We have such a wonderful, joyful psalm today, the
refrain of which declares that heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. The psalm talks about the different people and
entities who are to praise God, from the angels to the kings and princes and
the people of Israel. I cannot think of anyone who praises God more
than our Blessed Mother Mary does. Today we celebrate Mary in a special way in the
feast of our Lady of Fatima. On this day in the year 1917, the Blessed Mother
appeared to three humble shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. The children, aged 7 to 10, were named
Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. The
Blessed Mother appeared to them once a month from May through October. Mary asked these children to pray the rosary for
world peace, for an end to WWI, for sinners, & for the conversion of
Russia. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima
was approved by the local bishop in Portugal in 1930 to mark the date of the
first appearance to these children. The
feast has been at part of our Church's worldwide calendar since 2002. The main message of Fatima is for us to constantly
pray.
It is so amazing how Mary has appeared in
different forms throughout history. Each
time, she has brought converts to the faith, has brought a message of
reconciliation and love, and has tried to bring the faithful ever closer to her
son. We celebrate Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, in a
special way today, and together with her, may we praise the name of the Lord.
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