Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

More and More Easter Graces!
May Crowning - This Sunday, May 7 at 9am.  The timing here is to encourage people from the 8am Mass to remain after for the Crowning and also to invite folks who attend the 9:30 Mass to arrive early and participate as well.

Mother’s Day / Mission Weekend - This perhaps seems out of the ordinary but our missionary speaker is coming Mother’s Day weekend.  Her name is Sr. Lisa Valentini MSC and she said how wonderful it would be for her to speak on Mother’s Day.  There are more details about her on page 3 of this bulletin.

Rogation Day - We will celebrate the minor litanies on Monday May 15 at 6pm.  This will include a procession outside (weather permitting) followed by Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

Eucharistic Renewal - Parish Phase
The Church in the United States is transitioning from the Diocesan to the Parish Phase of the Eucharistic Renewal.  Officially it starts on Corpus Christi (June 11).  In the days afterward we will have mystagogy sessions to help us make the Eucharist the source and summit of our lives (more on that when the time comes).  Between now and then, I will offer brief Eucharistic quotes or reflections in this column. I ask you take time each week to pray with them helping us all prepare for Corpus Christi and beyond.

For your prayer:
CCC # 1324 - “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch”

St. Irenaeus - “Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.”

“In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar
receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.”
- From Roman Canon of the Mass (English translation)

In this month of May as we honor our Lady, pray with the Scripture from Luke 1:39 ff,
                “During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of                            Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth."                    
Think on this being the first Eucharistic Procession.  Mary who is a living tabernacle contains within her the presence of our Blessed Lord. She travels in haste to see her cousin for the very charity of God Himself moved her to serve and love.
 
Happy Easter!

St. Paul, Pray for us!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Pfr