Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima -1917
Summary: Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Portugal is a pilgrimage shrine dating from the 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children. It is significant for its call to conversion, the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the recitation of the rosary, prayers for world peace and the three heavenly secrets were revealed there.
Lúcia Santos and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto (see image) were three shepherd children to whom Our Lady appeared at Fatima in Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months starting on 13th May 1917.
Patrick Duffy tells the story.
What Happened?
Lúcia described the vision as "brighter than the sun" and said the lady told them three secrets, asked them to do penance and make sacrifices to save sinners. The children then began to wear tight cords around their waists, abstained from drinking water on hot days and did other works of penance. The lady told them to say the Rosary every day, and that saying the Rosary was the way to 'personal peace and world peace.'
Imprisonment
On 13th August, the provincial administrator, believing these apparitions were politically disturbing, intercepted and jailed the children and tried to get them to confess the secrets. That month the children reported that they saw Our Lady at nearby Valinhos.
The Miracle of the Sun
On 13th October, with a crowd of 70,000 people gathered, there appeared to be a fast and whirling movement of the sun that bystanders called "dancing" and these phenomena were visible for up to forty kilometres away. Even The New York Times of 17th October 1917 reported the event.
Official Church Approval
After a canonical enquiry the visions of Fatima were officially declared "worthy of belief" in October 1930 by the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima.
The Three Secrets of Fatima
The first secret, as described by Lucia, was a frightening vision of hell which made them tremble, but lasted only an instant.
The second was the instructions of Our Lady on how to save souls from hell - there would be war but if people did penance and if the Pope consecrated Russia to her Immaculate Heart, although there would be martyrs and the Holy Father would have much to suffer, Russia would be converted and a period of peace would be granted to the world.
The third secret appears to have been a rather confused call for more penance, but seems also to have contained a vision that was interpreted as "a bishop dressed in white like the Holy Father on his knees at the foot of a big cross being killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him". This third secret was withheld by the Vatican until June 2000 and was for a time the focus of some controversy, but this has now died down. (See P.S. below)
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said the “secrets” of Fatima give us hope in the midst of world torn by greed, selfishness and war. Satan will not triumph and his evil plans will be thwarted by the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There may be suffering in the near future, but if we cling tightly to Jesus and His mother, we will remain victorious.
(See P.S. below for a fuller explanation and application of the 'secrets' of Fatima'.)
Bls Francisco and Jacinta
Less than two years later, in 1919, Francisco (left) died of influenza in his family home. He was 11. He was buried in the parish cemetery and re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952.
Jacinta (right) died the next year of influenza in Lisbon. She was just 10. During her illness she offered her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. In a public ceremony at Fatima on 13th May 1989 Pope John Paul II declared both Francisco and Jacinta venerable and returned there to beatify them on 13th May 2000. Jacinta is the youngest non-martyred child ever to be beatified.
Lúcia Joins the Dorothean Convent
Lúcia moved to Oporto in 1921 and at 14 was admitted as a boarder in the School of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Vilar. She reported seeing Our Lady again in 1925 at the Dorothean convent at Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain), when she said she was asked to spread the First Saturday Devotions. She also reported that a subsequent vision of the Christ Child himself repeated this request.
In October 1925, she became a postulant in the Dorothean convent in Tuy, Spain, just across the northern Portuguese border, made her first vows there on 3rd October 1928 and her perpetual vows on 3rd October 1934, receiving the name Sister Mary of the Sorrowful Mother. In 1946 she returned to Portugal and visited Fatima incognito. Lúcia wrote six memoirs while she was with the Dorothean sisters.
Transfer to the Carmelites at Coimbra
In March 1948 Lúcia transferred to the Carmelite convent of St. Teresa in Coimbra and made her profession as a Discalced Carmelite on 31th May 1949, taking the name Sister Maria Lúcia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart and she lived at Coimbra until her death in 2005. The third secret was to have been revealed in 1960, but when the Vatican didn't reveal it, journalists and other enquirers found it difficult to have access to her. This may have been due to the enclosed life of the Carmelites, but it is was also 'believed' that she was under an order of silence from the Vatican.
Visits to Fatima
Lúcia returned to Fatima on the occasion of four pilgrimages there by a Pope, all on 13th May. The first of these visits was by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Pope John Paul II visited three times: first in 1982 (in thanksgiving for surviving the assassination attempt the previous year), then in 1991, and finally in 2000, when Lucia's cousins Jacinta and Francisco were beatified. On May 16, 2000 she unexpectedly returned to Fatima, to visit the parish church.
Death and Influence
Lúcia was not seen in public after the Catholic Church's publication of the third secret in the year 2000. She had been blind and deaf for some years prior to her death of cardio-respiratory failure, due to her advanced age. This came on 13th February 2005. The 13th day of the month had been the date of the apparitions. The day of her funeral, February 15, 2005, was declared a day of national mourning in Portugal; even campaigning for the national parliamentary election scheduled for Sunday, February 20, was interrupted.
Beatification Process
On the third anniversary of her death, 13th February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced that in Lúcia's case he was waiving the five year waiting period prescribed by ecclesiastical law before opening a cause for beatification, thus putting her on a fast track for canonisation, as was done for Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.
