The tradition of dedicating the month of May to Mary, came about in the 13th century. The reason is the fact that this month is the time when spring is at the height of its beauty. Spring is also connected with nature renewing itself. In her way, Mary gave new life to the world when she gave birth to our saviour Jesus Christ.

Devotion to Mary is an important part of the Catholic identity. As our mother, she is an example of a committed “Yes” to the will of God. Because of the devotion to her many people ask her for help in the most difficult moments of their life as any child does with his mother.

Mary was the first disciple of Jesus because she was the first person to know that

he was the Messiah. Throughout her life, she encouraged and helped others to

follow him as well. By learning about the life of Mary, we learn what it means to be

a disciple of Jesus.

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death

Amen.

Offering the Holy Mass with Jesus

Seventh Sunday of Easter (When the Ascension was celebrated Thursday—Year A)

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.” John 17:1–2

This passage comes at the conclusion of the Last Supper and at the end of a lengthy discourse by our Lord. During the three previous chapters of John’s Gospel, Jesus taught His disciples that He will bestow His peace upon them by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that they must remain united to Him as a branch is attached to a vine and that the world will hate them and persecute them. After those instructions, Jesus raised His eyes to Heaven and prayed a lengthy prayer to the Father. It is His High Priestly Prayer by which Jesus acknowledged that His hour had arrived and that it is an hour in which He will glorify the Father. In this prayer, Jesus asks his Father for the disciples to be kept safe from the evils of the world. He also prays for all who would believe in Him and become His followers. Thus, in this prayer Jesus prayed for you.

Spiritually speaking, this High Priestly Prayer continues today through the celebration of the Holy Mass. Recall that Jesus had just celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and was preparing to offer His life on the Cross for the salvation of the world. Within this holy context, Jesus prays this prayer. It is a prayer that is perpetuated by our Lord every time we celebrate the Holy Eucharist.

In commenting upon this passage, Saint Augustine notes that this prayer is prayed immediately after Jesus told His disciples that they would encounter trouble within the world. “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” For that reason, Jesus set an example for us on how we are to deal with the troubles we encounter in life. We, too, must turn our eyes to Heaven and pray to the Father. The best way to do so is by our full interior participation in the Holy Mass.

What form of “trouble” do you experience right now in your life? There are many things that fall into that category and are different for each person. As you call your struggle to mind, try to imagine our Lord kneeling next to you, praying this prayer to the Father for you. In reality, this is exactly what Jesus does every time we participate in the Holy Mass. The Mass is His “hour.” It is His perfect offering to the Father. It is the one and only source of all grace in our world and in our lives. It is Jesus glorifying the Father and inviting us to share in that glorification by uniting ourselves and our troubles to Him in His offering. It is through this perfect Sacrifice that Jesus bestows “eternal life” upon you and all who turn to Him in their need.

Reflect, today, upon the way in which you celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When you attend, do you find you become distracted or are inattentive to what takes place? The Mass is your hour each week in which you kneel next to Jesus as He kneels next to you, praying to the Father in Heaven. The power of the Mass is infinite. Within the Mass all the grace you need is given to you, and you are invited to share in the glory of the Son of God. Ponder your participation in the Mass and renew your commitment to pray it with our Lord with the same depth of prayer Jesus had at that first and perpetual offering.

My Eucharistic Lord, in union with You I offer to the Father in Heaven Your Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity for the salvation of the world. Help me to do so with my whole heart and to be attentive to the offering of Your life as it is perpetuated through the Holy Mass. May I bring my life, my troubles and my whole being to every celebration of the Mass so that I may receive from You the gift of eternal life. Jesus, I trust in You.

• Monday May 22 - Victoria Day - No School
  
• Tuesday May 30 - Parent Council Meeting - St. Theresa Library @ 6:30pm
• Monday June 5 - Friday June 9 - Last Week of Library Book Exchange for Students
• Thursday June 1 - Grade 6 Immunizations
• Monday June 5 - Grade 5 Swimming
• Tuesday June 6 - Friday Schedule
• Wednesday June 7 - Early Dismissal @ 2:13pm
• Friday June 9 - School Mass - OLPH Church @ 10:30am
• Friday June 9 - Grade 8 Farewell @ 4:00pm
• Sunday June 11 - Ukrainian Bilingual 4-8-12 Celebration @ 2:00pm

The costs for the evening will be partially covered by St. Theresa School, and a $5.00 cost per grade 8 student attending will be applied to PowerSchool.

