THE MARIAN
Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
A History of Mother's Day
by Holly Hildebrand
Houston Chronicle Interactive
The first celebrations in honor of mothers were held
in hte spring in ancient Greece. They paid tribute to Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
During the 17th century, England honored mothers on "Mothering Sunday," celebrated
on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
In the United States, Julia Ward
Howe suggested the idea of Mother's Day in 1872. Howe, who wrote the words to
the Battle Hymn of Republic, saw Mother's Day as being dedicated to peace.
Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia is credited
with bringing about the official observance of Mother's Day. Her campaign to establish
such a holiday began as a remembrance of her mother, who died in 1905 and who had, in
the late 19th century, tried to establish "Mother's Friendship Days" as a way to
heal the scars of the Civil War.
Two years after her mother died, Jarvis
held a ceremony in Grafton, West Virginia, to honor her. She was so moved by the
proceedings to adopt a formal holiday honoring mothers. In 1910, West Virginia became
the first state to recognize Mother's Day. A year later, nearly every state officially
marked the day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson offically proclaimed Mother's Day
as a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.
But Jarvis' accomplishment soon
turned bitter for her. Enraged by the commercialization of the holiday, she filed a
lawsuit to stop a 1923 Mother's Day festival and was even arrested for disturbing
the peace at a war mothers' convention where women sold white carnations -- Jarvis'
symbol for mothers -- to raise money. "This is not what I intended," Jarvis said.
"I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!"
When she died in 1948, at age 84,
Jarvis had become a woman of great ironies. Never a mother herself, her maternal
fortune dissipated by her efforts to stop the commercialization of the holiday
she had founded, Jarvis told a reporter shortly before her death that she was sorry
she had ever started Mother's Day. She spoke these words in a nursing home where every
Mother's Day her room had been filled with cards from all over the world.
Today, because and despite Jarvis'
efforts, many celebrations of Mother's Days are held throughout the world. Although
they do not all fall at the same time, such countries as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey,
Australia and Belgium also celebrate Mother's Day on the same day as the United States.
"A Mother's Love"
A mother's love is something that no one can explain,It is made of deep devotion, of sacrifice and pain.
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may,
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away.
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falter, even though the heart is breaking.
It believes beyond believing, when the world condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems.
It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,
But it's something that's accepted by each and every nation.
A many splendored miracle, man cannot understand,
And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.
-Helen Steiner Rice
WHAT'S HAPPENING PADRE?
After a weekday LENTEN Mass, the mother
of a young adult age parishioner said tha after reading the last Marian, she had
spoken to her sons about becoming a priest. They expressed some interest in an ordained ministry, but felt
a preference to follow it maybe as Episcopal Priest, who are allowed to marry. I then asked her
if either of her sons were aware of the diaconate? She said she did not think so.The Permanent Deacon is a man who may
marry and have children, gainfully employed, and is actively engaged in a parish ministry. This
person must fee "called" by God to serve the Lord through the Church as a deacon. His
wife's full consent and cooperation is mandatory, since his primary vocation in life is
to wife and family. The Catholic Church, through the Office of the Bishop, has to
recognize the call before he can be ordained a deacon. The deacon may serve in the
Church, as a chaplain in a hospital, jail, or prison, or in an institution of higher
learning, such as a campus minister. (To my knowledge this is not the present practice
in our Diocese, but may be possible.) During the liturgy the deacon reads the Gospel
each Sunday, and preaches when assigned by the pastor.The local pastor is the supervisor of the
deacon, although the deacon is ordained by the bishop, and promises the bishop
obedience and respect. The local pastor signs his pay check and does his annual evaluation, as
the pastor does for the rest of the staff under his direction. If the deacon serves
in an institution, whoever is his supervisor evaluates him.What about other liturgical duties of the deacon?