In 2000, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Later Pope Benedict XVI) clarified the signs and symbols found in the Marian apparitions
May 13, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima. For the past century individuals around the world have developed theories meant to decipher the hidden message of the three “secrets” of Fatima. Sister Lucia said herself that, “the interpretation belonged not to the visionary but to the Church.” It is up to the Church to interpret the various signs and symbols of Our Lady of Fatima to give the faithful a clear guide in understanding what God wants to reveal to us.
The Church did exactly that in the year 2000 when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote a lengthy theological commentary and interpretation of the famous “Third Secret.” He was charged with the task of clarifying the signs and symbols found in the visions of Our Lady, and made some striking discoveries.
Here are five surprising revelations found in the “Third Secret” of Our Lady of Fatima as interpreted by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).
1. Penance, Penance, Penance
“The key word of this third part is the threefold cry: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ The beginning of the Gospel comes to mind: ‘Repent and believe the Good News’ (Mk 1:15). To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance – of conversion – of faith. This is the correct response to this moment of history, characterized by the grave perils outlined in the images that follow.”
The central message of Our Lady of Fatima was “penance.” She sought to remind the world of the need to turn away from evil and repair the damage done by our sins. This is the “key” to understand the rest of the “secret.” Everything revolves around the need for repentance.
2. We Have Forged the Flaming Sword
“The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgement which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and, stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to penance.”
This particular part of the apparition tends to be the most distressing. It appears that God may strike us all down with a “flaming sword.” However, Cardinal Ratzinger makes the point that the “flaming sword” would be something that we create (like the atomic bomb) as opposed to any fire that comes down from heaven. The good news is that the vision records the flaming sword “died out in contact with the splendour [of] Our Lady” in connection to the call of “Penance, Penance, Penance.” The Blessed Mother has the final say and her radiance can stop any cataclysm.
3. The Future Is Not Set in Stone
“The importance of human freedom is underlined: the future is not in fact unchangeably set, and the image which the children saw is in no way a film preview of a future in which nothing can be changed. Indeed, the whole point of the vision is to bring freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction … [The vision] is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right direction.”
Contrary to popular belief, the intense visions granted by Our Lady of Fatima are not a preview of what will come to pass. They are a preview of what could happen, if we do not respond to Our Lady’s call to penance and conversion of heart. We still retain our free will and are urged to use it for the good of all humanity.
4. The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church
“The concluding part of the ‘secret’ … is a consoling vision, which seeks to open a history of blood and tears to the healing power of God. Beneath the arms of the cross angels gather up the blood of the martyrs, and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God … As from Christ’s death, from his wounded side, the Church was born, so the death of the witnesses is fruitful for the future life of the Church. Therefore, the vision of the third part of the ‘secret,’ so distressing at first, concludes with an image of hope: no suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God.”
It is true that the vision contains much suffering and peril, but it is not in vain. The Church may have to suffer much in the coming years, and this should come as no surprise. The Church has undergone persecution ever since the crucifixion and our suffering in the present time will only produce good effects in the future.
5. Take Heart. I Have Overcome the World
“‘My Immaculate Heart will triumph.’ What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind … The Evil One has power in this world … he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But … the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word … the word that prevails is this: ‘In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world’ Jesus said in John 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.”
Lúcia Santos and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto (see image) were three shepherd children to whom Our Lady appeared at Fatima in Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months starting on 13th May 1917.Patrick Duffy tells the story.
What Happened?
Lúcia described the vision as "brighter than the sun" and said the lady told them three secrets, asked them to do penance and make sacrifices to save sinners. The children then began to wear tight cords around their waists, abstained from drinking water on hot days and did other works of penance. The lady told them to say the Rosary every day, and that saying the Rosary was the way to 'personal peace and world peace.'
Imprisonment
On 13th August, the provincial administrator, believing these apparitions were politically disturbing, intercepted and jailed the children and tried to get them to confess the secrets. That month the children reported that they saw Our Lady at nearby Valinhos.
The Miracle of the Sun
On 13th October, with a crowd of 70,000 people gathered, there appeared to be a fast and whirling movement of the sun that bystanders called "dancing" and these phenomena were visible for up to forty kilometres away. Even The New York Times of 17th October 1917 reported the event.
Official Church Approval
After a canonical enquiry the visions of Fatima were officially declared "worthy of belief" in October 1930 by the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima.
The Three Secrets of Fatima
The first secret, as described by Lucia, was a frightening vision of hell which made them tremble, but lasted only an instant.
The second was the instructions of Our Lady on how to save souls from hell - there would be war but if people did penance and if the Pope consecrated Russia to her Immaculate Heart, although there would be martyrs and the Holy Father would have much to suffer, Russia would be converted and a period of peace would be granted to the world.
