Parish Update – Friday, Jan. 8
Happy Friday, one and all, and Happy New Year! Can I get a ruling? Is there a statute of limitations on the last day to wish someone a “happy new year?” Seems like about 10 days or so into the year is plenty of time, so we’ve got to be getting close. But I do pray that you and yours are well in 2021.
It does seem like forever since I sent out a weekly message as we laid low after Christmas and last Friday on Jan. 1. But we’re back at it today, and our timing is good because we have one last chance to take a look back at Christmas this weekend with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord before we jump back into Ordinary Time. … This feast closes out the Christmas season and is an opportune time for us to recall our own baptism. Most likely you were baptized as a baby but for some, baptism came later in life as an adult. It might be an opportune time to research your baptismal date if you don’t know it already.
Regardless of when it happened, baptism cleanses us of original sin and inaugurates us into a way of life. As we will hear John the Baptist say in this weekend’s Gospel, “He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Thus it is that we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with that comes a mandate to live our lives worthy of our calling. Every day we should strive to live that out in a more authentic and purposeful way. What a great mission God has entrusted to us to live as baptized disciples!
Here’s what is happening at CtR this week and in the early days of 2021:
• First, foremost, and always, we invite you to please join us for Mass either in person or via our livestream on Sunday at 9 a.m. on both our Facebook and YouTube pages. You can find the link to the livestream at www.ctrcc.com/live-stream, and in addition, you’ll find there both a worship aid and a link to the Scripture readings to follow along with Mass. And you can make your weekly offertory contribution online at www.ctrcc.com/donate. Thanks to everyone for your continued support of the parish in these days.
If you’d like to join us in person for Mass, we welcome you on Saturday at 5 p.m., or Sunday at 7, 9, and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. And remember, just because the calendar has flipped, we still have all the same precautions in place. Please wear your mask, keep social distance, and sanitize/wash your hands. If you are feeling ill, or have been around anyone who has tested positive recently (and the numbers are quite high in our community at this time), we ask that you please stay at home and join us for the livestream. Let’s not let our guard down now.
• Let’s take a look at a few items that I mentioned at the end of December, but perhaps were overlooked amidst the bustle of the holiday season. We’ve got a couple of initiatives that I think will be a great help for many who are looking to jump start their spiritual life in the new year and are certainly worth your attention as we start fresh in 2021.
• We always like to begin the new year with an opportunity for us to grow in our faith, and this year we’re happy to bring The Search to CtR. It’s an 8-week small group evangelization series from the Augustine Institute hosted by Chris Stefanick. It’s an invitation to all seekers, wanderers, and searchers, which I suppose is all of us, who have “big picture” questions about faith and meaning, like: Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Who is God and what does He have to do with me? This series is perfect for anyone looking to return to their faith in the new year or wants to learn more about being faithful in our modern world.
Chris is an excellent host for it as he’s an engaging Catholic evangelist who draws you in to contemplate our relationship to God and the Church. I tried to bring him to CtR a few years ago for a parish mission, but we couldn’t match up our calendars, so I’m happy to have this video series from him and the Augustine Institute team. It’s very well done and I think you’ll like it. … We’re presenting it twice a week beginning this week. It’ll run on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. (first meeting is this Tuesday, Jan. 12) and on Thursday mornings from 10-11:30 a.m. (first meeting is this Thursday, Jan. 14) For more information and to register visit www.ctrcc.com/thesearch or contact Camilla Mackenzie in our parish office.
• Next up is our 2021 Women’s Retreat to be offered in a few weeks in early February right here on our parish campus. This year’s theme is “Embracing My Life as Holy Ground,” and it’s shaping up to be a spiritually fulfilling weekend. It’ll run Friday evening, Feb. 5, from 6-10 p.m., and then continue all day on Saturday, Feb. 6 until 4:30 p.m., with various presentations and time for reflection. Our inaugural retreat for women last year was very well received, and I’m grateful for the team from the parish that are working to make this year’s retreat equally uplifting for all who join us.
A retreat or day of prayer is a great way to start the year to set our hearts and minds right before God, and though the current pandemic doesn’t allow us for us go away to a retreat center, our campus has a nice “feel” and plenty of quiet space to spend a few hours in prayer. I highly encourage the women of the parish to make time for the retreat, and for those married and with children, for their spouses to step up to watch the kids for Friday and Saturday. Consider it an early Valentine’s Day gift to give to your wife! For more information and to register visit www.ctrcc.com/womensretreat.
• This Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. we’re hosting a virtual Middle School Preview night for our Christ the Redeemer Catholic School. We invite parents with children who will be entering 6th-8th grades in the fall to join us to discover all that our school has to offer for students in these vital years of their education. Our faculty and staff will be here to answer your questions and show you the campus and you can view it all from the comfort of your home by joining us virtually on the CtRCS YouTube channel. See www.ctrschool.com for details and click here to RSVP to join us. Please help us spread the word to parents who you know might be interested.
St. John the Baptist, who baptized the Lord, pray for us!
Peace, Fr. Sean
