Saint Michael Parish Newsletter — May 2022

Celebrating the May Crowning

What’s Inside: 2

The Bible The Textbook of Stewardship

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May: Celebrating the Month of Mary

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Lovingly Serving as God’s Hands on Earth The Shelter Meal Delivery Ministry

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Thieu Nhi Thanh The: The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement

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The Rosary: Our Lady’s Lasso

MAY 2021

Mary, Queen of Heaven, Pray for Us!

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n the beautiful wisdom and special history at of our Catholic our parish school.

Tradition, the month Eighth-grade religion of May is devoted to teacher Kathi Rafferty Mary, Queen of Heaven. helps put together this This month includes celebration each year. several Marian feast “Our second-graders days, including Our Lady have just made their of Fatima on May 13, First Communion so Mary Help of Christians they wear their dresses on May 24, and the and formal wear,” she Visitation on May 31. says. “The boys process We are encouraged to in and form a sort of honor Mary during this honor guard as the girls month. Several ways process in and place This year’s May Queen, that we can do that their bouquets at the feet Thien-Ai Nguyen include praying the of Mary.”

Rosary more frequently, teaching our Historians are unclear exactly children and friends about our loving where the custom of the May Crowning mother, and honoring Mary with a May originated from but the celebration Crowning. of crowning Mary with flowers is a For the second and eighth-grade beautiful tradition. students, the May Crowning has a long Each of the second and eighthcontinued on page 5

THE BIBLE The Textbook of Stewardship H

ave you ever wished that life came with an instruction manual? What a valuable resource that would be! Whenever you find yourself running in circles, this instruction manual would give you step-by-step instructions on how to fix the problem and reroute your course.

Well, here’s some good news. For those living a Christian life, there is such a manual — the Bible.

Sometimes referred to as the “textbook of stewardship,” the Bible is a bountiful resource for the present-day Christian. Written by anointed prophets and sages, this collection of divinely inspired parables, poems and letters is full of testimonials that express the blessings that come from true discipleship, conveyed through lives of stewardship.

Stewardship is not a new concept. The Bible gives proof to this claim through passages such as the 26th chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy. We read Moses’ words, as he tells the Israelites to offer the choicest portions of their harvest to God: “When you have come into the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you as a heritage, and have taken possession and settled in it, you shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land the LORD, your God, is giving you; put them in a basket and go to the place which the LORD, your God, will choose as the dwelling place for his name… ‘Now, therefore, I have brought the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, LORD, have given me.’ You shall set them before the LORD, your God, and you shall bow down before the LORD, your God” (Dt 26:1-2, 10).

St. Paul briefly touches on the essence of stewardship when he said, “In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

Again, in St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we read about living a life of Christian stewardship: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for

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God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:6-7).

While this is well and good, what does it mean for the present-day Christian? Why should it matter that the Bible alludes to stewardship in various passages? It shows us that Christians and Jews have struggled with and benefited from the concept of stewardship for thousands of years. It ties the message of stewardship to the role of a Christian disciple. It gives proof that stewardship and discipleship go hand-in-hand. It offers encouragement to us, that stewardship is in fact a foundational component of the Christian life, a way of life that one of the founding fathers of the Church — St. Paul — preached about and advocated.

The Bible is indeed the textbook of stewardship.

It lays out the steps we must take to become true disciples of Christ. Reading and meditating upon God’s Word is always a fruitful exercise. Those who regularly delve into Scripture often develop a deeper understanding of Who God is, how and why He loves us, and how we can show Him our love in return.

As you strive to become a grateful steward and live the life of Christian discipleship, develop a love for Sacred Scripture. Allow God’s Word to nourish your soul regularly, and watch as stewardship changes from a foreign concept to an integral component of your daily life.

A Letter From Our Pastor

MAY: Dear Parishioners,

Celebrating the Month of Mary

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n the Catholic Church, we designate a particular devotion for each month. In May, we honor our Blessed Mother Mary. It is a good time for us to reflect upon our own devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. How do we honor her in prayer and invite her intercession into our daily lives?

