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October 13, 2023Dear 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.
We’re about a month away from one of the best parish-wide events of the year so I want to make sure you have it on your calendar to join us for our 10th annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday, Nov. 11 from 6-9 p.m. It’s a great night of chili, Frito Pie (my favorite), hot dogs, drinks, music, live and silent auctions, and fun for the whole family benefitting our CtR Catholic School. It takes place in our back parking lot and is not to be missed. You may purchase tickets (we’ve got different levels for adults, teens, and kids) in advance on-line at www.ctrschool.com/chili or after Mass on Nov. 4-5.
We’ve already registered a number of teams who are ready to duke it out for the title 2023 Chili Champion, but we have room for more. Think your recipe (or that of a friend or co-worker) is the best in Cypress? Come join us and put it to the taste test of our judges and community. Being part of a chili cook team is a fun way to experience the evening, and a great way to support Catholic education.
The website has all the details on how you can be part of the action. It’s open to everyone from the parish and school, and we also have sponsorships available if you’d like to support it by being an underwriter. We’ll also have a variety of wonderful items available in both the live and silent auctions, and I’m planning to open up my cellar as well to offer the Fr. Sean Wine Pull. We’ve been hosting the Chili Cook-off every year since the school opened – it serves as our annual “gala” – and in a sense, it has become the fall equivalent of our Spring Festival in that it pulls together the whole community. But it’s only night, Saturday, Nov. 11, so make plans to join us!
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 chapels and churches.
Here’s something else to look forward to: Our All Saints Trunk or Treat returns on Friday, Oct. 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. All are invited to join us for music, games, candy and more in the parking lot behind the CtR Parish Office Building. This is a fun, family event co-hosted by the parish, CtR School, and our Genesis Early Childhood Program, and is supported by the CtR Ladies Auxiliary and St. Anne’s Society. We invite you to sponsor a decorated trunk, and bring candy for all the kids in their costumes (with a special contest for the best costume of a saint!) who will be making the rounds safely in our parking area. It’s a great evening of family fun for everyone. If you’d like to volunteer or, if you can't attend, but would like to donate candy, visit www.ctrcc.com/events/trunkortreat. Make plans to join us for a monstrously fun evening.
Respect Life Month continues throughout October, so please remember our ongoing Senior Care Drive to collect items for the aged, homebound, and infirm. Details and a link to the Amazon Wish List can be found at www.ctrcc.com/respectlife.
Lastly, thanks to the Knights of Columbus who hosted our annual CtR golf tournament this past Monday. It was a beautiful day on the links to support scholarships and the charitable efforts of the Knights. Marty Weidemann did another fine job as chairperson of the tournament this year, and he was more than ably helped out by several brother Knights and the women of the Ladies Auxiliary who assisted with the auction and meal afterward. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to pull off a successful tournament and our KCs did a great job, and best of all, the proceeds come right back to CtR to help support our youth and Cypress Assistance Ministry.
Peace, Fr. Sean