May 13 Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady's Requests at Fatima

Do you know the requests of Our Lady of Fatima to bring peace to the world?
She promised that when a sufficient number of people fulfill her requests, "Russia will be converted and a period of peace will be granted to the world."

Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary have occurred periodically in the history of the Church since the time of St. Gregory the Wonder-worker (who died in 270 AD). And, when these apparitions did occur, it is plausible to believe that there must have been a serious reson that called for a special message for God's people. Our concern is with the apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, which took place successively on the 13th day of the month from May until October in 1917.

At the conclusion of her first appearance on May 13, 1917, Our Lady told the 3 children, Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco: "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war."

In the apparition of July 13, the Blessed Virgin added 2 more requests: devotion to her Immaculate Heart and Communions of reparation on the first Saturday of each month. Then, in the apparition on September 13, she again stressed the importance of the daily recitation of the Rosary.

In the final apparition in October, Our Lady identified herself as the Lady of the Rosary, again urging its daily recitation.

Why did she repeatedly insist on the praying of the Rosary? First of all, we should note that praying this devotion is much more than the automatic repetition of words (the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be); it is primarily a mental prayer. This is why one of the 20 mysteries--joyful, luminous, sorrowful, and glorious--is announced at the beginning of each decade of the Rosary. The announced mystery becomes the subject matter of the reflection and meditation.
( From http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/Fatima.htm) 

Healthy Feasting!

Most traditional Portuguese meals are stews and fish.  Neither of these are my children's favorites, unfortunately.  Since this is a feast day, I don't want to put a damper on this by serving "fish-not on a Friday" so I will have another American favorite, but serve this Caldo Verde Portuguese soup as an appetizer.  
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/25737/caldo-verde-portuguese-green-soup/_
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This great feast day also calls for a dessert!!  I will make frozen homemade yogurt in my ice cream maker. (I have a simple one that makes ice cream in an hour) probably strawberry.  If I don't have homemade yogurt, I will buy some yogurt and put it in the ice cream maker adding my own strawberries or frozen rasberries.  Something like this with a sugar substitute or definitely lessened: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/244428/easy-and-delicious-strawberry-frozen-yogurt/ 
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To Pray:  
The rosary--just as Mary asks us to in her appearances here.  
To Do:
Make your own pilgrimage today to an Our Lady of Fatima shrine  (Like this one in Ironton, OH) or visit a place that has the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.  (See http://www.thefatimastatue.org/2016-schedule)

See a movie.  There are some really good ones.  There is the classic, 
There is also a newer one, The 13th Day.

​ For small children, The Day the Sun Danced.   And this documentary featuring the famous actor, Ricardo Montalban.