Our Lady of Fatima Parish Ongata Rongai

17/12/2025

✝️ WHY DON’T CATHOLICS CALL CHAPTER AND VERSES WHILE READING THE BIBLE AT MASS?😳🤔
_______________
A young man once asked me:
👉 “Why is it that Catholics don’t mention the chapters and verses when reading the Bible at Mass?

My pastor told us it’s because Catholics don’t want people to know the Bible or the truth.”

I smiled at him and replied:
“If you already believe your pastor’s answer, why ask me?”

He paused, then said: “Because I’m not convinced.”

So I gave him the real answer.

1️⃣ READING VS. PROCLAIMING

Catholics don’t just read the Bible at Mass.
We proclaim it.

📖 To “read” is to look at text and understand.
✝️ To “proclaim” is to announce a message with authority.

At Mass, the Word of God is not private study, it is a public proclamation of God’s voice to His people.

That’s why the lector ends with:
👉 “The Word of the Lord.”
And the deacon or priest ends with:
👉 “The Gospel of the Lord.”

It is not our word. It is God speaking now.

2️⃣ THE LITURGY IS NOT A BIBLE STUDY

Many don’t realize: Catholics already know the readings before Mass.

Every Catholic who owns a Missal or Liturgical Calendar knows:
👉 The readings of today.
👉 The readings of tomorrow.
👉 Even the readings of March 17, 2026, years ahead!

Why? Because the Church has a 3-year cycle of Scripture readings, carefully designed so that across Sundays, weekdays, and feasts, the entire story of salvation unfolds.

So Mass is not the first time Catholics hear the readings. They are meant to be read at home before Mass, so that during Mass we don’t “study” them, but hear God speak through them.

3️⃣ WHY WE DON’T ANNOUNCE CHAPTER AND VERSE

If the lector says: “First Reading: Isaiah chapter 55, verses 1–3,” what happens?

📌 People grab their Bibles, flip pages, and start “reading along.”
But in that moment, the Mass shifts from proclamation to study.

And the Church is clear: Mass is not a classroom. It is worship.

At Mass, we don’t “search the text.”
We listen to the voice of the Spir

15/08/2024

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Pope Francis appoints Rt. Rev. Wallace Ng’ang’a Bishop of Military Ordinariate and Rev. Fr. Peter Kimani Bishop of Embu

By Sr. Adelaide Ndilu and Rose Achiego Ande

The Holy Father, Pope Francis has appointed Rt. Rev. Wallace Ng’ang’a the Bishop of the Military Ordinariate and Rev. Fr. Peter Kimani Ndu’ngu the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Embu.

The news of the appointments was officially published in L’Osservatore Romano in Rome on 15th August 2024, at 12:00 pm Rome time and 1:00 pm Kenyan time.

His Excellency Archbishop Bert van Megen, the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan, also conveyed the message of the appointments to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) through an official communication.

Bishop Wallace Ng’ang’a

Until his appointment, Bishop Ng’ang’a was the Auxilliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi following his Apostolic Ordination and Installation on 6th April 2024. He was appointed Bishop on 14th February 2024 and he is currently serving

10/03/2024

_WEEKEND CHALLENGE_
*LENTEN SPECIAL ✨*

WEEK 4: *HEALING🧎‍♀️🧎‍♂️*
_John 3:14-15 _
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. _(an excerpt from the Todays Gospel)_

- Dear friends, I believe we have lived long enough to know what is Suffering, to know what it means to Cry, to see a Mother watching at her dying child, to know what it means to lack or to watch our parents and dear ones suffer from terminal illnesses.😢
- The people of Israel being human like us were of no exception. At the Command of God, Moses raises a serpent so that anyone who looks up to it gets healed.
- Jesus is the one who is raised up as our Divine Healer. *Everyone who looks and calls to the Lord gets healed.😇*

