One of my clear memories from my time at St. John's Elementary School in Hot Springs is the May Crowning procession on the first Friday in May. Each class of students would gather outside on the side of the church and process into the church singing a medley of Marian Hymns that still ring out in my mind, especially in the month of May. In that parish, a girl from the second grade First Communion class crowned a statue of Mary.
I'm sure many of you remember "May Crownings". They are a traditional May tradition in many parishes. Our Ladies of the Sacred Heart will crown Mary inside and outside our church this coming Monday, May 12 right before (indoor) and after (outdoor) the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
In this tradition we honor the "Queenship" of Mary. We refer to her as the Queen of heaven and earth. In the Litany of Mary, we ask for her prayers as the Queen of angels, patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and of all saints.
While it would be incorrect to ever see her in any way on the same level as her Son, Jesus (as he is human and divine and she was only human), it is appropriate to see her as the "Mother Queen" who gave birth to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, Jesus Christ. While May has long been considered the "Month of Mary" we are called to honor her every month of the year for who she was in the plan of Salvation, and the perfect disciple of her Son, Jesus Christ, and who she IS, a great intercessor to her Son for our wants and needs that we bring to her in various prayers, especially the "Hail Mary".
I want to share with you something that was composed by one of our "converts" to the Catholic Faith and fellow parishioner, Cindy Norlin, who already has a wonderful respect for the Blessed Virgin Mary and recognizes how special she is (or should be) to all Christians.
It is titled "May Flowers for Mary" and this is what it says:
In gardens bright where roses bloom,
And lilies lift their heads,
We gather petals, soft perfume,
Where love and prayer are wed.
With tender hands, we weave a crown
Of blossoms pure and fair,
And place it gently, kneeling down,
Upon her statue there.
O Mother mild, so full of grace,
Our Queen in heaven above,
Accept these blooms we humbly place--
A sign of all our love.
Each flower speaks what hearts can't say,
Each stem a whispered prayer,
That you may guide us day by day,
With gentleness and care.
So through the month of shining May,
With every bloom we bring,
We honor you in a quiet way--
Our Mother and our Queen.
I'm sure many of you remember "May Crownings". They are a traditional May tradition in many parishes. Our Ladies of the Sacred Heart will crown Mary inside and outside our church this coming Monday, May 12 right before (indoor) and after (outdoor) the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
In this tradition we honor the "Queenship" of Mary. We refer to her as the Queen of heaven and earth. In the Litany of Mary, we ask for her prayers as the Queen of angels, patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and of all saints.
While it would be incorrect to ever see her in any way on the same level as her Son, Jesus (as he is human and divine and she was only human), it is appropriate to see her as the "Mother Queen" who gave birth to the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, Jesus Christ. While May has long been considered the "Month of Mary" we are called to honor her every month of the year for who she was in the plan of Salvation, and the perfect disciple of her Son, Jesus Christ, and who she IS, a great intercessor to her Son for our wants and needs that we bring to her in various prayers, especially the "Hail Mary".
I want to share with you something that was composed by one of our "converts" to the Catholic Faith and fellow parishioner, Cindy Norlin, who already has a wonderful respect for the Blessed Virgin Mary and recognizes how special she is (or should be) to all Christians.
It is titled "May Flowers for Mary" and this is what it says:
In gardens bright where roses bloom,
And lilies lift their heads,
We gather petals, soft perfume,
Where love and prayer are wed.
With tender hands, we weave a crown
Of blossoms pure and fair,
And place it gently, kneeling down,
Upon her statue there.
O Mother mild, so full of grace,
Our Queen in heaven above,
Accept these blooms we humbly place--
A sign of all our love.
Each flower speaks what hearts can't say,
Each stem a whispered prayer,
That you may guide us day by day,
With gentleness and care.
So through the month of shining May,
With every bloom we bring,
We honor you in a quiet way--
Our Mother and our Queen.
As the Cardinals prepare to go into "Conclave" this coming week, many are still reflecting on the life and especially the papacy of Pope Francis. I want to add my reflections to these in this pastor's column.
As much could be said and has been said about this unique pope from South America, I will focus briefly on three characteristics that will long be remembered by Catholics and Non-Catholics alike.
