May the Month for Mary!

Lay Director (Each month, one of our Lay Directors will write an article.)

I look at this month as Mary’s month because it is devoted to Mary, Queen of Heaven. We celebrate Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 th , Our Lady, Help of Christians on May 24 th , and the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 31 st . Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday, a day to celebrate all mothers, whether they are raising or have raised children, or have provided maternal love to others.

We all need maternal love! Mary was given to all of us as our mother by Jesus at the time of His crucifixion, and consequently we are all her children. I am learning to ask for her intercession and guidance. I have a friend who has a goal to become more like Mary as described in the hymn, “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman”: “Blessed they with peaceful spirits, blessed they with gentle hearts”. A wonderful goal! I’m working on this, too. The rosary is a beautiful way to connect with Our Lord as we reflect on His life through the mysteries and His mother who encourages us to pray this devotion. Pope John Paul II told us in his Apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, & quote; "With the Rosary, the Christian people sit at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.”

May is also a time of hope. Farmers are planting fields; home gardeners are sowing seeds too. Such hope for the harvest to come! Mary also had great hope in the promise of God for the new direction for her life. It’s not as if Mary knew all that was to come.

Hardly! As I was reading the Scripture for the Annunciation, it seems even more fantastic and impossible the more that the Angel Gabriel tells her. We know Mary’s reply, from Luke 1:38, “Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’” Mary is further affirmed in her role to help her to continue in that hope.

From Luke 1:45, Elizabeth speaks to Mary, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

We are all called to listen to Our Lord, to help to further the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we are called to “do”. Sometimes it’s the support and affirmation that we give to others who are being called to “do”. It’s all important; it’s all necessary.

De Colores!

Kathy Otermat

The Month of Mary

Our Spiritual Advisor for May: Fr. Kevin Moebius

The Month of Mary

“And the angel said to her in reply, ‘The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.’” (Lk 1:35)

In the month of May, I can not think of two more important things to talk about….the Holy Spirit and of course Mary. It’s no secret that together we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of this beautiful Easter season. We’re journeying through these final weeks of Easter on the Liturgical calendar. Not that I want to go there quite yet, but can you recall liturgically how the month of May ends? You guessed it… Pentecost and then, not one, but two Marian Feast Days! The Monday after Pentecost, we celebrate The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and then the following Wednesday the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary! How about that? Wow, quite a month indeed!

Ok ok, maybe the liturgical calendar doesn’t bring all of us such joy, to you i’d say “April showers bring May flowers.” Haha! A reminder that what seems like the most difficult of things to deal with in life, can always be turned into something beautiful. Like pouring down rain! For Mary, let us forget it was no different. We remember the first words from angel Gabriel to Mary, “Do not be afraid.” (Lk 1:30) It seems like the world is fuller now more than ever of things to be afraid of. Frightened, the world might break out into war at any minute. Scared our own children will never come back to the Church. Terrified, the government is leading the nation in the wrong direction. Fearful of failure and rejection. Nervous about a soon to be drastic life change in our job or physical health. It’s real. Now, what are we going to do with it?

Mary is THE example. Now is the time. The Holy Spirit is the answer. For what? A fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to be overpowered from on high. The good news is, if we’re not ready yet, well we have the fifth, sixth and seventh week of Easter before Pentecost to think about it. Isn’t the Liturgical Calendar great?

De Colores!

Fr. Kevin

Blessed, Broken and Shared

LAY DIRECTOR

(Each month, one of our Lay Directors will write an article.)

Greetings in Christ! Can you believe that lent is almost over? I’ve tried to spend more time reading (good books) this lent. I haven’t always succeeded! The other day I was in adoration chapel asking God what he would have me write about this month. As it would be, we are studying “Living with Real Presence: Eucharist as an approach to Life” By S. James Meyer. So I was doing some reading and out pops the words on the pages…Blessed, Broken and Shared. I felt the ‘nudge’ that this was my topic. Without getting into the book I think we can all say we are first, blessed! In so many ways!

Yes we all have our trials, our ups and downs. Our good days and not so good days. But all in all, if we are honest with ourselves, we are blessed. And I do know that when we are in the middle of our ‘stuff’, it is very hard to see the good, the blessings. But God does love us unconditionally!! Right where we are! And He loves us so much, that He won’t leave us there; in our broken, very broken mess. And the messes are sometimes what we create, and sometimes what others create, and then there are the messes that life throws at us. The ones that come from left field…fast! We don’t even see it coming. It’s here. How you and I deal with it says a lot about whom we are and in whom we place our trust. We come from a very long line of brokenness, don’t we? Go back, way back. Let’s start with..Adam and Eve. I dare say we haven’t gotten much better at getting out of our own way and letting God in; most of the time. As Meyer says, “ Finally, we take refuge on a spot where we can collect the pieces of our own truth and tape them together.

It may be tenuous, but at least it makes sense, so we stay right there. Although fragile, we feel whole for the first time. Or at least whole enough. We’d rather not move on and risk shaking things loose.” But isn’t this what Jesus asks of us? To step outside our comfort zones and be His hands, His feet, His eyes, His ears; you get the point. We are here on earth passing through. This is not our home! In our brokenness we are called by our baptism to share our lives with others. To help each other up! To be Christ to others; especially those who hurt us, bruise us. It is so very easy to love those, help those, be with those who love us.

When we are on the mountain top with Jesus on a cursillo weekend, we don’t want to leave. Lord, let me build a tent for you…..sound familiar? But Jesus says no, I need you in this torn, broken, tattered world. And we answer, But I’m broken scarred, bruised, confused, frightened, a sinner. But I want you !! Jesus answers. I Love you and I will be with you through it all. To walk with you and guide you.

Just trust in me! I remember a story I received at cursillo; you and Jesus are on a tandem bicycle. You on the front Jesus on the back. As you go through the town, twisting and turning, you are huffing and puffing, and you say to Jesus, boy this is really hard pedaling and steering, trying to stay on the road. Jesus says back to you, let’s switch places. And you do. Then, as you pedal, you take in the rolling hills, the beautiful flowers, the birds soaring around. And you say to Jesus, this isn’t so bad. And He says back, I’m glad you let me steer.

Who is steering your life? Is Jesus you Co-Pilot or Pilot? As you and I look at the crucifix this lent, let’s try and remember that Jesus is always with us, through the thick and thin. He loves us and is with us always. Let’s share His love! You are always welcome at the School of Leaders on the 3 rd Saturday of the month. Come and share in the discussions, fellowship and food. We’d love to see you.! And don’t forget the women’s cursillo this month! April 20 – 23. Holy Hour and serenade on Saturday starting @ 8. Closing on Sunday starts @ 4:30

DeColores & Ultreya

John Lyons lyons5876@gmail.com

Kathy Otermat kotermat04@gmail.com