Good
morning! We
are sending sunny, warm greetings to you from Joy Valley where we are
seeing more grass and less snow every day! It won’t be long and the
trees will be budding and the flowers will be popping out of the
ground. (Maybe they are already in your neck of the woods!)
We
are about to embark on the final week of Lent before Holy Week. With
all these sunny days and spring obviously on the way, it can be hard
to remember the penitential mood of Lent. And it is true that the
outcome of Lent is a cause for joy! Regardless, we encourage you to
keep persevering with your sacrifices and prayer– Jesus’ glorious
resurrection and triumph will be here soon!
After
praying over what to write about, we felt called to focus on
redemption for this week’s Cause
of Our Joy. It
seemed like an appropriate follow-up to our focus on confession last
week and it gels very nicely with this Sunday’s readings. Hopefully
you’ll find the following articles and resources helpful!
So,
without further ado, let’s get into this!
He
Makes All Things New
In
this Sunday’s first reading from Isaiah (see below), we hear the
words, “Remember not the events of the past… see, I am doing
something new!” Sin has the tendency to make us feel unworthy,
used, and unwanted. Jesus’ words to us are very different. Lent is
the perfect time to come to be healed and allow Him to make you
new! Catholic
Exchange’s article on this topic is fantastic!
If
you like to praise God through song, this
music video is beautiful and speaks eloquently to how Christ
makes all things new!
You
Were Born for This!
It’s
not uncommon to hear things like, “I should have been born 50 years
ago.” Or, “There’s nothing like the good old days!” We long
for another time when things seemed to be simpler and life was
easier. But, it’s important to remember that you were born and
redeemed for this time and for a purpose! This
article from the National Catholic Registerspeaks to how
essential you are for this moment in human history!
Have
Hope
Archbishop
Chaput recently gave a talk titled, “Facing
the Future With Hope and Joy” to a group of seminarians at
the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Chaput said, “To
borrow from St. Augustine, God made us to make the times, not the
times to make us. We’re the subjects of history, not its objects.
And unless we make the times better with the light of Jesus Christ,
then the times will make us worse with their darkness.” He
had some very encouraging things to say about holiness, humility and
love renewing the life of the Church.
“Unplanned”
Movie a Hit!
The
movie Unplanned, about Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood
employee, opened nationwide last week and it is rocking the boat!
Despite obstacles and spiritual warfare, the
film is making headlines and changing hearts. Praise
God!
If you would like to add your involvement to this
“prolife moment” in America, consider participating in the
National Planned Parenthood Prayer Protest taking place
next Saturday,
April 13th.
The Marian Center is sponsoring the protest in Petoskey! Check
here to see if there’s an organized prayer protest in your
area!
For
the Kids
Holy
Week will be upon us very soon. Here
is a link for some great activities to do with the littles
in the next two weeks.
Mary Hasteline at Better
Than Eden has
a really neat idea for what her family calls Our
Passion Cross. It’s
kind of a Lenten/Passion equivalent of the Jesse Tree.
Easter
baskets are a tradition in many families, but it’s easy to forget
about them and leave them until the last moment, which can distract
from focusing on the Triduum. Here
are some cute ideas for Easter baskets. And, if you’re in
the Petoskey area, the Marian Center has some great items for your
little saint-in-the-making!
Marian
Minute
Oftentimes
we think of the work of redemption being done by Jesus alone, and
that is actually true. However, it is important to note that Mary had
a hand to play in cooperating with God’s plan to redeem us.EWTN
has an informative piece on Mary’s role in Jesus’ saving
work.
Saint
Spotlight
On
April 11, we will celebrate the feast day of Saint Stanislaus of
Krakow. He is considered one of the primary patrons of Poland and his
story is powerful. Let us pray that our bishops will be as
strong and holy when upholding the Church’s teachings in our modern
times!
Sunday’s
Readings
As
mentioned above, redemption is a big theme in this Sunday’s
readings. If you’d like to take a look at them, they
can be found here.
The Gospel tells the story of the
woman caught in adultery. This article titled “9
Things You Should Know About the Woman Caught in Adultery,” is
short and easy and we found it enlightening in understanding the
Gospel more deeply. The story of the adulterous woman is a story of
mercy, but it is also about justice and admonition (“Go, and from
now on do not sin anymore.”) This article, Lessons
in Mercy, speaks to God’s mercy but also His
justice.
Prayerfully,
Katie Moe and
Lori Mercer
P.S. The
Marian Center has signed on to become a leader in the national
Protest Planned Parenthood movement in Petoskey. If you are
interested in joining us April
13 or
would like to learn more, visit http://protestpp.com
P.P.S.
Join us for a community potluck on Friday,
April 26 to
celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord. We start with a Rosary at
5:30 p.m., followed with dinner and family-friendly activities.
P.P.P.S. Please forward this email to friends and encourage them to sign up for our email newsletter.
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