The first was his humility. From the beginning of his papacy when he asked the "Faithful" and all people to pray for him, to his rejecting some long standing traditions that seemed to treat the pope as royalty, to his washing the feet of prison inmates every Holy Thursday, Pope Francis was grounded in Jesus Christ who was the greatest example of humility in that he came down from heaven to share in our humanity and accepted the humiliation of his passion and death.
The second was his simplicity in the way he dressed (simple shoes) to the place where he lived (in an apartment outside the Vatican), to his choice to be buried in a simple wooden coffin. Pope Francis most definitely kept his eyes on the things of heaven and not the things of earth. He was an example to all of us who face temptation toward the things of this world and the prestige that some put with such ownership. I just read this morning (Wednesday) that he willed all his personal finances to the needs of prisoners at a prison in Rome.
Finally, Pope Francis taught by word and example that we are all called to live lives of love AND mercy. It was so appropriate that he died during the Novena to Divine Mercy that was observed and carried out from Good Friday to the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday. During his pontificate we celebrated a Jubilee of Mercy year and Francis promoted the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Matthew Kelly defines mercy as love reaching out to those in misery and Pope Francis showed by reaching out to prisoners, the poor, the migrant and others that God's mercy (and ours) should reach out to all, especially those who some think don't deserve it.
Finally, I want to say how much I admired (and in some small way try to imitate) Pope Francis in his attention to people in a personal way. He loved to be with people and encounter people as often as he could, including going out to some of the people at St. Peter's square on the day before he died. Jesus, throughout his ministry spoke to people that others thought he should ignore and stay away from, and Pope Francis showed by his demeanor and actions that God loves every person and everyone gets his attention in a most sincere way. Humility, simplicity, and mercy are qualities and virtues that we should all strive to live out every day of our lives. Sadly, we will miss seeing it daily in one, Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ who now lives forever in the love, mercy and peace of God!
As much could be said and has been said about this unique pope from South America, I will focus briefly on three characteristics that will long be remembered by Catholics and Non-Catholics alike.
The first was his humility. From the beginning of his papacy when he asked the "Faithful" and all people to pray for him, to his rejecting some long standing traditions that seemed to treat the pope as royalty, to his washing the feet of prison inmates every Holy Thursday, Pope Francis was grounded in Jesus Christ who was the greatest example of humility in that he came down from heaven to share in our humanity and accepted the humiliation of his passion and death.
The second was his simplicity in the way he dressed (simple shoes) to the place where he lived (in an apartment outside the Vatican), to his choice to be buried in a simple wooden coffin. Pope Francis most definitely kept his eyes on the things of heaven and not the things of earth. He was an example to all of us who face temptation toward the things of this world and the prestige that some put with such ownership. I just read this morning (Wednesday) that he willed all his personal finances to the needs of prisoners at a prison in Rome.
Finally, Pope Francis taught by word and example that we are all called to live lives of love AND mercy. It was so appropriate that he died during the Novena to Divine Mercy that was observed and carried out from Good Friday to the Saturday before Divine Mercy Sunday. During his pontificate we celebrated a Jubilee of Mercy year and Francis promoted the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Matthew Kelly defines mercy as love reaching out to those in misery and Pope Francis showed by reaching out to prisoners, the poor, the migrant and others that God's mercy (and ours) should reach out to all, especially those who some think don't deserve it.
Finally, I want to say how much I admired (and in some small way try to imitate) Pope Francis in his attention to people in a personal way. He loved to be with people and encounter people as often as he could, including going out to some of the people at St. Peter's square on the day before he died. Jesus, throughout his ministry spoke to people that others thought he should ignore and stay away from, and Pope Francis showed by his demeanor and actions that God loves every person and everyone gets his attention in a most sincere way. Humility, simplicity, and mercy are qualities and virtues that we should all strive to live out every day of our lives. Sadly, we will miss seeing it daily in one, Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ who now lives forever in the love, mercy and peace of God!
As we pray for the happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis and give thanks to God for his priesthood and leadership of the Catholic Church for the last 12 years as the Supreme Pontiff, it is also the case that we should also be praying for the Cardinals who will elect (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), his successor.
With the change, there will be a lot of questions that will be posed about the new pope in terms of his background, leadership style and of course his emphasis in both the religious and secular worlds. There will also be an adjustment period that will affect many people especially those who have regular or even daily dealings and encounters with the new pope.
