As the Easter season continues and the world of nature blossoms with the fresh growth of springtime our liturgy bids us sing a new song to the Lord! May we continue to glorify God by bearing much fruit and becoming more faithful disciples of the Risen Jesus!
Risen Jesus, you are the vine and we are the branches. Strengthen our resolve as a community to remain in you, so that we might bear more fruit. May your words remain in me, your child; may I, like Paul, recognize the life these words carry within them, and hold them in my heart.
Sunday at Noon we celebrate First Communion with 16 of our young people. I invite you to pray for them as they celebrate this wonderful moment on their journey of faith. I also want to thank Felicity Filicky and Cheryl Helman for another outstanding job in preparing the young people! God bless you all!
Thursday is the Feast of St. Damien of Moloka’i. He was sent to the Hawaiian Islands and volunteered as chaplain for the leper colony on the remote island of Moloka’i. He spent the rest of his life working to restore the selfworth and dignity of the lepers and improving their living conditions. He eventually contracted leprosy and died at Moloka’i. He was beatified in 1995 and canonized a saint in 2009. He is honored by the state of Hawaii with a statue in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. May we imitate his example to “make myself a leper with the lepers, to gain all to Jesus Christ.”
Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. I will extend a special blessing to all Mothers following Holy Communion and give to each mother a small prayer card! The Knights of Columbus will host a breakfast on Sunday following the 8 and 10:00 AM Masses. Faith grows strong in women of God.
Our Respnsorial Psalm this week, "I will praise you Lord, in the assembly of your people," reminds us that our prayers are joined to those of all the members of Christ’s body, in heaven and on earth.
