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Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent is a four-week season in which we prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Lord. It is a dual anticipation in that we prepare for celebrating our commemoration of the Birth of Jesus over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, and we also prepare for his Second Coming at the end of time. The word “advent” is derived from the Latin word “adventus,” which means “coming.” Advent is a time full of reflection, excitement, and hope. Advent is also a season in which we should be particularly mindful of our need for repentance and good works as we listen to the long-ago cry of John the Baptist: “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

You are invited to pray and follow the ordination Mass of Deacon Anthony Ezeaputa’s at The Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at http://archdiosf.org or the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Broadcast Media on YouTube.

The Beneficiary of Our Lady of Fatima’s Giving Tree this year is BIRTHRIGHT. Please help this ministry with diapers and baby clothes sizes 0 to 6 months. Gifts can be placed under the tree at the main entrance of the church.

Today’s Solemnity of Christ the King always takes place on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time before the beginning of Advent and the start of a new liturgical year. In our First Reading (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17), Ezekiel prophesies the coming of a Messiah who will live humbly as a shepherd, focusing his efforts on seeking out the lost, the straying, the injured and sick: “I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.” The shepherd promises a safe ground for pasture and rest for the weary of his flock. Above all, Ezekiel suggests the personal concern and care the Lord will show for each of his lambs: “I myself will look after and tend my sheep.” This passage is very much in Jesus’ mind centuries later when he evokes the same image in the Gospel that of the shepherd separating the sheep from the goats.

View the 2020 Advent and Christmas Event Schedule. All scheduled events are subject to change depending on new or different directives given by the Archbishop and/or Governor.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although this is normally a Holy Day of Obligation, the dispensation granted by Archbishop Wester during the coronavirus pandemic releases the faithful from the obligation to attend Mass. Masses celebrating the feast day will be offered on: Monday, December 7th at 5:30 PM (Vigil Mass), and on Tuesday, December 8th at 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM. There will be no 5:30 PM Mass on this day. On Monday evening, a streamed Mass will also be posted on the parish website for viewing.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church moves us toward reflecting on the end times and great questions of life and death. We might well ask ourselves what we would like to be remembered for once we have passed to eternal life. Our Scripture Readings today offer some good ideas in terms of what we should want as our legacy. The First Reading, from the Book of Proverbs, tells of the ideal woman, gifted not just with physical attributes, but with gifts of ingenuity, hard work, generosity and love of others. She is presented as a model of what is possible when someone uses their God-given gifts and skills well. The point of the Reading lies not in the fact that she is gifted, but in what she chooses to do with those gifts and skills.

View the November 14, 2020 Fatima Parish Update letter from Father Stephen Schultz regarding in-person Mass and other options, as well as the temporary closure of the parish office.

This year we have the opportunity to raise funds for our school as part of #iGiveCatholic. Celebrated annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, #iGiveCatholic is the U.S. Catholic Church’s Day of Giving that kicks off the charitable season and brings the Catholic community together to give thanks and give back. As the first-ever giving day created to celebrate our unique Catholic heritage, #iGiveCatholic inspires faithful stewards to "Give Catholic" on #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving. This year, #iGiveCatholic takes place on Tuesday, December 1, from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year (a new year begins in three weeks on the 1st Sunday of Advent) the Scripture readings at Mass tend to focus on the end times and the Second Coming of Christ. In today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 25:1-13), Jesus cautions his listeners to “stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour”. He warns them not to be like the foolish bridesmaids who were unprepared for their master’s return. They assumed they could always get more oil for their torches whenever they needed it, and that the door of the master’s house would be opened for them even if they arrived late. The foolish bridesmaids were shocked to discover that because of their lack of preparation they were excluded from the celebration. While it is true that because of the late arrival of the master and his bride, all of the bridesmaids – both the wise and the foolish - had become drowsy and fallen asleep, the wise ones were prepared for the delayed arrival while the foolish ones were not.

Our Thanksgiving Drive is going to look a little different this year. Due to COVID-19 Restrictions we will NOT be accepting food or turkeys. The families we assist will be receiving gift cards in the amounts of $50, $75, $100 and $150, depending on family size, so that they may shop for fresh food items that suit their family Thanksgiving meal tradition. You may drop off or mail your donation to the Parish Office by November 15, 2020. Please make sure that it is clearly marked for the Thanksgiving Drive. Your generous donations during these difficult times will help ease the burden so these families can enjoy the holiday.

Please join us for Parking Lot Mass by Radio. Effective November 14, 2020, public Masses inside the church will again be permitted. The maximum attendance allowed is 75 persons per the Governor’s health order of November 13, 2020. For weekend Mass times only, once the maximum attendance has been reached, persons may remain in their cars in the parking lot and listen to the Mass on 91.1 FM. Holy Communion will be distributed at the end of Mass to those in the parking lot at the sacristy door. Parking Lot Mass by Radio Mass times are Saturdays at 5:30 PM, and Sundays at 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.

Today, November 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. It is a day when we honor the lives of all saints – those officially recognized by the Church, as well as countless others known only to God. As part of the Apostle’s Creed, we acknowledge our belief in the “communion of saints.” The communion of saints describes the spiritual union that exists among the saints in Heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful living on earth.

Raffle winners announced! Thank you to all who supported Our Lady of Fatima School by purchasing a 2020 raffle ticket!

Fr. Schultz was just notified of the death of Fr. Francis Malley at the age of 78 on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Fr. Malley was ordained on June 2, 2001 as a priest for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. His initial assignment after ordination was as Parochial Vicar (“Assistant Pastor”) here at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. He later served as Pastor at San Miguel Parish in Ribera, and canonical Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Villanueva. He also served as Pastor at San Francisco de Asís Parish in Ranchos de Taos, and St. Joseph Parish in Cerrillos. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Francis Malley. May he rest in peace.

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 22:34-40), we heard Jesus declare that “the whole law and the prophets” depend on two great commands from the Lord. Everything concerning our fidelity to God hinges on our ability to love God above all else and to love our neighbor as ourselves. When Jesus was tested by one of the Pharisees, Jesus simply took the 613 commandments found in the Torah (Law) and narrowed them down to these two. The instruction to love God comes from Deuteronomy 6:5, and the instruction to love our neighbor from Leviticus 19:18. Some have described love of God as being the “vertical dimension” of love, and love of neighbor as being the “horizontal dimension.” By combining love of God and love of neighbor into a single commandment, Jesus is putting them on equal footing and making clear that love of God and love of neighbor are two sides of the same coin. They are dependent upon one another and enhance one another.

View the October 23, 2020 Fatima Parish Update letter from Father Stephen Schultz.

Parishioners are encouraged to submit nominations for the five positions on the Council that will become available in the new year. If you would like to serve on the Parish Pastoral Council or know of someone you would like to nominate, please submit your nomination to the Parish Office or to a current member of the Parish Council.