The third secret appears to have been a rather confused call for more penance, but seems also to have contained a vision that was interpreted as "a bishop dressed in white like the Holy Father on his knees at the foot of a big cross being killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him". This third secret was withheld by the Vatican until June 2000 and was for a time the focus of some controversy, but this has now died down. (See P.S. below)
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said the “secrets” of Fatima give us hope in the midst of world torn by greed, selfishness and war. Satan will not triumph and his evil plans will be thwarted by the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There may be suffering in the near future, but if we cling tightly to Jesus and His mother, we will remain victorious.
(See P.S. below for a fuller explanation and application of the 'secrets' of Fatima'.)
Bls Francisco and Jacinta
Less than two years later, in 1919, Francisco (left) died of influenza in his family home. He was 11. He was buried in the parish cemetery and re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952.Jacinta (right) died the next year of influenza in Lisbon. She was just 10. During her illness she offered her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. In a public ceremony at Fatima on 13th May 1989 Pope John Paul II declared both Francisco and Jacinta venerable and returned there to beatify them on 13th May 2000. Jacinta is the youngest non-martyred child ever to be beatified.Lúcia Joins the Dorothean ConventLúcia moved to Oporto in 1921 and at 14 was admitted as a boarder in the School of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Vilar. She reported seeing Our Lady again in 1925 at the Dorothean convent at Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain), when she said she was asked to spread the First Saturday Devotions. She also reported that a subsequent vision of the Christ Child himself repeated this request.
In October 1925, she became a postulant in the Dorothean convent in Tuy, Spain, just across the northern Portuguese border, made her first vows there on 3rd October 1928 and her perpetual vows on 3rd October 1934, receiving the name Sister Mary of the Sorrowful Mother. In 1946 she returned to Portugal and visited Fatima incognito. Lúcia wrote six memoirs while she was with the Dorothean sisters.
Transfer to the Carmelites at Coimbra
In March 1948 Lúcia transferred to the Carmelite convent of St. Teresa in Coimbra and made her profession as a Discalced Carmelite on 31th May 1949, taking the name Sister Maria Lúcia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart and she lived at Coimbra until her death in 2005. The third secret was to have been revealed in 1960, but when the Vatican didn't reveal it, journalists and other enquirers found it difficult to have access to her. This may have been due to the enclosed life of the Carmelites, but it is was also 'believed' that she was under an order of silence from the Vatican.
Visits to Fatima
Lúcia returned to Fatima on the occasion of four pilgrimages there by a Pope, all on 13th May. The first of these visits was by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Pope John Paul II visited three times: first in 1982 (in thanksgiving for surviving the assassination attempt the previous year), then in 1991, and finally in 2000, when Lucia's cousins Jacinta and Francisco were beatified. On May 16, 2000 she unexpectedly returned to Fatima, to visit the parish church.
Death and Influence
Lúcia was not seen in public after the Catholic Church's publication of the third secret in the year 2000. She had been blind and deaf for some years prior to her death of cardio-respiratory failure, due to her advanced age. This came on 13th February 2005. The 13th day of the month had been the date of the apparitions. The day of her funeral, February 15, 2005, was declared a day of national mourning in Portugal; even campaigning for the national parliamentary election scheduled for Sunday, February 20, was interrupted.
Beatification Process
On the third anniversary of her death, 13th February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced that in Lúcia's case he was waiving the five year waiting period prescribed by ecclesiastical law before opening a cause for beatification, thus putting her on a fast track for canonisation, as was done for Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.
P.S The third Secret and it's interpretation
In 2000, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Later Pope Benedict XVI) clarified the signs and symbols found in the Marian apparitions
May 13, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima. For the past century individuals around the world have developed theories meant to decipher the hidden message of the three “secrets” of Fatima. Sister Lucia said herself that, “the interpretation belonged not to the visionary but to the Church.” It is up to the Church to interpret the various signs and symbols of Our Lady of Fatima to give the faithful a clear guide in understanding what God wants to reveal to us.
The Church did exactly that in the year 2000 when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote a lengthy theological commentary and interpretation of the famous “Third Secret.” He was charged with the task of clarifying the signs and symbols found in the visions of Our Lady, and made some striking discoveries.
Here are five surprising revelations found in the “Third Secret” of Our Lady of Fatima as interpreted by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).
1. Penance, Penance, Penance
“The key word of this third part is the threefold cry: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ The beginning of the Gospel comes to mind: ‘Repent and believe the Good News’ (Mk 1:15). To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance – of conversion – of faith. This is the correct response to this moment of history, characterized by the grave perils outlined in the images that follow.”
The central message of Our Lady of Fatima was “penance.” She sought to remind the world of the need to turn away from evil and repair the damage done by our sins. This is the “key” to understand the rest of the “secret.” Everything revolves around the need for repentance.
2. We Have Forged the Flaming Sword
“The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgement which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and, stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to penance.”
This particular part of the apparition tends to be the most distressing. It appears that God may strike us all down with a “flaming sword.” However, Cardinal Ratzinger makes the point that the “flaming sword” would be something that we create (like the atomic bomb) as opposed to any fire that comes down from heaven. The good news is that the vision records the flaming sword “died out in contact with the splendour [of] Our Lady” in connection to the call of “Penance, Penance, Penance.” The Blessed Mother has the final say and her radiance can stop any cataclysm.
