Follow the link below for family activities based on the Sunday Scriptures.

Children today need positive role models more than ever. Saint stories for kids are a great way to introduce children to positive role models and inspiration stories on our Saint Stories for Kids page.

May 2nd 2010 was the day;

We had several of St. Edward youth gather for “Things beginning with ‘M’” spring meeting.  Tony, Val, Hanna, Logan, Ryan & Dominic participated.

We started the meeting by taking part in the May Crowning ceremony.

Afterwards we went to Room ‘B’ for pizza and some discussion of the May events: Mother’s Day, May Crowning, May Pole, Messiah, Mary & Marriage.

To wrap up the meeting we all made wrist rosary with beads and stretchy string (or ribbon).  The youth enjoyed the challenge and fun of beading and ended up with a great gift to give to their own mother next weekend – made by their own hands.  Domonic found that he has some latent skill in jewerly making and Tony finally found something he wasn’t so good at (his words, not mine).

Check out pictures from the May Crowning and the Meeting in the slide show below or view them on Picasa by clicking here.

Holy Week begins with the sixth Sunday in Lent known as Palm Sunday. This Sunday observes the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that was marked by the crowds who were in Jerusalem for Passover waving palm branches and proclaiming him as the messianic king. The Gospels tell us that Jesus rode into the city on a donkey, enacting the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, and in so doing emphasized the humility that was to characterize the Kingdom he proclaimed. The irony of his acceptance as the new Davidic King (Mark 11:10) by the crowds who would only five days later cry for his execution should be a sobering reminder of the human tendency to want God on our own terms.

This Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday to commemorate the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross.

There are a variety of events that are clustered on Holy Thursday – this last day before Jesus was arrested that are commemorated in various ways in services of worship. These include the last meal together, which was probably a Passover meal, the institution of Eucharist or Communion, the betrayal by Judas (because of the exchange with Jesus at the meal), and Jesus praying in Gethsemane while the disciples fell asleep. Most liturgies, however, focus on the meal and communion as a way to commemorate this day.

Friday of Holy Week has been traditionally been called Good Friday. On this day, the church commemorates Jesus’ arrest (since by Jewish customs of counting days from sundown to sundown it was already Friday), his trial, crucifixion and suffering, death, and burial. Since services on this day are to observe Jesus’ death, and since Eucharist is a celebration, there is traditionally no Communion observed on Good Friday.

From the earliest days of the church, the Easter Vigil was primarily a means of preparing new converts for baptism into the Christian Faith, which was normally done on Easter Sunday as the focal point of the entire year. This preparation traditionally arises from a set of Scripture readings from the Old Testament that recounts the unfolding of God’s creation of a people in the Exodus, and a promise of restoration from Zephaniah (see Readings for the Easter Vigil). Following the lead of the Gospels themselves, this provides a crucial link between the revelation of God in Christ and the creation of the church with God’s past revelation of himself and the creation of his people Israel. This important emphasis on the continuity of the church with the Old Testament’s witness to God also helps define the nature of the church and its mission in the world, thoroughly grounding it in the ongoing work of God in history.

Click here to access our Holy Week Liturgical Ministers Schedule Holy Week Liturgical Ministers Schedule

We were privileged to have Fr James Walker as our second speaker in our Lenten series on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 .  Fr Walker’s presentation focused on Living Well the Word. Father offered us the invitation to be transformed by Living God’s Word daily.  Some people study the Bible. They can tell you chapter and verse, the literary structure, the historical background. But they cannot seem to understand that God deeply desires to be in relationship with us. These people read the Word with their mind but not with their heart.

We are called to hear the Scriptures with both mind and heart, to be transformed by God’s Word. One way to be transformed by God’s Word is to allow the community of faith to guide us. A reputable Bible study group, the Sunday homily, sharing the Word with a friend are but a few of the ways to hear God’s Word with our hearts and be transformed.

The true test to hearing God’s Word is how we are living. Living well in response to God’s Word means that what we allow what we hear in Scripture to guide every dimension of our lives.

Fr Walker invited us to hear God in the messy diapers, in our jobs, in our households, in our finances, in our friendships. God’s Word is present in all of life.

So the question I ask today: How do I live well through hearing God’s Word? How do I read the Scriptures with my heart?

As Lent progresses you surely noticed our church banners with several KNOTS on each one. The question for our Lenten reflection has been: WHAT WITHIN ME IS KNOTTED UP? Have you considered this question? Can you list your “knotted up” places? Have you been able to loosen any knots?

