Dear Parishioners:
The late Pope Francis said: "A society without mothers would be a dehumanized society, for mothers are always, even in the worst moments, witnesses of tenderness, dedication, and moral strength. Dearest mothers, thank you for what you are in your family and for what you give to the Church and the world." A Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers!
In the United States, the first Mother's Day was celebrated by Anna Jarvis in honor of her late Mother over 100 years ago. While Mother's Day in the United States is a secular holiday, the Catholic Church has been celebrating the original "Mothering Sunday" since the earliest years of the Church.
The original Mother's Day, "Mothering Sunday," is a pious Catholic tradition on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent. Laetare Sunday is more celebratory in the austere and penitential Lenten season. On this day, people would pay a visit and return to their Mother Church, where they were baptized, or to their local parish church or the nearest cathedral (the Mother Church to all churches in the diocese). Those who returned to their Mother Church on Mothering Sunday were said to have gone "a-mothering."
The old 1962 Roman Missal marks the day with a sense of maternal love, a love for the Holy Mother Church and Mary as the Mother of God and all Catholics. May has been Mother Mary's month since medieval times, when it was considered the end of winter and the beginning of a new season of growth and new life. It's a time for new beginnings and the chance to begin with gratitude and devotion.
Mary is considered the "Queen of Heaven" as she was a perfect follower of Christ and is considered the crown of creation. She is also the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus, the King of Israel and the universe. And, of course, Mary is the most important woman of our faith and our spiritual Mother.
On Mother's Day, we will crown our Blessed Mother Mary. The May Crowning is a ritual celebrated annually in May, where a statue of Mary is crowned with a beautiful wreath of flowers and is honored as the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God. This simple ceremony carries deep meaning. While Mary, the Mother of God, is revered and celebrated all year long, the month of May is a special time to celebrate the "Queen of Heaven."
At 10:30 am Mass, our First Communion Class will crown Mary, our patroness, Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of God. Please join us as we turn to our Blessed Mother Mary and ask her to intercede for us and our intentions. On Mother's Day, Masses are offered for all Mothers, living and deceased.
On Saturday, sixty-one parish children received their First Holy Communion. It is always a joyful and faith-filled celebration. We pray that these children continue to be nourished by the Eucharistic Lord and fed on the Bread of Life. At a First Communion Mass he celebrated a few years ago, the late Pope Francis said:
Blessed Carlo Acutis
"Dear boys and girls, I am happy to share this great moment with you and help you meet Jesus. For you, this is a day to be celebrated in a spirit of friendship, a spirit of joy, and fraternity. In a spirit also of communion among yourselves and with the whole Church, which, especially in the Eucharist, expresses the communion that makes all of us brothers and sisters. This is our identity card: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, and the Church is our family. All of us are brothers and sisters, and our law is love."
Pope Francis was to canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis on April 27. However, the canonization was postponed because of the Holy Father's death. Blessed Carlo was a fifteen-year-old boy in love with the Eucharist. He was wise and devout beyond his years. He once said, "When we face the sun, we get a tan, but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints."
The Conclave to elect the Pope began on Wednesday. Please pray for the Sacred College of Cardinals. May the Holy Spirit inspire them to elect a worthy successor of St. Peter.
Do Good. Be Well. God Bless. Go Sox! Happy Mother’s Day! See you at Marian Devotions on Monday at 7:00 pm! Keep a lookout for the white smoke!