In 1917, Mary appeared six times in Fatima, Portugal, telling people to pray the Rosary for world peace.  The last appearance was on October 13.  It had rained throughout the night before, soaking the ground and the pilgrims traveling to Fatima by the thousands to see Our Lady appear at noon as she had promised.  As noon local time passed, Mary did not appear.  However, when the sun arrived directly overhead, Mary was seen rising in the east.  She turned the palms of her hands towards the sky.  Although the rain had stopped, dark clouds still obscured the sun.  Suddenly, the sun burst through the clouds and was seen as a soft spinning disk of silver.  Recorded eyewitness accounts tell how people saw the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary and watched the sun, without any discomfort, as it trembled and danced in the sky.  Some claimed the sun changed colors and whirled on itself like a giant wheel that lowered to the earth as if to burn it with its rays.   The crowd cried out and people fell on their knees to pray.  70,000 people witnessed this Miracle of the Sun, including atheists, communists, and non-Catholics.  Some of them converted to our faith.

Yesterday, at noon, as part of a worldwide celebration of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, a group of our parishioners gathered at the club house at Shaffer’s Evergreen Golf Course in Hudson to pray the Rosary for peace as our Blessed Mother requested 102 years ago.  The word ‘rosary’ comes from Latin and means ‘a garden of roses.’  Our Rosary is a form of devotional prayer in honor of our Blessed Mother.   The Rosary prayers come from Scripture and the traditions of the early Christians.  There are four sets of mysteries of the Rosary based on different aspects of Jesus’ life.  These are the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries.  Praying the Rosary and reflecting on these mysteries gives us a profound, intimate, personal experience with Jesus through the eyes of Mary.

Taking 20 minutes to pray the Rosary can draw out the deepest desires in our souls—desires for God and God alone.  Even taking just a few minutes to pray one decade allows us to slow down, calm our hearts, and rest in God’s presence. This week, let’s all take time to pray the Rosary for world peace.  Then ask our Blessed Mother to help us find peace in our heart.

Deacon John

In last Monday’s Gospel reading, Jesus watched His disciples argue about which one of them was the greatest.  So, He took a child by His side and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest” (Luke 9:46-48).  Now, these are good words for the Gospel, but not so good when my Fighting Irish are going head-to-head against a rivalry and bragging rights are at stake.

While praying on this Gospel, I read a reflection written by a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame who wrote about her experience attending the football game in Athens, Georgia two weeks ago when Notre Dame played the Georgia Bulldogs.  The possibility of a national championship was at stake. It was a chance to prove who was the greatest among them.  Her reflection on this Gospel says it all, and I want to share it with you here.

She wrote:  “Welcome to Athens!” “Good luck tonight!” “Go Irish!” – All heard coming from the amazingly friendly Georgia fans two weekends ago. Walking up to the sea of red at the Georgia tailgates while wearing my Irish green was pretty intimidating, but I was happily surprised by the friendly faces, smiles, and words of welcome we received. Some Georgia fans stopped us to ask how our experience in Athens had been. They were glad we were having a great time and being welcomed enthusiastically because they and everyone they knew had had such a pleasant time at Notre Dame [during the game] in 2017.  Later we talked with a member of the SilverDawgs, who explained how the University of Georgia instituted the SilverDawgs based on the Notre Dame [football stadium] Ushers. Georgia wanted to create the same kind of welcoming atmosphere they had experienced at Notre Dame.

Every football weekend, when we welcome opponents to our campus, we truly live out Christ’s call to love everyone regardless of background and affiliation. We embody Christ’s message, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me.” Though we sometimes don’t receive back the kindness we give or see the fruits of our generosity, that’s not why we love in the first place…It was a blessing to see Christ’s love shining through both sets of fans. It’s amazing how a kind word and smile, multiplied by thousands of Notre Dame fans, set in motion a wave of love and kindness in the Georgia fans. The love Christ shares with us is meant to be received as a gift and shared tangibly with the people we encounter daily.

What beautiful words to describe how Jesus wants us to treat each other!  On a side note, our very own Delmar Marry (Sacred Heart Parishioner) is a stadium usher for Notre Dame home football games.  That means Delmar helps bring the love of Christ to over 80,000 people every time he is in the stadium.  I’m not sure how many people can do that!  Certainly, not me.  Go Delmar!

May we pray this week to be welcoming, to open our hearts in humility, and to receive the gift of the cross so we can give ourselves away in service to others for the love of Christ.

Deacon John