Weekly Letter: Dec. 31, 2023 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

    Merry Christmas! Yes, it is true – our Christmas celebration indeed continues this weekend. The birth of our Savior is not a once-and-done proposition but continues up until the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord next weekend. So let the Christmas spirit reign in your hearts and in your homes a few days longer. Don’t be so quick to put away the decorations (especially the crèche!) and try to hold on to the spirit of Christmas – the celebration of the Word made flesh that dwells among us – throughout this coming year.
 
    On Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This great feast day, which is always celebrated on the Sunday immediately following Christmas Day, is a beautiful reminder of the dignity and respect that being part of a family calls us to honor. We are members not only of our personal families, but also of the family of God. We honor Jesus, Mary and Joseph and we look to them to guide us in dealing with our families. Many, if not all, of us have “unique” family structures. There are always areas of both great love and great tension within every family. Some family members we are extremely close to while others may be estranged from us, often for years. If there are difficulties or bitter feelings lingering in your family perhaps this start of the new year would be a good time to bury the past and build up your family on the model of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. May they serve as an inspiration to us all to always follow the will of God in our family lives.

    Tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 1, is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. We always start the new year off by remembering the motherhood of Our Lady who gave birth to the savior. It’s also World Day of Prayer for Peace, something that Mary knew well in her heart and that we should strive to emulate in ours. It is not a day of obligation this year because it falls on a Monday, and so we’ll celebrate just one Mass at 9 a.m. in the main church. I invite you to start the new year by joining us as we ask for Mary’s holy wisdom to guide and protect us throughout 2024.

     For the Epiphany of the Lord next weekend, Jan. 6-7, we will again begin the year with our Stewardship Sunday in order to renew our commitment to serve the Lord joyfully as good stewards of God’s many gifts. I’ll be speaking about that at all the masses as well. We have much to look forward to as we embark on 2024. May the Lord direct our hearts in the way of Giving, Praying and Serving – the best kind of GPS there is. We’ll have volunteers from our Welcoming Committee and Stewardship Council available after Mass in the Parish Hall (save for Sunday after 5 p.m. Mass when it will be in the Community Center) to assist you in learning how you can grow your faith in the new year, find a ministry in need of your talent and time, and understand how your giving – no matter the amount – makes a difference in our mission at CtR. In addition, we’ll have coffee and donuts – and a few other tasty treats thrown in for good measure – after all morning Masses so make plans to join us.

     Speaking of ministries, we’ve got a number that will be starting anew (or continuing) in 2024 so there is no shortage of ways to put your Stewardship into action by getting involved. Our website has a complete rundown of what is on tap, but let me call your attention to one in particular that I think will be of interest to a number of you. After a hiatus since the pandemic, we’re happy to again offer a nine-week session of Financial Peace University led by parishioner Gary Boudreaux. We’ve done so a number of times over the years and it’s always been a very well received class, particularly for young adults, newly married couples, or anyone who wants to better manage their finances and be a good steward of their gifts. The first meeting is next Sunday, Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 111. For additional information and to register to attend, visit www.ctrcc.com/events/financial-peace.

     I’m happy to report that we reached our goal for the 2023 Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) drive. Thank you to all who helped us to serve the greater Catholic community in this past year. Recall that DSF supports more than 60 ministries of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that no one parish could ever do on its own, but that collectively allows us to offer, among other things, chaplains at hospitals, food pantry and soup kitchens, ministry to the imprisoned, senior care centers, and outreach to the neediest among us, in addition to providing training for lay ministers in Religious Education and Youth Ministry. It’s an important work of the Church that benefits so many and we all have a role to play, so thanks to the more than 800 families who helped make that possible. We’ll start over with DSF 2024 in early February to see that this good work continues.

     I would be remiss if I did not give a personal thank you to everyone who sent cards and gifts to the office and rectory for Fr. Vincent and myself. Many more of you brought us presents, wine and all manner of assorted goodies. Thank you very much. We tried to sample a little of everything and we were happy to share the rest with the staff and friends. Most of all we truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and for remembering us in your Christmas prayers.

     Finally, we thank the Knights of Columbus for again sponsoring the 2024 parish calendars which are being distributed at Mass this weekend.

Peace, Fr. Sean