WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – May 30th – Fr. Thomas.

This is graduation “season” for many students, whether live in-person, or online. I remember my son Aidan’s graduation from Boca High School a decade ago. At the commencement ceremony at the Fairgrounds, the school principal, in his “speech,” twice quoted St. Paul. What got my attention was his quotation of the famous line from First Corinthians, “Faith, Hope, and Love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” The primary theme of the Principal’s address was to encourage the graduates to do the loving and right thing throughout their adult life. This seems to be contrary to so many graduation speeches where the speaker advises the students, “Follow your dreams, find yourself, and do what makes you happy.”

I remember as a college chaplain in New England, during the recession in the early 1980’s, hearing what I still consider the worst graduation speech ever. Basically, this professor from a well-known business school in the northeast told the graduates that “You’re not going to find a job; your time in college was basically worthless; your education won’t guarantee happiness in the real world,” and gave them no hope that things could ever get better! After such a despondent message, when it came time for the benediction, I approached the podium, and simply said, “May God bless you with a sense of hope and a sense of humor. Amen,” and sat down. (Cardinal Medeiros, the Archbishop of Boston who was a featured speaker and sitting next to me on the dais, whispered “That’s the best benediction I’ve ever heard!” (LOL, it was certainly the shortest.)

Growing up into adulthood means taking on more responsibility and learning, sometimes the hard way, that life is not “all about us.” Some people may grow older, but never mature! Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday. One of the primary messages of our celebration of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, is that “we’re all in this together.” Like every parish, we are all challenged to change a culture that asks “What’s in it for me?” to an attitude of “ It’s not about us.” The Church exists for those who have yet to become members. This past year has forced us all to be more considerate of those who are in need of the things we often take for granted: not necessarily material things, either. Maybe one of the greatest gifts we as Christians can offer is the gift of encouragement, knowing that, in the words of St. Francis, “ It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

NOTICES:

Sunday’s Worship – We are open for live worship on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. We also “live-stream” our 10 a.m. service.

Video Viewing Options for Sunday’s mass – there are three different ways to view our videos: 1) our church website; 2) our Facebook page; and 3) our YouTube channel.

Opportunities for Giving – there are several options that safely and efficiently expedite your generous donations: electronic bank transfers or automatic bank transfers via personal accounts or credit/debit cards; personal checks delivered by USPS; and our favorite through joining our giving family online through our website or at https://www.myEoffering.com with our secure vendor Church Envelope Budget Company, who provides you with yearly offering envelopes. Please do NOT leave any envelopes with checks/cash unattended at church mailboxes.

Sandwiches for St. George’s: Please bring your sandwiches to St. David’s west side parking lot each Thursday morning from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.

ECW Raffle is ongoing. Please return completed ticket stubs with your check by May 30 for drawing. Tickets stubs can be placed in offering plates or mailed to the office. Prizes are $100, $200 and $300. Thanks for your support. Thanks. Linda

Shop with Scrip: Gift card fundraising is the best way to raise money. Start giving back to St. David’s the moment you buy a gift card with the RaiseRight mobile app today! You can join the program by downloading the app on your phone or go to https://www.ShopWithScrip.com on your computer. The enrollment code to set up your free family account is BB6656B177722. For more information, please pick up a flyer in the narthex, or email Kimberly Joy Castellotti-Ward at choiceplusrealestate@gmail.com

Altar Flowers and Candles: We have a bag on the credenza to collect all flower and candle donations for upcoming Sundays. If you would like to donate for altar flowers for memorials and celebrations, please put your check for $40 with a request showing the date you want altar flowers and the reason for your donation into the bag. If you want to donate candles, please put your check for $20 and request showing date and reason for donation. Do not put flower and candle requests in offering plates.

Volunteers to Deliver Flowers: We are in need of volunteers to deliver flowers to our sick and shut-in members after our Sunday 10am services two to three times a year. It is such a nice ministry that brightens people’s lives and easy to do. Hope we can get more volunteers so we can continue this ministry. Please contact Linda McKeown if you are available at 561-254-3902, or email llmckeown51@comcast.net

Sunday School: There is no Sunday school this week.

Forward Day by Day brochures for the next quarter are now available in the narthex. Donation $3.00

Tuesdays: Holy Eucharist 8:30 am.
Wednesdays: Eucharistic Adoration 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: Holy Eucharist and Rosary 6:30 p.m.

PLEASE PRAY – For the sick: Ampy, Barbara, Beth, Danny, Donna, Joaquin, Kip, Max, Miguel, Mike, Oscar. For the departed: Robert Norene. For birthday celebrations: Charles Sandell, Grace Hadicke, Victoria Wolliston. For our expectant mother: Meghan.