How many of us have wished, in moments of indecision, that God would send us a clear sign about what we are called to do at that moment? At times like these, when we are surrounded by turmoil and indecision, it can be easy to feel as though God has abandoned us and left us alone to fend for ourselves. But the Scripture Readings for today’s Mass, as we get ever closer to the great Feast of Pentecost, are reassuring. We are not alone, but have God, the Church, and the people around us to give us guidance and support when we need it – as long as we are open to the different ways in which the Holy Spirit operates in our daily lives.
Everyone, believers and nonbelievers alike, is familiar with the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In other words, treat others in the way that you, yourself, would like to be treated. We can all agree that this is very reasonable and practical, and makes good sense. Even Jesus seems to endorse it! But as we hear in today’s Gospel (John 13:31-33a, 34-35), Jesus is never one for simply minimums or convenient half-measures. He always calls us to a higher standard or way of thinking – one that exceeds human expectations and aligns itself with the ways of God.
Our Lady of Fatima School Promotion will take place on Wednesday, May 22. Mass at 6:00 PM. Congratulations to the Eighth Grade Class as they move on to High School. Angelina Abigail Acosta, Rebekah Marie Carpenter, Alegria Abelina Lackey, Elizabeth Marie Núñez. May God bless the Class of 2019!
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” No matter which liturgical cycle we are in, the Gospel will always be about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the accompanying readings relate to this as well. So great is our Good Shepherd that he knows each of us by name and gives us eternal life.
I would imagine that most of us have had at least one experience in which we were deeply hurt by another person – perhaps by someone we cared for very much. Our emotions can be very powerful at such a time and we can be consumed with feelings of hostility and resentment. If the hurt is deep enough, we may be tempted to give up on the relationship and avoid that person altogether, stubbornly refusing even the slightest move toward reconciliation, and speaking badly about the person to anyone else who will listen.
Monday, May 13th is celebrated by the Catholic Church as the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima. It marks the first day in 1917 on which the Blessed Mother appeared to the three shepherd children of Fatima in Portugal. As our parish is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, we will celebrate a Feast Mass at 5:30 PM on Monday, May 13, 2019.
The third-grade students from Our Lady of Fatima School and the CCD program for public school students will be receiving First Holy Communion at the 12:00 noon Mass on Sunday, May 12, 2019.
The eligible youth of our parish in 9th through 12th grades will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the 10:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 26, 2019.