3. The Future Is Not Set in Stone
“The importance of human freedom is underlined: the future is not in fact unchangeably set, and the image which the children saw is in no way a film preview of a future in which nothing can be changed. Indeed, the whole point of the vision is to bring freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction … [The vision] is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right direction.”
Contrary to popular belief, the intense visions granted by Our Lady of Fatima are not a preview of what will come to pass. They are a preview of what could happen, if we do not respond to Our Lady’s call to penance and conversion of heart. We still retain our free will and are urged to use it for the good of all humanity.
4. The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church
“The concluding part of the ‘secret’ … is a consoling vision, which seeks to open a history of blood and tears to the healing power of God. Beneath the arms of the cross angels gather up the blood of the martyrs, and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God … As from Christ’s death, from his wounded side, the Church was born, so the death of the witnesses is fruitful for the future life of the Church. Therefore, the vision of the third part of the ‘secret,’ so distressing at first, concludes with an image of hope: no suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God.”
It is true that the vision contains much suffering and peril, but it is not in vain. The Church may have to suffer much in the coming years, and this should come as no surprise. The Church has undergone persecution ever since the crucifixion and our suffering in the present time will only produce good effects in the future.
5. Take Heart. I Have Overcome the World
“‘My Immaculate Heart will triumph.’ What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind … The Evil One has power in this world … he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But … the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word … the word that prevails is this: ‘In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world’ Jesus said in John 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.”
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Memorable Sayings for Today
The angel appeared unto Mary and she replied
'Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her.
And Mary said,
'My soul glorifies the Lord.
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Liturgical Readings for: Wednesday, 13th May, 2026
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
We must always be ready to listen to the Spirit when interpreting the signs of the times
Feast of the Day 13 May: Our Lady of Fatima
c/f short history of today’s Feast and memorial saint can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection
FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 17:15. 22-18:1
The God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.
Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could. Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:
'Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: "To An Unknown God." Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.'Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. Nor is he dependent on anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything - including life and breath - to everyone.
From one single stock he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. And he did this so that all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said: "We are all his children".
'Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man. 'God overlooked that sort of thing when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent, because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, and he has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by raising this man from the dead.'
At this mention of 'rising from the dead', some of them burst out laughing; others said, 'We would like to hear you talk about this again.'
After that Paul left them, but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides. After this Paul left thens and went to Corinth.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 148: 1-2, 11-14
Response Your glory fills all heaven and earth.
Or Alleluia!
1. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host. Response
2. All earth's kings and peoples, earth's princes and rulers;
young men and maidens, old men together with children. Response
3. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he alone is exalted.
The splendour of his name reaches beyond heaven and earth. Response
4. He exalts the strength of his peoples. He is the praise of all his saints,
of the sons of Israel, of the people to whom he comes close. Response
Gospel Acclamation Col 3:1
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ,
you must look for the things that are in heaven where Christ is,
sitting at God's right hand.
Alleluia!
or Jn 14:16
Alleluia, alleluia!
I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another
Advocate to be with you forever.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to John 16:12-15 Glory to you, O Lord.
The Spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth.
Jesus said to his disciples:
'I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me, since all he tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: "All he tells you will be taken from what is mine.'"
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Gospel Reflection Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter John 16:12-15
In the first reading, Paul addresses the people of Athens as seekers after truth. He declares that God wanted all nations to seek the deity and by feeling their way towards him to succeed in finding him. Moreover, he says that God, who wants all people to seek and find him, has drawn close to them because it is in him that we live and move and have our being. Paul is able to announce to the people of Athens that the God whom they have been seeking has been fully revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, who is God’s beloved Son. We have come to believe in Jesus as the full revelation of God, but that doesn’t mean that our seeking has come to an end. Those of us who celebrate Jesus as the truth remain seekers after truth, because we recognize that faith is not perfect vision.
As Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, ‘now we see as in a mirror, dimly’ (1 Cor 13:12). Even as people of faith, we remain on a journey towards what Jesus in the gospel reading calls ‘the complete truth’. None of us, no matter how strong and deep our faith, has the complete truth. Jesus declares that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to the complete truth, by calling to our minds all that Jesus has said and done. As Jesus declares in our reading, ‘all he tells you will be taken from what is mine’.
We are on a shared journey led by the Holy Spirit, and while we may be further on that journey than the people of Athens in the first reading we still have a way to go. Every day, as people of faith we set out again, calling on the Holy Spirit to lead us ever closer to the complete truth.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Feast of the Day 13 May: Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Portugal is a pilgrimage shrine dating from the 1917 apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children. It is significant for its call to conversion, the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the recitation of the rosary, prayers for world peace and the three heavenly secrets were revealed there.
Lúcia Santos and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto (see image) were three shepherd children to whom Our Lady appeared at Fatima in Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months starting on 13th May 1917.Patrick Duffy tells the story.
What Happened?
Lúcia described the vision as "brighter than the sun" and said the lady told them three secrets, asked them to do penance and make sacrifices to save sinners. The children then began to wear tight cords around their waists, abstained from drinking water on hot days and did other works of penance. The lady told them to say the Rosary every day, and that saying the Rosary was the way to 'personal peace and world peace.'
