Dear friends in Christ,
This, That & the Other … We encounter some strong language from Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel on the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” And then a little later: “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” Ouch! That hits a little too close to home for me, and maybe you, too. … But it is good to get such a wake-up call from the Lord. We need to take a sober look at how we treat one another – in person and online – and though we can’t control another person’s actions or words toward us, we can control how we respond. Let us always do so in a spirit of love and charity.
… This Sunday, Feb. 24, I’ll be offering an additional Mass at 7 p.m. in the main church. This is our annual “Teaching Mass” for our high school confirmation students and their parents, but it is open to the entire parish. I’ve offered this in the past for our youth and our RCIA community as a way to “break open” the Mass a bit more for them. It will be the regular Mass for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, but I’ll be “teaching” throughout it, stopping occasionally to explain more of what is happening and, perhaps more importantly, why it is happening. … Each year I offer this Mass the youth seem to like it and get a lot out of it, but it’s the adults who attend with them who say they, too, learned things they never knew. We’re never too old to be reminded of the beauty and power of the Church’s sacred liturgy. Anyone is welcome to attend. It’s a regular Mass that “counts” for your Sunday obligation just like any of the other Mass this weekend. It takes a little longer (because of the narration during it), but we usually wrap up around 8:30 p.m. or maybe a just bit later. Come join us. I think you’ll like it!
... Our 34th annual CtR Spring Festival is set for April 27-28, and one of the preliminary events leading up to it is the stuffing of envelopes with raffle tickets to be mailed to all parishioners. (The grand prize this year is a new GMC vehicle of your choosing!) ... You're invited to help stuff envelopes next Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the RAC. With enough hands, it won't take too long. The Festival is all about Stewardship so get involved and come join us. Look for more Spring Festival news and opportunities for involvement in the weeks to come.
… We’re just around the corner from the 2019 Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) drive, which will begin next weekend in every parish throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. You’ll recall that the DSF is the annual collection to fund those ministries and services offered in the name of the archdiocese that no one single parish could ever possibly fund on its own. Your gift to the DSF enables us to reach to people in need through more than 60 important program and ministries. … Be on the lookout for a letter from Cardinal DiNardo this week along with a personalized pledge card inviting you to participate in this year’s drive, and bring it with you to Mass next weekend, March 2-3, or go online at www.archgh.org/dsf to make your pledge. More information coming next week.
… Cardinal DiNardo and representative bishops throughout the world are in the middle of a four-day summit in Rome this week on the Protection of Minors in the Church. We’ll know more about their discussion and resolutions in the days to come, but it is my hope that these meetings, which Pope Francis called for and is presiding over, will lead to substantial statement of purpose of amendment in the Church, and a resolve to go forward in bringing that amendment to life in the weeks and months to come. The meeting themselves will not produce a magic wand that will take away this scourge overnight, but it is my sincere hope and belief that it will lead to further accountability and transparency in the Church. … I invite us all to continue to pray for those who have suffered such abuse at the hands of Church leaders over the years, while also praying for all bishops in the world that they may be united in purposefulness in addressing these issues head-on in a timely manner. Our prayers and our voices can aid in seeing that come to fruition.
… You can sign up to be one of our Vocation Chalice families this weekend at all Masses. Each week a different family receives the chalice (at a Mass time and day of your choosing) and takes the chalice and accompanying booklet home to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It’s a way to keep prayers for vocations alive in our homes at all times, and it couldn’t be easier. Sign up for the weekend of your choosing. You can be a family of one, two, five or 10 – all families, big and small, are invited to participate. We’ll remind you when it’s your turn, too.
… This Saturday, Feb. 23, we celebrate First Reconciliation for our 2nd grade students. They’ll have confessions in the church beginning at 8:30 a.m. We usually wrap up with the kids about 10 a.m., and then Fr. Ralph and I will stay for any adults who are present, so please plan accordingly. … Remember that our blood drive is happening this Sunday morning in the Parish Hall. Walk-ins are welcome. ... Lastly and mostly importantly, God loves you! … See ya’ at Mass!
