Weekly Letter: Sept. 22, 2024 Bulletin

Dear friends in Christ,

     On this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time the first line that we’ll hear in our second reading from the letter of St. James almost shouts out at us. “Beloved: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.” Hmmm. Do you know of any place where jealousy and selfish ambition might exist? We probably don’t have to look too far to find it, and that’s the point. When we encounter such behaviors within, St. James reminds us to seek wisdom from above “and the fruit of righteousness [will be] sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.” May our hearts always be rightly ordered to such peace.

     Fr. Vincent joins me in asking that if you know of a family member in need of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to please let us know. The best way to do so is to call the parish office. We have an excellent system in place and our receptionists do a great job of recording the requests and filtering them to one of us to complete. Recently I have heard of a few parishioners who have been frustrated that no one visited them while sick, or they never saw one of the priests for an anointing. The problem is, we never knew about it! We had no record of a request, and we can’t read minds.

     We have a wonderful Ministry to the Sick and Homebound headed by Deacon Steve and Carol Moses, and we have a number of ministers who go out to hospitals, nursing homes, care facilities, and private homes on a regular basis bringing Holy Communion and prayer. If anointing is needed, Fr. Vincent and I are happy to do so, but again, please let us know by making a request. If you are having surgery, and would like anointing beforehand, which we encourage, we can often do it in advance right here in the office or even after Mass.

     In other news, there is still time for the women of the parish to join our annual CtR Women’s Morning of Prayer happening next Saturday, Sept. 28. Running from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the Parish Hall, it’s designed to allow women to come away for a while, transform and deepen their relationship with the Lord, and renew themselves spiritually through prayer, reflection, and fellowship. It’s free to attend, but we ask you to register at www.ctrcc.com/womensmorningofprayer. It’s open to all, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, and promises to be a spiritually uplifting time of prayer and communion with your sisters in Christ.

    Looking ahead into October we’ll have our annual Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, Oct. 5 at straight-up 12 noon in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and a friend to all of God’s creatures. (His feast day is actually the day prior on Oct. 4.) Plan to join us in the driveway between the Church and Parish Life Center. It only takes about 20 minutes or so, but it’s a fun event. All creatures, great and small, are welcome to attend. We always have a lot of dogs, a few cats, some fish, a hamster or two and a menagerie of other creatures. This is one of my favorite events of the year where I get to meet your furry friends. If you don’t have one, feel free to borrow your neighbor’s pet and join us. As always, I remind you that animals do not have to be Catholic to receive the blessing!

    Also happening in October is the annual Knights of Columbus Golf Tournament on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14 at Windrose Golf Club in Spring. Entry fee is $150 and we have room for foursomes and single players. It includes lunch and dinner and plenty of fun along the way. Our Knights of Columbus always do a great job of hosting it each year and all the proceeds go to benefit CAM and youth scholarships from the parish. See our CtR website for more information, or you can register directly on the Knights’ page at www.8771events.org.

     Finally, I always like to point out that the last week of September and the first week of October offers us a whole heavenly host of saints from whom to seek divine intercession. We are blessed with a saintly overload, if that is possible. Keep this list handy for your prayer the next few days: St. Pius of Pietrelcina, widely known as Padre Pio, (Sept. 23); St. Vincent de Paul (Sept. 27); St. Wenceslaus, the Good King (Sept. 28); Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Archangels (Sept. 29); St. Jerome (Sept. 30); St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower (Oct. 1); Guardian Angels (Oct. 2); St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4). All you holy men and women, pray for us!

Peace, Fr. Sean