Homework time!

Servers need to remember to complete the assignment for this Monday's training session. For those who may have forgotten, all of the servers are to turn in a essay-type blog post on the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Please keep it to under 200 words and please use Church approved references. You may include links as well. Submissions are to either be emailed or handed in on paper by 4:15 August 22nd.

Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our 2011 new server class, we have one more spot for a potential server. Shoot me an email if someone comes to mind. They would still need to be approved by Fr. Reid for consideration.

End of the Year...Liturgically speaking

I hope everyone has recovered from the last Missa Cantata and is ready for the next one! Wednesday December 8th at either 6:30 or 7 pm (waiting back from Fr. Reid on the time.) Prior to Fr. Reid scheduling the Missa Cantata, I had scheduled to see my in-laws in Spokane, WA, so I won't get the joy of being there, but I think with everyone's help, it should go smoothly. More details at Monday's training session.

Our ministry has been invited by Fr. Ferguson FSSP to assist as servers in a Solemn High Mass for the Feast of the Holy Family on Sunday January 9th at 4:00 PM in Greensboro at Our Lady of Grace Church. A Solemn High Mass has clerics for the MC position, but we would fill in the rest. We've already done most of the training for it with the Missa Cantata, and the Deacon and Sub-Deacon perform many of the roles our servers usually do in a Missa Cantata. Fr. Reid has given us permission to assist with this Mass, and I will be asking/recuiting for volunteers for positions on Monday.

We are going to have our first ranking ceremony for the Postulants and the servers. I need families to vote on which date would be best for everyone to attend. Fr. Reid has said he would prefer not to have the ceremony after a Missa Cantata, so I'm offering a few choices you can pick on the blog. Info on the tests and requirements for advancement to be provided on Monday.

I've updated the Mass Serving Schedule one the blog, and do not forget to study for the Our Lady of Fatima quiz on Monday.

Papa Benedict speaks

Quote from today's General Audience that applies to what we've been discussing in training:

"In closing, Benedict XVI highlighted how the example of St. Gertrude "shows us that the focal point of a happy and authentic life is friendship with Jesus the Lord. This is learned through love for Sacred Scripture and the liturgy, through profound faith and through love for Mary, so as to gain increasing knowledge of God and, therefore, to know true happiness which is the goal of our existence"."

See the whole article here.

• Don't forget that tomorrow is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary...pray with your family!
• Don't forget that Sunday is the Rosary Rally at St. Patrick's...3 pm...pray with your Church family!

October: Focus on Mary

Happy Memorial of St. Therese of Lisieux! What a great way to start off October. This month our ministry will go right along with Holy Mother Church and spend time praying as our Heavenly Mother asks us to do.

After reviewing the results of the recent Junior Acolyte Test, I am aware of some areas of improvement in the formation of the servers. One important area is Mariology, the study of Mary, the Mother of God. Why study Mary? Why not just go straight to Jesus? Please read the following:

(1.) "For every Christian, and for every human being, Mary is the one who first believed. Out of her faith as Spouse and Mother, she desires to act upon all those who entrust themselves to her as her children. And the more her children persevere and progress in this attitude, the nearer Mary leads them to the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8) They recognize ever more clearly the dignity of man in all its fullness and the definitive meaning of his vocation, for “Christ fully reveals man to man himself.” (Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes, #22) (Mary in the life of the Carthusians-.pdf)"

(2) "II. DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.517 (CCC 971)"

There's so much more, but suffice to say that Mary leads the sinner to Jesus. In that respect she epitomizes our mission: point to God; but Mary does a whole lot more than point. As for our ministry, when the servers choose to enter the full ministry of the MEF altar servers as Junior Acolytes, they will take upon themselves a commitment to having a devotion to the Blessed Mother. (note: approved by Fr. Reid) So here's how we're going to make all of this tangible for the servers this month:

• We're inviting servers and families to the Rosary Rally at St. Patrick's on Sunday October 10th at 3:00 pm. In addition, there will be Adoration, Benediction, and a Eucharistic Procession.
• On Saturday, October 23rd, we will be praying two rosaries with Fr. Reid and St. Ann parishioners at the Hebron abortion mill. This is following the Mass for Life at 9:00 AM at St. Ann's.
• We have the privilege of having Fr. Roux come and give a talk on Our Lady of Fatima at the Monday, October 25th training session. (4 pm to 6pm - yes, it's a 2 hour session) More info on preparation for this talk to come. (Yes, there will be a quiz on it. I love you, too.) Please invite family to come to this training session and listen to Fr. Roux.