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September 22, 2023Dear friends in Christ,
Happy Fall, my brothers and sisters! After a brutally hot summer we welcome the arrival of autumn this Sunday. Let’s pray that cooler temperatures and lower humidity will soon be here. Though I have to admit, the Houston summer did prepare our pilgrimage group for the weather that we encountered in the Egyptian desert a few weeks ago. Who would’ve ever imagined that!
I’ve got two main items to bring to your attention this week, one for the women of the parish, and one for the men of the parish. Never let it be said that I am not an equal opportunity pastor!
We’ll start with the ladies. Quite simply, we want to hear from you. We would like your input on ministries that we offer for the women of Christ the Redeemer, from the youngest to the oldest, and everyone in between. We have a number of initiatives aimed at women, and we’d like to share those opportunities with you, but more importantly, we want to listen to you and hear what types of ministries and programs you’d like to see.
It’s no secret that women tend to be the primary drivers of the faith in the family. Fathers are important, too, and vitally so, but more often than not it’s women who tend to register their family at the parish, who sign up their children for Religious Education, and who are actively encouraging the family to live a life of faith. God bless you all! Now, how can we as the Church assist you in that role?
Over the years we have had a quite robust St. Anne’s Society, aimed at supporting mainly young mothers. It has proven to be a great network of support to the ladies of the parish, but since the pandemic, it has taken a step back. As children age, they tend to center their lives around school activities, and we’ve noticed a drop in the number of mothers who wish to participate. Or perhaps, they are not aware of what the parish offers to help them as they guide their families in holiness.
To that end, we’d like to invite the women of the parish – again, all ages – to join us for one of two meetings this week. The first is Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 9:30-11 a.m.in the Community Center. For those who are working outside the home and unable to join us during the day, we’re also hosting a second gathering on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Redeemer Activity Center Youth Suite. Choose whichever day and time works best for your schedule. Childcare will be provided at both sessions.
Our aim is to connect women of the parish together, to listen to their desires for ministries and programs that would be of interest to them, and to share how we can help one another along the journey of faith. We’ve got some wonderful initiatives planned, but we want to make sure that what we are offering is responding to your needs. So come, let’s have a discussion, and chart a path forward to help all women of the parish – young, middle-aged, seniors, married, single – in short, everyone!
Now, moving on to the men of the parish I call your attention to the upcoming Men’s Retreat happening in two weeks, Oct. 6-7, here on parish campus. Entitled “Abiding in Christ,” taken from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, where he exhorts the brothers, “Keep on doing what you learned and received and heard in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.” We would all do well to take that exhortation from the great Apostle, and a retreat is a perfect way to unpack it amidst our busy lives.
The retreat begins on Friday, Oct. 6 from 6-9 p.m., and continues on Saturday, Cot. 7 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., culminating with the Vigil Mass in the church. Brothers, let me echo St. Paul and exhort you to carve out time in your schedules to join us for the night and day. We’ve all got a lot of things on our plate, from work to family to church activities, and most all of us stay busy – some would say “too busy” – trying to keep our heads above water. But we need to pray! We need to come away for a while with our brothers in Christ, slow down, and reflect on what God is placing in our hearts. I guarantee you it will be time well spent! Ladies, let me encourage you to encourage your husbands and adult sons to take time for their spiritual growth. They need it, and it will be a gift to you, too!
My brothers in Christ, please give yourself the gift of a weekend of rest and renewal reflecting on what it means to journey as men of praise, hope, and charity in our world today. It’s open to all men of the parish and beyond (invite a friend or neighbor) and registration is $65 and that includes all meals and supplies. For more information and to register visit www.ctrcc.com/mensretreat.
Lastly, next Saturday, Sept. 30, we will celebrate First Reconciliation with our 2nd grade children, with two services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. As such, we will not hold our regular Saturday morning parish confessions at 9 a.m. Those adults wishing to go to confession that day are invited to come at 11 a.m. when we should be wrapping up the final session with the students, or better yet, request an appointment at a time and day of your convenience by emailing us at [email protected]. Thank you for your understanding, and please pray for our young children as they celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in preparation for their coming First Holy Communion later in the year.
Peace, Fr. Sean