Dear St. Louis Parishioners,
Mothers, I would love to tell you that the throne on the window featured on this week’s front cover symbolizes the throne that your children ought to prepare for you to honor
you this weekend. Alas, I cannot do that… that throne would need a place for you to put your feet up! Rather, as we drew near to the conclusion of the Easter Season (which finally ends next weekend, with Pentecost), we turn our attention back toward the Kingship of our Victorious Lord! The Resurrection window, which we featured back on Easter Sunday, is flanked by two images of His Kingship. One is the crown with palm branches, which was featured all the way back on Christ the King. This weekend, as we celebrate Our Lord’s Ascension to the right hand of the Father, we consider the other: His throne (again, adorned with the “Chi-Rho”, symbolizing the Victory of Christ our King). Let us not simply remember the throne in Heaven, where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Our omnipotent Lord truly reigns above. Yet, He is not distant from us. He draws so very near and wants to take up the throne in our hearts. So, let us renew our intention to invite Him to be the true Lord and King of our hearts, giving nothing authority, glory or affection over and above Him. Inviting Him to be our King beckons us to heed the words of Saint Paul: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1). As we consider Christ turning His eyes toward home, so also must we! Let us turn our eyes toward our heavenly home, opening our hearts more and more toward our heavenly Father. As we do so, let us thank Him for the gift of those who have helped to build a home for us here on Earth, especially our mothers. Please allow me to express my most sincere gratitude and respect to all of our mothers for all that you do to reflect the Love of God to your children, enveloping them with a love which truly offers a small hint of heaven!
A RECENT HINT OF HEAVEN: Every Mass is a true foretaste of Heaven. And yet, there is something especially profound about seeing His little children dressed in white (as the Bride of Christ is said to wear in Heaven, in the Book of Revelation), ready with anxious and joyful anticipation to receive our Lord and be brought into deeper communion with Him! I want to congratulate all of our First Communicants who received this incredible gift last Sunday and reiterate my special thanks to them for helping remind us all what a special and beautiful gift the Eucharist is, every Sunday when we receive Him! Thank you also to everyone who came out to support our children. Please keep these children and their families in your prayers, that their communion with our Lord may always deepen!
IT TAKES A VILLAGE: With Confirmation and First Communion so recently behind us, I want to thank all who helped with the religious formation of our children. Especially, I want to thank Mrs. Renee Toomey, who prepared our second graders for First Communion, Mrs. Susanna Prushinski, who has taken the lead in preparing our eighth graders for Confirmation (assisted, this year, by myself and Caylee Kennedy) and finally, the organization and leadership of all of our catechists, by our Director of Religious Education, Mrs. Julia Mead.
A SPIRITUAL MOTHER: Lastly, I want to make a special mention of this Sunday’s guest speaker for our Saint Louis High School Youth Ministry. Fittingly, our high schoolers are invited to finish off Mother’s Day by spending part of the evening with a wonderful spiritual mother in our parish: Sister Anne Germaine. Sister does so much for so many in this parish and beyond. The love of God is very much alive and contagious in her soul and I have been privileged to witness her nurturing that Divine Life within so many in my short time here at Saint Louis. May many continue to be blessed by her.
In Christ through Mary,
Fr. Gifford
St. Louis, pray for us!
Blessed Mary, Queen Mother of the King of Kings, pray for us!