I. Month of May Honors Mary! The person of Mary is the image most created by artists of all times! Because Mary is the mother of Jesus, true God and true man, and the perfect disciple, we honor (not adore) her; furthermore, true, healthy devotion to Mary always points the way to her Son, Jesus. Next Sunday, May 6th, the Procession and Crowning will take place after the 9:00 a.m. Mass. We especially ask that our second grade children wear their First Communion attire.

II. Praying the Rosary: since the beginning of the twelfth (12th) century, the Rosary has been a key devotion in the Church, modeled after the 150 Psalms which monks were praying in countryside monasteries, and based upon the actions and events in the life of Jesus and events leading up to His arrival. Are you aware that Pope Saint John Paul the II added the Luminous Mysteries (or the Mysteries of Light) to the Rosary for our meditation in 2002? Thanks to the members of our parish Rosary Makers Group for supplying us with rosaries and a pamphlet on “How to Pray the Rosary” at the doors of church. Please be sure to take one for yourself and for someone else. From: http://www.how-to-pray-the-rosary.

III. Joseph, the Worker: in addition to the March 19th, Feast of Saint Joseph, in 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted a second feast that would honor Joseph under the role of “worker.” This was also in response to the secular May Day celebrations of workers in the communist countries where workers were considered mere “cogs in the machine.” Not only the patron saint of the Universal Church and of fathers, Joseph is also the patron saint of workers. The Pope hoped to promote the dignity of labor, to bring Christ into the workplace, and to encourage a spiritual dimension to labor unions. He emphasized the importance of work to the Christian life and to show how the labor of human beings is a dimension of faith in which we can pursue Christian virtue. Do you see work as building up the Kingdom of God?  Perhaps we can reflect on ways we could better incorporate a life of faith into our daily work.  Saint Joseph, pray for us! everyday.com/patron-saint-joseph.html

IV. First Communion:  it’s always a key day in the life of any parish. It is a concrete reminder of the centrality of Eucharist individually and as a community. Eucharist is the “source and summit” of sacramental life and can lead to true holiness. Parents, thank you for the tremendous influence you have on your children in their formation in faith. I daresay, your example of prayer and parish involvement speaks volumes to your child. We are honored as your parish family, to celebrate with you. We welcome visitors as well as parishioners to our First Communion Celebration!

V. Thank You, Gracias, Merci, Danke: for the Spring Clean-up help last Saturday. We were blessed with 28 pairs of hands accompanied by generous spirits. Our grounds look beautiful. As always, I am in awe of the gifts you bring to our parish—service is at the top!