Our Blessed Mother is important to our faith and our Church. Her willingness to serve in a way that allowed the Lord to take human form made our salvation a possibility. Because of her complete trust in God, she lived her life free from sin. After her life here on earth, she was assumed into heaven by the power of God and crowned Queen of heaven and earth.

What an incredible honor she has been given by God. It is important to remember though, that Mary is not divine. We worship only our Lord Jesus Christ. We “honor” Mary as a beloved of God and a saint. She is a model for us in trusting in God’s plan for our lives. We give glory to God when we remember the role of Mary in our salvation. Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ Himself.

Mary was joyous when she said “yes” to God’s plan. This is the kind of joy we need to seek as we, like Mary, say “yes” to the Lord’s plan. Let us be grateful to Mary for bringing us her Son, Jesus. This is why we crown her on our Catholic version of Mother’s Day. Through Mary, we are given an invitation into the life of the Catholic Church, the people of God. Her feminine presence and the safety of her Motherhood helps us to grow, guided by her intercession.

For us in the Northwest, May is the time when flowers bloom and trees move into their full blossom. It is a time of renewal of life. It is also a time when we are called to bring forth new life in our service and love to and for one another.

I am deeply blessed to be your pastor. I say that often, yet it is so true. My priesthood has been a blessing and serving you all has made that blessing even more significant. May has a special meaning to me as I was ordained on May 17, 1975. Maryknoll was dedicated to Mary from its very beginning. Mary has a special place in my heart. So do you.

I pray for you daily. Please pray for me. Let us together, like Mary offer our “yes” to God each day.

In Christ, through the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio, I love you.

Fr. Jim

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THE SHELTER MEAL DELIVERY O

Paul and Marjorie Frohlich serving with the Shelter Meal Delivery Ministry

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ver the last five years, a relationship of mutual respect and gratitude has developed between Saint Michael parishioners and the residents at the Interfaith Works Homeless Shelter. The avenue for this relationship is the Shelter Meal Delivery Ministry, which has grown and flourished despite the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the ministry began, volunteer chefs would meet at the Interfaith Works shelter and cook a meal for the residents every Monday night. Paul McCarthy helped organize the first group of volunteers over five years ago.

“The chefs were always greeted with smiles and appreciation,” Paul says. “Often the chefs would sit at the dining table and visit with the clients. A bond developed as chefs and clients got to know each other as fellow human beings.”

Due to COVID-19, volunteers were not able to go into the shelter, but the meals have continued without ever missing a week. Volunteer chefs dropped off the meals at the Saint Michael Parish parking lot and a driver delivered all of the meals each week to Interfaith Works. The method has shifted, but this act of love still touches the hearts of both the residents and the volunteers.

In fact, the weekly meals to Interfaith Works have been so successful, that we recently expanded the ministry to include preparing and delivering meals to the Plum Street Tiny Home Village in addition to Interfaith Works.

“In just two months, we’ve nearly doubled our crew of volunteer chefs,” said Kellie Patton, Steward for Community Outreach.

There are 55 volunteer chefs total, and each chef is assigned a specific night each month to prepare enough food to feed approximately 10 people. Kellie collects the prepared meals every Monday night from all of the chefs assigned to that particular rotation. This way, volunteers can provide nutritious, home-cooked meals to 90 people each week.

“As this ministry continues to grow, I’m finding that the trunk of my car is too small to hold all of the food,” says Kellie. “I need someone else to help me make the Monday night deliveries! It has been a huge blessing to be able to expand the program and include weekly meals to Plum Street Village residents.”

The Tiny Home Village opened in 2019 and since they are new, the village doesn’t have the same level of visibility and community support as some of the other programs in town that serve the homeless.

“Hot meal deliveries support a basic need for a well-rounded nutritious diet and help strengthen our relationship with the residents, building trust and loving care for one another,” Kellie says.

