OLMatters - The School Paper
Capturing Memories for the Future
Vol X
Aug 2014 - July 2015
September
Month of the Bible, School anniversary and visit of the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima by Kátia Souza
Whenever September comes, the Christian world rejoices because it is time to honor the Bible, the Word of God.
The Church encourages its followers to express an eternal reverence to the Word that brings life, promotes communication between man and God, and reveals his loving plan for us.
God himself used mankind to communicate his message of salvation. His Word is always a lamp onto our feet and a light onto our path.
The four steps listed below lead to a better understanding and use of the Sacred Word of God:
1st- The Reading itself. It must be done many times, slowly and attentively, so that the reader grasps the meaning of the text.
2nd- Meditation. By identifying the message conveyed by the text, the reader brings God into his life and the lives of others.
3rd- Prayer. The reader is encouraged to talk to God and respond to His will.
4th- Turning contemplation into action. The reader is highly motivated to look upon reality with God’s eyes; it means that he or she will be able to dive into the mysteries of God.
Although many may think that the Bible is not applicable in modern times, tradition and the Holy Spirit have proven them wrong, giving us various guides that lessen the distance between God and men through His word. Thanks to the hard work of Saint Jerome, whose feast is celebrated on September 30th, the Bible has become popular and available in most languages and dialects.
A taste of divinity will be experienced this year due to the presence of the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima, which reminds us of 100 years of apparitions. What a blessing to have the Lady of Fatima in our midst! Even though the statue will be on campus from September 23rd to September 26th, it will not diminish the memory of Our Lady of Mercy, the patroness of our school, whose feast is celebrated on September 24th. Before then, the image will travel around all of the Brazilian states.
It is a privilege to have such a visitor among our community. The statue, which originally came from Portugal, traveled to some other countries before arriving in Brazil in 2013. Let us venerate the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and demonstrate our love and concern for Mary, our mother. During the visit, the Religious Education Department will offer a special mass, the rosary, several classes in the school chapel, and choirs. The school anniversary mass will be on the 24th.
Let us call upon Mary who, in this September, will be called and venerated by the titles Fatima and Mercy…
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Our Lady of Mercy, pray for us.