What comes to mind when you think of Memorial Day? A picnic at the park? Hamburgers on the grill? The unofficial first day of summer? These things are all good in and of themselves, but what we should recall and honor on Memorial Day is heroic sacrifice. This weekend we acknowledge those individuals who selflessly gave of themselves, even to the point of death, for a purpose they believed was greater than what they surrendered. Since the days following the end of the Civil War, Americans have gathered in late May to honor those who died in military service to their country. In the spirit of the day, we can and should also recall, honor, and pray for all those we know who have lived lives of service and sacrifice for the good of others.

Let’s take a look at the idea of sacrifice for a moment. One definition of sacrifice is “the destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else.” Sacrifice thus often involves giving up one good for a higher good. Examples of sacrifice would thus include a parent who gives up their free time to spend with a child, or an individual who ministers to the sick or elderly, or the service men or women who risk their lives for our freedom. If we only open our eyes, life is full of opportunities for service and sacrifice.

So, given all of this, is there a way we as Catholics can tie this weekend’s secular holiday to matters of faith? I think so. We need look no further than the life of our Lord: He’s the perfect example of sacrifice. He lived the definition of this word as He always “surrendered some good for the sake of a greater good.” True sacrifice is always at the service of life. We learn this from Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice and remained faithful through His passion, death, and resurrection surrendering His life for our sake. Jesus’ greater purpose for His sacrifice was our well-being – that we might have life and have it abundantly.

This Memorial Day, as we remember all who have served and sacrificed on our behalf, let’s not forget Jesus’ heroic sacrifice – His willingness to give up His life for us and the lessons we can learn from that perfect example of self-surrender.

May God grant you His peace, His grace, His light and His most holy consolation!

Deacon Steve

Can you sense something different these days?  Not different as in the weather is getting warmer or the grass needs mowed three times a week.  I mean, truly different. People are different. The world is different. It seems like at every turn our Catholic worldview is getting challenged and being compromised. Challenged by indifference, skewed ideas of right and wrong, false prophets, destructive trends, and influencers. It seems like the evil one is working overtime. Yet, Jesus’ Word breaks into the very mess we find ourselves to offer us a reality check and hope. 
What difference does it make? You believe what you believe, and I will believe what I believe. Sound familiar?  We are living in a relativistic age. The world has the dominant hand in convincing us everything we need to do to fit its mold. But Catholics who are striving to live faithfully, need to march to the beat of a different drum. G.K. Chesterton said, “He who marries the spirit of the times will soon find himself a widower.” It is hard to make our way through the world when it constantly pressures us to conform. It is easy to fall “asleep” by getting caught up in the worries of appeasing the crowd, the anxiety over our next career move, and the burdens of family life; but we fail to remember to contemplate where we will spend eternity. 
1 Thessalonians 4:14-20 clearly tells us that the Lord will return at any time; and it seems like we are living in that moment today. Paul reminds the community to stay awake and alive.  How do we do that?  By praying, studying the Word of God and the lives of the saints, leading people to Christ, pursuing Truth, living the sacraments (especially reconciliation, where we are made new again through the mercy of the Lord), etc.  We cannot be like the rest of the world if we expect to change it. 
We were purchased by a pearl of great price. Let us be renewed in spirit by the Lord’s words from John in our Gospel today, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” Jesus reassures us that if we stay close to Him, we have nothing to fear, in fact, the very opposite will be true. If we love Him and follow His ways rather than the world’s ways, we will have peace, joy, freedom, and ultimately go on to live with Him eternally. That, my friends, is greater than anything the world could ever offer! 
In Christ’s peace,
Steven Dyer

Dear Friends,
During our Lady’s month of May, I came across a letter from the Avila News, May/June 2022 Edition. I feel that everyone needs this message now more than ever.
Father Dave

“God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart!”

