Parish Update – Friday, Oct. 8

Happy Friday, one and all! I pray that your week has brought you blessings, or if perhaps it has brought you a few crosses as well, I pray that the Lord will give you the grace to bear them with the grace of God. If that is the case, keep Psalm 124:8 close to your heart and on your lips: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” 

Our old friend Solomon, the son of David, knew well that his help was from the Lord, and we will hear from him in the first reading this weekend on the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time. I invite you to listen carefully to the opening three lines from the Book of Wisdom from which we’ll read on Sunday. It seems that in addition to being a wise king, Solomon was also a fan of alliteration. “I prayed ... I pleaded ... I preferred ...” That’s a lot of p’s! … And what is it that Solomon prayed for, pleaded for, and preferred more than anything else? Nothing less than holy wisdom itself. When we seek wisdom first, and not the wants and desires of our hearts or the fame and fortune of the world, as Solomon could have certainly requested, we too will know the grace that he received. When we are gifted with wisdom we have all that we need. Let us pray today that the Lord will shower us with such wisdom in all the trials of our life.

Let’s take a look at what is happening around CtR this week:

• 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.

• I’m sorry if you didn’t get one of our Respect Life bookmarks last weekend. I overestimated our inventory when I invited you to take a few after Mass and they were such a popular item that they went out the door much faster than I anticipated. We’ll order more next year, I promise! … But even without a bookmark to remind you, please note that Respect Life Month continues throughout this month of October. Keep in mind our ongoing Senior Care Drive to collect items for the aged and infirm. Details and a link to the Amazon Wish List can be found at www.ctrcc.com/respectlife. … Also, Rejoice Counseling, our on-site counseling service, is hosting a Suicide Awareness and Prevention talk on Monday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Community Center. Sadly we’ve seen an uptick in people losing hope under the pressures of the world and taking their own life, particularly among teens and young adults. The counselors from Rejoice will be here to lead a discussion on how we can best promote a culture of life that gives hope to all those who are burdened.

• We’re about a month away from one of the best community events of the year so I want to make sure you have it on your calendar to join us for our 8th annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Nov. 13 from 6-9 p.m. benefiting CtR Catholic School. It will be a great night of chili, Frito Pie (my favorite), hot dogs, drinks, music, live and silent auctions, and fun for the whole family. It takes place in our back parking lot and is not to be missed. You may purchase tickets now in advance on-line at www.ctrschool.com/chili or after Mass on Nov. 6-7.

We’ve already registered a number of teams who are ready to duke it out for the title 2021 Chili Champion, but we have room for more. Think your recipe (or that of a friend or co-worker) is the best in the C-Y-P? Come join us and put it to the taste test of our judges and community. Being part of a chili cook team (it’s just $50 per team to enter) is a fun way to experience the evening, and a great way to support Catholic education. The website has all the details on how your team can be part of the action. I especially invite our ministry groups and organizations to collaborate and fire up a bowl of Texas Red for the competition. We’ll also have some great items available in both the live and silent auctions, and I’m planning to open up my cellar as well to offer the Fr. Sean Wine Pull. Make plans to join us!

• Speaking of our CtR Catholic School, though we’re relatively early in this academic year, we are already looking ahead to next year. We invite all prospective families to join us for an Open House next Sunday, Oct. 17 from 12:30-2 p.m. I highly encourage parents to come and see all that the school has to offer, and to prayerfully consider it as an option for your child. Members of our staff and administration will be on hand to answer questions and tour you through the campus. I think you will be impressed by the innovative methods to facilitate learning among our children and our commitment to a quality Catholic education. … Even if you yourself do not have a school-age child at home I’d encourage you to help us spread the word in the community. Let others know that CtR School welcomes their children and invite them to come to the Open House to see for themselves all that it offers. If next Sunday doesn’t work for your schedule, we offer tours at any time. See www.ctrschool.com for details and to schedule an appointment.

• If you are an adult who has never received the Sacrament of Confirmation, or know of one, now is the time to prepare to do so. Confirmation is one of the Sacraments of Initiation, along with Baptism and Holy Communion, and it is a vital necessity in our spiritual journey. For a variety of reasons, however, it can be missed at the traditional time it is offered in high school. It’s unfortunate that some Catholics do not receive this great gift of the Holy Spirit, which aids us and draws us closer in union to the Holy Trinity. If that is the case for you or someone you know, we’d love to prepare you to receive the sacrament next year. … The first step for Adult Confirmation is a half-day retreat on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. For more information on how you can be part of it, please contact Camilla MacKenzie, our Director of Adult Discipleship, in our parish office. She’ll set up an interview to get you all the details on how to begin the journey to full communion in the faith. I highly encourage those who have yet to receive this important step in their Christian formation to make time now to do so. The gift of the Holy Spirit that is given to us in Confirmation is literally a life-line to the Father through His son, Jesus Christ. Take advantage of that lifeline now!

• Our parish bulletin advertising representative, Bob Swagman, will be in the office next week, and I invite you, especially if you own a business, to please consider purchasing an ad. It’s a great way to get the name of your company out in front of the greater Catholic community, and to the support the parish in return as ads are what makes it possible for us to print and distribute the bulletin for free. … Make sure you use the bulletin when you are in the market for goods and services and tell businesses you saw their ad in the CtR bulletin. I often see comments on social media of parishioners seeking asking recommendations for a particular trade or service, and I always respond, “Look at the back of your CtR bulletin!” There’s any number of fellow parishioners who are ready to respond to your needs, from car repair, to real estate, to plumbing, to tax service, and so much more. … Bulletin ads of all sizes and prices are available, and you can also purchase one to promote a parish organization or place a personal memorial ad such as “Pray for Vocations,” or “In Memory.” Call the parish this week (281-469-5533) for additional information.

• Lastly, let me put in one final reminder for two events happening this coming week. … Our CtR Golf tournament is Monday, Oct. 11 at Cypress Lakes Golf Club. Entry fee is only $135 and includes lunch and dinner. Proceeds benefit CAM and youth scholarships from the parish. We still have room for singles and foursomes, so spread the word and make plans to join us. We tee off at 12 noon and you can register at the course the morning of the tournament. See the parish website for more information. … And then next Friday, Oct. 15, is our Evening of Taizé Prayer and Community Dinner. The Knights of Columbus will serve a free spaghetti dinner at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall and then the prayer service starts at 7 p.m. in the Church. It’s all free, but please RSVP so we can be sure to prepare enough food. Childcare will be available. It’s going to be a beautiful evening and I hope you will join us. See www.ctrcc.com/taizeprayer to RSVP.

Our Lady of the Rosary, whose feast day was yesterday (but everyday is a great day for the Rosary), pray for us!

Peace, Fr. Sean