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October 13, 2017Dear friends in Christ,
We are in a stretch of Sundays of Ordinary Time where we have been reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians for the past four weeks. The readings culminate today with one of the most powerful lines of Scripture that St. Paul ever wrote: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” That’s a quote that we might consider taping to our bathroom mirror or putting on our refrigerator so that we see it every day. Like Paul, we too can do all things in Christ, not because of any power of the self, but only by the grace of God who gives us strength. Never forget that, my friends!
By the way, if you want to read ahead, next week we’ll transition to the first of five consecutive weeks of hearing from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. It’s a short, but powerful letter in the New Testament in your Bible. Use it as your meditation the next week or two and you’ll be ready to hear it with new ears (and a new heart) when it comes up at Mass.
At 7 p.m. this coming Thursday, Oct. 19 is our joint prayer service with Messiah Lutheran Church. Please plan to join us in the main church as we gather in prayer and in song together with our brothers and sisters in Christ as we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We had more than 100 people turn out last Sunday for our informational overview about our two faiths with myself and Pastor Brad Otto of Messiah Lutheran. It was a good mix of both our congregations and had a spirit of unity in the room as we learned from each other.
It’s important to note that we are “commemorating” the anniversary of the Reformation, and not “celebrating” it. Both Catholics and Lutherans agree that we are not rejoicing over an event 500 years ago that split the Church, but rather marking the important historical anniversary so as to learn how we might work toward Christian unity. While there are obvious differences between Lutherans and Catholics, I believe there is much more in common that we can honor. We’re not two sides opposed to each other, trying to prove each other wrong. No, we are one in Christ. Together we can learn from each other, grow closer to God together, and celebrate the unity we already have so as to purify ourselves on all sides to grow more in the oneness of Christ that our God wills for us.
The prayer service this coming Thursday promises to be an evening of spirit and praise. The music of the combined choirs of both churches will be fantastic. A little known fact about Martin Luther is that he was a great champion of sacred music in the Church and so we draw upon a rich tradition when we join our voices with our Lutheran brothers and sisters. There will be a light reception after the service, which I expect will be about an hour or so in length. Please make plans to join us and show hospitality to our visitors from the community. We’ll also take up a collection together with all proceeds going to Cypress Assistance Ministries, of which both congregations are both active, or if you prefer, bring canned goods for the CAM food pantry.
Looking ahead a bit, next weekend is the annual celebration of World Mission Sunday. We’ll have the second collection after Mass and I encourage you to remember that we are missionaries by virtue of our baptism in Jesus Christ. Offerings from Catholics in the United States from this collection are combined with offerings from Catholics around the globe and distributed to mission dioceses – about 1,100 at this time. It helps spread the Catholic faith to mission dioceses most in need. In addition, these dioceses submit requests to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome for assistance for, among other needs, catechetical programs, seminaries, the work of Religious Communities, communication and transportation needs, and the building of churches.
It’s important to remember that our own country, and particularly our area of Texas, was once missionary territory. It was through the prayerful and financial sacrifice and often heroic efforts of the missionary priests that the Catholic faith was brought here in the 19th century. The Diocese of Galveston, as it was once known, included the entire state of Texas, and it was all served and supported by missionaries. Now we can do our part to help “pay it forward.” We are all missionaries indeed. By the way, our annual mission appeal from the Archdiocese, when we welcome a missionary to our parish to tell us about the particular work that they are doing in the world, was scheduled last month but was canceled due to the aftermath of the flooding. World Mission Sunday is a great way to still participate in such missionary efforts, so please remember them in next week’s second collection.
Looking ahead even further, if you are an adult who has never received the Sacrament of Confirmation, 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 retreat on Sunday, Oct. 29. For more information on the Adult Confirmation process and how you can be part of it, please contact Deacon Jack Alexander, our Director of Adult Faith Formation, in our parish office. I highly encourage those who have yet to receive this important step in the Christian journey 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 life-line now!
Finally, thanks to our Knights of Columbus who hosted the annual CtR golf tournament this past Monday. It was a great (but hot!) day on the links to support scholarships and charitable efforts of the Knights. This was the 10th anniversary of the Knights running the tournament and they aced it, to borrow a golfing analogy. Thank you, brothers, and thanks as well to the women of the Ladies Auxiliary who helped out with the auction and meal afterward. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to pull off a successful tournament. Best of all, the proceeds come right back to CtR to help support our youth and CAM.
Peace,
Fr. Sean
P.S.: Don’t forget that Hurricane Harvey Flood Relief Assistance is available to those parishioners who experienced water damage in their homes. See our website for a short form to complete. We’d love to be able to offer you assistance in helping you get your home back in order. Many people have generously donated to us and we in turn want to get that to those who were flooded so please apply by the end of the month.