The above words were given to the three children during the Fatima apparitions. The month of May brings to mind the Heart of the Blessed Mother and keeps us focused on Mary, our Mother, and Queen of Peace. We pray the Rosary with great fervor which is more needed today than ever. We pray with great devotion to Blessed Mother and remember her as the Queen of Heaven as we place crowns of flowers on her images to show our love and to ask her motherly intercession for all our needs. It is also important that we renew our consecration to our Blessed Mother daily; and if we have never made a consecration, I suggest reading True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis De Montfort. St. Louis prophesied in his book that “True Devotion to Mary” would be the way of life adopted by the great saints of the latter times. It is also important to recall the apparitions in Fatima and take seriously Blessed Mother’s requests. In these times in which we are living, with all that is going on in our nation and in the world, there is an urgency to know what Our Lady requested and to do what she asks of us.
During the Fatima apparition, on June 13, 1917, Our Lady revealed an important part of God’s plan for salvation and peace—devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Our Blessed Mother told Lucia that she would take the three visionaries to Heaven—Francisco and Jacinta soon. “But you are to stay here some time longer. Jesus wishes to make use of you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” Lucia was her apostle for the spread of this devotion for many years.
In July 1917, Our Lady told them: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace…but if people do not cease offending God, a worse war will break out…To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the communion of reparation on the First Saturdays.” Our Blessed Mother also requested that we stop offending Jesus, pray the Rosary every day, offer sacrifices and suffering for ourselves and for sinners, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and to make reparation on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. We are requested to go to confession, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and meditate for fifteen minutes on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.
Today God is being greatly offended by our own personal sins and the sins of our nation. The hour is late, we are living in a time of purification and chastisement. We all need to repent of our sins and pray for our country, and for the whole world to repent for all the ways we have and are offending God. The hour is late, but if we do what Mary has asked perhaps the chastisement and purification will be lessened or shortened.  Our Blessed Mother has been warning us for years, and most of us have not listened to her requests nor have we heeded them.
As you all know, Pope Francis consecrated Russia and Ukraine to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and called us to repentance. Now let us also do our part. Let’s heed our Blessed Mother’s request at Fatima and pray the Rosary daily, wear our scapulars, daily renew our consecration, and spread devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Most importantly, Our Lady is asking us to live in a spirit of reparation to atone for the sins committed against her Immaculate Heart: setting aside, for this purpose, the first Saturday of the month. God wants us so much to make acts of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that to those who embrace this practice He makes two promises: peace in the world and the salvation of souls. The First Saturday Devotion is urgent in order to obtain peace and to stop wars.
It is never too late, but we must listen to our Lady and obey her requests. As Avila’s, let’s pray for one another that we will be faithful to praying our Rosary and to make reparation as our Lady requested. Let’s also increase our prayers for priests, seminarians, and religious asking our Lady to keep them safe in the refuge of her Immaculate Heart and strengthen them to persevere, to speak truth and to have devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and spread that devotion to others. Blessed Mother assures us that in the end her Immaculate Heart will Triumph!

Peace in Jesus and Mary,

Marlyn Tunnell

Here is a true story of a mom and dad learning an especially important spiritual lesson from their baby son:
One day dad called to his little son, “Come to Daddy!” Mom and dad both watched as the little one made a gallant effort to crawl as quickly as he could on the slick wooden floor. Seeing her son’s struggle, mom ran to the boy’s side, scooped him up, and raced over to dad, dropping him into his father’s waiting arms. As mom and dad laughed together, they suddenly looked at each other and, reading each other’s mind, they said in unison, “Mary!” Up to that time mom had not understood why her Catholic friends would say that the Blessed Mother was the quickest way to get to the Father through the Son; mom had just acted out physically what Mary does for us spiritually. Mary, our Mother, helps us in our struggle to reach the Father as well as with all the trials we face on the journey.
We all have something in common – we all had a biological mother. Some were what could be considered the ideal mom while others, for whatever reason, didn’t quite meet that standard. But on this Mother’s Day let’s reflect on the fact that we all have something else in common – as Christians we share the ideal Spiritual mom – our Blessed Mother. Jesus makes this clear as He spoke to Mary and John from the cross, “When Jesus saw His mother and disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’”
Let’s face it, life at times is a struggle, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And in all these times we need someone who is ready, willing, and able to scoop us up and help us on our journey. Our Blessed Mother is there for us, aware of our trials. So today, on this Mother’s Day, let’s honor Mary, Mother of Christ, Mary, Mother of the Church, Mary, Mother of Divine grace, and our mother too, in some special way giving thanks for all she does for us.

May Jesus with Mary always be in the midst of your hearts!

Deacon Steve