They were thirsty during a very hot summer day while grazing sheep in a pasture far from home. That day Jacinta had headaches. Francisco persuaded her to accept those pains as a sacrifice for the conversion of sinners.
When they were in prison, Francisco and Jacinta offered their suffering as a sacrifice to Jesus for the conversion of sinners. He said: “O my Jesus, it is for Your love and for the conversion of sinners,” and Jacinta said, “O my Jesus, it is for Your love, for the conversion of sinners, for the Holy Father, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
After being questioned by three gentlemen, as a parting gesture, they were asked to resolve to tell the secret, otherwise the Administrator would be willing to kill them. Jacinta was not intimidated and replied that in this way they would go to Heaven sooner.
When Lúcia’s aunt offered to take them to her house, to avoid the Administrator of Ourém and what he might do, the three refused her offer and replied that if they were killed, they would go to Heaven.
Francisco and Jacinta’s health began to worsen. Jacinta did not tell her mother about her symptoms; she felt a great pain in her chest and offered that suffering for Our Lord, in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Holy Father, and for the conversion of sinners.
Jacinta mentioned that one night she offered many sacrifices to Our Lord, she did not know how many, because she had a lot of pain and never complained.
Francisco suffered in silence and with patience, making the same sacrifices as Jacinta and Lúcia, and rarely suggesting anything to them. He suffered everything for love of Our Lord and Our Lady. The penitential practice of rope-tying and fasting were replaced by his illness.
Jacinta also made the sacrifice of going against her will, for example, when her mother gave her the choice between drinking milk or eating grapes, she chose the milk, which she did not like.
One night she made the sacrifice of not turning over in bed and therefore could not sleep at all.
Jacinta was admitted to the hospitals in Ourém and Lisbon.
Long before the decision to hospitalize her was made, she already knew, from Our Lady, that she was going to be admitted to two hospitals and told Lúcia: “Our Lady wants me to go to two hospitals; but it is not to cure me, it is to suffer more for love of Our Lord and for sinners.”