SMA Religious Ed

End of Year May Crowning

from RE ONLINE

Happy May Everyone! Yes, we are still in the Easter Season, and in addition, we get to celebrate Our Queen of the May, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church has long celebrated May as the Month of Our Heavenly Mother, so how fitting that we also celebrate Mother's Day in honor of our earthly mothers this coming Sunday, May 10, 2020.

Some of the traditional hymns for celebrating May Crownings bring back favorite childhood memories. Do you know these beautiful songs? Click here to listen and think of the multitudes of children and adults who have learned to love Jesus so dearly, oftentimes by falling in love with His Blessed Mother first.

When Jesus gave us His own Mother from the cross, he gave us a gift beyond comprehension. In my own life, I know it was Mary who took my desperate prayers for my critically ill son to her Divine Son and a miracle of healing took place. I promised her I would never stop telling others of her intercession for me, so I am keeping my promise to her by telling you today. Trust Mary with all your cares. She is our mother of great protection and great strength, and she loves each of us. Mary is also the gentlest and most humble of all creatures. Therein lies her holiness for all of her children to imitate.

As a child, I loved May Crownings so much...maybe every little child loves a beautiful queen, but this queen is special. She loves each small act of love done for her Son, and when we love her, we are really loving Jesus, since Mary Magnifies the Lord, as we sing at every RE Class in Evening Prayer.

Please have a simple May Crowning at your home this year. It is the first time in 13 years I haven't been blessed to be a part of a May Crowning at our parish, or my former parish. It does make me sad not to see the FLOOD of flowers your precious children always brought to Mary for our RE May Crowning, but we can and should do one at home. Our Mother in Heaven will be just as delighted by a crown of dandelions as she is with a wreath of roses on her head!

We would love to see your pictures. The Church honors Mary all through the month of May, so there is plenty of time to share your pictures with our parish family, and keep this beloved Catholic Tradition alive.

To have a May Crowning, all you need is a picture or statue of Mary, some pretty little flowers made into a crown or placed in a vase or pot at her feet, a prayer or song, and a lot of love.

Enjoy the video below with many images of formal and informal May Crownings. Remember to share your pictures with us! shawna.davidson@stmichaelcp.org

Close in prayer and under the mantle of Our Lady,

Shawna

P.S. We will share information about Vacation Bible School and most importantly, The Holy Mass being celebrated publicly again very soon!

Fr. Brian invites all families to join him for the Wednesday Live stream Rosary from the Rectory:

Tomorrow, Wednesday May 6 at 7:30 PM: Live-stream Rosary CLICK HERE

A special intention is to thank God for each of our devoted volunteer RE Catechists! Please pray for these wonderful people and send them a note of thanks for doing a fantastic job helping families pass the Catholic Faith on to our children!

How to pray the Rosary

Coloring pages for kids

Evening Prayer

with Seminarian Thomas Maddock

Parents- your children know this song! Ask them stand, to pray, and sing along!

SMAParish: RE Evening Prayer (Easter Season)

"Little Catechesis"

on Mary our Queen and Mother

with Seminarian Thomas Maddock

SMAParish: Little Catechesis (May 5, 2020)

Your free access to MCFD continues through June!

Refer to your child's classroom catechist's weekly email for lesson highlights.

Faith and Life Chapter Lesson Assignments for

K-6 and RCIC HERE

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

A note from Mrs. Diane Jones, CGS Coordinator

Hello Children!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Easter season! This week, let's reflect on a verse from John that you can look up in your family Bible with your family: John 12:24 This verse tells us more about the events at Easter, the most important feast of the church year.

After you have read the verse, you may want to continue thinking about it as you color the page attached and listen to the song. I wonder what Jesus might be telling us about this seed that grows. We can explore many growing seeds all around us outside during spring. You may want to go looking!

Continue to listen to the voice of the Shepherd in this unusual time at home, perfect for listening in our hearts for His voice.

Holy Heroes

Sunday Gospel Coloring Book

If you haven't already, make sure to download this free activity and coloring book. There are pages for every Sunday through the Easter Season and finally ending with the Feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, on June 1, 2020.

We would love to post some of the your children's artwork! Please send a copy of artwork, or a picture of your children working on this activity book or their online lessons to shawna.davidson@stmichaelcp.org to be included on the parish website or social media! Thank you!

Anytime we want to be united to Our Blessed Lord in the Holy Eucharist, we can! Pray this prayer or a similar one, to invite Jesus into your heart...

Act of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus,

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.

I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,

come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there

and unite myself wholly to You.

Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

St. Thomas tells us that a “complete spiritual Communion can even take place when we are unable to receive sacramentally, because ‘the effect of a sacrament can be secured if it is received by desire.’”