Having celebrated the Solemnity of the Epiphany last weekend, we now return to Ordinary Time in the liturgical life of the Church. You will see the familiar green vestments for the next five weeks in this interim period between the end of the season of Christmas and the season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14. Let’s resolve to use this time wisely and effectively to grow in our faith.
As we are at a beginning, it’s only appropriate that our scriptures for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time reflect a new start, too. Samuel responds, “Here, I am,” when called in today’s first reading. He’s not entirely sure who is doing the calling, however, until he is instructed by Eli that it is, in fact, the Lord who is summoning him. Samuel listens again for the voice, and when he hears it, puts himself at service to God’s will by saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Would that we would do the same when the Lord calls us, as he surely does!
And in our Gospel, Peter is likewise called by Jesus, but not until Andrew, his brother, brings him to the Lord. Never underestimate the role that Andrew plays – he literally brings his brother to meet Jesus. Do we use our initiative to bring our brothers and sisters to encounter Jesus, too? We should, and in fact, we must.
Thank you to all who responded to our Stewardship Sunday commitment initiative last weekend. We had an excellent response, and, of course, you can still do so by visiting our website at www.ctrcc.com/discover. There’s a link there to the form for you to make your pledge of Giving, Praying, and Serving (G-P-S) in 2024. If you have the hard copy of the card from last weekend, feel free to drop it in the offertory the next few weeks. And please hold us accountable – if you indicate on your card you want to learn about a particular ministry but don’t hear from someone representing that ministry by the end of the month – let me know directly and I will make sure it happens!
Speaking of the website, we’ve made a few modifications to it recently to (hopefully) ease and improve the navigation. Take a moment to check it out and see if you find it helpful. We’re always looking for ways to make information available to you efficiently. We welcome your feedback. In particular I point you to the Adult Faith Formation page under the “Discover CtR” tab on the top of the page. There you will find information on a host of programs and studies that are just beginning at the start of the year to help you grow in your faith. Lots of great opportunities are waiting for you here at CtR.
In other news, it’s been about a month since we opened our new expanded Prayer Garden and Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine. We’ve had a wonderful response from the community who are finding it to be a special place of prayer and devotion and that gives me great joy. We’ve still got a bit of additional work that needs to be done (including the pouring of an additional sidewalk, adding a new stone screen wall by the A/C units, and installing the donor recognition plaque) so keep an eye out for that to happen in the next couple of weeks. Also, we are working to clean the base of the Pieta that was moved from the original garden to its new home by the Marian window. There’s some discoloration from the ground where it sat for several years and it’s a bit unsightly at the moment. We hope to have that brightened up, along with some additional landscaping, in the early spring.
Please keep our CtR Youth in your prayers this weekend as there is a group of about 200 at Camp Forest Glen in Huntsville for their Confirmation retreat. The retreat is an important part of their journey toward the Sacrament of Confirmation the students will receive later in May. In particular, I want to thank the adult chaperones and core team members who will be with them for their dedication to our young people. They are offering their time and talent for the weekend to mentor and guide our youth closer to Christ. This group of teens and adults have been together for two years, meeting regularly on Sunday evenings and forming close bonds. It makes a great difference in the life of our youth to experience a retreat with their peers and adults who they trust. You can be proud of the fine teens of our Youth Ministry program. It’s just one example of how your gifts of Stewardship mentioned above help us provide opportunities and support for our youth to grow in their relationship with Christ, to encounter Him in the Church, and to go forth to make Him known through lives of service and love.
A reminder that our offices will be closed (and our school as well) tomorrow, Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. in the chapel.