News - January 2018 RSS Feed

Dear friends in Christ,
As I previewed last week, we kick-off Catholic Schools Week today. You’ll see a great number of our school kids at all the Masses this weekend. They’ve got a host of activities planned for the week, not the least of which is the Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 1, which is open to everyone. Please spread the word to family and friends who may not be members of CtR but who may be looking for a new school option for their children in grades Pre-K through 8th. Above all I ask you to pray for our school. It is a wonderful gift to our community, and in less than five years CtR Catholic School has truly made an impact on us all.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, in Northwest Houston, will begin the Lenten journey together this year with a Parish Mission, Feb. 19, 20 and 21. The theme of the mission, “Responding to the Spirit: In the Soul, In the Church and In the World” invites parishioners and friends to be led and directed by the Holy Spirit. The three days of spiritual renewal will focus on forming missionary disciples according to Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel” and all are welcome.

Dear friends in Christ,
Now that the weather delays of this past week are behind us, we look forward to more seasonable temperatures and conditions going forward. While I suspect most of us enjoyed the brief reprieve from the usual schedule, being cooped up inside can get old pretty quick. We are creatures of habit, and when our routine is disrupted for more than a day we can easily get frustrated. It’s a good opportunity in moments like that to slow down and reflect where God is in my life. Am I so beholden to my schedule that I lose sight of the big picture? God is in control and we are invited to cooperate His grace at work within us. As we hear in today’s Gospel, when the Lord calls us he expects a response. Let nothing, least of all our schedules and routines, keep us from responding to his invitation.

Dear friends in Christ,
Having celebrated the Solemnity of the Epiphany last weekend we now return to Ordinary Time in the liturgical life of the Church. You will see the familiar green vestments for the next five weeks in this interim period between the end of the season of Christmas and the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14. Let’s resolve to use this time wise and effectively to grow in our faith.

Dear friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. Just as the wise men from the East long ago journeyed to see the newborn child Jesus, we too are called to do Him homage as well. Where do we see God manifested in our world today? How do others see Christ manifested in us? Let us pray that we see Him in all people in this coming year.