|
FR. FRANK AND FRIENDS
April 20, 2008 A Family of the Eucharist
My sisters and my brothers,
Mary’s Month of May
May is such a special month for our parish. In addition to Mothers’ Day, First Holy Communions, weddings, preparing for graduations and Confirmation, we honor and celebrate Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church.
Next Sunday, as we celebrate Mothers’ Day, we celebrate the special bond we all have with Mary. There is something so special in the love and devotion Catholics have with Mary. Since the first time we saw Mary kneeling next to Jesus in the crèche and our mothers pointed out Jesus’ mother to us, something happened. A spiritual bonding took place that has been with us and grown over the years.
The different readings in the bulletin this Sunday and next week will explore different aspects of Mary’s role in the Redemption of Christ. Mothers’ Day is also the Feast of Pentecost ~ the great day of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Mary and the Infant Church.
When we contemplate the place of Mary, we realize that she was called from all women to be the Mother of the Lord. She was blessed with the grace of God as no other creature ever has been: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy Womb, Jesus.” But Mary also responded with the totality of her being. “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy Word”. Mary is the Mother of God and the Sister of all humanity. She understands all of our struggles and pains and holds us always in her heart, as she intercedes for us in Her prayer.
Think of What God Asked of Her
To be born into poverty To become pregnant when unmarried The possibility of being divorced by Joseph To travel by donkey while pregnant from Nazareth to Bethlehem To give birth to her son in a stable To be forced to leave Israel as a political refugee and travel with the Child to Egypt To be an undocumented alien in a foreign country Not to speak the language of Egypt To be a loving devoted wife and mother and living in complete humility for 30 years To see her beloved Joseph die To watch Jesus begin His ministry and leave her The trial and sentencing of Jesus The Way of the Cross To stand at the foot of the Cross and watch her son die To hold the dead lifeless body of Jesus in her arms “Pieta”
This Mary is not a plaster statue saint, but rather a real gutsy and believable woman of Faith who shows us how to live and love by the example of her life. Stay close to her and honor her in this beautiful month of May. It’s a great time to find your Rosary Beads and begin to pray them. There are always some extra pairs in the Church.
Wanda Heavey
Our devoted and beloved sacristan/verger is recovering well and looking better each and every day. She will be back to the sacristy soon to work her magic and love there. Her gentlemen assistants have done a great job in her absence, but they want their Wanda back.
Teen Retreat
Thanks to our Youth Minister, Tim Leitch, Fr. Lee and the adult and teen team who created a marvelous Retreat experience last weekend in Brentwood. All the teens who made the weekend said they were touched by God and had a wonderful weekend. God bless all who helped subsidize the weekend. Our kids are the best! In Jesus’ love,
|
