Why and how to celebrate Bird Day on May 4 (Photo Gallery)
on 05/02/24
Established in 1894, Bird Day honors our avian friends. It’s a great moment to celebrate and give thanks for one of God’s most colorful and tuneful creations.
This coming Saturday, May 4, fans of R2D2 and Baby Yoda will be celebrating Star Wars Day. (May the 4th be with you! Get it?) And while I will certainly raise a glass of blue milk to a galaxy far, far away with my fellow sci-fi geeks, mostly I’ll be focused on a more important event — I refer, of course, to Bird Day, which was first established back in 1894.
Now I recognize there is a glut of “awareness days” out there. There is a World Emoji Day (July 17), an International Lefthanders Day (November 13), and doughnuts get their own week (May 18-26). But unlike most of the silly things that now clutter up our calendars, birds really do rate their own day and deserve to be specially acknowledged.
First of all, let’s remember that birds are actually tiny flying …Mais

Join in praying 50,000 Rosaries to bring our loved ones home
on 05/02/24
Join Word On Fire Catholic Ministries in praying 50,000 Rosaries for Catholics to come home, especially for our loved ones who have left the Church.
If you’re Catholic, almost certainly you have a friend, family member, or loved one who used to be Catholic and now isn’t.
A Pew research study found that one of the fastest-growing religious groups in the United States is made up of former Catholics:
Those who have left Catholicism outnumber those who have joined the Catholic Church by nearly a four-to-one margin. Overall, one-in-10 American adults (10.1%) have left the Catholic Church after having been raised Catholic…
It’s easy to look at these numbers and feel discouraged, heartbroken, even hopeless. Yet we have to remember that God cares even more about our loved ones than we do, and he has a plan for them that is far greater than our limited perspective can comprehend.
Pray, pray, and pray The best thing we can …Mais

Thursday, May 2, 2024 3:30 pm
Mass, in English, at the Chapel of the Apparitions of Fátima

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia;
Quiz quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia:
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
“Pray the rosary everyday!”

miércoles, 1 de mayo de 2024 19:15
Misa, en español, en la Capilla de las Apariciones de Fátima. MP4

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 3:30 pm
Mass, in English, at the Chapel of the Apparitions of Fátima

Why is the Our Father called the “Lord’s Prayer”?
on 05/01/24
Both titles are used to refer to the same prayer. The title "Lord's Prayer" is typically used to highlight the author of the prayer.
Depending on the local Christian tradition, some Christians prefer to use the title “Our Father,” while others almost exclusively use “Lord’s Prayer.”
In fact, sometimes a Christian who only uses “Our Father” may be confused when they hear “Lord’s Prayer” being used as a title.
Most Catholic prayer books refer to the prayer as the “Our Father” or “Pater Noster” in Latin, while the Bible typically has a header that states “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Both titles refer to the same prayer, but the “Lord’s Prayer” is often seen as a title that highlights the authorship of the prayer.
Jesus is Lord The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the choice of words for this title in its section on prayer: The traditional expression “the Lord’s Prayer” – oratio Dominica – means that the prayer to our Father …Mais

How to imitate St. Joseph by becoming a mentor
On 05/01/24
Many young people today find it difficult to cope with life's problems. They need caring adults who are willing to mentor them in imitation of St. Joseph.
On this date 2,000 years ago, Jesus would have been in his early- to mid-20s. We don’t know much about his life in Nazareth during that period, but we can certainly say that he was raised well in a loving family.
I like to imagine how Jesus learned to be a builder under Joseph’s guidance during these hidden years, learning how to flatten and plane lumber, how to make precise measurements at a building site, etc. Joseph would have taught Jesus other life skills, too, like how to negotiate with dishonest merchants or deal with difficult clients. Mostly, though, I imagine the young Jesus spent a lot of time just soaking in Joseph’s affection, which reflected his heavenly Father’s love. Jesus’ relationship with Joseph played an important part in how he looked at and treated other …Mais

St. Mary of Clopas, one of the Marys at the crucifixion
published on 04/23/24
Few of Jesus' disciples were present at the crucifixion, but St. Mary of Clopas was one of those who were faithful to Christ during his Passion.
It can be somewhat disappointing when reading the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ Passion and death. He was abandoned by nearly everyone who knew him; even his closest disciples avoided his crucifixion.
However, there were a few who stayed near Jesus and consoled him in his agony.
The Gospel of John states that there were three “Marys” at the foot of the cross.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
John 19:25 Who was Mary of Clopas? Relatively little is known about Mary of Clopas, as the Gospel of John is the only place where her name is expressly given. This is the only mention of her in the entire Bible, and biblical scholars have had differing views as to the correct interpretation. For …Mais