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May 1, 2022Dear Parishioners,
Last weekend our parish Knights of Columbus hosted a fundraiser for a needed family at our school. Parishioners and school families came to a pasta dinner in our church hall to support Mr. David Montenegro, his wife, and his two children who attend our school. He is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. These donations support his treatment and his family as he is out of work. It was an incredible show of support both from those who attended the dinner, and from those who simply dropped off a donation. It was a wonderful example of the generosity of this parish and school community. Please pray for David and his family that through the skills of surgeons and nurses, God’s healing gifts may be granted to him.
While I have not written about it in a while, the work around the parish continues! Claude and I painted most of the hallways of the rectory. We removed the wallpaper, washed the walls, primed them, and then applied the paint. Other work goes on behind the scenes: looking into accounts, renewing agreements, fixing our school sign, and the like.
May is the month of Mary. So every Monday night in May at 6pm we will pray the rosary and have adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Why do Catholics pray to Mary? It often puzzles many people why we, as Catholics, speak to our Blessed Mother in prayer when we could simply speak directly to God. Going to Mary, the earthly mother of our divine Lord, seems to some like a roundabout and maybe ineffective way of getting to Jesus who knows us entirely already and invites us to speak to Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit at any time.
We do not worship Mary but instead venerate her and ask for her intercession. That is, we ask her to pray to God for us. We read in Saint John’s Gospel that Jesus, while dying on the cross, looked down at his mother and John and said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” (John 19:26). To John the Lord said, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). As disciples of Jesus, we too can call Mary our mother and treat her as such. As we would ask our earthly mothers for help and favors, we can ask Mary to aid us in our needs. As we honor our earthly mothers for all they do for us, we can honor the blessed mother for her holiness as well.
We pray to Mary because of her close relationship with God. If you were in any sort of need, you may ask a friend to pray for you. You would of course continue to talk to the Lord yourself, but you would then have the added help of a friend’s prayers. Mary is far more than a friend. As the sinless woman chosen by God before her birth to carry our Lord and savior in her womb and to raise him to adulthood, Mary lived a life of holiness on earth. We know from the scriptures that God works particularly through holy people. Those who know the Lord and humbly place themselves at His service often end up performing extraordinary feats through His power. Mary and the saints in Heaven are as close to God as people can be. So, of all of our friends to intercede on our behalf, Mary shines above all.
Come and ask Mary for help in whatever need every Monday night.
In the Risen Christ!
Fr. Barrow