Imprisonment
On 13th August, the provincial administrator, believing these apparitions were politically disturbing, intercepted and jailed the children and tried to get them to confess the secrets. That month the children reported that they saw Our Lady at nearby Valinhos.
[caption id="attachment_46051" align="alignright" width="300"]
The Miracle of The Sun, 13 October 1917 Source: Ian and Dominic Higgins[/caption]The Miracle of the Sun
On 13th October, with a crowd of 70,000 people gathered, there appeared to be a fast and whirling movement of the sun that bystanders called "dancing" and these phenomena were visible for up to forty kilometres away. Even The New York Times of 17th October 1917 reported the event.
Official Church Approval
After a canonical enquiry the visions of Fatima were officially declared "worthy of belief" in October 1930 by the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima.
The Three Secrets of Fatima
The first secret, as described by Lucia, was a frightening vision of hell which made them tremble, but lasted only an instant.
The second was the instructions of Our Lady on how to save souls from hell - there would be war but if people did penance and if the Pope consecrated Russia to her Immaculate Heart, although there would be martyrs and the Holy Father would have much to suffer, Russia would be converted and a period of peace would be granted to the world.
The third secret appears to have been a rather confused call for more penance, but seems also to have contained a vision that was interpreted as "a bishop dressed in white like the Holy Father on his knees at the foot of a big cross being killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him". This third secret was withheld by the Vatican until June 2000 and was for a time the focus of some controversy, but this has now died down. (See P.S. below)
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said the “secrets” of Fatima give us hope in the midst of world torn by greed, selfishness and war. Satan will not triumph and his evil plans will be thwarted by the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There may be suffering in the near future, but if we cling tightly to Jesus and His mother, we will remain victorious.
(See P.S. below for a fuller explanation and application of the 'secrets' of Fatima'.)
Bls Francisco and Jacinta
Less than two years later, in 1919, Francisco (left) died of influenza in his family home. He was 11. He was buried in the parish cemetery and re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952.Jacinta (right) died the next year of influenza in Lisbon. She was just 10. During her illness she offered her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. In a public ceremony at Fatima on 13th May 1989 Pope John Paul II declared both Francisco and Jacinta venerable and returned there to beatify them on 13th May 2000. Jacinta is the youngest non-martyred child ever to be beatified.Lúcia Joins the Dorothean ConventLúcia moved to Oporto in 1921 and at 14 was admitted as a boarder in the School of the Sisters of St. Dorothy in Vilar. She reported seeing Our Lady again in 1925 at the Dorothean convent at Pontevedra, Galicia (Spain), when she said she was asked to spread the First Saturday Devotions. She also reported that a subsequent vision of the Christ Child himself repeated this request.
In October 1925, she became a postulant in the Dorothean convent in Tuy, Spain, just across the northern Portuguese border, made her first vows there on 3rd October 1928 and her perpetual vows on 3rd October 1934, receiving the name Sister Mary of the Sorrowful Mother. In 1946 she returned to Portugal and visited Fatima incognito. Lúcia wrote six memoirs while she was with the Dorothean sisters.
Transfer to the Carmelites at Coimbra
In March 1948 Lúcia transferred to the Carmelite convent of St. Teresa in Coimbra and made her profession as a Discalced Carmelite on 31th May 1949, taking the name Sister Maria Lúcia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart and she lived at Coimbra until her death in 2005. The third secret was to have been revealed in 1960, but when the Vatican didn't reveal it, journalists and other enquirers found it difficult to have access to her. This may have been due to the enclosed life of the Carmelites, but it is was also 'believed' that she was under an order of silence from the Vatican.
Visits to Fatima
Lúcia returned to Fatima on the occasion of four pilgrimages there by a Pope, all on 13th May. The first of these visits was by Pope Paul VI in 1967. Pope John Paul II visited three times: first in 1982 (in thanksgiving for surviving the assassination attempt the previous year), then in 1991, and finally in 2000, when Lucia's cousins Jacinta and Francisco were beatified. On May 16, 2000 she unexpectedly returned to Fatima, to visit the parish church.
Death and Influence
Lúcia was not seen in public after the Catholic Church's publication of the third secret in the year 2000. She had been blind and deaf for some years prior to her death of cardio-respiratory failure, due to her advanced age. This came on 13th February 2005. The 13th day of the month had been the date of the apparitions. The day of her funeral, February 15, 2005, was declared a day of national mourning in Portugal; even campaigning for the national parliamentary election scheduled for Sunday, February 20, was interrupted.
Beatification Process
On the third anniversary of her death, 13th February 2008, Pope Benedict XVI announced that in Lúcia's case he was waiving the five year waiting period prescribed by ecclesiastical law before opening a cause for beatification, thus putting her on a fast track for canonisation, as was done for Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.
P.S The third Secret and it's interpretation
In 2000, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Later Pope St Benedict XVI) clarified the signs and symbols found in the Marian apparitions
May 13, 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima. For the past century individuals around the world have developed theories meant to decipher the hidden message of the three “secrets” of Fatima. Sister Lucia said herself that, “the interpretation belonged not to the visionary but to the Church.” It is up to the Church to interpret the various signs and symbols of Our Lady of Fatima to give the faithful a clear guide in understanding what God wants to reveal to us.
