Weekly Letter: March 9, 2025 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

    Our journey of 40 days is officially underway as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent this weekend. Our psalm response today is the beautiful and powerful Psalm 91, whose response is “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” That pretty much sums up Lent, does it not? We are sinful, and that leads us into trouble.

    Now trouble can mean many things to many people. When we were children we (hopefully!) didn’t want to get in trouble at home or school. As adults it’s our sin that leads us into trouble, be it within the self, in our relationships with others, or even our spiritual relationship with God. And yet in these Lenten days we are invited to turn the Lord for his mercy. It’s the only thing that will save us. While we sing just a few stanzas of the psalm today at Mass, I encourage you to bookmark Psalm 91 in your bible at home and read it often in Lent, especially when you feel troubled, and may the God of mercy bring his peace.

    Please keep foremost in your prayers our Catechumens and Candidates who are in the “home stretch” for their entrance into full communion with the Church. We will celebrate the Rite of Sending for 20 of these Catechumens at the 9 a.m. Mass this weekend, and later tonight they will be received by Cardinal DiNardo at the Rite of Election being held here, one of five such ceremonies in the Archdiocese today. Over the course of Lent we’ll celebrate the three Scrutinies (minor rites) for our Catechumens (the unbaptized). Meanwhile, we have an additional 27 baptized Christians who seek full communion in the faith (the candidates) and they, too, are also preparing for entry into the Church. As they all journey to the table of the Lord, let us dare to walk with them and ask the Lord guide us all into a more perfect union with the Father.

     Thank you for your warm reception of Fr. Jorge Gomez last weekend as part of our Lenten Almsgiving initiative to assist St. Joan of Arc Church in Weslaco with the building of a new rectory for its priests. He was truly touched, and I think a bit surprised, by how many of you have a connection to the Brownsville area. To give alms toward this project at St. Joan of Arc you may make a donation anytime during the 40 days of Lent via www.ctrcc.com/catholicextension or use the designated envelopes in the narthex. For those who give electronically, you’ll find an option on your Faith Direct account, but for those writing a check, please indicate Catholic Extension or “St. Joan of Arc” in the memo line.

    Remember we have two weekly events, one social and one spiritual, to keep you in a Lenten rhythm these days. First is the weekly Fish Fry held by the Knights of Columbus in the Parish Hall every Friday from 4:30 – 7 p.m. I don’t know of a better way to enjoy the fellowship of Lent than with your friends and neighbors at CtR every Friday night. And it’s a bargain as well: $10 for adults and $6 for kids. Make plans to join us often during Lent for this Fish Fry, and be sure to stop by the dessert table sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary. All proceeds from the dinners and desserts go directly to benefit parish programs and local charities supported by the Knights and Ladies. The Fish Fry is followed by Stations of the Cross that is held in the Church at 7 p.m. every Friday. It’s a great spiritual way to keep the journey to the cross of our Lord foremost in our hearts.

     This coming week is Spring Break for our CtR Catholic School students and teachers, as well as for the local public schools, and as such, it’ll be a bit quieter around campus. I do, however, want to alert you that next Saturday, March 15, we will celebrate First Reconciliation for our (mainly) 2nd-grade children. As such, we will not hold our regular Saturday morning confessions so that we might have two services, one at 8:30 a.m. and the other at 10 a.m., for First Reconciliation. We expect upwards of 150 kids, so I would ask adults to please visit another church that morning if you want to go to confession, or join us the following week or even at our Lenten Reconciliation Service on April 3. Please pray for our students as they encounter the merciful Lord in this beautiful sacrament for the first time.

     Looking a bit ahead, our annual Lenten Family Day of Service is approaching on Saturday, April 5. We have a number of projects and initiatives that day, both on campus and out in the community, for individuals and families. This is one of the most frequent requests I hear, “Is there any service project I can do?” or “We want to be able to do a project as a family.” In a way, you’re giving alms of your time to help others and that’s a very good thing, especially in Lent. Visit www.ctrcc.com/family-service-day to learn more and sign up to help. Check it out and join in!

Peace, Fr. Sean