Engaged to be married at the age of 23, María began to feel the Lord calling her to religious life. She spent much time in prayer and consulted with her spiritual director before discerning that not only was she called to religious life instead of marriage, María (also known as Madre Lupita) was being called to found a new religious order.
In 1901, the Handmaids of Saint Margaret Mary and the Poor was formed. The religious order was named after St. Margaret Mary, who is known for her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Members of the new religious order worked as nurses who dedicated their lives to caring for the poor and sick.
When the Mexican Revolution began the same year, Catholic persecution came with it. Madre Lupita offered protection for priests and clergy members who were in danger of being captured. Her congregation helped protect many priests, including the Archbishop of Guadalajara. Even in the face of religious persecution, Madre Lupita and the Handmaids of Saint Margaret Mary openly welcomed anyone who came to them for help.
Madre Lupita died at the age of 85. She lived out her vocation as a nurse and religious sister. Today, her religious sisters continue her work in five countries.
•Madre Lupita thought she had one vocation, but realized she had a different calling through prayer and discussion. Which vocation do you think God is calling you to?
Using clothes from around your home, create outfits to dress up as saints who had different vocations. It may be your favorite saints, saints from different time periods, or new saints you are just learning about. Search the Internet to find pictures and dress up as saints who served God in the following ways:
•a saint who was a religious sister or brother
•a saint who was a priest
•a saint who served as a doctor or nurse
•a saint who traveled as a missionary
•a saint who was a teacher
.RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
Celebrate Madre Lupita with this Mexican recipe.
2 Tbsp of olive oil
⅔ cups white onion finely chopped
1 large garlic clove minced
1½ cups of celery finely cut (2 large stalks)
⅔ cups carrots diced
½ pound lentils, washed and rinsed (about 1⅛ cups)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2 sprigs of parsley finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime wedges to serve
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the celery and carrots and cook for 10 minutes at a lower temperature. Stir in the drained lentils, 6 cups of broth, and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Cooking time will depend on the lentil variety you use. Serve your Lentil Soup in small bowls, add a few drops of lime juice, and enjoy!
Adapted from https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/lentil-soup/
Prayer Journaling
Sometimes it takes time to understand the meaning of the Gospel. Journaling is a great way to unpack the words and talk to God.
Create a simple prayer journal or get an empty notebook. Set aside 10-20 minutes for your family to reflect on the Gospel. Create a prayerful environment by lighting candles and/or playing instrumental music in the background. Read today’s Gospel and invite everyone to listen to what God is saying to them in the silence of their hearts. After a period of quiet, invite everyone to write what they heard in their journal; younger children can draw or doodle. At the end of your reflection time, take turns sharing your experience. Close your time in prayer by saying the Our Father together.
May 1, 2022
Those distributing Holy Communion hold a ciborium, which is a vessel used to hold the consecrated hosts—the Body of Christ. Describe the ciboriums you see today.
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Quienes distribuyen la Sagrada Comunión sostienen un copón, que es un recipiente que se usa para sostener las hostias consagradas: el Cuerpo de Cristo. Describe los ciborios que ves hoy.
Unleashing the Gospel in your Family
(Desatando el evangelio en tu familia)
Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep in the Gospel today. Think of someone who needs company or lives alone. Invite him or her over for dinner one evening this week.
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Jesús le dice a Pedro que apaciente a sus ovejas en el Evangelio de hoy. Piensa en alguien que necesita compañía o vive solo. Invítelo a cenar una noche esta semana.
•It took a little while for the apostles to realize Jesus was with them. Share a time when you realized that Jesus was near to you.
•If you had breakfast with Jesus, what would you talk about?
•How would you respond to Jesus if he asked you, “Do you love me?”
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•A los apóstoles les tomó un poco de tiempo darse cuenta de que Jesús estaba con ellos. Comparte un momento en el que te diste cuenta de que Jesús estaba cerca de ti.Fun Facts! ~ ¡Datos curiosos!
Fishing was often done at night around the Sea of Galilee so that fish could not see and swim around the nets. In modern days nylon nets prevent this problem, but in the time of Jesus fishermen used nets made of flax or linen.
Share how your family celebrated Sunday!
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La pesca a menudo se hacía de noche alrededor del Mar de Galilea para que los peces no pudieran ver y nadar alrededor de las redes. En los días modernos, las redes de nailon evitan este problema, pero en la época de Jesús, los pescadores usaban redes hechas de lino o lino.
¡Comparta cómo celebró su familia el domingo!! #52Sunday
St Theresa Parish is transitioning to a newer online giving system called ParishSOFT Online Giving. This program has a lot of great features and tools to make it easy to make donations to the parish.
If you have a recurring gift already established in the older ParishSOFT My Own Giving system, that gift was transferred over to the new system and your gift will still process. To login to your account, go to the same online giving link our website or bulletin which will redirect you to the new online giving form, enter the email associated with your recurring gift and select FORGOT PASSWORD.
To set up a new recurring or one time gift, you will go to the same online giving link on our website or bulletin which will redirect you to the new online giving form. You will then create a NEW account. By scrolling to the bottom of the page and selecting, Don't have a giving account? Create One.
REMEMBER – donors who had recurring gifts set up in the older online giving system do not need to create a new account. They will need to enter their existing email and RESET their password. ALL OTHER DONORS will need to create a new account.
If you need additional help, please contact Marci Triplett at 352-683-2849, ext. 224.
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.
(Saint Alphonsus Liguori)
Join Bishop Gregory Parkes for his podcasts, Proclaim, Invite and Encounter and An Invitation to Worship, which offer reflection and commentary on Courageously Living the Gospel in our homes, parishes, communities and wherever God may lead us. Bishop Parkes brings clarity to the issues of our time, while highlighting the beauty of our Catholic faith.