May 13 - Homily for Today

The Church celebrates today the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. This feast recalls the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary – who identified herself to three small children in Portugal – as Our Lady of the Rosary. She encouraged the practice of penance, the daily recitation of the Rosary and devotion to her own Immaculate Heart. Three secrets were revealed to the children, two of which had to do with politics and war, and the third having to do with the attempted assassination of St. Pope John Paul II, May 13, 1981. The pope attributed his survival to the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima.

What we can take with us from this celebration is the reminder of the power of Mary’s intercession, which she knew, and we can ever learn more and more clearly, emanates from the kingship and the lordship of her Son, Jesus Christ: Savior of the world. Everything comes from him and leads back to him!

And so, with childlike confidence, as we have been instructed, may we do daily acts of penance, recite the rosary, if only in part, and think thoughts of affection towards the Immaculate Heart of Mary: she is the Mother of God, yes, but she is also our mother, and she delights in fussing over us, and seeing that we have all that we need to lead good, holy, Christian lives.

You are the highest honor of our race;

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!