The deacon preaches during the liturgies, as well as baptizes, witnesses marriages, and conducts
the Funeral liturgies. The deacon could conduct the wake service and the interment. The
Church allows this to be done by lay leaders in the community. The deacon does not have the
authority to hear confessions and give absolution, or annoit the sick and dying. He may, however,
distribute the communion to the sick and dying, as the Eucharistic ministers are currently
doing. (May God bless our Ministers of Communion. They are indispenable gifts to the
parish, the pastor, and the sick and dying.)There are dioceses where the bishop names
deacons as Pastoral Coordinators, or the Pastoral leader of the parish. The Church does not allow for
anyone who is not a priest to be named pastor. However, the current code makes
allowances for layled parishes.I could envision, in our Diocese,
Pastoral Coordinators who are deacons. I could even picture a deacon or two in our parish. The
ministerial possibilites are endless, for example, he could minister in the local
correctional facilities, and maybe even Norfolk State University, as Campus Minister.I could envision, in the
not-too-distant future, the next rector if the Basilica as an African American deacon, serving
with a non-Aftican Amercian priest. I do not think that this is too-far fetched an idea.I think the current lay-leadership and the
parishioners should prayerfullt discern, and discuss publicly the focus of our parish as we
draw closer to the millennium. Maybe this could be part of the next transitional preparation
for the new priest of June 2000.As we all know, there are much more ministry
and outreach into the community that could be done, and we do not have to wait for a
deacon to do it. The multi talented parishioners, we have in the Basilica, could all do
more to make our Church more meaningful to the wider-community.There are many possibilities of serving
in our Catholic Church. The diaconate is one way Lay women do not have to be religious to
enjoy a full-time ministry in the Church. Frequently laity are getting degrees in theology. So while
we hear clergy shortage, there is not a shortage in lay ministers. Women and men are
pastorally inviting back the fallen-by-the-wayside sisters and brothers, who are
unknown by the priest and staff, to come back home to the Catholic Church. If there is no one
thing we all know from the Second Vatican Council, it is that all men and women are called
to holiness. We are all the Church, so let's not just "have Church" on Sundays, but
"be Church" on Monday through Saturday. If we do our part, they will come in droves.At a recent funeral, a visiting Catholic priest
reminded me of a national statistic. He said that there are more than nineteen million fallen
away Catholics in the U.S. today. He said, "for God sake, let them join other churches,
we can barely serve our current churches!" By we, he meant the current parish staffs that are
overworked and underpaid. He is right. Our Churches are too big, but, if more
parishioners view themselves as ministers of the Gospel, and not "recipients of" ministry
from priests and other lay ministers, we could probably absorb the nineteen million back
and take on nineteen million more.Pray that the Harvest Master sends more
laborers into the Harvest, for the harvest is great, but the laborers are few!
The Padre
Bring Him To You Lord
Bring him to you, Lord, I pray every day, that you will him to find the way.Why did he stray? I cannot say,
I only know that he's cruel every day.
He full or rage, like a whiped animal in a cage.
Drugs have taken control; please, don't let him lose his soul.
Drugs have made him steal; please don't let him kill;
Drugs have made him lie, touch his heart, and make him cry.
His heart is like stone; make the devil leave hime alone.
He lies awake at night, always ready to fight
Never caring to be fair, always eager to take a dare.
He has no respect for authority; he's in and out of jail,
Never rehabilitated, but always elated to start the con again.
Soften his heart,Lord, and teach my boy how to pray
For only if you bring him to you, Lord, will he find a better way!
What Have I Done for Thee ...
You died for me to set me free,What have I done for Thee?
Do I praise You, thank You,
or share Your teachings with others?
Do I take You my problems,
And trust You to solve them,
Or do I come to You in sorrow,
And worry about tomorrow?
Do I fast and pray, trusting You,
To guide me in every word I say,
Or do I do it my way and ruin each day?
Do I remember the sick and shut-in,
Knowing they, too, need a friend?
Do I share with the homeless?
Or do I neglect to
Think "we", just always "me," "me?"
Do I welcome that stranger into my home,
Or do I leave him on the street to roam?
