Good morning to you from rainy Joy Valley. If April showers bring May flowers, what do June showers bring? An Ark, of course!! What in the world does that mean, you ask yourself?
It means that we are excited to tell you that because of the generosity of a donor, the Marian Center will be placing a children’s play structure in the shape of Noah’s ark on the property along with another playground structure. These new additions will make the Marian Center more kid and family friendly– something that blends well with our goal of encouraging Catholic culture and heritage through family life!
We have an exciting and joy-filled weekend ahead of us as it is Father’s Day tomorrow and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity! The Cause of Our Joy will focus on these celebrations.
So, without further ado, let’s get into this!
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Tomorrow we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity, also called Trinity Sunday. (You can find the Mass readings here.) Why do we celebrate Trinity Sunday? Catholic Exchange has a wonderful reflection on Sunday’s readings and answers this question. Bishop Robert Barron has a wonderful 2 minute video explaining the Trinity and we found it helpful.
Follow this link for some ideas to celebrate Trinity Sunday as a family.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
When we read the Gospels and hear Jesus speak of His love for the Father and His eagerness for His apostles to receive the Holy Spirit, it moves us! His love and affection for the Father and Spirit is so selfless and complete. We found an article that describes how Jesus’ perfect love can help move us beyond our love of self; it’s a great read!
Father’s Day
Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day shouldn’t be a one-day celebration. Fatherhood is a tough job! People oftentimes attribute some of the crisis we see in families and in culture in general to a breakdown in the role of fatherhood. Fathers play a key role in society at large and certainly within the family. We found the article, The Essential Role of the Father by The Catholic Gentleman to be a great resource.
Those Catholic Men also created A Checklist for Catholic Dads that has some wonderful reminders of how to keep headed in the right direction!
St. Joseph, Patron of Fathers
This article, Saint Joseph, Our Holy Fathers, and the Necessity of Fathers, describes how St. Joseph is a model for fathers everywhere. From all of mankind, God the Father chose Joseph to raise His only Son and to watch over and care for Our Blessed Mother. He held Our Saviour in his loving arms. Ask for his help and intercession.
Another good article by Dr. Gregory Popcak looks to the 8 Beatitudes to help dads be the father God is calling them to be. He uses the Beatitudes to shed a light on fatherhood and masculinity in a simple yet profound way.
Prayer for Fathers
Lastly, fathers need prayer! Their job is a big one and the stakes are high! Please consider praying this prayer for fathers with us.
Ways to Honor Fathers
In addition to praying for fathers, we found this article with some great suggestions of ways to honor your father not just on Father’s Day, but every day. Whether your father was a saintly man or perhaps fell short, this article speaks to ways that you can improve your relationship with your father.
Calling Priests “Father”
One of the more misunderstood things that we Catholics do, is call our priests “fathers.” Protestants don’t understand why we do this and feel it is a direct contraction to Jesus’ words, “Call no one father.” To help wrap your mind around why Catholics do this, check out this article that explains it!
Also, don’t forget to wish your priest a Happy Father’s Day. This article does a great job explaining their spiritual fatherhood. Also, here’s a little something you can have the kids make for your priest.
Eucharistic Miracles
The Marian Center is currently hosting a portion of the Vatican Approved Exhibit on Eucharistic Miracles of the World (learn more here) and we have been welcoming groups and schools since it opened. The exhibit, researched and created by Venerable Carlo Acutis, includes these 5 extraordinary Eucharistic miracles.
There is so much we are learning as a result of this exhibit! Please take the time to come and walk through the Exhibit.
The Importance of Eucharistic Adoration
If you have an adoration hour at your parish, you can attest to the power of having a holy hour every week. Ven. Fulton Sheen says it’s like radiation therapy — basking in the rays of the SON! These nuns have been adoring the Lord since 1878!
There is nothing quite like spending time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! The peace and quiet are a remedy for the busyness of our lives and the eternal benefits are, as they say, out of this world! Catholic News Agency came up with 24 reasons to spend an hour with the Lordand we think you’ll like it.
Marian Minute
Since tomorrow is Trinity Sunday, we thought it would be appropriate to look at the relationship between Our Lady and the Trinity. She is mother of the Son, spouse of the Spirit, and daughter of the Father! EWTN features an article by St. John Paul II that explains this!
Saint Spotlight
This coming Friday we remember St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a Jesuit that cared for the sick while being somewhat sickly himself. St. Robert Bellermine was his spiritual director– holiness begets holiness! To learn more about St. Aloysius, follow this link!
Marian Center Update
June- August- Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibit at the Center with guided tours at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00.
Friday, June 28th – Community Potluck and Family Night. Dinner starts at 6:00.
Every Friday in July – Bonfire and BBQ. Bring the kids and/or a dish to pass and join us! Grilling starts at 6:00 and salads will be available for those not eating meat!
To Christ Through Mary,
Katie Moe and Lori Mercer
P.S. Please forward this email to friends and encourage them to sign up for our email newsletter.
P.P.S. Saint Juan Diego has arrived at the Marian Center! He’s now honoring the Blessed Mother in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Memorial Garden. Come visit soon and see the new statue!
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