Weekly Letter: Nov. 10, 2024 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

     In our Gospel from St. Mark on this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time we get a warning from Jesus to avoid putting on a show for looks, like the scribes, or giving from one’s excess and not the heart, as opposed to the generosity of the poor widow. Those admonitions are meant as not-so-subtle reminders to Jesus’ disciples and us as well. It’s a call to action, not appearance. We would do well to take Jesus at his word and ready ourselves for his coming in glory by living an authentic, generous faith so that when our days are done we may discover the true treasure that awaits.

    In other news, are you ready for a Sweet 16 party? Next Saturday, November 16, we will celebrate the 16th anniversary of the dedication of our “new” church. Can you believe it? Our baby is all grown up! We give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of our earthly spiritual home as we wait in joyful anticipation of union with Him in our heavenly home. Our anniversary day is always one of great rejoicing as we recall the beautiful events from back in 2008 and see God’s manifestation in the people of God of our parish.

     We’ll mark the occasion of the anniversary at the 5 p.m. Vigil Mass on Saturday, and then keep it going the next day at all the Sunday masses. As beautiful as our building is, we know that it is the people of God – particularly our many volunteers and ministers – who are the real shining lights, and we’ll celebrate them at a special reception later in the month. The physical structure of the church is only a building of brick, wood and stone made by man, but the spiritual reality of the Church is the living icon of Christ. It is the Body of Christ that makes the building, not the building that makes the Body of Christ. When that Body of Christ, united in faith, comes together with a single hope, dream and vision, we are able to do more than we ever think possible.

    As important a date as Nov. 16 is, I think back to all the days that led up to it as the real cause of our celebration. It was in your feedback to our Master Plan in 2005 that gave rise to what CtR should look like in the coming years. It was in countless meetings of the Parish Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and the Building Committee that the vision for the new church took root. And of course, it was in your generous gifts of Stewardship in the “Our Faith, Our Future” Capital Campaign that so many families made the sacrifice that made it all possible. All of those things had to come together first before we could even have a dedication day to remember. That was the real work of our hands and I can never say thank you enough to all those who sacrificed to raise up this good and noble work.

    And apparently, just as Chuck Berry sings, “all the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little 16,” because since the day of dedication 16 years ago we have welcomed nearly 3,000 new families to our community. We now number more than 7,500 registered families who call this parish home. God’s holy Church is never static. It is always sent in mission to the world. I invite you today to take a moment and thank God for the gift of your faith lived here at Christ the Redeemer, and then resolve to deepen your faith by living it more deeply with a spirit of gratitude as a good steward of the many gifts God has given you. The church building itself is where we gather and are fed, but we are sent to leave the building and bring Christ to others through our lives in action. May God continue to bless us for years to come!

     While we are still a few weeks away from Advent (and we’ll have all our upcoming calendar of Advent and Christmas events to share with you soon), I did want to give the ladies of the parish plenty of advance notice about the return of our popular Advent by Candlelight happening on Friday, Dec. 6. We’ve celebrated ABC numerous times over the years, and it’s always a beautiful night of prayer, reflection, and celebration for the women of the parish. It takes on a different format every time we hold it, and I know the team for this year has a lovely event planned so mark your calendars now. ABC is open to all women, 18 and up, and $10 covers the entire night of speaker, music, and food.

    Lastly, remember that throughout the month of November, we keep in our prayers all who have died, and we have a Book of Remembrance in the church by the baptismal font. You are invited to inscribe the name of those loved ones who have died and we’ll remember them in our intentions at masses this month.

Peace, Fr. Sean