Welcome Rosy!

Have you seen the virtual tour I recently recorded of our new Pastoral Center and Knight Hall? I hope you have—not because I’m in it, but because it is really great to see what’s going on inside that construction site we drive by so often. The project is moving along nicely!

Of course, we have a lot of preparation to do before the building opens; and once it opens, access to the building and promotion of the building will need to be managed. For these tasks (as well as many others), I have brought Rosy Stock on staff to be our Parish Services Manager. She will help with scheduling as well as adherence to the policies and procedures and the philosophy of use that will govern access to the building.

You will be hearing more from Rosy as she gathers information from you (especially the ministry leaders) and keeps you informed on what you will need to know as we move into the new building. We are working as fast and as hard as we can to develop policies and procedures that are equitable and that will hold us all to the highest level of stewardship over this great blessing God has given us. Please join me in welcoming Rosy to her new role. You may contact her at 949-429-2888 or rstock@stedward.com.

Gratefully yours,

Full of Grace

When the Angel Gabriel spoke to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation, the angel greeted her with the words, “Hail, full of grace.” When we repeat these words in one of our best-known Catholic prayers, we add her name: “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” The fact that the angel did not use her name does not diminish the greeting given to Mary; it simply shows us the key to her identity: she was filled with the life and love of God.

The Easter Season gives special emphasis to the reality of our Baptism, since it is the cornerstone of our identity as Christians. In Baptism the life and love of God enters us in a particularly strong way, making us “full of grace.” As Christians, we have a special relationship with God and also with everyone who shares the life of grace. This includes a special relationship with the Virgin Mary.

Are we still full of grace? Well, we are not perfect. We do our best to cultivate the life of grace God gives us. As we do so, it is only right that we look to Mary, who is the Mother of all Christians. The month of May is especially dedicated to her, so this is a good time to remind ourselves that the Mother of Christ is our mother as well. She looks out for us and prays to her Son with us and for us. Pray an extra “Hail Mary” every now and then during this month as a powerful expression of faith that our holy Mother prays for us “now and at the hour of our death.”

Gratefully yours,

The Fifty Day Feast

Saint Athanasius, one of the great Fathers of the early Church, said, “The fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday.’”

It is important that we continue to celebrate the joy, the peace, and the hope that Easter brings. Unfortunately, reminders of Easter in the secular world do not last long.

There are no more Easter greeting cards or decorations in the stores, and Easter does not have familiar “carols” associated with it in our secular culture, as Christmas does. How, then, do we continue the celebration?

The most important way we continue it is with our faithful participation in the Mass. Every time we participate in the Mass, we encounter the Risen Lord just as really and truly as the first Christians did in the gospel readings we hear during this season. By bringing our heart and soul completely with us to the Mass, we continue the Easter experience.

Another way to continue the Easter celebration is by being messengers of hope to those around us. Easter is the final victory of God over sin and death; we have nothing to fear if we are united with him. Let’s spread this awesome news and tremendous hope to everyone we meet.

Alleluia!

Gratefully yours,