Weekly Letter: Feb. 16, 2025 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

     It’s a joyous weekend for us at CtR as we welcome Brad Snyder to our parish as our newest permanent deacon assigned to our parish. Of course, we’ve known Brad and his wife Michele and their family for many years as they are active in many ministries. But now we will know him as Deacon Brad, as he is ordained to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate by Cardinal DiNardo this Friday, Feb. 14. Please join me in thanking God for the gift of his call, and that of all our permanent deacons.

     If you are at the 5 p.m. Saturday or 9 a.m. Sunday masses this weekend, you’ll see Deacon Brad at that altar, but rest assured he’ll rotate to all of the other masses in the next few weeks. He’ll join our deacons in service to the community in a variety of areas – serving at the altar, proclaiming the Gospel, ministering at baptisms, weddings, and funerals, and teaching the faith, among others. Deacons play an essential role in the Church, and we are blessed with a great group of them at CtR. May God bless them abundantly.

     Here’s a fun fact about Deacon Brad that you may not know: He and Michele were married on May 16, 1998, the same day I was ordained a priest. I’m a few hours older sacramentally (and a lot more in age!), as my ordination was at 10 a.m. that day and they were not married until 2 p.m. Also, Deacon Brad is also Doctor Brad, a surgeon at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Cypress, so he can care for you both physically and spiritually!

    Our gospel on this 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time contains the beatitudes, but not the ones we are most accustomed to hearing. The “famous” ones come from Matthew’s gospel, but today instead we hear from Luke’s version. You’ll notice some similarities between the two, but St. Luke only has four as opposed to the eight in St. Matthew.

    Most striking, however, is how Luke balances his four beatitudes with four “woe” statements. You know whenever you read a “woe” in the scriptures that you should brace yourself. It’s not going to end well! They are meant as a warning sign to not grow too comfortable or complacent in this life. Remember, beatitudes are meant to turn our world upside down. Pay attention, humble yourself, and stay hungry for the kingdom of God. Then we will truly know what it means to be blessed.

     I’d like to follow-up on my comments in last week’s bulletin about the Anointing of the Sick. As it so happens, I had two calls regarding it even before it was published, and in both instances there was some confusion on what the anointing is (or isn’t). To be clear, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is very appropriate for those preparing for surgery, and it’s ideal if we can do it before one enters the hospital. People often confuse anointing with Last Rites and thus are reluctant to request it because, well, most of us don’t like to think about the possibility of dying, or if we’re requesting it for a loved one, we think it will somehow hasten their death. Nothing could be further from the truth.

     Much of our thinking about “Last Rites” has been conditioned by Hollywood, wherein the priest on screen (usually young and dashing) comes rushing to the bedside of a dying person and “gives them the Last Rites” moments before they expire. Friends, that rarely happens and not just because I’m a long way from being young and dashing. The proper sacrament for Last Rites is Holy Eucharist, or what we call “viaticum,” which is Latin for “food for the journey.” Ideally, the last sacrament one receives is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the next time one receives it is face-to-face with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom.

     But, again, that rarely happens as most people on their deathbed are unconscious or else unable to consume the Holy Eucharist. Anointing of the Sick, often accompanied by the Commendation of the Dying, a beautiful set of prayers with the Litany of the Saints, that can be prayed over the dying person, is more often what those in their final days receive. As I said last week, however, please don’t wait to call us when you have a loved one who is in that condition. It's rarely too early to request it, but it is often too late.

     For the vast majority of people who are undergoing “routine” surgery, or who are suffering from a serious illness (more than just the common cold or flu), the appropriate sacrament to receive is the Anointing of the Sick, and, if able, Reconciliation. And for that, Fr. Vincent and I are happy to offer it when needed. We can often do it after Mass when our schedules permit it, or else we’ll set a mutually agreeable day and time during the week.

     In other news, I’m happy to report that our Baby Bottles Blessings drive back in October during Respect Life Month, when we invited you to return your donations for mothers, was a huge success. Your bottles totaled $9,714, and so we rounded it up to an even $10,000 and donated it to Loving Choice Pregnancy Center in Spring, the only Catholic pregnancy center in Houston. They do amazing work and it’s a great honor to support them in their mission. Thanks to Kerry Chu, our Director of Social Ministry and Outreach, for shepherding the program, and all of you for your generous support that makes it possible. God is good!

Peace, Fr. Sean