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November 2, 2023Dear friends in Christ,
As we are in the month of November, with the days growing shorter and the nights getting longer, and even a little colder as we experienced this week, it is an appropriate time to turn our hearts and minds to what lies beyond us. We celebrated All Saints and All Souls this past week, and the whole of the month of November is a time of remembrance. Our liturgical year is drawing to a close (it ends on Nov. 26, the Solemnity of Christ the King), and our calendar year will also soon be over.
Our Gospel readings for this month will lead us on a journey to consider the end of times and the second coming of Christ. As we remember our loved ones who have gone before us it is only natural that our thoughts turn to ourselves. We, too, will one day die. We are a people of the resurrection, however, and while we know that death will come for us all, we also believe that there is hope in what is to come. We long to be with Jesus, the angels and saints, and all of our family and friends who have preceded us.
Of course, if we do indeed want to go to Heaven one day, then we need to make sure that our life reflects that desire today. We need to live in a manner consistent with our calling as disciples of the Lord. We need to love as Jesus loved, forgive as Jesus forgave, and serve as Jesus served. We are all dependent on the mercy of God at the time of our death and if we want to receive that mercy then we need to be merciful just as the heavenly Father is merciful.
Given our focus on remembrance of those who have died and what lies beyond, November is a good time to remind and encourage you to plan now for your own funeral. To that end, this Friday, Nov. 10 we will host a Funeral Planning Workshop as part of a “Lunch and Learn” format at 12 noon in the Community Center. Bring a brown bag lunch (we’ll provide drinks and dessert) as we unpack all the details about planning for a Catholic funeral. It is our hope that some of our retirees and older parishioners might find that a good time to join us, but of course it’s open to all, and if you can’t make it, we are happy to visit with you individually.
We’ll go through the Funeral Rites, and have information on what to do at the time of death, and other considerations to keep in mind. You can have everything decided (music, scriptures, vigil, rosary, etc.) in advance to be carried out as you wish and relieve your family members from making those choices after your death. We’ve had a number of parishioners do so over the years and their survivors (some of whom are not actively practicing their Catholic faith) are always so grateful that mom or dad took care of everything themselves.
One of the most frequent questions we receive concerns the desire for cremation, and we’ll talk about it and unpack the Church’s teaching. To give you a brief insight, burial of the body is the preferred option, but cremation is permitted. (I did so for both of my parents, for example.) If cremation is chosen, it would ideally be done after the Funeral Mass, so that the body may be present for the liturgical rites, though that’s not always possible. Afterward, the cremated remains should properly be buried in the ground or in a niche (a “columbarium”) at a cemetery, and not subdivided between family members, kept at home, or scattered on the sea or to the wind. Again, our pastoral staff at CtR will be happy to discuss all these guidelines of the Church and any other questions you might have concerning funerals at our Lunch and Learn on Friday, Nov. 10. All are welcome. May the souls of all our faithful departed rest in peace.
In other news, you may recall Kerry Chu began a new position for our parish as the Director of Social Ministry and Outreach in late August, and I’m happy to report she hit the ground running (which is natural for her as she’s a marathoner in her spare time), making connections with many partners in the community and city at large to help us increase our awareness to help our brothers and sisters most in need. She’s got a number of initiatives coming up soon that you will want to keep on your radar, and you can find them by subscribing to her weekly Flocknote newsletter at https://ctrcc.flocknote.com/Outreach. Nearly all of our ministries have a similar group-specific Flocknote, so that you can get a deeper dive into those organizations you’d like to hear from more, in addition to my general parish-wide message each week.
One event in particular that I invite you to is a presentation on “Catholic Social Teaching 101,” taking place next Sunday, Nov. 12 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. The Church has a long history and emphasis on the good of our neighbor through its Catholic Social Teaching. But what do we mean by that term, Catholic Social Teaching? A number of people, many of whom are Catholic, have a misconception when they hear the word “social.” They immediately scoff at it and disregard it out of ignorance, which is a shame, or worse, knowingly make false declarations about it, which leads to the sin of calumny. Let’s avoid both, brothers and sisters. It’s a teaching of our Church and not to be disregarded.
So what is it, where did it come from, what does it mean, and what are its goals? Come learn all about it in a presentation from Rhonda Sepúlveda of Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston. I’ve known Rhonda for years and she is an excellent presenter, having served on Catholic Charities USA’s Parish Social Ministry National Board and currently serves as a Facilitator for the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Social Teachings Team. Join us next Sunday after the 11 a.m. Mass. We’ll serve a light lunch first, and the presentation begins at 12:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
Finally, tickets are on sale after all Masses this weekend for the 10th annual Chili Cook-Off taking place next Saturday, Nov. 11 from 6-9 p.m. We’ve got 20+ teams ready to compete for the top prize, and you can sample all the chili your heart desires. We’ll have hot dogs, desserts, beer and wine, too, and there’s an impressive line-up for both the live and silent auction with many great items up for bid. There will be plenty of activities for young and old alike, and everything will take place on the back parking lot with room for everyone. It’s shaping up to be a great night. Get your tickets after Mass this weekend and join us next Saturday night for a wonderful event benefiting our CtR Catholic School.
Peace, Fr. Sean