Parish Update – Friday, June 4

Happy First Friday of the month, everyone! We’ve reached June and the beginning – or just about – of summer. We’ve still got a few days of classes at CtR Catholic School next week, given that we delayed our start due to the pandemic, but most of our local public schools and universities have wrapped up or are in the process of doing so. I wish all a blessed, restful, and safe summer break.

June is a month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We’ll celebrate the actual feast day next Friday, June 11, but the whole month is a time to reorient our hearts to that of the Lord. We’ll talk more about that next week, but first we start out the month this weekend by remembering the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, or as we more commonly call it, Corpus Christi Sunday. … The Eucharist is the life of the Church and this Sunday’s feast is a time to call to mind the great gift of Christ’s own body. When Christ surrendered his spirit on the cross, water and blood flowed from his side and the great outpouring of the Body and Blood was made complete. We celebrate that gift every time we gather at the table of the Lord.

It can become too easy for us to grow slack in our zeal for the Eucharist if we do not keep the power of this sacrament foremost in our mind and in our heart. Remember that what you are doing is receiving the very body and blood of your salvation, Jesus Christ. Stop and re-read that sentence. You are receiving the very body and blood of Christ. Not a representation of that body and blood, not a likeness of it, or a symbol, but the real presence of Christ. We could discuss that singular point from here to eternity and not even begin to approach the richness of it.

By the way, more than a few have asked when receiving the Precious Blood from the cup or chalice might return to Mass, given that it was suspended at the beginning of the pandemic. I don't have any word on a possible timeline for that, but if I had to guess, I would say it will not be soon. ... I know it is missed, but remember as well that you receive the fullness of Christ Body AND Blood even when you consume only the consecrated host. Jesus is fully present in both "species," as we call it in Eucharistic theology. You are not receiving any "less" of Jesus when you partake of only one or the other. The fullness of the sign is complete in both, but we don't quantify Jesus, so when you consume the Body of Christ you are truly receiving his Precious Blood, too. 

This weekend is also an opportune time to examine our disposition, both internally and externally, as we come to the table of the Lord. Does the manner of our dress reflect the worthiness of what we are receiving? Yes, even in summertime when it is hot outside we still need to take care that the clothes we wear to Mass are appropriate for coming to the feast of the Lord. Am I participating fully and joyfully, or just going through the motions? Have I reflected on my need of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and have I forgiven others who have trespassed against me? Do I acknowledge the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament by word, gesture and action? All of these questions are good “food for thought” as we come forward to receive the “food of everlasting life.”

Recall as well that our celebration of the Eucharist does not simply end when Mass ends. We carry that Body and Blood in our life throughout the week. When we live as a Eucharistic people it makes a difference in our lives. We are to live as one who has been redeemed. We carry Christ within us so that we can go and be Christ for others. “Become what you receive,” as St. Augustine says. Let’s keep the idea of being a “Eucharistic Church” foremost in our hearts throughout this summer.

Here’s what happening this week at CtR:

• We invite you to please join us for Mass this weekend, 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. … 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.

• A quick reminder: Confessions will not be heard tomorrow, Saturday, June 5, as Fr. Vincent and I will both be in attendance at the Priesthood Ordinations. They will resume next Saturday. Please pray for the four men who will be ordained for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. What a blessing to have four new priests to serve the local church!

• You might be interested to know that it is a long standing practice of our Archdiocese that the entire weekly offertory collection of Corpus Christi Sunday from every parish is given to St. Mary’s Seminary to support the training of seminarians. Most seminarians are in residence and study at St. Mary’s Seminary on Memorial Drive in Houston, while others are at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas or St. Joseph College Seminary in Covington, La, and a few others are at the North American College in Rome.

As you can imagine, it is very expensive to maintain a large seminary like St. Mary’s, as well as providing room, board and tuition for men undertaking both university studies and ministerial formation. In order to help meet the financial needs of operating our seminary and providing for the formation of our seminarians, each year the entire collection of every parish on Corpus Christi Sunday is given to the Archdiocese. I ask you to be generous this weekend in your offertory gift to support the seminary, and since we do not keep any of the collection for ourselves, might I be so bold as to ask that you also be extra generous next weekend in your gift to the parish so that we might make up a bit for what we give this weekend to the archdiocese? Thank you. 

• One final point about Corpus Christi Sunday: We are blessed at CtR to have the opportunity to pray in the presence of the Body of Christ at any time of day and night in our Adoration Chapel. I highly encourage you to stop by the chapel (located by the Prayer Garden near the front of our campus) before or after Mass, or any time during the week, to give thanks to God. … The chapel has been recently updated and it is a popular place for prayer. We have a great number of parishioners who dedicate an hour each week (at all hours of the day and night) to spend in adoration. We do have, however, some hours in the week when there is just one person in adoration. It would be wonderful to fill that time with additional adorers. Please consider joining this most vital ministry of our parish. It’s a blessing not only to the one who spends time in adoration, but clearly for the parish as a whole. There is information in the Adoration Chapel or visit www.ctrcc.com/adoration.

 • We congratulate our 8^th grade students from CtR Catholic School who will graduate this coming Tuesday, June 8 at 6 p.m. at our annual Baccalaureate Mass. As they move on to the Catholic and public high schools in the community we give thanks to God. These 16 students were a true blessing to our school in this most challenging pandemic year, and I know they will do great things in the name of Christ the Redeemer! My thanks to their parents, too, who were right there with them every step up the way. … Next Friday, June 11 is our final day of classes for all students and also our last School Mass of the year at 9 a.m. All are invited to join us in thanking God for seeing us safely through the school year. 

• Our summer Blood Drive is happening this Sunday, June 6 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Parish Hall. You can sign up in advance for a specific time slot of your choosing at www.ctrcc.com/events/blooddrive, but walk-ins will also be welcomed. 

• Lastly, can I ask you for a personal prayer petition? Tomorrow, June 5, is the 60^th birthday of my sister, Kathleen Horrigan Butler. I know she would appreciate any and all prayers you might offer on her behalf. She’s the only girl in the family, with three older brothers and one younger one – me. You might think that made her the favorite of my parents and you’re probably right. … She’s the General Secretary of the Canon Law Society of America in Washington, D.C., which means she gets to tell a bunch of men (mainly priests) what to do and how to do it, a job that she has 60 years of training for, and, as my brothers and I can attest, one for which she is eminently qualified. … But seriously, on her Big Six-O, I’ll grant that she’s a pretty good sister. We call her “Kak,” so prayers up for a Happy Birthday, Kak! (I know she reads this post each week, so my hope is that your prayers will make up for me not getting her a present!)

St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of catechists, pray for us! (Did you know that my sister has taught Religious Education to 1st grade children for 40 of her 60 years! Follow her on Twitter @KBTeachesKidsRE for great tips on passing on the faith to the younger generation.) 

Peace, Fr. Sean

P.S.: Remember the CAM Food Pantry drive is this (and every first) weekend of the month.