Bulletin for July 8

Dear friends in Christ,

“And they took offense at him.” That line from today's Gospel on the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time always amazes me. No matter how many times I read or hear it, I'm always struck at how anyone could take offense at Jesus. He's Jesus, for cryin' out loud! Offense? How is that possible?

But then I stop and think. Does my life reflect someone who also takes “offense” at Jesus? Not on purpose, of course, but do my words and actions (or maybe my lack of them) show a regard for His teaching? Do I trust my life to Jesus' way of living, or do I try to turn it around and make Jesus fit into my own way of thinking? I'm guessing that all of us in some way do that more often than we care to admit. Let us pray and work to change our habits and behaviors so that we are conformed more and more to the life of Jesus. Because we sure don't want the last line of the Gospel to be said of us: “He was amazed by their lack of faith.”

In other news, remember that next week is our annual Catholic Faith Camp for children entering 2nd through 6th grades. This camp is separate and distinct from Vacation Bible School, which ran earlier this summer. In Catholic Faith Camp (CFC), the kids go a bit deeper into the faith and the Bible. This year the kids will hop aboard the “Vatican Express” bus and learn about the early Church, the Holy Father, Eucharistic Adoration and more. It’s not as crowded as VBS, and gives us a chance to break open the faith a bit deeper with the kids but still on their level.
 
The camp runs daily 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 16-20 and the cost is only $25 per child. That includes a T-shirt and daily snacks. CFC has been a big hit the past few summers and if you are looking for an activity for your kids next week, it’s a great opportunity. Register online at ctrcc.com.com/cfc and make plans to join us. Adult and teen volunteers are needed to assist with CFC, and a required advance training session is taking place this Thursday, July 12. See the website for more information.
 
I remind our young adults (20s-30s) that the annual summer program, Café Catholica, is underway again this summer. It begins tomorrow and continues the next four Mondays, July 9, 16, 23 and 30 at St. Michael Church on Sage near the Galleria. Each week begins with Mass at 6:15 p.m. (confession available beforehand, too), followed by a light dinner at 7:15 p.m. and a talk at 8:15 p.m. Cardinal DiNardo will be speaking on July 23 and he is always a popular draw, but every week offers a chance to dive deeper into the faith as you gather with hundreds of young adults from all over the Archdiocese. For more information check the Café Catholica website at  archgh.org/cafecatholica.

Please keep our 18 teens and adults from CtR in your prayers this week as they embark on their annual Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC) mission in Kansas City. We've been sending a group of our youth to CHWC for several years now and it's always one of the most powerful and uplifting trips of the summer. The teens join with others from throughout the country to go out in small teams of six to eight people and to accomplish service projects in the local community. It's amazing what they can get done in a week’s time. Then, after a hard day’s work, each night they come together for Mass, supper, and an uplifting night of praise and worship. Our youth represent our community well and are an inspiration to us by their service to God and neighbor.

Speaking of our youth, have you noticed the new deck on the back of our property? It was the Eagle Scout project of Alejandro Caraballo, one of our fine teens from the parish. He took the abandoned area between our two storage sheds (longtime parishioners will recall that “back in the day” it used to be a play area for our Genesis prep school children) and completely transformed it with an elevated 24x15 deck, ADA ramp, and steps all around. It looks really sharp and will serve as a nice gathering area for various parish groups. No more worrying about the muck and mud! Please join me in thanking Alejandro for this great gift to the parish and congratulate him on becoming an Eagle Scout. 

Every year, and only once a year, there is a collection made throughout every parish in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that is dedicated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP). These funds play a crucial role for SVdP to fund all of its programs that feed, clothe, provide dignified living, and help people find their way to self-sufficiency. This annual appeal taken up today at all Masses, known as the Black Bag Collection, supports the work of one of the oldest organizations in the Catholic Church and its outreach to the poor and disenfranchised. And while we don’t have a St. Vincent de Paul Society at CtR ( Cypress Assistance Ministries fills that role for us), we are happy to assist the good work that it does throughout our Archdiocese and the world.

The work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society has been active in our Archdiocese since 1871, and it continues to be a powerful and personal response to those on the peripheries. In 2017, more than 54,000 individuals received direct aide worth more than $10.5 million, including $6.7 million in food assistance. SVdP truly does what it intends, too. Last year 96 cents of every dollar donated to SVdP went to provide assistance with food, clothing, household needs as well as financial help for rent, utilities, transportation, medical and funeral expenses.

This history of the Black Bag Collection is interesting. In 1833 Frederic Ozanam (founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) along with six friends from his university heard God calling them to serve the poor. They met with Blessed Sr. Rosalie Rendu who taught them how to visit the poor in their homes – this to help them fully experience the pain and suffering these people were experiencing. After visiting the poor, the group of students decided they needed money to continue this work. They decided to pool their resources together; however, so as not to embarrass each other as to how much each could afford to give they elected to take a secret collection using a common black bag.

Using the black bag enables everyone to give what they can afford without being judged. I find it heartwarming that something so simple as a black bag from the early 1800s still continues to this day to provide the resources needed to care for the needs of the poor and marginalized in our community. The passing of the black bag from person to person brings the Body of Christ together in the mission of caring for our neighbors. As we act, one in the spirit of giving, the lowly cloth bag is transformed into something beautiful and deeply spiritual among friends. May God continue to bless the good work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Peace,
Fr. Sean