What have I done for Thee, the One who died for me?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS
Happy Birthday JesusI'm so grateful that you came
If I don't follow your teachings,
I have no one else to blame.
You represent the kind of love
That could only come from above.
Oh, how truly blessed I am
To have your spirit all around.
You give me such peace,
My anger, I've released
Love has taken its place
And I'm blessed with such grace
Happy Birthday, Jesus
Again and again,
For I will always be thankful
To have you as my friend.
|
1998 Northern District Junior Conference We are planning to make a commemorative Souvenir Book available to make this occasion. Please support our organization and our Juniors by purchasing an Advertisement, a Sponsor Listing or a Patron's Listing. Your Ad or Listing in our Souvenir Book will be most appreciated. Prices are as follows:
Should you desire to purchase an Ad or Listing, please contact Ms. Nneka Okala at 549-2215 or Mr. Vernon Wise at 626-1869. |
"Why Pray to Mary?"
by Father Peter Grace,C.P.
Why do we honor the Blessed virgin Mary?
Because of Jesus. If we love him, then we love the people who are special to Him. Certainly Mary
has first place in Jesus' heart. She gave Jesus his human life, his flesh and blood. She
nurtured and cared for him his entire life. She cradled him as a little baby in her
arms. She tenderly held his lifeless body after it was taken down from the
cross on Calvary. We love and honor our parents,
grandparents, and relatives who mean a lot to us. Even after their death their
memory and love live on in our lives. It's the same with Mary. Because of her special place
in God's plan for us we owe her honor and respect. Whenever we honor Mary, all we
are doing is acknowledging the honor given to Mary by God and His Son Jesus. The
rosary is just one way that Christians show their love and devotion to Jesus' mother.What is the rosary? The rosary is a
method of prayer that combines mental prayer and vocal prayer. It is a way of praying whether
alone or together with others.The rosary focuses on events in the lives
of Jesus and his mother Mary. We refer to these events as "mysteries."
The rosary begins with Introductory prayers that include the Apostle's creed, the Lord's prayer, three "Hail Marys" and a "Glory be to the Father."
The main part of the rosary involves
meditation on the mysteries of Christ's life and, at the same time, the recitation
of five decades of Hail Marys. Each decade of Hail marys begins with the Lord's Prayer and
ends with the prayer "Glory be to the Father."The Concluding Prayers of the rosary are the
"Hail Holy Queen" and a prayer honoring Mary.There are three sets of mysteries
(Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious) for meditation during the rosary. These mysteries
call to mind various events in the life of Christ and the church. Each set of mysteries
includes five different events for meditation. The events are taken from the
stories in the Bible and from church teaching.The Joyful mysteries are
(1) the Annunciation to Mary that she was to be the mother of Christ, (2) her visit
to her cousing Elizabeth, (3) the birth of Jesus, (4) the presentationof Jesus in
the temple, and (5) the finding of Jesus in the temple. The Joyful Musteries follow
the outline of the Gospel of Luke from Chapter 1, verse 26 to the end of Chapter 2,
verse 52.The Sorrowful mysteries are
(1) Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane, (2) his scourging at the pillar, (3)
his crowning with thorns, (4) his carrying the cross, and (5) his crucifixion.
The Sorrowful mysteries follow the events in the Gospel of Mark from Chapter 14,
verse 32 to the end of Chapter 15, verse 47.The Glorious mysteries are the
(1) resurrection of Jesus, (2) His Ascension into heaven, (3) the coming of the
Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, (4) the Assumption of MAry into heaven, and (5)
Mary's crowning as Queen in Heaven. The glorious mysteries follow the events
in the gospel of John (Chapters 20, 21) and the Acts of the Apostles (Chapters
1 & 2).The mysteries of Mary's assumption into
heaven and her crowning as queen are conclusions drawn from the Church's reflection
on Jesus' promise that "Those who believe in me, even though the die, will live, and
everyone who lives and belives in me will never dies." (John 11:25-25) The church
believes that Jesus' mother Mary has a very special place with her Son in heaven. The book
of Revelations describes Mary's place in heaven when it speaks of "a women clothed with
the sun, with the moon unde her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (Rev. 11, 19)Rosary beads make it easy for a
person to count the different prayers with distraction. The practice of praying the
rosary with beads dates back to the 12th century. The first "Hail-Mary" comes from
the Gospel of Luke which records the angel Gabriel saying, "Rejoice, so highly favored!
