‘I am the true vine…’  In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus compares himself to a vine and we, the branches which bear the fruit of his love.  Jesus is living and working in our lives, in our thoughts, our actions and our words by asking us to be kind and loving, ready to forgive, honest and generous.  We are his body on Earth reaching out to others in love.  

This week at Holy Spirit we value service.  Service, by definition, means doing something for others.  The motive for our service is supposed to be love.  Our love for God is proved in our love for others, so the quality of our service is a direct reflection of our love for others.  This week we pray for our students and family members to continue their kind acts towards others to have a positive influence on those around them.

Saturday 1 May - FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER 

We celebrate two feast days for Joseph:  March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.  Saint Joseph is the model for all who work, because in his humble and simple work as a carpenter, he cared for the holy family and provided for the needs of Mary and Jesus.  Through Saint Joseph, we can learn the importance of diligence and faithfulness in our daily life and work.

MAY, THE MONTH OF MARY:  By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to a certain devotion.  In May, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This devotion arose among Jesuits in Rome in the late 18th century and quickly spread throughout the Western Church.  By the time of Pope Pius IX's declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, it had become universal.  There are several Marian feast days in May in honour of Mary, including Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament (13th May), and Feast of Mary Help of Christians (24th May) and Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (31st May).

God bless.

Caroline Fuller