Like Interfaith Works, Plum Village has a communal eating area and the volunteers are hopeful that one day soon, some of them will be able to return to go into the shelters and break bread together with the residents.

MINISTRY Lovingly Serving as God’s Hands on Earth Serving our local community has had a deep impact on the volunteers.

“I feel as though this ministry is a small opportunity to be God’s hands on earth and I feel so very blessed by it,” says Mary Luetkehans. “I always feel that I have received far more than I have given. It’s amazing how God’s love does that.”

Many volunteers share this opportunity to pass on their blessings with their children. It’s an opportunity to model and teach children what it looks like to live out our faith.

“My preschool-age children know that whenever we bake treats, we share most of what we make with others,” says Carrie Dunning. “I know how much joy eating a delicious, nourishing meal brings to me and my family and I want others to have that same experience.”

“I feel as though this ministry is a small opportunity to be God’s hands on earth and I feel so very blessed by it. I always feel that I have received far more than I have given. It’s amazing how God’s love does that.” — MARY LUETKEHANS

The Shelter Meal Delivery Ministry is always looking for additional chefs and drivers. If you would like to get involved, please contact Kellie Patton at 360-292-7102 or kpatton@saintmichaelparish.org.

Celebrating the May Crowning grade girls makes their own bouquets of flowers with which they honor Mary. Each year, one eighth-grade girl is given the honor of crowning Mary with a wreath of flowers. This “May Queen” is chosen by her teachers and classmates as a young lady who exudes the virtues and qualities of Mary herself. These virtues show themselves in a student who says “yes” to what God asks of her, is respectful and reverent, includes others, and is always willing to help.

“Ultimately, it is the ability to really celebrate the qualities that make Mary someone that we venerate so deeply,” Mrs. Rafferty says. “I think this honor is given to the eighth-grader who really demonstrates these virtues.

We really need to focus on these traits in our culture right now. We choose the young lady who has a generous heart and exemplifies giving of oneself just as Mary did and continues to do.”

This year’s May Queen is Thien-Ai Nguyen, and the May Crowning will be held on May 6, at the 9 a.m. school Mass. Along with presenting the flowers to Mary and

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crowning the statues, the readings are focused on Mary and the students pray a litany to Mary.

“This really is a beautiful Mass and a wonderful celebration for the school,” Mrs. Rafferty says. “All are welcome to join us for this event.”

The 2021 eighth-grade class at last year’s May Crowning

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Thieu Nhi Thanh The:

The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement Growing Together as Virtuous People and Good Christians

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he Saint Michael Parish’s Thieu Nhi Thanh The (TNTT) organization — which, translated means “Eucharistic Youth Movement” — is a dedicated group of youth and volunteers who spend three Sundays per month learning and practicing the Catholic faith together. It’s not only an opportunity to pass along Vietnamese culture, but it’s also a valuable way of teaching kindergarten to high school youth how to be virtuous people and good Christians.

The SMP TNTT group, The 2022 Lenten Retreat — Renewed at Camp Lakeview called the Emmanuel Chapter, was founded in 2003. TNTT is for her to learn more about the Vietnamese culture a worldwide organization, with about 25,000 and her Catholic faith, all while making friends. members in the United States alone. About 40 “Culture can get washed away from generation to 50 local youth meet from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 to generation,” Diana says. “Maybe people make p.m. on the first, second, and third Sundays of you think your culture isn’t cool. TNTT shows you each month here at SMP. All of the current team that your faith and culture are cool.” members participated in TNTT as youths.

The four foundations of TNTT are prayer, Sessions start with a salutation to the chapter’s communion, sacrifice and apostolic work. In addition, flag, a song, reading of the Gospel in English and there are 10 vows in TNTT — prayers, the Eucharist, Vietnamese, and a skit related to the Gospel. Youth sacrifices, to be apostles, obedience, purity, charity, divide into groups by age. The youth also have honesty, responsibility, and spiritual bouquet. retreats together and do community service.

