On this Labor Day weekend, we come to Mass to do “work.” Ironic, isn’t it? But our Sunday celebration of the liturgy is truly “the work of the Church.” Actually, all liturgy is the work of the Church. It’s what we do, and the “doing” of this good and holy work is our small way of giving praise and glory to God. Not that God needs our praise, but rather we have an innate need to give glory to God.
And just as we would, I hope, not show up late or leave early for work, I offer my gentle yearly reminder that the same goes for the work of the Church. Please make every effort to be on time at the start of Mass. As our crowds pick up after the summer lull, that may mean we need to leave home a few minutes earlier to ensure that we get here on time, park, find a seat in the pews, say a few silent prayers, and prepare our hearts to engage in the celebration. That takes work and some advance planning. (I remind you that with our choirs resuming soon following the summer break, the 9 am and 11 am masses will not have the extra overflow seating in the music area we’ve enjoyed the past few months.)
The same is true at the end of Mass. You don’t dare “skip” out of work on a regular basis, do you? Yet every week, I see streams of people pouring out of the church while others are still receiving Holy Communion. It boggles my mind. Mass is not over. It’s not time to leave. It’s disrespectful and it’s wrong. Your day will not be improved by leaving five minutes early. Unless you are elderly or need extra time or assistance, please return to your pew after you receive the Eucharist, kneel and pray, and give thanks to God for His wonderful gifts. Let’s work on getting out of the consumer mentality of church (“what I get”) and allow our hearts to be transformed by joyful thanksgiving (“what I give to God”).
Thanks to all who joined us after Mass last weekend for our Fall Ministry Fair. We had great crowds (the ice cream after the evening Masses seemed to be a big hit) and it was wonderful to see so many engaging with our groups and organizations, learning more about what they offer, picking up a brochure or two, and signing up to get involved. Thank you! Our ministry leaders will be following up with all those who inquired, so if you don’t hear from them in the next week or so, please let us know. We want everyone to know their stewardship is appreciated and needed. If you missed it, take time to browse our website where you can find out just about anything you need to know about a particular group or organization. On the homepage, you can also join our Flocknote messaging system to keep abreast of pertinent information. It’s handy, too, in that it’s customizable to receive news and updates on only those ministries that are of interest to you so as not to be bombarded.
This weekend is the annual second collection for the Catholic University of America and the University of St. Thomas. I encourage us to be generous in supporting Catholic higher education at these two fine institutions. Catholic University in Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and the only university founded by the Catholic bishops. St. Thomas is our local Catholic university in the heart of Houston and one of the nation’s top Catholic schools. It is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report in the top tier of its annual “America’s Best Colleges” study and has also been honored by the Princeton Review for being among the “Best in the West.”
We are proud at CtR to be one of a handful of parishes in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that is a “Parish Partner” of UST. We have a great relationship with the campus and are happy to promote the educational, social, and spiritual activities that the university offers. In turn, UST is a welcome home to many students from the parish.
In fact, I’m happy that more and more of our high school students are discovering the greatness of a UST education. If you are looking for a small liberal arts college with national recognition, low student-to-teacher ratio (11:1), with generous financial aid, affordable tuition and core Catholic values, you will be hard-pressed to find a better option than St. Thomas. If you know of a senior or junior in high school encourage them to make a visit to see the UST campus. It’s a real gem in the heart of the city, with plenty of on-campus housing, athletics, and student life that make for a vibrant college experience.
In addition, did you know that there is a parish scholarship available for any CtR parishioner who chooses to attend UST? We’re happy to support our students that attend UST and the school matches our parish donation. It makes for a nice pool of scholarship money available for our UST students from CtR. Your support of the second collection next weekend makes that possible. Thank you in advance for your generosity to Catholic higher education.
Our offices are closed on Labor Day. Please keep all who labor in your prayers as we honor the dignity of human work. We pray also for those searching for gainful employment. Remember that CAM has a vibrant job placement program and stands ready to assist people in finding their way back into the workforce.