This, That & the Other … We encounter some strong language from Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel on the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” And then a little later: “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” Ouch! That hits a little too close to home for me, and maybe you, too. … But it is good to get such a wake-up call from the Lord. We need to take a sober look at how we treat one another – in person and online – and though we can’t control another person’s actions or words toward us, we can control how we respond. Let us always do so in a spirit of love and charity.
… This Sunday, Feb. 24, I’ll be offering an additional Mass at 7 p.m. in the main church. This is our annual “Teaching Mass” for our high school confirmation students and their parents, but it is open to the entire parish. I’ve offered this in the past for our youth and our RCIA community as a way to “break open” the Mass a bit more for them. It will be the regular Mass for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, but I’ll be “teaching” throughout it, stopping occasionally to explain more of what is happening and, perhaps more importantly, why it is happening. … Each year I offer this Mass the youth seem to like it and get a lot out of it, but it’s the adults who attend with them who say they, too, learned things they never knew. We’re never too old to be reminded of the beauty and power of the Church’s sacred liturgy. Anyone is welcome to attend. It’s a regular Mass that “counts” for your Sunday obligation just like any of the other Mass this weekend. It takes a little longer (because of the narration during it), but we usually wrap up around 8:30 p.m. or maybe a just bit later. Come join us. I think you’ll like it!
... Our 34th annual CtR Spring Festival is set for April 27-28, and one of the preliminary events leading up to it is the stuffing of envelopes with raffle tickets to be mailed to all parishioners. (The grand prize this year is a new GMC vehicle of your choosing!) ... You're invited to help stuff envelopes next Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the RAC. With enough hands, it won't take too long. The Festival is all about Stewardship so get involved and come join us. Look for more Spring Festival news and opportunities for involvement in the weeks to come.
… We’re just around the corner from the 2019 Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) drive, which will begin next weekend in every parish throughout the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. You’ll recall that the DSF is the annual collection to fund those ministries and services offered in the name of the archdiocese that no one single parish could ever possibly fund on its own. Your gift to the DSF enables us to reach to people in need through more than 60 important program and ministries. … Be on the lookout for a letter from Cardinal DiNardo this week along with a personalized pledge card inviting you to participate in this year’s drive, and bring it with you to Mass next weekend, March 2-3, or go online at www.archgh.org/dsf to make your pledge. More information coming next week.
… Cardinal DiNardo and representative bishops throughout the world are in the middle of a four-day summit in Rome this week on the Protection of Minors in the Church. We’ll know more about their discussion and resolutions in the days to come, but it is my hope that these meetings, which Pope Francis called for and is presiding over, will lead to substantial statement of purpose of amendment in the Church, and a resolve to go forward in bringing that amendment to life in the weeks and months to come. The meeting themselves will not produce a magic wand that will take away this scourge overnight, but it is my sincere hope and belief that it will lead to further accountability and transparency in the Church. … I invite us all to continue to pray for those who have suffered such abuse at the hands of Church leaders over the years, while also praying for all bishops in the world that they may be united in purposefulness in addressing these issues head-on in a timely manner. Our prayers and our voices can aid in seeing that come to fruition.
… You can sign up to be one of our Vocation Chalice families this weekend at all Masses. Each week a different family receives the chalice (at a Mass time and day of your choosing) and takes the chalice and accompanying booklet home to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It’s a way to keep prayers for vocations alive in our homes at all times, and it couldn’t be easier. Sign up for the weekend of your choosing. You can be a family of one, two, five or 10 – all families, big and small, are invited to participate. We’ll remind you when it’s your turn, too.
… This Saturday, Feb. 23, we celebrate First Reconciliation for our 2nd grade students. They’ll have confessions in the church beginning at 8:30 a.m. We usually wrap up with the kids about 10 a.m., and then Fr. Ralph and I will stay for any adults who are present, so please plan accordingly. … Remember that our blood drive is happening this Sunday morning in the Parish Hall. Walk-ins are welcome. ... Lastly and mostly importantly, God loves you! … See ya’ at Mass!
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