The Church did exactly that in the year 2000 when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote a lengthy theological commentary and interpretation of the famous “Third Secret.” He was charged with the task of clarifying the signs and symbols found in the visions of Our Lady, and made some striking discoveries.
Here are five surprising revelations found in the “Third Secret” of Our Lady of Fatima as interpreted by Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI).
1. Penance, Penance, Penance
“The key word of this third part is the threefold cry: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ The beginning of the Gospel comes to mind: ‘Repent and believe the Good News’ (Mk 1:15). To understand the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance – of conversion – of faith. This is the correct response to this moment of history, characterized by the grave perils outlined in the images that follow.”
The central message of Our Lady of Fatima was “penance.” She sought to remind the world of the need to turn away from evil and repair the damage done by our sins. This is the “key” to understand the rest of the “secret.” Everything revolves around the need for repentance.
2. We Have Forged the Flaming Sword
“The angel with the flaming sword on the left of the Mother of God recalls similar images in the Book of Revelation. This represents the threat of judgement which looms over the world. Today the prospect that the world might be reduced to ashes by a sea of fire no longer seems pure fantasy: man himself, with his inventions, has forged the flaming sword. The vision then shows the power which stands opposed to the force of destruction—the splendour of the Mother of God and, stemming from this in a certain way, the summons to penance.”
This particular part of the apparition tends to be the most distressing. It appears that God may strike us all down with a “flaming sword.” However, Cardinal Ratzinger makes the point that the “flaming sword” would be something that we create (like the atomic bomb) as opposed to any fire that comes down from heaven. The good news is that the vision records the flaming sword “died out in contact with the splendour [of] Our Lady” in connection to the call of “Penance, Penance, Penance.” The Blessed Mother has the final say and her radiance can stop any cataclysm.
3. The Future Is Not Set in Stone
“The importance of human freedom is underlined: the future is not in fact unchangeably set, and the image which the children saw is in no way a film preview of a future in which nothing can be changed. Indeed, the whole point of the vision is to bring freedom onto the scene and to steer freedom in a positive direction … [The vision] is meant to mobilize the forces of change in the right direction.”
Contrary to popular belief, the intense visions granted by Our Lady of Fatima are not a preview of what will come to pass. They are a preview of what could happen, if we do not respond to Our Lady’s call to penance and conversion of heart. We still retain our free will and are urged to use it for the good of all humanity.
4. The Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of the Church
“The concluding part of the ‘secret’ … is a consoling vision, which seeks to open a history of blood and tears to the healing power of God. Beneath the arms of the cross angels gather up the blood of the martyrs, and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God … As from Christ’s death, from his wounded side, the Church was born, so the death of the witnesses is fruitful for the future life of the Church. Therefore, the vision of the third part of the ‘secret,’ so distressing at first, concludes with an image of hope: no suffering is in vain, and it is a suffering Church, a Church of martyrs, which becomes a sign-post for man in his search for God.”
It is true that the vision contains much suffering and peril, but it is not in vain. The Church may have to suffer much in the coming years, and this should come as no surprise. The Church has undergone persecution ever since the crucifixion and our suffering in the present time will only produce good effects in the future.
5. Take Heart. I Have Overcome the World
“‘My Immaculate Heart will triumph.’ What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind … The Evil One has power in this world … he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But … the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word … the word that prevails is this: ‘In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world’ Jesus said in John 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.”
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Memorable Sayings for Today
'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
~ Mary~
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Liturgical Readings for: Wednesday, 13th May, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHT
Sliocht as Gníomhartha na nAspal 17:15.22-18:1
An neach seo a bhfuil urraim agaibh dó agus gan aon aithne agaibh air, sin é atá le fógairt agamsa daoibh.
An mhuintir a bhí ag tionlacan Phóil rug siad leo chun na hAithine é. D’imigh siad leo ansin agus ordú acu do Shíleas agus do Thiomóid teacht chuige chomh luath agus a ba fhéidir. Sheas Pól i lár an Airiopagas agus labhair mar a leanas:
“A mhuintir na hAithine, tugaim faoi deara gur daoine sibh atá diaganta thar na bearta. Mar ag gabháil dom tríd an gcathair agus mé ag breathnú ar bhur n-íomhánna, tháinig mé ar altóir a raibh an scríbhinn seo greanta uirthi: ‘In onóir do 'dhia anaithnid.’ An neach seo a bhfuil urraim agaibh dó agus gan aon aithne agaibh air, sin é atá le fógairt agamsa daoibh.An Dia a rinne an domhan agus a bhfuil ann, is é Tiarna neimhe agus talún é agus ní i dteampaill lámhdhéanta atá cónaí air. Ná níl aon ghá aige le freastal daoine faoi mar go mbeadh rud ar bith de dhíth air, mar is é féin a bhronn anam agus anáil agus uile ar chách.