“The ‘spiritual bouquet’ means you pray each Thuy Nguyen is the SMP TNTT chapter morning and pray at night,” Thuy says. “You take president. She first got involved with TNTT as a everything that you do during the day, write it in child living in GaLang Island - Indonesia. a journal, and assess what to do during the day.

“When I went to TNTT, we were a family,” Thuy What did you promise but didn’t do? Do we give God says. “We all had the same desire to know more enough time?” about God and our faith.”

In addition, TNTT involves parents in any way Thuy’s children encouraged her to participate they can. here at SMP. She has been involved for six years.

“Parents play an important role in faith at home,” Diana Nguyen serves as treasurer. She started Thuy says. “Getting them involved is important. We TNTT in about second grade. It’s been a valuable way want to promote the Catholic faith at home.”

TNTT is always looking for more volunteers. Volunteers must be approved by the local chapter’s chaplain, are required to attend the national leadership training, and be certified by the national TNTT board. If you would like more information, contact Thuy Nguyen at 360-280-5406 or tntt_lead@saintmichaelparish.org.

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THE ROSARY: Our Lady’s Lasso T

here was a priest who once said, “It is no coincidence that rosaries look like lassos, as Our Lady wraps them around lost souls and pulls them out of the depths of hell.”

This thought is comforting but provokes inquiry — what exactly is the Rosary, how does one pray it, and why should one pray it?

Since May is the month of Mary, this is a great time to consider the theology behind this intense spiritual weapon.

There are two putative origins of the Rosary.

For many centuries, it was believed that the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Dominic and exhorted him to encourage the use of the Angelic Salutation — or Hail Mary — for the conversion of souls and comfort of the afflicted.

Modern scholarship traces the Rosary back to Irish monasticism of the ninth century. Monks would pray all 150 psalms or “psalters” every day, a form of prayer too complicated for uneducated laypeople without access to copies of Scripture. So, many began reciting the Lord’s Prayer or the Angelic Salutation in response to each psalm, keeping count with pebbles or a knotted rope. Through many centuries, the Rosary evolved into three sets of five mysteries, each mystery consisting of 10 Angelic Salutations and one Lord’s Prayer recited while meditating upon the life, death or glory of Jesus Christ.

In The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort expounds the dynamics of the Rosary.

The prayer consists of both vocal or exterior prayer, and meditative or interior prayer. The first vocal component of the Rosary, the Creed, is important because faith is “the foundation of all Christian virtues, of all eternal virtues, and also of all prayers that are pleasing to Almighty God.” The Lord’s Prayer is the “perfect prayer” to the God of heaven because it was authored

by Christ, is free of all human limitations, and “contains all the duties we owe to God, the acts of all the virtues and the petitions for all our spiritual and corporal needs.” The Hail Mary blesses the name of Mary and her Divine Son and implores her powerful intercession as mediatrix of graces.

But the Rosary is not simply a physical incantation. Vocal prayer is accompanied by contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life and the virtues of the Virgin Mary. It is by lifting the incorporeal soul in prayer that one quiets the passions, tastes the peace of Christ, marvels at His loving plans and promises, and grows in the desire to emulate Him and His sinless mother. Because the soul animates the body, a strengthened soul means nobility of action and a will that is commensurate with the will of God. As St. Louis de Montfort says, “The Rosary is a continued on back cover

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The Rosary

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blessed blending of mental and vocal prayer by which we honor and learn to imitate the mysteries and the virtues of the life, death, passion and glory of Jesus and Mary.” The Rosary’s emphasis on both vocal and meditative prayer caters to man’s nature as an embodied soul — one’s entire being, both physical and spiritual, cries out to God in praise, repentance, thanksgiving and supplication.

Thus, it is no surprise that the magisterium and countless saints have encouraged devotion to the Rosary. Pope St. John Paul II said of the prayer, “The Rosary is my favorite prayer, marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.” The late pontiff also added five more “luminous” mysteries to the Rosary to help the faithful meditate upon significant moments in Christ’s earthly ministry.

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