Hope

To Jesus through Mary! Greetings from sunny and beautiful Joy Valley, where it is finally feeling like Spring! Because we are in northern Michigan, we were allowed to open the Marian Center back up yesterday and we cannot tell you how happy it made us! 

These past few months have been difficult. We all have had to continually return to Jesus and lay our fears, anxieties, and restlessness down at His feet. However, with many of the states coming out of lockdown and businesses opening again, there is a lot of hope and eager anticipation floating around. Can you feel it too? 

The apostles must have felt something similar as they awaited the arrival of The Comforter, The Advocate, The Holy Spirit. They would have felt fear and confusion, but they also had hope and a deep trust in the Will of God. And so must we! So, that’s what we’ll be digging into today- hope and trust while waiting. 

Finding God in the Mess
One of the hard but good lessons of this crisis is learning to trust. It’s something we did naturally as children, but as we become adults we take on the role of “the responsible party” and forget that we are created and sustained by a God who loves us and whom we are completely dependent upon. Author Alan Scott wrote a great article about how hard it is to trust God, especially in times of trouble, but how it is absolutely necessary for peace. 

Hope in a Time of Uncertainty
In these past two months of uncertainty during the coronavirus pandemic, I am sure your thoughts (like ours) have been all over the place, from fear and anxiety to discouragement about staying home and not being able to attend the Mass. But through it all, we know that Our Lord still speaks to us and the message of Divine Mercy and trust speaks loudly. In this article, How Jesus Still Speaks to Us During COVID-19, Susan Tassone, who has been with us at the Marian Conference several times, talks about this message of Mercy which is especially pertinent now. 

The Joyful Hope and the Bittersweet
Forty days after his Resurrection from the Dead, Jesus ascended into heaven. The Church has always celebrated this event, though now in most U.S. dioceses the Solemnity of the Ascension has been transferred to the Sunday, tomorrow in fact! We can imagine the amazement the Apostles felt seeing Jesus physically rising up from the earth to return to the Father, and maybe now more than ever we can relate to how lost they must have felt without their Lord. But Jesus didn’t abandon the Twelve, and even sent the Holy Spirit soon after. This article reminds us that the Ascension is a cause for great hope! 

Churches Reopening
In a speech on Friday, President Trump stated that churches should be deemed essential and should reopen. He went on to say that, “we need more prayer, not less.” Many dioceses across the country have already started to reopen churches. The Diocese of Gaylord, our diocese, has plans to reopen this coming week and we are thrilled that we will be able to attend Mass on the Feast of Pentecost. 

Marian Minute
This past week we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of our beloved Pope Saint John Paul II. He had a great love for the Blessed Mother. Among his many writings is the encyclical Rosarium Virginis Mariae, in which he teaches about the Holy Rosary and gives us suggestions on how to pray the rosary. If you’d like to know more, this article gives some tips on how John Paul II taught others to pray the rosary. 

Nifty News
When Fr. Joseph Mary and Fr. John Paul Mary of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word recently requested roses for their Marian garden at EWTN, they had no clue that the response would be so overwhelming! To see how viewers filled the Chapel with flowers, click here. 

Liturgical Living
Head on over to Catholic Icing for ideas on how to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension with your children. As always, they have great resources. 

Marian Apparition Exhibit
To continue the good news, we wanted to let you know that the Marian Apparition exhibit is coming! The panels are on their way and we should have it set up soon! Many thanks to those of you who have sponsored a panel. There are still panels left if you have not yet signed up- just follow this link to learn more and become a sponsor! 

The Marian Center is open with our regular hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 5, Saturday 10 to 4. When visiting the Marian Center, we recommend you bring a mask for indoors and keep with the social distancing guidelines set out by the CDC. We have 38 beautiful acres and plenty of space for you to visit, indoors and out. 

We continue to have your family in our prayers. Stay safe!
To Christ Through Mary, 

Katie Moe and Lori Mercer


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