The Lord is with you," (Luke 1:28) The Gospel then speaks of Mary's cousin
"Elizabeth who was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are
yo among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1:42)Jesus Christ, who is the blessed fruit
of the womb of Mary, is always the center of Catholic faith and devotion. Yet, near
to Jesus' heart, and consequently, close to the heart of every Christian, is Jesus'
mother Mary. When we honor Mary we are only respecting what God did when He invited
Mary to be the mother of His Son. The Son of God could not have "become flesh and lived among
us" (John 1:14) without the faith, hope and love of Mary who said yes to God's plan: May it be done to
me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)So important is Mary's role in God's
plan of salvation that back in 431, Church leaders meeting at Ephesus taught that
Mary can and must be called "Mother of God." She is not the source of Christ's divinity
but because Jesus is also truly human, Mary deserved the title, "Mother of God."Jesus Christ, the son of God, is
alone the savior of the world. Mary's awesome privilege is that she gave birth to this
Jesus. So, it makes sense for anyone who confesses that Jesus is his or her Lord
and Savior to also show honor and respect for Mary's privileged place in Jesus' life.The Bible indicates that Jesus wanted his
mother to have a special place in the life of his disciples. While dying on the
Cross, Jesus entrusted his motehr to the care of his disciple: "When Jesus saw his mother
and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, hee is your son."
Then he said the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple
took her into his own home." (John 19:26-27) Jesus couldn't have said it any clearer.
To the disciple whom Jesus loves he says, "Here is your mother!"We also know from the Bible that
Jesus listens to his mother's request. At a wedding in Cana, Mary let Jesus know,
"They have no wine." Jesus' very first miracle was to change water into wine -
at his mother's request. Why didn't the bride or groom at Cana
go directly to Jesus and ask Him to do something about their predicament? We often
turn to our friends in time of need. We ask them to pray for us not because we
expect them to cure us or perform some miracle. We turn to them hoping that their
prayers will give us encouragment and strength to accept God's will. We ask others to
join us in prayer because Jesus promised, "If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask,
it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)God has put us on earth to help other
in a variety of ways and prayer is no exception to the rule. St Paul wrote to his
friends in Rome. "I appeal to you, brothers and sister, by our Lord Jesus Christ
and by the love of the Sprit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf. (Romans 15:30)
Compliments of Legion of Mary
Barbara Walker
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HOLY WATERHoly water is a sacramental that
has been blessed by a priest, involving God's blessing on all who use it. Blessed
water is a symbol of spiritual cleansing, used for prayer both private and liturgical,
in a church setting or at home. Holy water is placed in fonts and in small containers
at the entrances of a church recalling the waters of Baptism. It is the common practice
for Roman Catholics upon entering to dip their fingers in the water and to
reverently make the sign of the Cross. Holy water is sprinkled in blessing of
both people and objects. The term holy water refers to water originally blessed at the Easter Vigil for the baptism of catechumens and infants that night. The blessed "Easter water" is kept throughout the Easter season and is used at the Rite of Blessing and sprinkling with holy water at Sunday Mass or for baptism celebrated during this season. In the formal rites for baptism, this blessed water was kept in the baptistry for any baptism that took place from Easter to the following Holy Week. For symbolic and hygenic reasons, in the present Rite of Baptism (outside the Easter Season), water is blessed each time baptism is celebrated.
The important symbolism in using water for baptism is brought out in a striking way
in the blessing prayers in the baptismal ritual. The hygienic reason behind the
change is that the formal rite required the pouring of oils into the water and those
components often led to water that appeared or actually became rancid or stale,
as opposed to fresh and life-giving.