Dear Lord, Be near me in my time of weakness and pain; sustain me by your grace, that my strength and courage may not fail; heal me according to your will.🙏

through the Lenten period
dear ones🌷✨
Have a Blessed Week ahead 🙏

05/03/2024

*WEEKEND CHALLENGE*
*LENTEN SPECIAL ✨*

WEEK 3: _GROWING IN MERCY_🧎‍♀️🧎‍♂️

*WORKS OF MERCY*

1. *Feed the Hungry: 🙏*
· Make dinner for a family in need: grief, illness, injury, pregnancy, family crisis.
2. *Welcome the Stranger: 🙏*
· Smile at them and treat them with love. In this way many have served the Angels unknowingly.
3. *Clothe the Naked:🙏*
· Donate Clothes to Childrens Home/Homes for the Old.
4. *Visit the sick.🙏*
- Bring them Communion. Volunteer at the hospital. Give them hope of Healing.
5. *Visit those in Prison:🙏*
· Pray. Visit, Help people battling addiction.
6. *Pray for the Dead🙏*
Pray the Rosary & the Divine Mercy Chaplet for the Dead, Pray for the Souls in Purgatory, Pray for those experiencing Spiritual death.

_May this season of Lent by a time of healing, opening ourselves up to God’s grace, and sharing mercy with others._

_ through the Lenten period_
Have a Blessed Week ahead 🙏

28/02/2024

_WEEKEND CHALLENGE_
*LENTEN SPECIAL ✨*

*WEEK 2: FASTING 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♂️*
_“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. “ - Matthew 6:16-18_

- Fasting from food and Material pleasures is one of the useful spiritual exercises during Lent.
- Fasting from food is not easy, thats why many people look Miserable when fasting food.😢
- We fast to show that we love God more than the food we eat.
- Pope Leo gives a new interpretation of this as “Fasting is not simply a reduction in our food, but the elimination of our evil habits.
- CHALLENGE: Identify one thing that you love most, fast from it. If its a Vice or Addiction, try to Leave it in this Season and replace it with a virtue. If its in Purchases, save those little coins and after this Lenten period, use it to put a smile on someone.
Dear Lord, by our self denial, may we rise to Spiritual greatness 🙏

through the Lenten period_
Have a Blessed Week ahead 🙏

18/02/2024

_WEEKEND CHALLENGE_
*LENTEN SPECIAL ✨*

*WEEK 1: REPENTANCE 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♂️*
_"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the gospel."🙏_
Mark 1:15

- Everyone has a past, or an encounter with sin and others have been Grave Sinners.
- Sin when unrepented is demoralizing and takes away our dignity. Repentant sinners are true Jewels and beautiful in the eyes of God.
- *When our past sin has been repented of and forgiven, it will be an eternal sign of the love and mercy of God.*
- God does not see your past sins with anger and disgust. Rather, He sees only the depth of your conversion, sorrow and repentance.
- *CHALLENGE:* How do you deal with your past sin? First, have you completely acknowledged it, repented of it and sought forgiveness from our Lord? If so, does it still haunt you? Does the evil one still try to remind you of your past and strip away your hope in the mercy of God?🤔

_Dear Lord, we seek healing for our past scars. Grant Forgiveness, restoration and Peace.🙏_

through the Lenten period in _Prayer, Fasting & giving _
Lenten Season dear ones🌷✨
Have a Blessed Week ahead 🙏

15/02/2024

The way of the cross will be starting from 4pm followed by Holy Mass every Friday except Good Friday.
O.L.F Vision
A vibrant, welcoming and faith-filled community, guided by the Holy spirit.

