Dear Friends,
May is the month of Mary, and so many things are going on in our parish family: First Communion for our Faith Formation students, Rosary at the Grotto every Saturday before the morning Holy Mass , May Crowning, and so on. What a wonderful time to deepen our devotion and our love for the Blessed Mother! Have you thought about taking advantage of the opportunity for more graces and blessings through the intercession of the one that Christ gave us at the feet of the Cross as Mother?
This month starts also with the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. During this Year of St Joseph, we have one more occasion to reflect of the virtues of the one who accepted to be the earthly father of our Lord. During this month, as is our journey with St. Joseph, we will be reflecting on the virtue of Humility. Saint Joseph was a man of great humility. Learning from him and asking for his intercession is a way to acknowledge our dependence upon Christ whose earthly father St. Joseph accepted to be, not because he deserved it but by acknowledging with humility the truth of his dependence upon God.
In today’s gospel, Jesus introduce himself to us in a very different way; He is the vine and we are the branches. Last Sunday He reminded us that as his sheep we are meant to listen to Him, our Good Shepherd. By standing at odd with the so many false “shepherds” in today’s world, He told us that He is the only One who can lead us to true sheepfold, where there will be no wolf. Today, he reminds us that we cannot live and bear fruits once we are cut off from Him. He gives us life and he nurtures us because He is the Wellspring of Living water. Out of Him we just wither and are unable to bear fruits.
Today, we are offered every kind of false assurances in our life, especially the illusory assurance of a painless life, or life without suffering. To put in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, the world offers us a cheap and effortless salvation. Today, Christ reminds us and tells us that it is only when we remain in Him that we can expect to share in true happiness and fulness of life. It is from Him that we can draw the blessings that will help us bear fruits which transform the world to the premises of the Kingdom of God.
Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary are given to us this month as role models. By and through their humility and trust in God, they were able to see God’s wonders fulfilled in them. Likewise, if we remain in the Son of God, the true Vine, we his branches will have life and be able to bear the fruits for the coming of His kingdom.
Let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.
Fr. Emery