mind.

She told us to make reparation on the First Saturday of the month.

She told us to pray the Rosary!

The Rosary is a powerful weapon in the spiritual life that is not to be underestimated.

Its repetitive nature is humbling, moving our hearts and minds to practice obediently staying focused on the Lord, not our own thoughts and whims.

The grace of course comes from God, promised by Our Blessed Mother.

But at the heart of the Rosary are the mysteries.

The mysteries of the Rosary are centered around the most critical moments of the Paschal Mystery.

So by praying the rosary our eyes fixate on Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Before Him, no error can stand.

There is an old tradition that St. Dominic received the mysteries of the Rosary from Mary in a vision, and that he spread its devotion through his preaching.

Regardless of whether this is historically accurate, St. Dominic would certainly spread devotion to the Rosary today.

So let us ask for his intercession and listen to Our Lady, fixating our minds on Jesus through praying the Rosary.

In the Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

Christopher P. Wendt
International Director
Confraternity of Our Lady of Fatima