Bulletin for Sept. 2

Dear friends in Christ,

On this Labor Day weekend we come to Mass to do “work.” Ironic, isn’t it? But our Sunday celebration of the liturgy is truly “the work of the Church.” Actually, all liturgy is the work of the Church. It’s what we do, and the “doing” of this good and holy work is our small way of giving praise and glory to God. Not that God needs our praise, but rather we have an innate need to give glory to God.

And just as we would, I hope, not show up late or leave early for work, I gently remind you that the same goes for the work of the Church. Please make every effort to be on time at the start of Mass. As our crowds pick up after the summer lull, that may mean we need to leave home a few minutes earlier to assure that we get here on time, park, find a seat in the pews, say a few silent prayers and prepare our hearts to engage in the celebration. That takes work!

The same is true at the end of Mass. You don’t dare “skip” out of work on a regular basis, do you? Yet every week I see streams of people pouring out of the church while others are still receiving Holy Communion. It boggles my mind. Mass is not over. It’s not time to leave. It’s disrespectful and it’s wrong. Your day will not be improved by leaving five minutes early. Unless you are elderly or need extra time or assistance, please return to your pew after you receive Eucharist, kneel and pray and give thanks to God for His wonderful gifts. Let’s work on getting out of the consumer mentality of church (“what I get”) and allow our hearts to be transformed more and more by joyful thanksgiving (“what I give to God”).

Thank you for those who reached out to me last week following my homily on the ongoing abuse crisis in the Church. Many of you said you appreciated me addressing it from the pulpit as confronting this evil is the only way the Church is going to heal, repent, reform, and move forward in mission. If you missed my remarks you can find them linked on the parish website. Given that we have an early bulletin deadline next Sunday due to the Labor Day holiday, I plan to include Pope Francis’ most recent statement at that time. It’s currently on the website, too, but I think it’s important that we have it reproduced here, too.

One parent mentioned how my homily prompted them to have a deeper conversation with their children about the crisis. Having heard my remarks, but not knowing all the news surrounding it, the kids (teens in this instance) had questions. I think that’s a positive thing. It needs to be done on an age-appropriate basis, of course, but I encourage parents to talk together as a family about it at home. Only by asking questions, seeking truth, and being open to the light of faith will the Church fulfill its mission. Yes, the questions we face are difficult and some are shaken. We acknowledge that, but the light of truth is what will ultimately bring about true reform and healing. As someone said, “We are Catholic not because of any pope, bishop or priest, but because of Jesus Christ.” To that I say, “Amen.”

This weekend we are implementing some changes to our parish nursery. We’re going to start using a program called “KidCheck” to help ensure the safety of the children and to hopefully make the drop-off and pick-up run a bit more smoothly. We’re blessed with many families who utilize the nursery on Sundays and throughout the week and we’re always seeking to make the experience one that provides good service and peace of mind for parents, while seeing that safety is always at the forefront of everything we do. The initial feedback on “KidCheck” has been positive, but we welcome your impressions. Linda Watso in our R.E. Office oversees the nursery and can provide more details. Our website also has additional information on the program.

Next weekend is the annual second collection for the Catholic University of America and the University of St. Thomas. I encourage us to be generous in supporting Catholic higher education at these two fine institutions. Catholic University in Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and the only university founded by the Catholic bishops. St. Thomas is our local Catholic university in the heart of Houston and one of the nation’s top Catholic schools. It is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report in the top tier of its annual “America’s Best Colleges” study and has also been honored by the Princeton Review for being among the “Best in the West.”

We are proud at CtR to be one of a handful of parishes in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that is a “Parish Partner” of UST. We have a great relationship with the campus and are happy to promote the educational, social, and spiritual activities that the university offers. In turn, UST is a welcome home to many students from the parish.

In fact, I’m happy that more and of our high school students are discovering the greatness of a UST education. I believe we have 10 students from CtR enrolled at UST. Not long ago we had only one! If you are looking for a small liberal arts college with national recognition, low student-to-teacher ratio (11:1), with generous financial aid, affordable tuition and core Catholic values, you will be hard-pressed to find a better option than St. Thomas. If you know of a senior or junior in high school, encourage them to make a visit to see the UST campus. It’s a real gem in the heart of the city, with plenty of on-campus housing, athletics, and student life that make for a vibrant college experience.

In addition, did you know that there is a parish scholarship available for any CtR parishioner who chooses to attend UST? We’re happy to support our students that attend UST and the school matches our parish donation. It makes for a nice pool of scholarship money available for our UST students from CtR. Your support of the second collection next weekend makes that possible. Thank you in advance for your generosity to Catholic higher education.

Our offices are closed tomorrow on Labor Day. Please keep all who labor in your prayers as we honor the dignity of human work. We pray also for those searching for gainful employment in these times. Remember that CAM has a vibrant job placement program and stands ready to assist people in finding their way back into the work force.

Peace,
Fr. Sean