Gospel in Art: Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fatima, Azulejo, painted ceramic tiles, Portugal, 20thC © Alamy

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 13 May 2026
John 16:12-15

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.'

Reflection on the Azulejos

Today we celebrate Our Lady of Fatima, one of our most beloved Marian devotions. In 1917, in the small village of Fátima in Portugal, three shepherd children (Francisco Marto, Jacinta Marto, and Lúcia dos Santos) saw a beautiful lady "brighter than the sun" appear to them above a holm oak tree. Month after month, from May to October, she returned, calling the world to prayer, repentance, and conversion. She urged the children to pray the Rosary for peace in a world being torn apart by war and sin. What is so moving is that these messages were not entrusted to theologians or rulers, but to children - simple, humble children tending sheep in the fields... sharing a message the world still very much needs today.

The final apparition on 13 October 1917 drew enormous crowds. Tens of thousands gathered in the pouring rain, and many witnessed what became known as the "Miracle of the Sun": the sun appearing to spin, pulse, and dance in the sky before plunging towards the earth. Whether one stood close or far away, something extraordinary happened that day. All people who witnessed this were moved and spoke about it for the rest of their lives. Yet at the heart of Fatima is not spectacle, but tenderness: a mother simply calling her children (each of us) back to God.

When you travel through Portugal, images of Our Lady of Fatima appear everywhere. She watches quietly from street corners, little shrines, church façades, family homes. And very often, these images are not only statues or paintings, but azulejos: the beautiful ceramic tiles so characteristic of Portuguese art. Entire scenes are created from these glazed tiles, such as here depicting Our Lady appearing to the two children. Azulejos are made by painting designs onto ceramic tiles coated with a tin glaze before they are fired in a kiln. The glaze gives them their luminous surface and remarkable durability. That is why centuries-old azulejos can still look astonishingly fresh, their colours vibrant and alive, almost as if they had been made yesterday. There is something rather beautiful in that. These images endure through rain, heat, and time itself.... a quiet witnesses of faith built into the very fabric of daily street life.

Join me in praying the Fatima prayer: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen."

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reading: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/john-16-12-15-2026/