Today we celebrate one of the most fundamental beliefs of Christianity: the Most Holy Trinity – three distinct, coequal Persons in one God. For the Church, the Trinity is considered a mystery. There are aspects of the Trinity that we will never fully grasp while we are this side of Heaven. But it is something we hold as revealed truth. We experience the presence and reality of the Most Holy Trinity as what has been described as “a divine communion of love.”.
In the Scripture Readings for today’s Mass, we hear two accounts of the Pentecost. The more dramatic of the two occurs in our First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1-11) where the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles, empowering them to speak in different tongues so that the Jews from different lands who had gathered in Jerusalem could hear the message of Jesus proclaimed in their own language. The second, and perhaps less dramatic account is found in today’s Gospel (John 20:19-23) where the Risen Jesus, himself, appears to the Apostles, breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, and commissions them to go forth and continue the mission of announcing the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Father Stephen Schultz will celebrate the 22nd anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on Saturday, May 22, 2021. The community of Our Lady of Fatima Parish thank and congratulate Father Schultz on this special occasion!
Today we celebrate Christ’s ascension into Heaven and his return to the right hand of the Father. A week from now, we will commemorate the birth of the Church at Pentecost. For over six weeks now, we have observed the Easter Season and reflected on the glory of the Risen Christ. In the Gospel chosen specifically for today’s feast (Mark 16:15-20), Jesus gives his Great Commission to the disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has instructed Catholic parishes to maintain COVID-19 protocols that were already in place prior to the most current health order. In the spirit of charity and to ensure the safest environment possible, persons entering the church are requested to wear a mask and observe social distancing, regardless of their vaccination status. Other safety protocols will also remain in place.
The Women's Guild of Our Lady of Fatima will be meeting for the first time since the pandemic on Sunday, May 23, 2021 after the 10:00 AM Mass, Room 2 FGH. Please join us as we reacquaint one another and discuss where we go from here.
The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, May 31st, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Daily Mass will be at the regular times of 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM.
The 8th Grade Promotion Mass for Our Lady of Fatima School will be at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Parishioners are invited to attend and offer their best wishes as the members of our 8th Grade class move on to continue their education in high school.
What gives us joy? The beauties of nature, surely! And children. How Jesus rejoiced when little children climbed onto his lap! “Let the little children come to me,” he said. And what joy he must have felt when he brought physical and spiritual healing to people. The deepest source of Jesus’ joy, however, was his loving relationship with his heavenly Father, his Abba. Jesus tells us that wherever he might go, whatever he might do, he remains in his Father’s loving embrace.
We will hold a Mass on May 13, 2021 at 5:30 PM to mark the first day in 1917 that the Blessed Mother appeared to the three shepherd children of Fatima in Portugal.
Despite any illusions that we are “self-sufficient,” if we are truly honest, we must admit that we cannot “do it all” by ourselves. We will not be useful, productive, or successful unless we go about our tasks and accomplish our mission in and through the power of Jesus Christ. But really, that is a good thing! Having Jesus Christ, Spirit-filled and risen from the dead on our side, and empowered by the gifts of God’s Holy Spirit, is what truly gives value and meaning to whatever we do.