Our Lady of Fatima

In 1917 at Fatima, Portugal, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children – Lucia Santos, and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.  Mary gave them messages centring on conversion, repentance, and prayer. Our Lady asked the people to pray the Rosary for peace in the world, and to honour her Immaculate Heart through the devotion to the five first Saturdays.

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah (61:9-11) reminds us that God is a Saviour “I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation”.  In the Gospel we hear a short passage from Luke (11:27-28) were we are reminded of the blessings of hearing God’s word; “As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it.’”