Jacinta persuaded Francisco and Lúcia that they had to pray the Rosary and make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners as Our Lady requested them.
Francisco had the idea of giving their snacks to the sheep and going hungry. They accepted and spent the day fasting.
On Jacinta’s initiative, they gave their snacks to some children who were begging from door to door. This charitable act became frequent, and replaced their snacks for pine nuts, bellflower roots, blackberries, mushrooms, certain things they grabed from the roots of pine trees, and fruit from their parents’ orchards.
Our Lady asked them not to reveal their sacrifices. Lúcia stated that in this way they would not be questioned about what kind of sacrifices they made.
Lúcia’s mother felt distressed by the course of events, so she asked Lúcia to tell the Parish Priest that she had lied about the apparitions and should ask his forgiveness.
Lúcia told Jacinta what her mother had asked her to do. While Lúcia went to the Priest’s house to speak with him, Jacinta and Francisco stayed at home praying for Lúcia. Later they met at Lúcia’s house, who stated that she had told the Priest what she had said to Jacinta before leaving home.
Jacinta was happy with the decision, encouraged Lúcia not to be afraid, and blessed Our Lady.
While the three were tending the sheep, on a serene day, a strong wind arose and they saw a white and transparent figure approaching the olive grove, and told them: “Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.”
My God, I believe in You, I adore You, I wait for You and I love You. I ask Your forgiveness for those who do not believe in You, do not adore You, do not wait for You and do not love You.
The Angel of Peace asked them to say that prayer, and Lúcia persuaded them to keep it a secret.
After a considerable amount of time, the Angel of Peace appeared again to the three children, this time at the well of Arneiro. He recommended that they pray much and constantly offer prayers and sacrifices to the Most High.
Lúcia asked the Angel how they should sacrifice, and He replied that they should do everything within their power: “Offer to God sacrifices of everything you can in reparation for the sins by which He is offended and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. Thus, you should bring peace upon your country. I am your guardian angel, the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission the suffering that the Lord sends you.”
A considerable amount of time passed again before the Angel of Peace appeared once more. This time he held a chalice in his left hand, above which a host was suspended from which drops of blood fell into the chalice. The Angel of Peace left the chalice suspended in the air, knelt beside them, and they repeated the following prayer three times.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences with which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask You for the conversion of poor sinners.
Then he stood up, took the chalice and the host. He gave the host to Lúcia to take and the chalice to Francisco and Jacinta and said simultaneously: “Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.”
Lúcia withdrew to a solitary place and offered her suffering to God. Sometimes Jacinta and Francisco would find Lúcia in her bitterness, and the three would offer their sufferings to God.
After Our Lady told them that they were going to Heaven, she asked them: – “Do you want to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings He wishes to send you, in reparation for the sins by which He is offended and in supplication for the conversion of sinners?”
– “Yes, we do.” – Thus the three answered affirmatively.
– “You will, therefore, have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.”
Our Lady asked them to keep that conversation secret.
In the apparition of July 13, Our Lady revealed the secret to them and, to revive Lúcia’s waning fervor, said to her: “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say to Jesus many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for Your love, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Lúcia found a piece of thick, rough rope lying on a path, tied it to her arm, and discovered that the rope hurt, so she suggested that they use it as an instrument of penance and offered that sacrifice to God. Francisco and Jacinta also adhered to that penitential practice, dividing the rope into three parts and wearing it tied around their waists. Jacinta did not give up wearing the rope even when it caused her more pain and the other two persuaded her to remove it, reacting thus: “No! I want to offer this sacrifice to Our Lord, in reparation and for the conversion of sinners.”
While gathering weeds, Jacinta touched nettles, which stung her. From time to time, they would pick nettles, beat them on the skin of their legs, and offer that pain as a form of sacrifice.
Since the last apparition, that of October 13, the seers were visited almost daily with requests for Our Lady’s protection, joint prayers, and questions. Sometimes they insisted, and Lúcia had to make an extraordinary effort to hear them, offering that sacrifice to God: “It is for your love, my God, in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the conversion of sinners, and for the Holy Father.”
The three made the sacrifice of going thirsty. Jacinta and Lúcia did it during a novena or for an entire month. Once, Jacinta said: “Our Lord must be happy with our sacrifices, because I am so, so thirsty! But I don’t want to drink; I want to suffer for His love.”
When the three prostrated themselves to pray the Angel of Peace prayer, Francisco was the first to tire of such position, but he remained kneeling or sitting, praying as well, until Jacinta and Lúcia finished.
In the June apparition, Our Lady asked them to return to that place on the 13th of the following month, to pray the Rosary every day, and to learn to read.
In the July apparition, Our Lady asked them to go there on the 13th of the following month, to continue praying the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, to obtain peace in the world and the end of the war because only she could help them.
Our Lady asked them: “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for Your love, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
Our Lady asked them to go to Cova da Iria on the 13th of each month and to continue praying the Rosary every day; in the last month she will perform a miracle so that everyone will believe.
Our Lady also asked them to make two floats. Lúcia, Jacinta and two other gitls would carry one, Francisco and three other boys would carry the other one.
Just before leaving, she added: “Pray, pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice and pray for them.”
In the September apparition, as soon as Our Lady appeared above the holm oak, she told them: “Continue praying the Rosary every day, to achieve the end of the war.
In October, Our Lord, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus will also come to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices, but He does not want you to sleep with the rope; bring it only during the day.”