News: The month of Mary comes with the anticipation of warmer weather and the blooms of spring. We are still very much immersed in the Easter season as our focus is on the resurrection of Our Lord. I particularly like St. Matthew’s version for its additional details and dramatic flare as we see;”as the first day of the week was drawing, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold , there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” When compared to the other Gospel accounts Matthew apparently has additional sources from the other evangelist especially the roll of the angel rolling back the stone, the earthquake and the soldiers’ paralysis. I believe that one of the guards or soldiers were converted from this experience and must have forwarded his account to Matthew through some means, who else would have had those details. The rest of the story closely confirms the events of the other gospels’ resurrection narratives. I mean if I witnessed the resurrection, which the soldiers or guards had to have, then I believe my life would be changed forever. I like to place myself in the scene of the tomb when this occurred, the wonder, the supernatural intervention, the soul piercing act. How could these men not be changed, and how come we hear very little of this effect on them. We see the angel repeating that common phrase we hear so often coming from God through his emissaries “Do not be afraid!” It was soldiers, obedient to their ranks that our Lord appeared to first, not the Jews, not his disciples, but pagan sentinels whose life altering event would spread throughout the known world. These were loyal members of the greatest empire ever who witnessed the greatest event in history and would live to talk about it. Did the high priest cover this up, did they pay them off, perhaps as the gospel explains, but a couple of questions remain, if what they said is true, how did the disciples steal the body with the soldiers being there, and how do you explain the rest of the details in the narrative. The Easter season ends on Pentecost Sunday on the 24th, let’s pray to the Holy Spirit for the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
May 1st: First Friday Devotion: Mass at 7 pm followed by all night Eucharistic Adoration until 8:15 am ending with benediction. The Mass will be celebrated by Rev. Mark Shimave, we are always looking for adorers to cover those overnight hours.
May 2nd: First Saturday Devotion at the shrine; 9:00a.m Holy Mass, Rosary, Confessions. Followed by coffee and light refreshments. Rev. Ron Tacelli S.J. we celebrate. The Spanish Rosary Community will hold their monthly First Saturday meeting at the shrine with a rosary, music and fellowship at 3:00 pm.
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May 13th: Candlelight procession: We will start the feast Our Lady of Fatima day off with adoration at 9:00 am and continue all day with benediction at 6pm; A Mass at 7pm in honor of Our Lady of Fatima with Rev. Philip Dabney CsSR presiding, followed by a Rosary procession. I hope you can join us.
May 23rd: The Pro-life Mass will be held on Saturday the 23rd at 10:30 am. Following Mass there will be a pro-life rosary.
