THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER and SACRIFICE

The History of Treasure Sheets and Sacrifices – World War I and Fatima

It was June, 1916 and while World War I was raging, Pope Benedict XV, finished with the politics of his day and man’s wisdom he stated: “I am going to ‘God’s folly’ – the Cross and the children of the world.” But already the Holy Spirit was at work. In 1915 in a Catholic school in Bordeaux France under the direction of Father Bessieres S.J., simple ‘treasure sheets’ were presented to students asking them to write down daily sacrifices that they would offer up to God for the end of the war and the salvation of the soldiers killed in action. The idea circulated from school to school at a speed denoting God’s blessing. There is a remarkable story of what happened next in the flip book on the left side bar pages 6 & 7 with additional information on treasure sheets.

HEAVEN – SACRIFICE AND THE ANGEL OF PEACE

Our Lady sent the Angel of Peace as a ‘teacher of love’ to three young children. He brought them a two fold message. It was a Eucharistic message which we cover in other sections of this website. Then there was one of Sacrifice.

Make everything you can a sacrifice. Offer them to GOD as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and to ask for the conversion of sinners. In this way you will bring peace to your country. I am the Angel of Portugal. Bear and accept with submission the sufferings GOD will send you.

Some months later Our Lady appeared to the Little Shepherds, it was July 13th, 1917. Following the vision of hell she told the children, ‘when you make some sacrifice say, “O Jesus, it is for the love of thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation of the sins and offenses committed to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Treasure sheets are one part stages of a three-fold plan that includes the following;

  • Treasure Sheets
  • #OfferitUP
  • Worldwide Spiritual Bouquet
  • 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima

One supporting the other to working towards a path that may help you as a teacher, faith formation teacher, or parents to teach your students and or children the importance of sacrifices, and how they, little as they are, can change the world.

The treasure sheets are a ‘tool’ to help initiate and then to encourage our children to make sacrifices as the Angel of Peace told the Little Shepherds of Fatima.

On the sidebar you will find two sizes of treasure sheets for your convenience.

  • First is the easel size (18 x 24) to display in your school hallway, classroom etc.
  • The second one is for desktop for the children to keep in their desk or home to keep track of their sacrifices.

We all understand we are living in a world that knows little of sacrifice. But we hope that these ‘treasure sheets’ that what seemed to be an ordinary parish priest, decided to approach the children with the faith, to ask them if they would be willing to make sacrifices for others.

Let’s try!