Catholic Fire

The month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary . May 1 through May 11 fall within the liturgical season of Easter, which is represented by the liturgical color white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The last three weeks of the month (beginning the Monday after Pentecost) are in Ordinary Time which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection. Feasts, Prayers, Activities, Resources honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary can be found here at Women for Faith and Family. For more information on a May altar, May processions, the May crowning of Mary, Marian shrines, and a poem dedicated to Mary, see my post here. In May there are many beautiful Marian feast days, some of which include: May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima May 24 - Our Lady, Help of Christians May 3...

Mary, Mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. c. 1660-1665 Museo del Prado Let us celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary! Let us adore her Son, Christ our Lord! Glory be... You are all fair, Mary, and the stain of original sin is not in you. Your garments are white as snow, and your face is like the sun. Hail Mary... You are the Glory of Jerusalem; you are the Joy of Israel; you are the Honor of our people (Judith 15:10). You are the brightness of eternal light, the unspotted mirror of God's majesty, and the image of His goodness (Wis 7:26). Hail Mary... More than all other women upon earth, you, Virgin Mary, have been blessed by the Lord God most high. Draw us, Immaculate Virgin; we shall come after you, breathing the sweet fragrance of your virtues (Ecclus 1:3). Hail Mary... Mary speaks: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvati...

Today is the 90th anniversary of the sixth apparition of Fatima. On October 13, 1917, the three children Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, went to the field called the Cova da Iria as Our Lady had instructed. There was a huge crowd gathered even though it was pouring rain. They were there to see the miracle. They had come from all over Portugal. The press was covering this story and it appeared in the European papers. Our Lady spoke "I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes. Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended." Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect on the sun, and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself. At this time the sun began to spin in the sky and started to plunge towards the earth. The people be...