Free yourself to be more open and receptive as you walk with Jesus toward Holy Week.  Consider this reflection in your prayer in the days ahead. Be challenged to sit with Jesus asking him to open your heart to the challenge of CHANGE. Ask him to accompany you as you continue your Lenten journey.

Today is Ash Wednesday, but many people (including many Catholics) are not sure why it is that we march into church and stand in line to have someone else rub dirt on our foreheads.  Why do you do it? I mean that question seriously.  Why do you participate in this ancient rite of ashes on the forehead?

I firmly believe and understand (for myself) that each of us needs to look at these church rites and come to a personal meaning of them for us, in our day and time.  So, one more time, why is it that you come to mass on this Wednesday, 40 days before Good Friday, and submit to having ashes rubbed onto your forehead?

As you pray about why you do this, let me give you some reference to consider.  In a land and time of false gods (materialism, vanity, TV, sports idols) do you consider it important to have some symbols of what you truly believe in?  I assume that you have symbols of other aspects of your life around you, like your cell phone, movie posters, jewelry, sports team hats or jerseys.  What do keep around that helps you reflect on your faith.  Ashes?

One symbol of faith in Christ that many Christians have with them is a cross.  The cross is used to remind you of the saving act of God for humanity and displaying it shows others you are a believer.  In a similar way, making the “sign of the cross” on yourself is a remembrance of the same saving act of Christ.

What do ashes remind you of?  In the time of the bible ashes were a symbol of mourning and penance.  In the strict sense of the word, repent (penance) means to “turn-around” and go in a different way.  Ashes therefore represented to people the grief of doing wrong and the desire to turn-around in life.  Ashes also symbolize that we are mortal, and as such, we will ultimately return to the Earth (dust) from which God created us and our spirit will (hopefully) be joined with God in Heaven.

I hope this helps you to reflect, consider and pray about the direction of your life, and also to make this wonderful tradition of accepting ashes on your forehead as an outward sign of your repentance from sin and belief in a saving Christ.

The three bowls displayed in the center aisle  serve as a reminder of our Lenten Discipline.

One bowl will be filled with sand from which some incense will burn before Mass.  This incense reminds us of our call to fervant prayer in this season.

One bowl will contain fragments of bread to remind us to fast and abstain. Remember, there are many ways for us to fast.

The third bowl will hold some coins and dollars, images of our charitable giving to support the needs of the poor.

May we support one another in our Lenten journey of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

What within me is knotted up?  What do I need to do to be freed? Pray with Jesus about this….Ask Him to loosen all that restrains you in your daily living. You may wish to take these concerns to the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this season of Lent.

Let the symbols of the knots in our Lenten environment remind you of this task that offers you freedom and new life in this Lenten time.

With the Church’s observance of Ash Wednesday 17 February 2010, Lent begins.  This holy season is a time to rediscover the Lord and live like Him more consciously.  In these forty days, marked by traditional penitential practices, we are challenged to turn away from sin.  We are called to commit ourselves anew to live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Turning from sin and toward the Lord is the best preparation for Easter’s joy.

For Catholics, the spiritual renewal we undertake in Lent has numerous forms.  Acts of charity and alms-giving help us to become more mindful of providing for the poor all through the year.  The reception of the Sacrament of Penance offers us the Lord’s forgiveness, which is always available to us through God’s grace.  Reading Sacred Scripture opens us to hear the Word of God more deeply.  Praying the Stations of the Cross reminds us of Christ’s supreme sacrifice for us and of the importance of sacrificing for others ourselves.  Time-honored practices of fasting and abstinence bring us closer to the Lord who Himself often fasted and prayed.

When many of us were children, we might remember our giving up candy for Lent. And, it seemed like a real sacrifice. As we grew up, it was often more difficult to decide what special thing to do, to make Lent a special season – to get our attention and to prepare ourselves for deeper sacrifices.

What would help me grow in freedom? That’s the question to ask. For some of us, it could be, committing ourselves to give up judging others, every single day of Lent. For others, it could be giving up a bad habit we’ve developed. For many of us, the choice may not be to give something up, but to add something to our daily living during Lent. We may commit ourselves to extra prayer time. We may decide to do some service for the poor. We may choose to increase our alms-giving-perhaps related to something we choose not to do- not going out to eat and giving that money to a charity that feeds the hungry.

Whether it is fasting, abstaining or other acts of penance, the whole desire we should have is to use these means to help us grow closer to our Lord and prepare ourselves to celebrate the paschal mystery with hearts and minds renewed.