“One of the last things Mary said to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta was not to offend the Lord our God anymore because he is already so much offended.For months Mary, as did the Angel of peace, spoke to them about all of us changing our ways and praying for the conversion of sinners. When Lucia presented the many prayer requests given to her, Mary said that some prayers would be answered but others not until they amended their lives.

Mary encouraged turning away from anything that distracts us from the Lord. She also wished us to stop the endless cycle of repeating the same offenses. Her objective was for us to change our behavior.

By praying for the conversion of sinners, we lift every one of us up. We pray for everyone’s strength to turn away from sin. The general definition of conversion is the act of converting one thing into something else. In a spiritual sense, it refers to a moral change. We pray for every one of us to reform our ways and avoid hurting each other and, ultimately, the Lord.

. . . Our own conversion and our prayer for others to change their ways are paths to peace because they not only transform us but the world for generations to come. The Lord would fill our lives and there would be no room for anything else.”

Excerpt from Fatima at 100. Fatima Today. Ten Steps to World Peace