Before you begin to plan for the summer months ahead, please remember to send in your registration forms for religious education. Your prompt response will enable us to better prepare for the Fall.

There is always room for “one more” catechist in our religious education program. If you are considering the possibility of joining our catechetical team as a teacher or a classroom assistant and would like more information, please call Pat Dorsi @ 908-756-0038. Training and support will be provided.

A Magnificat of Parenthood
On my eighth birthday, my brother, John, gave me a magnifying glass. I thought it was a wonderful gift and enthusiastically began to explore the world around me. I examined threads, bugs, dirt, rocks, skin, faces etc. The magnifying glass enables me to see things differently, to notice objects that may have been over-looked or barely visible before.

In May, the month of Our Lady, this memory of my favorite presents is recalled. In the Magnificat, Mary boldly proclaims: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” By her life, she certainly enlarges and made visible to others, God’s presence. As a mother she taught and showed Jesus how to reflect God’s love for all. Mary magnified and intensified the truths of life which are apparent but often overlooked – God is with us, God loves us and God is experienced in relationship. Isn’t this our role as parents also – to serve as magnifying glasses for our children? It is our responsibility to enable them to see and to experience the family love that binds us together, to see and to experience the many ways God speaks to us through others, to see and to experience God’s presence inn our daily lives.

This task is not easy. Sometimes our lens gets clouded up and we cannot see clearly; sometimes our lens may crack if life closes in on us too quickly or unexpectedly. Family prayer, especially devotion to the Blessed Virgin, will leave a strong impression on our children. When we as parents turn to the Holy Family for guidance, we are gently telling our children that God is our support and we may not always have the solutions to family difficulties as they arise. If we can keep our magnifying glass focused on God rather than on ourselves, our family lives will reflect clarity and integrity.

Mary serves as a model for parents of commitment to God and to family. She is a symbol of faithfulness, hospitality and discipleship. Sustaining life’s difficulties, her life resonated with her hymn of praise: “My soul magnifies the Lord.”