Sacred Heart Parish

On the second of May, we celebrated Mass at St. Bernard School. It was in honor of Mother Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. At the beginning of the Mass, four students solemnly carried the statue of Mary to the table erected at the foot of the Altar. They were followed by a young girl dressed in white carrying the beaturiful crown of flowers. It was so heavenly when she crowned th Virgin Mary at the sound of the music played by the students. During the sermon, Deacon Dance preached on this tradition of the Catholic Church, “The Coronation of Mary.” He intertwined the sermon with Mother’s Day celebration.

He ended giving them a home task, “Say to your mom today that you love her.” As a pastor, I truly appreciate Paul Shanahan and Deacon Dance for every attempt the y make to keep alive and inculcate in our students our Catholic tradition.

The month of May is dedicated to our heavenly Mother and this tradition began in the 13th century. May sees the beauty of its nature to its best. There is a complete renewal, colorful flowers, the fragrance is in the air and the hills are decorated with wild flowers on a green carpet. Nature is at its peak. This renewal connects to Mother Mary. She gave new life to the world when she  brought to the world our savior, Jesus Christ. This pious practice of honoring mary during the month of may has been promoted by the Popes. Pope Pius XII made frequent references to it in his Mediator Dei.

There are various ways we can make this month special to Mary. It is a common practice in many parishes to erect a special May altar with the statue or picture of Mary, the crowning of Mary with flowers depicting her beauty of virtues, and daily recitation of the Rosary. The Spanish-speaking community of Sacred Heart Church are gathering every day at 6 pm to pray the Rosary. We can also do this practice in our homes as well.

This weekend we also celebrate Mothers’ Day. A day set apart to acknowledge their sacrificial love for us. Even God used the analogy of a mother to express His love, “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even shou she forget, I will not forget you.: Isaiah 49:15.

God has honored a mother with this reference. Let us partake in the home in the home assignment of Deacon Dance wich he had given to St. Bernard School students, “Expressing our gratitude to God for giving us a Heavenly Mother and our mothers, and tell them we love them tenderly.” Happy Mothers’ Day.

– Fr. Bernard