Weekly Letter: July 16 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

    I’m always struck by how our Gospel from St. Matthew on this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time begins. It’s the Parable of the Sower, one of Jesus’ most famous teachings, and yet it begins with a simple declarative sentence: “A sower went out to sow.” 

    I always think to myself, “Well, of course he did! That’s what a sower does – he sows!” But it was no less of an authority than St. John Chrysostom, the 4th century Early Church Father, who taught me a new word: tautology. He wrote, “When you hear the words, ‘the sower went out to sow,’ do not suppose that is a tautology. For the sower goes out often times for other ends; as, to break up the ground, to pluck up noxious weeds, to root up thorns, or perform any other species of industry, but this man went forth to sow.” That’s how I learned that a tautology is a needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word, according Merriam-Webster.

   St. John Chrysostom was having none of that. Rather he makes it clear that this particular sower has specific intention that day he went out to sow, and what he sowed was the very Word of God. So as you hear this passage this weekend, pay attention to the sower AND the seed, and then make sure your heart is a place of fertile soil well-disposed to hear it.

     We welcome Fr. Jonathan Mitchican, the Chaplain at St. John XXIII High School, as our presider this weekend at the 7 and 9 a.m. Masses as I will be out in search of cooler weather in the Pacific Northwest. At the 9 a.m. Mass, we will celebrate the Rite of Welcome for about 15 members of our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) community who are preparing for their next step in their journey to join us in the Catholic faith. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been baptized in another Christian faith who now seek to be fully joined to the Catholic Church. The Rite of Welcome is a formal step in that journey, and they will continue to pray and discern God’s call in the coming months before being fully received later this fall or next spring.

     As we do so this weekend let it be a reminder that we are always welcoming new inquirers to join us in RCIA. It’s a continuous cycle that anyone can join at any time. You need not wait until the fall or the start of the school year. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about how to become Catholic, contact Julie Cook, our Director of RCIA, in our parish office. She and her team will be happy to receive you and get you started.

     Next weekend we will again participate in the annual collection dedicated to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP). These funds play a crucial role for SVdP to fund all of its programs that feed, clothe, provide dignified living, and help people find their way to self-sufficiency. Known as the Black Bag collection, it supports the work of one of the oldest organizations in the Catholic Church and its outreach to the poor and disenfranchised. While we don’t have a St. Vincent de Paul Society at CtR (because Cypress Assistance Ministry fills that role for us), we are happy to assist the good work that it does throughout our Archdiocese and the world.

    The work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society has been active in our Archdiocese since 1871, and it continues to be a powerful and personal response to those on the peripheries. In 2022, more than 49,000 individuals received direct aid worth more than $13.2 million, including $5.6 million in rent and utilities assistance. SVdP truly does what it intends, too. Last year 95 cents of every dollar donated to SVdP went to provide assistance with food, clothing, household needs as well as financial help for rent, utilities, transportation, medical and funeral expenses.

    This history of the Black Bag collection is interesting. In 1833 Frederic Ozanam (founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul) along with six friends from his university heard God calling them to serve the poor. They met with Blessed Sr. Rosalie Rendu, who taught them how to visit the poor in their homes so as to fully understand the pain and suffering these people were experiencing. After visiting the poor, the group of students decided they needed money to continue this work. They decided to pool their resources together; however, so as not to embarrass each other as to how much each could afford to give, they elected to take a secret collection using a common black bag.

    Using the same black bags enables everyone to give what they can afford without being judged. I find it heartwarming that something so simple as a black bag from the early 1800’s still continues to this day to provide the resources needed to care for the needs of the poor and marginalized in our community. The passing of the SVdP Black Bags from person to person brings the Body of Christ together in the mission of caring for our neighbors. As we act, one in the spirit of giving, the lowly cloth bag is transformed into something beautiful and deeply spiritual among friends. Please remember the St. Vincent de Paul Society in your offering next week, and may God continue to bless the good work it does locally and throughout the world.

    Lastly, it’s hard to believe but school starts in just over a month, and so we are again participating in Operation Backpack to collect items for students in need. Please bring school supplies that we will distribute to children in our community through CAM and to our sister parish, Our Mother of Mercy Church in Houston’s Fifth Ward. You can drop off new backpacks and assorted school supplies in the narthex at Mass or in the parish office now through July 23. Additional information and a list of needed items can be found at ctrcc.com/operation-backpack. There’s also a link to an Amazon Wish List if you want pre-selected items shipped directly to us, as so many of you have already done. Thank you for your support for this wonderful initiative for our community. 

Peace, Fr. Sean