On a much smaller scale, such adjustments will be happening starting June 18 when Fr. George Sanders (current pastor at St. John's in Hot Springs) takes over as pastor here at Sacred Heart Parish (as by now, hopefully, you know that this will be taking place). He will need your cooperation and at times patience with him as he feels his way around the people, the ministries and the activities of this very busy parish. I pray it will be a smooth transition for him and for the parish as this change happens after 15 years of my time as your pastor.
As I begin to ponder the end of my time as your pastor, I do want to focus firstly on all the blessings that have come to the parish and personally and professionally to me since I became your pastor in June of 2010. There will be time for me to express that in another column before I leave on June 17.
I'm sure at least some are wondering what the Lord has in mind for me in the future. I can tell you a few things about the immediate future for me. I will not have a parish assignment for the first time in my 39 years as a priest. Instead, I will be residing in Hot Springs at the Elser family home at 422 Trivista Left (the same home I was raised in and was occupied by my mom for almost 67 years until her death in June of 2023). I will firstly be available to provide help for Masses and other sacraments for priests who take vacation time and for other possible reasons. I hope to do some part-time hospital ministry at CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs. I will offer myself in doing prison ministry as needed, and maybe do a day or days of recollection in parishes who might request it. Other ministry opportunities may open up that I am not aware of at the present time. I also look forward to growing in my relationship with the Lord with more Holy Hours (especially at the Eucharistic Chapel at St. John's in Hot Springs). Finally, I will try to relax more and stay active in ways outside of ministry especially through tennis, pickelball, and maybe golf especially in the Village where I have been a property owner since 1996.
I ask your prayers as I step away from daily parish ministry and serve the Lord and his people in a new way at least for now. I hope to encounter Sacred Heart parishioners at times (though I hope not in the hospital). Some changes can indeed be challenging, but I am comforted always in the knowledge that the Lord is leading the way and always showing the way for all of us to do His work and live in His Peace. God bless you all!
With the change, there will be a lot of questions that will be posed about the new pope in terms of his background, leadership style and of course his emphasis in both the religious and secular worlds. There will also be an adjustment period that will affect many people especially those who have regular or even daily dealings and encounters with the new pope.
On a much smaller scale, such adjustments will be happening starting June 18 when Fr. George Sanders (current pastor at St. John's in Hot Springs) takes over as pastor here at Sacred Heart Parish (as by now, hopefully, you know that this will be taking place). He will need your cooperation and at times patience with him as he feels his way around the people, the ministries and the activities of this very busy parish. I pray it will be a smooth transition for him and for the parish as this change happens after 15 years of my time as your pastor.
As I begin to ponder the end of my time as your pastor, I do want to focus firstly on all the blessings that have come to the parish and personally and professionally to me since I became your pastor in June of 2010. There will be time for me to express that in another column before I leave on June 17.
I'm sure at least some are wondering what the Lord has in mind for me in the future. I can tell you a few things about the immediate future for me. I will not have a parish assignment for the first time in my 39 years as a priest. Instead, I will be residing in Hot Springs at the Elser family home at 422 Trivista Left (the same home I was raised in and was occupied by my mom for almost 67 years until her death in June of 2023). I will firstly be available to provide help for Masses and other sacraments for priests who take vacation time and for other possible reasons. I hope to do some part-time hospital ministry at CHI St. Vincent in Hot Springs. I will offer myself in doing prison ministry as needed, and maybe do a day or days of recollection in parishes who might request it. Other ministry opportunities may open up that I am not aware of at the present time. I also look forward to growing in my relationship with the Lord with more Holy Hours (especially at the Eucharistic Chapel at St. John's in Hot Springs). Finally, I will try to relax more and stay active in ways outside of ministry especially through tennis, pickelball, and maybe golf especially in the Village where I have been a property owner since 1996.
I ask your prayers as I step away from daily parish ministry and serve the Lord and his people in a new way at least for now. I hope to encounter Sacred Heart parishioners at times (though I hope not in the hospital). Some changes can indeed be challenging, but I am comforted always in the knowledge that the Lord is leading the way and always showing the way for all of us to do His work and live in His Peace. God bless you all!