Deacon Ward's Message of the Day 7/22/2020

Deacon Ward's Almost Daily Message

Wednesday July 22, 2020

Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene 

From a homily on the Gospels by Gregory the Great, pope
(Hom. 25, 1-2, 4-5:PL 76, 1189-1193)

She longed for Christ, though she thought he had been taken away

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: The disciples went back home, and it adds: but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.

We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

At first she sought but did not find, but when she persevered it happened that she found what she was looking for. When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires. Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a great love. As David says: My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? And so also in the Song of Songs the Church says: I was wounded by love; and again: My soul is melted with love.

Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened; for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.Jesus says to her: Mary. Jesus is not recognized when he calls her “woman”; so he calls her by name, as though he were saying: Recognize me as I recognize you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself. And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognizes who is speaking. She immediately calls him rabboni, that is to say, teacher, because the one whom she sought outwardly was the one who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.


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Today, let us pray for those souls of our parish who have recently died, and for their grieving families:

Anna Sanville
Sallie Lemieux
Jean Paul
Richard Del Favero

May God gather them into His Loving arms.

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Prayer for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and the religious life....🙏

Today, we pray for Frs. Timothy Naples, Denniskingsley Nwagwu, and Vincent Odoemenam of our diocese …and also for 
Deacons Ivan Hawke, Chris Kehough and Joe Lane.

“Eternal Father, we lift up to you these and all the priests and deacons of the world.

Sanctify them, heal and guide them.

Mold them into the likeness and holiness

of your Son, Jesus, the Eternal High Priest.

May their lives be pleasing to you. In Jesus' name, we pray."  Amen.🙏

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You are invited to join Eric and Vela Bouchard

in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Saturday through Thursday at 3:00 PM 

and Friday's at 4:30 PM.

To join, go to the Mater Dei website 

and click on the Divine Mercy photo.

Information on joining (ID and Password) 

will be provided.

(materdeivermont.com)

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Don't forget our Parish Food Shelf!

Your contributions of

non-perishable food is needed!
This week's most needed items are:

******Soups and Peanut Butter******

Thank you for your generosity! 

Food Shelf Open Thursdays from 

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

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For Reflection

"The world, which has suddenly become civilized and timid, has found nothing else to set against the brutal renaissance of barbarism but smiles and concessions. 

The spirit of surrender is a sickness of the will among wealthy peoples. There is a permanent state of soul in those who have abandoned themselves to the pursuit of prosperity at any price, those for whom material well-being has become the purpose of their life on earth. 

These men...and there are many of them in the world today... have chosen passivity and retreat so as to prolong their everyday pleasure a little, so as to elude tomorrow's difficulty.

The price of cowardice is always evil.

We will win the victory only if we have the courage to make sacrifices."

(Robert Cardinal Sarah: The Day is NowFar Spent)

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A Final Thought

In our secular society and culture we are taught  that sufficient amounts of  wealth, pleasure, power...or honor will make us happy.

So how can we counter this?

Who will speak to this culture of the beauty of God?

Who will turn our thinking around...that our lives are not about us?

Who will break open the words of the Gospel?

Who will honor the banquet table of  Christ's Body and Blood?

Pray for vocations to the priesthood!

🌹🌹Until next time...In His Peace.   Deacon Ward🌹🌹  

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