Rinne sé, ó aon sinsear amháin, an cine daonna ar fad chun cónaí ar chlár an domhain, agus leag amach dóibh a dtréimhsí agus teorainneacha a gcuid fearann, d’fhonn go ndéanfaidís Dia a lorg féachaint an mbeidís ag meabhrú na slí chuige agus go n-aimseoidís é. Go deimhin, ní fada ó aon duine againn é, mar is ann a mhairimid agus a ghluaisimid agus atáimid. Agus faoi mar a dúirt cuid de bhur bhfilí féin: ‘Is dá shliocht sinn fiú amháin.’
“Ós de shliocht Dé sinn, más ea, ní ceart dúinn a mheas gur cosúil a nádúr diaga le hór nó le hairgead nó le cloch, le híomhá a ghreanfaí trí ealaín agus trí éirim an duine. Scaoil Dia thairis tréimhsí an aineolais, ach tá sé anois ag fógairt ar an uile dhuine san uile áit aithrí a dhéanamh.
Mar tá an lá ceaptha aige ina dtabharfaidh sé breithiúnas de réir an chirt ar an domhan iomlán; agus tá fear roghnaithe aige chuige, rud a chruthaigh sé do chách uile nuair a thóg sé ó mhairbh é.”
Nuair a chuala siad Pól ag trácht ar aiséirí ó mhairbh, thosaigh cuid acu ag magadh faoi.
Is é a dúirt cuid eile acu, áfach: “Cloisfimid a thuilleadh faoi seo uait lá éigin eile.
Mar sin d’imigh Pól uathu. Mar sin féin bhí daoine ann a thaobhaigh leis agus a ghlac an creideamh. Orthusan bhí Dionisius Airiopagach agus bean darbh ainm Damairis agus tuilleadh nach iad.
D’fhág sé an Aithin ina dhiaidh sin agus d’imigh go Corant.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le freagra Sm 148: 1-2, 11-14
Freagra Líonann Do ghlóire neamh agus talamh.
Malairt le freagra Alleluia!
1. Molaigí an Tiarna ó na flaithis, molaigí é sna spéartha!
Molaigí é, a aingle Dé, Molaigí é, a shluaite go léir! Freagra
2. A ríthe agus a náisiúna na cruinne, a fhlatha an domhain is a bhreithiúna!
A ógánacha agus a chailíní, a sheanóirí agus a leanaí le chéile. Freagra
3. Molaigí ainm an Tiarna! óir is é amháin is airde,
agus sáraíonn a ainm neamh agus talamh in éineacht. Freagra
4. D’ardaigh sé neart a phobail;bíonn a naoimh uile á mholadh;
molann clann Iosrael é, an pobal atá ina fhogas. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Eoin 16:12-15 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Déanfaidh an Spiorad na Fírinne eolas daoibh chun an uile fhírinne.
San am sin dúirt Íosa lena dheisceabail:
'Tá mórán eile le rá agam libh, ach ní fhéadann sibh iad a fhulaingt anois;
ach nuair a thiocfaidh sé siúd, Spiorad na Fírinne, déanfaidh sé eolas daoibh chun an uile fhírinne. Óir ní as féin a labhróidh; labhróidh sé na nithe a chuala sé, agus inseoidh sé daoibh na nithe atá le teacht.
Tabharfaidh sé glóir domsa, óir is de mo chuidse a ghlacfaidhagus a inseoidh sé daoibh.
An uile ní dá bhfuil ag m’Athair, is liomsa é. Uime sin a dúirt mé: ‘ Is de mo chuidse a ghlacfaidh agus a inseoidh sé daoibh.’
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 17th May, 2026
The Ascension of the Lord-Year A
Where Jesus has gone we re called to follow in hope.
World Communications Day
FIRST READING
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11
He was lifted up while they looked on.
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised.'It is', he had said 'what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'
Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?'
He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth'.
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said,
'Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.'
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 46: 2-3, 6-7 -8-9 R/v 2
Response God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or Alleluia!
1. All peoples, clap your hands, cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear, great king over all the earth. Response
2. God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise, sing praise to our king, sing praise. Response
3. God is king of all the earth. Sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations; God reigns on his holy throne. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 1:17-23
He made him sit at his right hand in heaven
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come.He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 28: 19
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations; I am with you always;
yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you And with your spirit.
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 28:16-20 . Glory to you, O Lord
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said,
'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you.
'And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.'
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
For homily resources for this Sunday's Gospel click here: https://www.catholicireland.net/sunday-homily/
Taken from THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 17th May, 2026
Deascabháil Ár dTiarna
CÉAD LÉACHT
Sliocht as Gníomhartha na nAspal 1:1-11
Tógadh suas os comhair a súl é.