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Quotes Worth Quoting/ Doris L. Cooper
"HAPPY, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY""You my give without loving, but you cannot love without giving."
"Give your troubles to God; He will be up all night anyway."
"You are never so high as when you're on your knees."
"Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere."
"You can accomplish more in one hour with God than one lifetime without Him."
TEN THINGS GOD CAN'T DO
- God can't lie. (Hebrews 6:18)
- God can't be given a problem He can't solve. (Matthew 19:26)
- God can't leave you. (Genesis 28:15)
- God can't forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)
- God can't despise a contrite heart. (Psalm 51:17)
- God can't allow His people to be ashamed. (Joel 2:26)
- God can't give His glory to anyone else. (Isaiah 42:8)
- God can't sleep. (Psalm 121:4)
- God can't stop loving you. (Jeremiah 31:3)
- God can't go unnoticed. (Psalm 19:1)
(To be continued)
A Musical Moment/Doris L. Cooper
"Let The Lower Lower Lights Be Burning"
(Matthew 5:16)
It seems that one dark and
stormy night, when the waves rolled up like mountains and not a star could be
seen, a boat was rocking and reeling near the Cleveland harbor. The Captain, seeing
only light from he lighthouse asked, "Are you sure this is Cleveland?" "Quite sure, sir,"
replied the pilot. "Where are the lower lights?" "Gone out, sir!" "Can you make the
harbor?" "We must, or perish, sir."With a strong hand and a brave
heart, the old pilot turned the wheel, but, in the darkness he missed the channel, and
with a crash upon the rocks, the boat was destroyed and many lost their lives in the watery
grave. "Brethren," concluded Mr. Moody, "the Master will take care of the great
lighthouse; let us keep the lower lights burning."Brightly beams our Father's mercy,From His lighthouse evermore.But to us He give the keepingOf the lights along the shore.
(Researched: D.L. Cooper)
A Matter of Record/Doris L. Cooper
Women of Greatness
| NZINGAH: | Queen-Warrior, 1582-1663, Angola, Africa |
| ELLEN CRAFT: | Runaway Slave, 1826-1897, Clinton, Georgia |
| MARY CHURCH TERRELL: | Fighter for Women's Rights, 1863-1954 |
| ANY-JACQUES GARVEY: | Nationalist, 1896-1973, Jamaica, West Indes |
| ELLA BARKER: | Civil Rights Activist, 1903-1986, Norfolk, Virginia |
| LUCY CRAFT LANEY: | Educator, 1854-1933, Macon, Georgia |
| SEPTIMA POINSETTE CLARK: | Founder, Freedom Schools, 1898-1987 |
| PHILLIS WHEATLEY: | Poet, 1753-1784, Senegal, West Africa |
| AUGUSTA SAVAGE: | Fighter for Black Artists, 1900-1962, Florida |
| MARY LOU WILLIAMS: | 1st Lady of Jazz, 1910-1981, Atlanta Georgia |
PRAYER TO MARY
Composed by Pope John Paul II for the Marian Year
Mother of the Redeemer, [in this year dedicated to you,] with great joy we call you blessed.
In order to carry out His providential plan of salvation,
God the Father chose you before the creation of the world.
You believed in His love and obeyed His word.
The Son of God desired you for His Mother
when He became man to save the human race.
You received Him with ready obedience and undivided heart.
The Holy Spirit loved you as His mystical spouse
and He filled you with singular gifts.
You allowed yourself to be led
by His hidden and powerful action.
On the eve of the third Christian Millennium,
we entrust to you the church
which acknowledges you and invokes you as Mother.
On earth you preceded the Church in the pilgrimage of faith:
comfort her in her difficulties and trials,
and make her always the sign and instrument
of intimate union with God
and of the unity of the whole human race.
To you, Mother of Christians,
we entrust in a special way
the peoples who are celebrating
[during the Marian Year]
the sixth Centenary or the Millennium
of their acceptance of the Gospel.
