RENews
Mary Mother of all Mother's
May- Month of Mary
The Church has long taught that Mary is truly the Mother of God .
Mary, also known as St. Mary the Virgin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary, Mary Mother of God or the Virgin Mary is believed by many to be the greatest of all Christian saints. The Virgin Mother "was, after her Son, exalted by divine grace above all angels and men."
Mary is upheld with such great respect , called by St. Thomas Aquinas, hyperdulia, as the holiest of all creatures. The main events of her life are celebrated as liturgical feasts of the universal Church.
Mary's life and role in the history of salvation is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, while the events of her life are recorded in the New Testament. Traditionally, she was declared the daughter of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Born in Jerusalem, Mary was presented in the Temple and devoted her life to God. Living in Nazareth, Mary was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
She became betrothed to St. Joseph and was acknowledged by Elizabeth as the Mother of God, Mary intoned the Magnificat. Mary gave birth to Jesus and was visited by the Three Kings.
The first recorded miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding in Cana, and Mary was instrumental in calling Christ's attention to the need. Mary was present at the Crucifixion in Jerusalem, and there she was given into John the Apostle's care. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost, and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension.
No scriptural reference concerns Mary's last years on earth. The belief that Mary's body was assumed into heaven is one of the oldest traditions of the Catholic Church.
Pope Pius XII declared this belief Catholic dogma in 1950. The four Catholic dogmas are: Mother of God, Perpetual virginity of Mary, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary. The feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15. The Assumption was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. According to Pope Pius XII, the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."
In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception - that Mary, as the Mother of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was free of original sin at the moment of her conception. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8. The birthday of Mary is an old feast in the Church, celebrated on September 8, since the seventh century.
This special role of Mary in salvation history is clearly shown in the Gospel where she is seen constantly at her son's side during his soteriological mission. Because of this role, exemplified by her acceptance of Christ into her womb, her offering of him to God at the Temple, her urging him to perform his first miracle, and her standing at the foot of the Cross at Calvary Mary was joined fully in the sacrifice by Christ of himself.
While she is not our Mother in the physical sense, she is called a spiritual mother, for she conceives, gives birth, and nurtures the spiritual lives of grace for each person. As Mediatrix of All Graces, she is ever present at the side of each person, giving nourishment and hope, from the moment of spiritual birth at Baptism to the moment of death.
Level Mass
Listed below are scheduled mass dates and times for Term 2.
Tuesday 8th May 1/2 Level Mass @9.30am
Wednesday 23rd May 5/6 Level Mass @9.30am
Tuesday 29th May 3/4 Level Mass @9.30am
Thursday 14th June Foundation Mass @9.30am
Mother's Day
Wishing all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and special people a very Happy Mother's Day.
A Prayer for all Mother's
Thank you, Lord, that you will fill our mother's heart with love.
That you have instilled in her the very being the need to protect her children if at all possible.
Thank you for giving her the gift of nurturing her children, of teaching them, of comforting them, for feeding them and making a safe place for them.
For guiding them to be all that God has created them to be. Fill every mother with love, wisdom and endurance, with strength and patience and joy.
Give them the ability to forgive again and again. Enable her to rely on You, because You again will give her all she needs. In Your presence and all powerful name. Amen.