15/02/2024

As we begin the *season of Lent,* we give thanks to God the Father for this time of grace.
I propose these Exercises for You my friend during this season;
- *PRAYER*: Identify _One item in your Life and pray for it this 40 days._🙏
- *FAST*: _Identify one thing that you love most, fast from it. If its a Vice or Addiction, try to Leave it in this Season and replace it with a virtue. If its in Purchases, save those little coins and after this Lenten period, use it to put a smile on someone._🙏
- *ALMSGIVING*: _Be Kind and Geneous. Touch people lives through your generosity._🙏
It seems like a Simple excercise, but bears Significant Fruits in your Life. *This is the way of Holiness, follow it.* See how Happy and Fulfilled you Become.😃

Pray for Each other🙏
With you in thought and Prayers

13/02/2024

06/02/2024

ALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES AS DOMESTIC CHURCH
In the Catholic Church, the concept of small Christian communities as the domestic church is deeply rooted in the understanding of the family as a fundamental unit of the Church. The term "domestic church" was popularized by the Second Vatican Council, particularly in the document "Lumen Gentium" (Light of the Nations), which emphasized the role of the laity, including families, in the life of the Church.
Here are some specific aspects of how the Catholic Church views small Christian communities within families as domestic churches with references from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and from the Bible:
Sacramental Life
Prayer and Worship
Catechesis and Education
Participation in the Eucharist
Acts of Charity and Service
Liturgy of the Hours
Celebration of Feast Days and Traditions
Marriage as a Sacrament
Sacramental Life
Families are seen as places where sacramental life is lived out. The sacraments, especially marriage and baptism, have a special significance within the family as they strengthen the domestic church.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):
Marriage as a Sacrament: The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) delves into the sacrament of matrimony in depth. CCC 1601-1605 outlines the importance of marriage as a covenant and a sacrament. It emphasizes that the sacrament of marriage is celebrated within the community of the faithful, highlighting its communal and ecclesial dimension.
Baptism: Baptism is the sacrament of initiation, marking the beginning of the Christian life. CCC 1213-1284 provides comprehensive teachings on baptism. Regarding the family context, CCC 1251 specifically mentions that the sacrament of baptism opens the door to a new life within the domestic church.
Biblical References:
Marriage: Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

16/01/2024

*DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS*

16th January 2024
Tuesday 2nd Week in ordinary time year B cycle II
Colour : Green 🟢

*FIRST READING*
*1 Sm 16:1-13*

_Samuel anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD God rushed upon him._

The LORD said to Samuel:
“How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
But Samuel replied:
“How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.”
To this the LORD answered:
“Take a heifer along and say,
‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”

Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
“Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
He replied:
“Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.”
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
“The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse

10/01/2024

*Today’s Scripture* Mark 1:40, - A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean, he said. Mariko 1 : 40, Naake mũndũ warũarĩĩte mũrimũ mũũru wa ngoothi agĩũka kũrĩ Jesũ agĩturia nduakĩmũthaitha akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũngĩenda no ũhote gũũtheria there.”
*Today’s Word* Hello friends! I hope you still have the joy of the new year! It's back to school. We pray for all children. I’m so grateful for your support and love in the last year. Here’s to many more years of friendship inspired by our daily devotionals! God bless you. I want to talk to you about He is willing. Anataka. Friends, what's that you so much want Jesus to do for you right now? The scripture says, early in Jesus ministry, a l***r fell at His feet and said that if Jesus was willing, He could heal him. He said, "If you will you can make me clean." What is interesting is that l***rs were seen as outcasts, contagious and unclean persons and were supposed to isolate themselves from others, demonstrate their impurity and warn people of their illness. They had to wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their faces and shout 'Unclean! Sometimes they wore a bell on their neck to warn people not to come near them. Now, Jesus could have quickly moved away from the man with leprosy as everyone else did, not wanting to risk or come close to the contagious disease. Instead He did something remarkable. He reached out in compassion, touched the man, and said three simple words: I want to. In effect he was saying I am willing. This l***r came to Jesus with a great sense of need and desperation. Jesus touched him and instantly, the man was healed. Besides healing this man, the Scripture says that Jesus did many miracles that were not recorded in the Bible and it's significant for us that this one was chosen among many that Jesus did. God wanted to make sure we understood his willingness to to identify with our diff