Tuesday, May 13, 2014

97th ANNIVERSAY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA APPARITIONS

Today the Church celebrates the 97th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal, where Our Lady appeared to the three children, Lucia, Francisco and Lucia for six consecutive months beginning on May 13, 1917.
Our Lady of FatimaOptional Memorial
May 13th
The message of Fatima includes a call to conversion of heart, repentance from sin and a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary, shown especially by praying the Holy Rosary and offering sacrifices in our daily lives. One of the prayers that Our Lady taught the children was:
"O my Jesus, this is for the love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary," to be prayed with each sacrifice that we offer. The seers added later "and for the Holy Father, the Pope . . ." because they saw the Pope suffering so much!

MASS PRAYERS
Collect:
From the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary
First Reading: Isaiah 61:9-11
Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks Himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Gospel Reading: Luke 11:27-28
As Jesus said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that You sucked!" But He said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"

THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 26, 2000 (Link to Vatican Website)

 From my friend Rita:

Today May 13 = the first apparition of Our Lady in Fatima
Fatima, Hope of the world, Apocalyptic Vision
O Woman, clothed with the sun
the moon under Your feet
You, in Whom Salvation begun
O Mary, Mary name so sweet
O heart so full of smarts
come defeat our self-conceits
renew our ungrateful hearts
O Gateway that to Jesus leads
O dearest Mother, Virgin pure
upon your children blessings shower
against the devil most effective cure
O come to annihilate satan's power
O sing with us a whole new song
of Unity and Godly Peace
Awaiting your Triumph all along
O help us fulfill the Heavenly pleas.
Rita Biesemans, at Fatima May 13 1987
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. On this day
in 1917, Our Lady made her first appearance to three shepherd children,
Jacinta (age 7), Francisco (age 9) and Lucia (age 10), at Fatima in
Portugal.  She appeared to them once a month from May through October. The lives of the three children of Fatima were entirely transformed by the
heavenly apparitions.  While fulfilling the duties of their state with the
greatest fidelity, those children seemed now to live only for prayer and
sacrifice, which they offered in a spirit of reparation to obtain peace and
the conversion of sinners.  They deprived themselves of water during the
periods of great heat; they gave their lunch to poor children; they wore
around their waists thick cords that even drew blood; they abstained from
innocent pleasures and urged one another to the practice of prayer and
penance with an ardor comparable to that of the great saints.
About 50 years ago, I read a book titled "Our Lady of Fatima" by William T. Walsh. It changed my whole life regarding my faith and how I lived as a Catholic Christian. No, I didn't wear a rope around my waist but I did start going to daily Mass, monthly confession and praying the Rosary. One thing I did wear was the Brown Scapular as Our Lady requested to the children. I also started to pray the Fatima prayers:
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!
 O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.
O Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed Sacrament!
Sweet Heart of Mary, be the salvation of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the whole world.
By your pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain for me the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the entire world.
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, 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 sacrileges, outrages and indifference by which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor sinners."
When Pope Benedict XVI visited Fatima a few years ago he said:
"We would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete. Here there takes on new life the plan of God which asks humanity from the beginning: “Where is your brother Abel […] Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!” (Gen 4:9). Mankind has succeeded in unleashing a cycle of death and terror, but failed in bringing it to an end… In sacred Scripture we often find that God seeks righteous men and women in order to save the city of man and he does the same here, in Fatima, when Our Lady asks: “Do you want to offer yourselves to God, to endure all the sufferings which he will send you, in an act of reparation for the sins by which he is offended and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?” (Memoirs of Sister Lúcia, I, 162).
Lord Jesus, thank You for sending Your Mother to teach us Your Divine Truths and how to live them. May we always follow the Way you have pointed out for us. Amen.

Deacon John

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