Francisco Marto, one of the seers of Fatima, was canonized this year by Pope Francis, and a look at his short life reveals how after the apparitions he loved to spend time with God and to think about consoling our Lord and Mary.

On June 13, 1917, Our Lady said that Francisco and Jacinta would go to heaven soon, and Lucia would remain on earth for some time. From that time on, Francisco loved to pray alone.

His cousin, Lucia, once asked him, "Francisco, why don't you come and pray with Jacinta and me?" He answered, "I'd rather pray alone, to think and to console our Lord. He is so sad!"

Francisco loved to spend time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. One day, Lucia noticed Francisco was walking very slowly. She asked, "What is the matter with you? It seems like you cannot walk."

Francisco answered, "I have a terrible headache and I think I am going to fall."

Lucia said, "Then don't come. Stay home." Francisco replied, "I will not stay home. I'd rather stay in church with the Hidden Jesus while you go to school."

Sometimes Francisco would say to Lucia: "Look, you go to school and I will stay here in church near the Hidden Jesus. It isn't worth the trouble for me to learn to read. Shortly I am going to heaven. When you came back from school, call me."

During his sickness, he said to Lucia, "Look, go to church, and give my best regards to the Hidden Jesus. It hurts me that I can't go to church any more and stay there for a while with the Hidden Jesus."

One day when Lucia arrived at Francisco's home, she said goodbye to a group of schoolmates. As Francisco heard the noise, he asked, "Did you come with that crowd?" Lucia replied, "Yes, I did." Francisco said, "Don't walk with them because you can learn to commit sins. At the end of your classes, go and stay for a while near the Hidden Jesus and afterwards come alone to see me."

Francisco saw consoling Jesus as his mission. One day Lucia asked, "Francisco, which do you like better, to console our Lord or to convert sinners so that no more souls go to hell?"

He answered, "I'd rather console our Lord. Didn't you take notice of how sad our Lady was last month when she said not to offend our Lord, because he was much offended already? I want to console our Lord first and then convert sinners so that they won't offend him any more."

During his sickness, Lucia asked, "Do you suffer much, Francisco?" He answered, "Quite a bit. But it doesn't matter. I suffer to console our Lord and shortly I shall go to heaven!"

One day, Lucia asked, "Do you feel better?" Francisco said, "No, I feel worse. But it will only be a short while before I go to heaven. There I will console very much our Lord and Our Lady. Jacinta will pray a lot for sinners, for the Holy Father, and for you. You will stay here because our Lady wants it that way. Look, do all that she tells you to do." 

Some days before his death at the age of 10, Francisco said, "Look, I am very sick, and I am going to heaven very soon."

Lucia said, "Then, listen, while you are there, don't forget to pray much for sinners, for the Holy Father, for me and for Jacinta."

Francisco responded, "Yes, I will. But look, ask Jacinta these things instead. I am afraid I will forget them when I see our Lord. First I want to console Him."


方濟喜愛單獨祈禱 


教宗方濟各於今年六月十三日,把方濟.馬圖宣聖,他是其中一位在葡萄牙花地瑪目睹聖母顯現的小孩。

聖母曾 說過 :方濟及雅先達會很快到天堂,而路濟亞則要留在世上一段時間。聖母顯現過後,方濟很喜歡獨自一人,與耶穌一起,謂要想安慰耶穌和聖母。

方濟常獨自祈禱。他的表姐路濟亞問他:「方濟,為何不和我及雅先達一起祈禱呢?」方濟答道:「我寧願一個人祈禱,去默想和安慰我主。祂是那麼傷心!」

方濟又喜歡花時間和聖體內的耶穌一起。一日,路濟亞注意到方濟走得很慢,摧促他說:「怎麼一回事?你看來走不起路來。」方濟回答說:「我的頭很痛,好像我快要跌倒。」路濟亞建議他說:「那不要跟來了,還是留在家裡吧。」方濟不以為然,說:「我不要留在家裡。在你上學時,我寧願留在聖堂,和隱藏著的耶穌在一起。」

有時方濟會對路濟亞說:「看,你去上學,我會在聖堂裡接近隱藏著的耶穌。我很快會上天堂,學習和閱讀對我來說,已沒什意思了。你下課後,來通知我。」

患病時,方濟告訴路濟亞到聖堂去,代他向隱藏著的耶穌問好。他說:「我不能到聖堂去,感到難過;請你在聖堂多留一會,陪伴那隱藏著的耶穌。」

有一天,路濟亞到達方濟家的門前,與一群同學道別;方濟聽得聲音,趕快對她說:「你和那群人一起來嗎?」「不要和他們一起行,因為你會學習犯罪!下課後,先去接近隱藏著的耶穌,然後才來探望我。」

方濟視安慰耶穌為他的使命。路濟亞曾問他道:「方濟,你認那樣事情優先:先安慰耶穌,或先令罪人悔改,再沒有人下地獄?」他答說:「先安慰耶穌。你沒有注意到,上月聖母顯現時,她極其憂傷,要我們不再得罪耶穌,祂已受了太多委屈嗎?我要先安慰耶穌,然後使罪人悔改,不再得罪祂!」

方濟在病榻時,路濟亞問他:「方濟,你感到很辛苦嗎?」他說:「很辛苦;但不要緊。我受苦為安慰我主;之後,很快我會上天堂!」又一次,路濟亞問方濟說:「你覺得好些嗎?」「不!更差。」方濟說,「但不會久,因為我要上天堂去。在那裏,我將多安慰耶穌和聖母。雅先達要多為罪人祈禱,為教宗祈禱,為你祈禱。你會留在這裡多些時間,因為是聖母想要的。看,照她的吩咐去做吧。」

離世前數天,方濟說:「看,我病得很重,我很快要上天堂了。」路濟亞吩咐他說:「那,要聽清楚!你在天堂時,別忘記多為罪人祈禱,也為教宗、雅先達和我祈禱。」

方濟說:「當然,我會。但也對雅先達這樣說。因為我怕見到耶穌時,我只顧安慰祂,而忘記你的吩咐。」