The success of this celebration depends on your support and participation. Please complete the google form sent out by Friday, May 19, 2023, so that your child's homeroom teacher can have an accurate number of people attending.

If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Marson, Ms. Brownlee, Mrs. Anton, Miss Gartner, & Mrs Parsall-Myler 780-464-4001.

https://ybpay.lifetouch.ca/Order/SelectJob

The code to access it is: 13972923

Alberta's Student COMPETENCIES are combinations of attitudes, skills, and knowledge that students develop and apply for successful learning, living and working. Students are the artists, scientists, thinkers, innovators, and leaders of the future. They will be tasked with solving the problems of today while imagining and creating a new tomorrow. The Competencies are critical for equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they will need to successfully navigate their personal journeys in learning, living and working.

Many Student Competencies were utilized while the while participating in Prayer. Some of these Competencies might include: Cultural and Global Citizenship, Personal Growth & Well-being, Communication, and Collaboration.

The St. Theresa Parent Advisory Council performs many vital functions for our school community, by helping to facilitate school wide student functions and providing valuable funding to our school via fundraising. Parents involved in the PAC learn about planning and development within the school and are part of the planning process. These roles make their involvement very important to the families, administration and teachers.

https://stt.eics.ab.ca/parents/parent-societies

2022 - 2023 PAC Meeting Dates - St. Theresa School Library @ 6:30pm

November 1, 2022

January 10, 2023

February 21, 2023

April 4, 2023

May 30, 2023

2022-2023 Executive PAC Members:

Chair - Jody Ostrosky

Co-Chair - Lindsay Tomalik

Treasurer - Kim Pennock

Secretary - Rosie Conrad

Bitaemo! Sherwood Park's Ukrainian Bilingual Program began in 1980 and has seen decades of success in academic achievement, global learning, and celebration of the rich Ukrainian heritage. From Preschool/Sadochok to Grade 12, the Ukrainian Bilingual Program offers a community-minded cultural environment along with an enhanced academic curriculum. BUCPS Mission is to promote, advocate, support and foster cultural and educations opportunities for students in the Ukrainian Bilingual Program.

https://stt.eics.ab.ca/parents/parent-societies

2022-2023 Executive BUCPS Members:

President - Slavko Nohas

Vice-President - Christin Hyshka

Treasurer - Andrea Chmilar

Secretary - Kelsey Whattam

Members at Large:

Talia Koziak/Kathy Leskow/Clayton Starko

Recreation and Culture Strategy Community Check-In

Strathcona County is inviting youth in Grades 7-12 to share their feedback to help plan for the next four years of recreation and culture opportunities in the community, by completing an online survey between May 1 – May 22.

Youth completing the survey can enter to win 1 of 10, $50.00 Recreation, Parks and Culture gift cards!

Take the survey today: https://countyvoice.strathcona.ca/recculture2023

There are still a few free places for citizens of Ukraine who arrived after February 2022. Please message me at stsophiadaycamp@gmail.com if you are interested.

This camp exists to support families and youth ministry initiatives in the Archdiocese of Edmonton by offering a week-long faith experience. At camp everyone can Encounter Christ, Encounter Community, and Encounter Creation. They will do this through a mixture of faith experiences and outdoor activities held at our camp on beautiful Gull Lake.

Registration for camp is now open, and any young person entering grades 4-12 next fall is welcome to attend! Our summer schedule is as follows:

• Saturday, July 8 – Grand Re-opening BBQ (All are welcome! Details coming soon.)
• July 9-13 – High School Camp (Grades 10-12. Youth who attend these weeks can volunteer as junior counselors at the elementary, jr high, and all ages weeks of camp.)
• July 16-20 – Elementary Camp (Grades 4-6)
• July 23-27 (Tentative) – Benedict XVI Institute “Great Books” Week
• July 30-August 3 – Junior High Camp (Grades 7-9)
• August 6-10 – All Ages Camp (Grades 4-9)

Read more about what we do at camp, how to register, or how you can get involved or support OLVC at www.olvcamp.com.