Their long history is profoundly marked by devotion to you.
Turn toward them your loving glance;
give strength to those who are suffering for the faith.
To you, Mother of the human family and of the nations,
we confidently entrust the whole of humaninty,
with its hopes and fears.
Do not let it lack the light of true wisom.
Guide its steps in the ways of peace.
Enable all to meet Christ,
the Way and the Truth and the Life.
Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our journey of faith
and obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Mother of God and our Mother, Mary!
Congratulations!
The following individuals were received into the family of St. Mary's during the Easter vigil:
DaLvon McKeluin
Lauren Kimberly Davis
Christian Sterling Davis
Juan A. Johnson, Jr.
Tiphanie Michele Marshall
Akira Dacosta
Rodney Harris Greene
Timothy Andre Fobbs
Ronald Lee Harris
Mary Lee Dixon
The following teenagers were confirmed on Monday, May 4, 1998.
| Candace Adams | Tiffany McMiller |
| Stephen Brown | Andre Mebane |
| Antione Calabrese | Dana Perry |
| Anya Herbert | Erin Pretlow |
| Lhe Huggins | Patrick Stanilaus |
| Cerise Logan | Michael Vazquez |
| Noel Major | Keith Willis |
| Khara Willis |
We would like to express our appreciation for your kind donation that was received in our office recently. Through your contribution, many people will be helped through our emergency assistance programs which include food, shelter, clothing, prescriptions and other emergencies that may arise.
With so many people in our community in need, your contribution will help alleviate some of the pressures that they are experiencing. May God richly bless you for your support of The Salvation Army's many community sercive programs. Because of you, we can continue to help others.
Rick Miles, Captain
Tidewater Area Commander
The Salvation Army
A Summary of the World
If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look like this.
There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere (North and South), and 8 Africans.
51 would be female; 49 would be male.
70 would be non-white; 30 white.
70 would be non-Christian; 30 Christian.
50% of the entire world's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people and all 6 would be citizens of the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read.
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
Only 1 would have a college education.
No one would own a computer.
What Have I Done for Thee ...
| Attention High School Graduate! If you are a 1998 graduate, please contact the parish office (622-4487). The Annual Basilica of St. Mary's scholarship will be awarded on June 14, 1998 during the 9:00 a.m. mass. Persons interested in applying for the scholarship must meet the following requirements.
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May Birthdays
- Robert L. Richard
- Chinonye J. Eze, Raymond Stanislaus
- Charles Outlaw
- Donnel R. Cabarras, Willie Mae Moats, Joan Richards, Byron T. Trice
- Emma Mills
- Jamuel & Jason Gunn
- Sarah W. Hartsfield, DeShawn Maull, Kanika Minton, Brian Pretlow
- Oretha McInnis
- Juanita Comfort, Latosha Goode
- Karen Cobbs, Sonya Strider, L. Patrice Carlock
- Cisely Mills, John R. Ward, Sr., Fannie Jones
- Carrie B. Newby, Joan Williams, Helen Rainey, Mary Lucille Johnson
- Bernard D. Johnson, Keven H. Bailey, II, Lisa Lindsey
- Frances Wilson
- Mona T. Gunn, Kiera Oliver
- Cassidy Edwards
- Darnell Fulton
- John Sullivan
- William Scott
- Audrey McLean, Fredrick L. Johnson
- Charles T. Cabarras, III
- Winslow G. Bullock, Sr.
- Sylvie Schill, Lisa Marshall
Love
Love is simply God in your heart,Its nothing that has been bought-
Only something that's been taught,
By none other than Jesus, our Brother
Love rids us of all hate,
And we think of love as something great
Prejudice will never be a part of you,
When Jesus has taught you what to do.
With Love you are blessed with patience,
And you're ever, oh, so gracious,
Kindness is always seen in your face,
And you wouldn't want anything to take its place.
Love helps you to give of yourself,
And to want the best for everyone else.
God is love personified
Let Him in your abide!
The Marian Newsletter Staff |