Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

Happy Mother’s Day! I assure you of my prayers and blessing. I share this quote, which I oen revisit on

this day:“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body.”— Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

I have heard many people say that their most moving moment in The Passion of the Christ is when Mary runs up the street to embrace Our Lord after He falls beneath the weight of the Cross. The scene is interwoven with flashbacks of Mary lifting Jesus when He stumbled as a small child. And, using artistic license, the filmmaker places words from the Book of Revelation upon the bloodied lips of Our Lord as Mary embraces Him in tears:

“See, Mother, I make all things new.”

For me, I often think of the moment when Mary kisses Jesus’ feet upon the Cross and His Precious Blood touches her lips. It is such an explicitly Eucharistic moment. Shortly afterward, she cries out, “Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart, my son, let me die with you.”

Every loving soul desires to carry the cross for their beloved—especially parents for their children. Yet Jesus responds by entrusting her to the beloved disciple. In the sorrows of Our Lady, we see some of the greatest expressions of maternal love. Little children are truly soothed by the loving embrace of their mother when they stumble. And the heart of a mother burns with the desire to suffer alongside her child.

Being a mother is not easy—and it was not easy even for Our Lady. Perhaps it is because I have been praying for your crosses that I have found myself drawn to contemplate the sorrows of Mary.

Pax,

Father John Mosimann

This Sunday at all Masses, we will be having our May crowning.  Please bring a flower from home, if able, or the church will provide carnations, to be presented to the Blessed Mother.

St Mary has to cancel the 11:30am confessions on Wednesday May 6.  Noon Mass and adoration will not be affected.

Dear Folks,

First Communions started this weekend, which begins three weekends with sacraments of initiation in abundance! We will celebrate six Masses with First Communions, and three Masses with Confirmations!

Never a dull moment at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. It so often seems like Easter comes, then sacraments, graduation, wedding season, back to school and it is Christmas again!! Ok, that’s a little exaggerated, but it doesn’t slow down around here!

Maybe we could slow down and say 3 prayers of thanksgiving:

1. For your Godparents and Confirmation Sponsors — who helped you along your faith journey.

2. For someone who has helped you to grow in faith — who has said a kind word, given you a book, answered your questions, or just helped you to really know the love of God.

3. For your parents — most likely the faith was given to you through your parents! And next week is Mother’s Day, so you better be ready!

Speaking of Mother’s Day, we will also have our May Crownings at all Masses next weekend. (See the note in the bulletin with all the details).

At its heart, it is a simple act of love for our heavenly mother. Next week we will honor our mothers with flowers or breakfast in bed or even doing the dishes without complaining! Does any mother refuse such acts of tenderness? Once, I gave my mother eight very small flowers that I brought back from a pilgrimage to a Marian Shrine. One flower for each of her eight children. She always kept those eight flowers framed with a holy picture.

But imagine if you gave mom flowers by just tossing them at her feet and then went about your business as if it were just another day. An external act, if it is not also internalized, is meaningless. So much of our Catholic way of liturgy finds itself at this nexus. The external is not itself the meaning, but it gives expression to and forms the internal. Show me how you pray, and I will show you how you believe.

When we lay flowers at the feet of Our Lady next weekend, may it be an external manifestation of the many more acts of love we place in her hands for her to give to Jesus.

pax,

Father John Mosimann