Parish Update – Friday, May 20

Happy Friday to you, my friends. I pray that all are well. The old saying, “April showers bring May flowers” didn’t seem to materialize this year, did it? I can’t recall many showers last month and thus there are fewer flowers these days. And the only ones that did bloom have likely already wilted under the record heat of May. Such is life in Houston. It does appear we will get wet this weekend, however, so grab an umbrella as you head out for Mass.

When you get here these are the words you will hear: “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” It’s a powerful and altogether soothing assurance from Jesus on the 6th Sunday of Easter. It seems like something we should commit to memory, and most certainly it is something we should commit to our hearts. The reason we should not fear is because the Lord has promised that he will not leave us abandoned or alone. … The gift of the Holy Spirit, which we’ll celebrate in a few weeks at Pentecost, is all we need to give us the peace of God’s everlasting love. So remember those words throughout this week any time your heart is worried. The Lord is near to us. Even in the droughts of our lives he will blossom forth in love and mercy. That is the promise of Easter!
 

One liturgical note to make you aware of: Next Sunday, May 29, we’ll celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, but you might see it listed on some calendars as happening this coming week on Thursday, May 26. Rest assured there is no holy day this Thursday. The Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the following Sunday in most dioceses in the country, including Galveston-Houston.

Here is what is happening around our campus this coming 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. … We’ll hear from Mike and Camille Havelka this weekend about the final results of our recent Spring Festival, too.

• I have some very good news to share with you. Remember when I wrote that last Sunday would be our final Coffee and Donuts weekend before the summer break? Well, the Lord has heard your pleas and has granted us one more weekend of sugar and caffeine.  Thank you, Jesus! That’s right, we’ll have one more week of Coffee and Donuts after all the morning masses this Sunday. Please plan to join us. 

• In addition, remember that after the 9 a.m. Mass this Sunday we will host our quarterly Welcoming Sunday for all who are new-ish to the parish. Those who have joined in the past few months, or maybe are just visiting, are invited to join us for refreshments and to learn more about the life of CtR and how you can be part of it. … In fact, we welcome everyone to join us for Welcoming Sunday. As you come over for Coffee and Donuts make it a point to stop by and say hello to a face that you may not know. Come find one new person or family whom you’ve never met and offer them a welcome to the community.

 • Next week, Fr. Vincent and I along with about 200 of our brother priests will be in Galveston for a few days to attend our Priests Convocation. The priests of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston gather every two years with Cardinal DiNardo to build our fraternity and to focus on a topic of study. This year we’ll be looking at our shared priestly ministry in the light of the Eucharist as we prepare for the National Eucharistic Revival that will take place in every diocese in the country beginning next year. … In addition to the study and reflection on the Eucharist, we’ll spend time in prayer together, hear from the Cardinal on pastoral initiatives in the Archdiocese, and enjoy a few days of fraternal brotherhood with our fellow priests. The gathering also serves as the kickoff to the 175th anniversary of establishment of the Diocese of Galveston, as it was known in 1847, the mother church of Texas. I ask you to please pray for the priests of the Archdiocese this week and know that you will be in our prayers, too.

• Please note there will be no daily Mass on Tuesday-Thursday this coming week, but our deacons will be leading Morning Prayer each day in the chapel at 9 a.m. and Evening Prayer on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Morning and Evening prayer are the universal prayers of the Church for clergy and the laity alike. We will not have a Communion Service with it, however. … Especially as we will be focusing on the Eucharist this coming week, I think it’s important to highlight the necessity of the ministerial priesthood that is central to the Eucharist. If there are no priests, there is no Eucharist. I hope the absence of it for a few days will spur us to pray and work more fervently to encourage more young men to consider God’s call to serve the Church as priests. Please keep that intention foremost in your prayers this week as I assure you it will be in ours at the convocation.
 

• Speaking of the Eucharist you may have seen the recent report about the tabernacle being stolen at St. Bartholomew Church in Katy. This was a terrible criminal act for the theft that is beyond material price, but also in theological terms one that is sacrilegious. A suspect has been arrested, but the tabernacle, at least as of this writing, has not yet been located. It does appear that this was a one-off incident and not related to the recent backlash against houses of worship in light of the leaked Supreme Court draft involving Roe v. Wade. … We routinely review our security measures at CtR and will continue to do so. It’s a sad reality that we must keep the doors of the church and chapel locked when not in use, though our small Adoration chapel is accessible with a code. (The code was recently changed so please do not give it out but refer those inquiring about it to email adoration@ctrcc.com) The local constables keep an eye on our campus when they pass by, but it is impossible to secure an entire campus the size of ours at all hours. … Our staff and volunteers are apprised to be vigilant for anything that may be out of the ordinary, and I would ask every parishioner to join them. We must keep our eyes and heart fixed on Christ, but we should always be aware of our surroundings for our own personal safety and for the safety of others. The old saying is true: If you see something, say something.
 

• Proper respect and reverence for the Holy Eucharist are also paramount for Catholics for it is our foundational belief that Christ himself is truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Our Eucharistic Ministers are trained to keep watch when distributing communion for anyone who may walk away without consuming the host. It’s usually done out of ignorance or carelessness, but nonetheless we must remain vigilant. The ministers can’t see everything, of course, so that is where I would ask you, the parishioners in the pews, to likewise be aware. … If you see someone receive communion but walk back to their pew without placing it in their mouth, please notify the priest, deacon or any usher in your vicinity. We will approach them in charity and remind them of the need to consume the host then and there. I don’t want to detract from your time of mediation after receiving communion, but to the extent you can do so, please let us know if something seems out of place. … The incidents are rare, and as I mentioned, usually done absentmindedly by the offending party, but that does not lessen the need for us to act swiftly and appropriately, in charity and respect, for both the person and the Holy Eucharist itself.

• As we wind down the school year and prepare for summer, please note the many opportunities at CtR for children, teens, and adults to continue to grow in our faith in June, July, and August. From Vacation Bible School to mission trips, to bible studies, there is something going on every week for all ages at the parish. Our website at www.ctrcc.com has all the latest details and is constantly being updated with new opportunities, too. … In addition, let’s not fail to grow in charity in the summer. One way we can help those in need is by remembering the Cypress Assistance Ministries Food Pantry. We always welcome donations of canned food and staple goods at Mass (you can drop off items in the large baskets in the narthex any weekend), but let’s make a special effort to mark Memorial Day next week as “Cereal Sunday.” There is a great need at CAM for cereal as that is an in-demand item for families with children in summer. When you’re shopping this week, pick up an extra box of two of your favorite cereal (I am partial to Wheat Chex myself, but any variety will do and I suspect the kids might like something a bit more sugary) and bring them to Mass next weekend. We’ll make sure it gets to CAM and into a bowl on a kitchen table for a family in need in our community ASAP. Thank you!

Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Eucharist, pray for us!

Peace,

Fr. Sean