Dear friends in Christ,
This, That & the Other ... Last September,
Pope Francis announced in his
Apostolic Letter, Aperuit Illis (Latin for “He opened their minds”), that from here on, the
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time would be celebrated each year as the Sunday of the Word of God. That Sunday is upon this weekend. … In the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass, we are reminded of the role of the Word of God in the life of the Church: “In the hearing of God's word the Church is built up and grows, and in the signs of the liturgical celebration God's wonderful, past works in the history of salvation are presented anew as mysterious realities. God in turn makes use of the congregation of the faithful that celebrates the Liturgy in order that
his word may speed on and be glorified and that his name be exalted among the nations.” (BTW, I love that image – God’s word “speeds on” in us as we glorify and exalt his name!)
... The letter continues: “Whenever, therefore, the Church, gathered by the Holy Spirit for liturgical celebration, announces and proclaims the word of God, she is aware of being a new people in whom the covenant made in the past is perfected and fulfilled. Baptism and confirmation in the Spirit have made all Christ's faithful into messengers of God's word because of the grace of hearing they have received. … They must therefore be the bearers of the same word in the Church and in the world, at least by the witness of their lives. The word of God proclaimed in the celebration of God's mysteries does not only address present conditions but looks back to past events and forward to what is yet to come. Thus God's word shows us what we should hope for with such a longing that in this changing world our hearts will be set on the place where our true joys lie (Preamble, 7). ... It is my sincere hope that we will all take to heart the centrality of the word of God in our lives not only this designated Sunday but every day of our life. Please take time this week to read from your bible at home. Cherish it. Devour it. Live it. (And if you don’t have a bible at home, see me and I’ll make sure you get one!)
... Another way to support our CtR Catholic School is through the annual Steps for Students 5K Run/Walk. It’s set for Saturday, Feb. 15 and it provides much needed funds for scholarships and programs in Catholic education. It’s a great family event and always a lot of fun. All are invited to join our CtR team and in the process,
all proceeds will come back to our school – 100 percent! It’s a well-organized fun run through downtown Houston with a great party afterwards. I’ve done it for a number of years and find it to be a great way to spend the morning getting some exercise and helping a great cause. Registration is fast and easy and we always have a big team from CtR and we’d love to have you join us this year.
Go to this link for information and to donate to us at CtR, or if you like to register yourself and join us as part of Team Crusader, you can do so easily by hitting the "Register" button at the top of that link. It's a great way to spend a Saturday morning getting some exercise through the streets of downtown Houston with several thousand of others.
... If you don’t want to run yourself, you can sponsor my team and all proceeds will come right back to benefit our own CtR School. You can make an on-line pledge and I’ll do all the work while you sleep in that morning! To pledge to my team
go to this link and you can do so in a few easy steps safely and securely. Or if you like, you can give me a check or cash in person at Mass or in the office and I’ll see that it is credited to our CtR team.
... One of the great ways to share our Catholic is faith in through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). We are blessed with a number of people, both young and old alike, who are coming to us desiring to learn more about the Church and follow the Lord’s call to full communion in the Catholic faith. To do so, however, they need someone to accompany them on the journey.
I invite you to “come and see” what being a RCIA Sponsor is all about next Monday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in Room 301. (That's next to the chapel.) Half of those who are inquiring about the faith are youth, and we certainly welcome young people who have been confirmed to come forward to be a sponsor. … After an extended break over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and following a very successful retreat last weekend,
our high school and junior high youth ministry is back in action beginning this week. Encounter, for our high school students, resumes this Sunday evening and Rise, for junior high kids, will return next Wednesday evening, Jan. 29. ... Lastly, and most importantly,
God loves you! See ya’ at Mass!