I trust the Spring Break that many of you enjoyed this past week was a good one. It is important to take those periodic breaks to recharge and refresh our bodies and minds. In a way,
Lent is kind of a “spring break” for our spiritual souls as well. We “break” from sin (hopefully for good!) and refresh ourselves in God’s mercy and grace. It’s a time to slow down and recognize that there is something bigger going on here than just our own wants and desires. The dying to self and sin results in new life within us. These 40 days will be over before you know it, just like Spring Break. Let’s resolve to use the time wisely so that we might better come to know the Lord in our life.
This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Lent, and on this year we hear the powerful Gospel account of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. It’s a beautiful and appropriate reading for Lent as Jesus leads her (and us) to see who he really is. He is not just some itinerant rabbi – he is the Messiah! When we come to discover who Jesus is we, like the woman at the well, are compelled to go and tell others. Today is also the first scrutiny for our Elect as they make their way to the waters of baptism. Please remember to keep them in your prayers.
I want to share with you some good news about
Cypress Assistance Ministries. There’s always something good happening at CAM, but lately the good news has been coming in bunches. First, they recently underwent their annual audit by the Houston Food Bank for their food pantry and distribution service. I’m happy to report that CAM received a Gold Standard rating, the highest that is given. These are not merely rubber-stamped approvals, by the way. The Houston Food Bank, one of the largest and most active in the country, keeps close watch on its partners in the community and the Federal government oversees their approval. They want to make sure that the food that is being collected, stored, and distributed is kept safe and getting to those most in need. CAM passed with flying colors.
The CAM food pantry is serving more and more people every month. In fact, last year was their highest on record for demand from the community. When you bring a bag of groceries to Mass, you can be assured that it will be properly cared for and returned to the community to those who need it most. Remember, while we designate the first weekend of every month as Food Pantry assistance weekend, we’re happy to take your donations at any time. CAM makes regular pick-ups here at the church.
Secondly, CAM was recently awarded the “Non-Profit of the Year” award for 2016 by the Cypress-Houston Chamber of Commerce, and in addition, they were selected by Louetta Automotive Corporate office as the “Non-Profit of the Year.” Besides the recognition, Louetta Automotive is providing free automotive repair of up to $5,000 this year which CAM will in turn use for client in need who need help with the car repair bills. When cars won’t start, people can’t get to work and they lose their job, and then they are right back where they started. This is a “win-win” to help keep people working so they can pay their bills.
We congratulate CAM and are honored to partner with them on a variety of projects. The great majority of CAM volunteers are from CtR, and they are always there to help our parishioners who are in need. In fact, I met this past week with a parishioner who is in need of some resume help and job placement assistance. I told her about Operation Jobs at CAM which offers those very services and she is going to check them out. Do not fail to look at the many ways CAM is there to assist all of us in our time of need. Even if you are well off and not in need of assistance, I bet you will find a good bargain or two at Angel’s Attic, the great resale shop within CAM. You can donate items or shop for yourself (I love stopping in there to see what is new), and all proceeds go right back to help CAM provide help in the community. It’s another “win-win.” God bless CAM, and all who help make it a blessing to our community. Stop by and see for yourself!
We are six weeks away from our
32nd annual Spring Festival, set for April 29-30. There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to get us ready, and today we are opening up on-line sign-ups for you to help at one of your favorite booths, rides, or games. It’s no secret that what makes the Spring Festival such an awesome event for our parish and community is the great number of people who volunteer their time and talent over the weekend. Your help is especially needed to staff a shift or two (usually in a block of two hours each) in one of our many booths. The help and support of every one in the parish, both young and old, is most needed. It’s a great way to give back to the life of the community.
We are also in need of booth chairpersons, including several for our games. This is a great way for families to get involved, or better yet, a family of families. You can partner with friends and family members to oversee a booth and that way the work is spread out among several people and everyone gets time to enjoy the Festival. I highly encourage our ministries and R.E. classes to consider taking over a booth or game. It’s a perfect way to get the kids involved in service to the community, and the older teens can earn service hours, too. But we do it not for what we “get,” but for what we can “give” – namely our time and talents to help serve God and neighbor.
Go to the parish website and there you will see a link to the sign-up page. Act now as it is first-come, first-served and I know many of you like to work your favorite booths and shifts every year. In a few weeks we’ll have advance tickets on sale after all masses, along with t-shirts and all the other fun stuff for the Festival. For now, sign up to volunteer and mark your calendars to join us on April 29-30 for a great Spring Festival at CtR.
Peace, Fr. Sean
P.S.: Remember the
St. Joseph’s Altar pasta luncheon and bake sale today in the Community Center. All proceeds benefit CAM, with two lines serving continuously beginning at 10:30 a.m. Join us after either the 9 or 11 a.m. masses for a great celebration of this Catholic tradition to honor the patron saint of Italy. Mangia bene!