Thug mé cuntas cheana, a Theofail, ar gach a ndearna Íosa agus ar ar thug sé de theagasc uaidh ó thús go dtí an lá a tógadh suas ar neamh é, tar éis dó a chuid orduithe a thabhairt le cabhair an Spioraid Naoimh do na haspail a bhí tofa aige. i ndiaidh a pháise is iomaí cruthú a thug sé dóibh go raibh sé beo, á nochtadh féin dóibh ar feadh daichead lá agus ag cur síos ar ríocht Dé. Uair dá raibh sé ina gcuibhreann d’ordaigh sé dóibh gan corraí ó Iarúsailéim ach fanacht ann go dtí go gcomhlíonfaí gealltanas an Athar,“An gealltanas úd,” ar sé, “ar chuala sibh mé ag trácht air: rinne Eoin baisteadh le huisce, ach déanfar sibhse a bhaisteadh leis an Spiorad Naomh i gceann beagán laethanta.”
Más ea, nuair a bhí siad cruinnithe le chéile, thosaigh siad á cheistiú: “A Thiarna,” ar siad, “an anois atá tú chun ríocht Iosrael a athbhunú?”
Ach d’fhreagair sé iad:
“Ní aon chuid de bhur ngnósa é eolas a fháil ar na hamanna na ar na tráthanna atá leagtha amach ag an Athair as a údarás féin. Ach gheobhaidh sibh neart an Spioraid Naoimh atá le tuirlingt oraibh agus beidh sibh in bhur bhfinnéithe ormsa in Iarúsailéim agus ar fud Iúdáia go léir agus na Samáire agus a fhad le himeall an domhain.”
Ar rá an méid sin dó, tógadh suas os comhair a súl é agus d’ardaigh scamall as a radharc é. Fad a bhí siad ag stánadh in airde sa spéir ina dhiaidh sheas beirt fhear in éadaí bána ina n-aice. “A fheara na Gailíle,” ar siad, “cad ab áil libh in bhur seasamh ansin ag amharc in airde sa spéir? An Íosa seo a tógadh suas ar neamh uaibh, tiocfaidh sé an tslí chéanna ina bhfaca sibh ag dul suas é.”
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 46: 2-3, 6-7 -8-9 R/v 2
Freagra Gabhann Dia in airde le gártha molta;
gabhann sé in airde le séideadh an stoic.
Malairt Freagra Alleluia!
I. Buailigí bhur mbosa, a chiníocha uile, gairdigí do Dhia Ie teann lúcháire!
Óir is ard é an Tiarna agus is uamhnach, ina ardrí os cionn na cruinne. Freagra
2. Gabhann Dia in áirde le gártha molta; gabhann sé in airde le séideadh an stoic.
Seinntear ceol dár nDia; seinntear ceol dó Seinntear ceol dár rí; seinntear ceol dó Freagra
3. Is é Dia rí na cruinne go léir. Seinnigí agus canaigí ar bhur ndíheall dó
Tá Dia ina rí ar na náisiúin; tá sé ina shuí ar a chathaoir naofa. Freagra
DARA LÉACHT
Sliocht as céad Litir Naomh Pól chuig na hEifísigh 1:17-23
Chui sé ina shuí ar a dheis fin sna flaithis é.
A bhráithre, bím á iarraidh ar Dhia ár dTiarna Íosa Críost, ar Athair na Glóire, spiorad na heagna agus na géarchúise a thabhairt daoibh chun go gcuirfeadh sibh aithne air. Go soilsítear súile bhur n-aigne ar shlí go dtuigfidh sibh cad é mar údar dóchais daoibh bhur ngairm aige agus cad é mar oidhreacht fhairsing ghlórmhar atá aige i ndán don phobal naofa agus ollmhaitheas na cumhachta a chuir sé i bhfeidhm ar ár son-na, creidmhigh – an chumhacht éachtach úd a chuir sé ag obair i gCríost nuair a thóg sé ó mhairbh é agus chuir ina shuí ar a dheis sna flaithis é go hard os cionn gach ceannas agus údarás agus cumhacht agus tiarnas agus os cionn gach ainm dar féidir a ainmniú ní sa saol seo amháin é ach sa saol atá le teacht chomh maith. Agus chuir sé gach ní faoina smacht agus cheap é, os cionn gach ní, ina cheann ar an Eaglais is corp dó agus arb í iomláine an té úd a líonann gach ní go hiomlán í.Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Alleluia Véarsa Mt 28: 19-20
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Imigí, deanaigí deisceabail de na nárisiúin uile,' a deir an Tiarna;
'Táim in éineacht libh i gcónai go dtí deireadh an tsaoil.'
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Mhatha 28:16-20 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Tá gach údardas tugtha domsa ar neamh agus ar talamh.
San am sin d’imigh an t-aon deisceabal déag leo go dti an Ghailil, go dti an sliabh a cheap Íosa mar ionad coinne dóibh, agus ar a fheiceãil dóibh d’umhlaiodar dó, ach go raibh amhras ar chuid acu.
Tháinig Íosa chucu agus labhair sé leo:
‘Ta gach údarãs tugtha domsa ar neamh agus ar talamh.
Imigí dá bhri sin. déanaigí deisceabail de na náisiúin uile, a mbaisteadh in ainm an Athar agus an Mhic agus an Spioraid Naoimh, ag múineadh dóibh gach ní atá ordaithe agam a choinneáil.
Agus féach tâim in éineacht libh i gcónai go dtí deireadh an tsaoil.’
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost.
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
