Easter II
Daily Sermons
April 28 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Holy Mass – The Center of Your Day
April 29 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Cistercian Penance
April 30 – Bp. Dolan – The Little Doctor and St. Catherine
May 1 – Fr. Lehtoranta – God is Enough for Us
May 2 – Fr. Lehtoranta – The Clemency of St. Athanasius
_________________________________________
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
May’s always a stretch, isn’t it? Lent is pretty much of a given and most everybody, I imagine, does something. But then the purple comes down, the bells ring out, and lilies blossom on all of the altars…and that’s that. “Now, what was I up to?” Life resumes, with an urgency Winter lacks. It’s Spring, and there are gardens and graduations and lawns and sports and just getting out and about, all penciled in on our calendars.
Oh, church has its circled days still, before Summer calls us away. There’s May Crowning, maybe, and Mothers Day, and many will make the Holy Day at month’s end, and of course if you’re involved there’s a big Pentecost weekend (spoiler alert: Saturday’s Mass is very long) with First Communion Sunday following the Saturday Confirmations.
Ah, but “ ’tis the month of our Mother” and surely for her we will do something both at home, with May altars and devotions, as well as at church. She will prepare the little ones for their Sacraments. She will reclaim her Son’s share in daily family life at home. She will maintain our Lenten fervor, now lightened and sweetened by her holy name. She will reclaim sinners for the Sacraments before the Easter Season, with its Duty, ends. And the Queen of Heaven will see that a lily or two still blooms in our soul. Our Blessed Mother to the rescue, and just in time!
But next, St. Joseph. His Easter Feast, with Solemn Mass, Novena and Octave, comes Wednesday and honors his patronage of all the Church. We need him! Pray with us for all of those lost in the darkness of the New Religion, with its new “saints,” recycling old heresies. Anything will do today, save the pure worship of God alone in the one true Church. The false gods of political correctness and ecumenism are universally adored. Thus, we need this Patron of the Universal Church, humble and holy St. Joseph, and oh how powerful is his prayer.
We’re revving up this weekend for our fundraisers for the Summer Camps, and also looking for helpers with our grounds – some weeding, some planting… Could you help? Thank you for your help for all of these projects. Our weary road warrior, Fr. McKenna, limps back after another long Northern mission run, which even featured some snow. Father reports he was especially working with some home aloners. Prayers, please. Our Louisiana faithful are doing well and are due for some Sacraments for their children, so I must remember to return soon. It’s always a pleasure to visit with Fr. Francis Miller, OFM. I have a trip out to San Diego scheduled for another Tijuana visit May 16th-20th. Fr. Cekada has two more seminary visits before the end of the school year. Fr. McGuire labors patiently setting these up, against impossible odds with schedules and fares. Every aspect of travel is a labor of love, only of love, but so is life for a Christian. Make it count. How? With Mary!
May Mary, Help of Christians, open our eyes and hearts this Spring to this supreme reality. This way, with her help, we will not fail in doing good, in being good, so that even as our Lent fades away as a flower, some lilies remain for Easter victory.
A blessed month of May to you!
– Bishop Dolan