Dear friends in Christ,

     This, That & the Other ... This weekend we celebrate the great Solemnity of Christ the King, the final Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Church’s liturgical calendar. On December 1 we will begin the great season of holy waiting, Advent, but before then we first honor Christ as our King. Not an earthly king of physical and political power and might, however, but a king who lays down his life in service to all.

     As I mentioned last week, on Christ the King we welcome 13 new members into our Catholic faith through our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at our 9 a.m. Mass. These are baptized Christians (in a different denomination) who now seek entrance into the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church, and we welcome them with great joy. In addition, at our 5 p.m. Mass on Sunday, we’ll have about a dozen of our middle school children who will make their First Communion, so there is a lot to be thankful for this weekend. … FYI: We’ll use incense at the 9 and 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Masses on Sunday. If your allergies are sensitive, you might consider attending the Saturday vigil or 7 a.m. Mass.

     Though not a Church holy day, we will have Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 a.m. next Thursday, Nov. 28 in the church. You are invited to bring items from the Thanksgiving meal you will be serving that day for the annual Blessing of Food at the end of Mass. This has become a nice tradition each year for families to start this special day giving thanks to God for the many blessings we have received. Bring a basket with some of the items for the dishes you will be preparing and at the end of the mass we’ll ask God’s blessing upon them. It’s a good way of making the connection between the bounty we receive at the table of the Lord to the bounty we offer at our table at home.

     This Saturday, Nov. 23, we will celebrate the First Communion of about 130 of our (mostly) 2nd grade children with Mass at 9 a.m. Congratulations to the children and their families on this important milestone in their faith! Due to the First Communion Mass we will not hold our regular Saturday confessions, but they’ll resume the following week.

     We’re hosting a Day of Service in the church this coming Monday, Nov. 25 from 8-11 a.m. We hope to make this an annual event in the week before Advent begins to spruce up our Church, Chapel, and Parish Hall. We’ll have many liturgies over the next month and it’s good to take time to see that our high-traffic areas get a little love (and elbow grease) to help make them shine. If you have the day off from work or school, we invite you to join us. … The work will include preparing our missals, vacuuming and polishing our pews, cleaning windows, walls, and floors – in general, housekeeping for God’s house! All are welcome and children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult, but we ask you please sign-up online in advance so we’re not too overwhelmed. You can do so at this link.    

     As we enter the final month of the year remember to give to the ongoing Diocesan Services Fund drive. DSF funds the more than 60 ministries of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that no one parish could ever do on its own, but that collectively allows us to offer, among other things, chaplains at the hospitals, food pantry and soup kitchens, ministry to the imprisoned, senior care centers, and outreach to the most needy, in addition to providing training for lay ministers in Religious Education and Youth Ministry in every parish. … It’s an important work of the Church that benefits many and we all have a role to play. Your pledge of any size helps make it all possible. More than 860 parishioners, including myself, have made their gift already, and I encourage you to join us and do the same. It’s quick and easy at www.archgh.org/dsf.

     The wonderfully gifted and talented ladies of our Piece Makers Ministry are holding their Fall Sale this weekend after the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass and on Sunday after all the morning Masses at Coffee & Donuts in the Parish Hall. This is their annual pre-Thanksgiving show that they prepare all year for by creating, designing, and making a huge assortment of arts and crafts. … Come shop a huge array of one-of-a-kind designs of jewelry, knick-knacks and tchotchkes for your family and friends. It’s a great way to get a leg-up on your Christmas shopping, and all proceeds are used by the Piece Makers to support the parish. Over the past several years they’ve donated more than $50,000 back to CtR, so thank you, Piece Makers! ... Lastly, and most importantly, God loves you. See ya’ at Mass!