Dear friends in Christ,
Our celebration today on Passion (Palm) Sunday leads us into the most sacred and special season of the Church’s liturgical calendar, Holy Week. The palm braches we bless and carry today remind us of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. He comes not as a victorious king as some had hoped for, but rather as a willing servant that lays down His life for all. Truly He is a new type of king, one that the world had never seen. May these palms remind us of that entrance and, most importantly, what follows. Are we willing to go to the cross with Christ and die to the sin in our lives? If so, then this will indeed be a triumphant journey that ends not in death but victory and life-everlasting. But we must be willing to embrace the one and same cross of our Lord.

Dear friends in Christ,
Today is the 5th Sunday of Lent and we are now coming into the home stretch of our 40-day journey to Easter. We’ve got one more full week of Lent this week, and then next week we celebrate Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. If your Lent has been less than spiritually fruitful, fear not. There is still time to have “a good Lent.” Recommit yourself to your prayer, fasting and almsgiving the next two weeks and see if you don’t see an improvement in your walk with the Lord. I’m always saddened by those who say, “Well, I broke my Lenten promise, so I’ll just wait until next year and try harder then.” Nonsense! Remember the words of Ash Wednesday: “Now is an acceptable time!” The time is now to return to the Lord. There are still plenty of good days ahead to prepare yourself for the coming Easter celebration.

Dear friends in Christ,
This weekend we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday, from the Latin word “rejoice.” It is a day of joy in the midst of the penitential season of Lent, much like Gaudete Sunday is in the third week of Advent. It’s not quite Easter yet (we still have no Gloria or Alleluia at Mass), but it lets us know that our journey is at the halfway point. Keep the faith! It’s also the second scrutiny for our Elect at the 9 a.m. Mass as they make their way to the waters of baptism. Please remember to keep them and our Candidates for Full Communion in your prayers.

Dear friends in Christ,
On this 3rd Sunday of Lent we hear what I would call a “cryptic” parable about a fig tree that won’t blossom. The orchard owner is of the mind to cut it down, but the gardener succeeds in buying more time for the fruit to show forth. If not, then he’ll relent to his master’s wish and cut it down. Strange isn’t it? (If you are attending the 9 a.m. Mass today with our RCIA catechumens, you’ll hear a different passage from St. John about the woman at the well.)

Dear friends in Christ,
I trust the Spring Break that many of you enjoyed this past week was a good one. It is important to take those periodic breaks to recharge and refresh our bodies and minds. In a way, Lent is kind of a “spring break” for our spiritual souls as well. We “break” from sin (hopefully for good!) and refresh ourselves in God’s mercy and grace. It’s a time to slow down and recognize that there is something bigger going on here than just our own wants and desires. The dying to self and sin results in new life within us. These 40 days will be over before you know it, just like Spring Break. Let’s resolve to use the time wisely so that we might better come to know the Lord in our life.

In January, leaders of Christ the Redeemer’s many groups and ministries, along with staff members and clergy, came together for a day of prayer, fellowship and reflection. Rev. Sean Horrigan led the morning and presented on CtR’s Vision 2020, a goal-oriented and prayerfully discerned plan for moving the parish forward spiritually in the year to come.

Dear friends in Christ,
Our journey of 40 days is officially underway as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent this weekend. I pray that this will be a time of spiritual renewal for all of us. Please keep foremost in your prayers our catechumens and candidates who are in the "home stretch" for their entrance into full communion with the Church. We will celebrate the Rite of Sending for 15 of these catechumens at the 9 a.m. Mass this weekend and later tonight they will be received by Bishop Sheltz at the Rite of Election that we are hosting at CtR (one of four such services around the Archdiocese today). Our 15 catechumens and 17 candidates from CtR, along with nearly 2,000 others from other parishes, will makeup the largest group of new Catholics from any one diocese in the country.

Kerry Chu had a tough time when she first started college. Moving away from home and roommate troubles had her seeking refuge in Mass. It was while in Mass one day that she truly encountered the love and peace that Christ can bring to those who are struggling. Read her story online.

Dear friends in Christ,
This weekend marks our final Sunday of Ordinary Time before Lent begins. Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, March 6. Recall that Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation but it is an important day for us as we begin Lent “branded” with ashes. It’s a call to conversion and a sign of our mortality – “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

Dear friends in Christ,
We encounter some strong language from Jesus in today’s Gospel: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” And then a little later: “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” Ouch! That hits a little too close to home for me, and maybe you, too. But it is good to get such a wake-up call from the Lord. We need to take a sober look at how we treat one another and respond always in a spirit of love and charity.

Dear friends in Christ,
Our Gospel on this 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time is the beatitudes, but not the ones we are most accustomed to hearing. The “famous” ones come from Matthew’s Gospel, but today instead we hear from Luke’s version. You’ll notice some similarities between the two, but St. Luke only has four as opposed to the eight in St. Matthew. Most striking, however, is how Luke balances his four with four “woe” statements. You know whenever you read a “woe” in the Scriptures that we should brace ourselves. It’s not going to end well! They are meant as a warning sign to not grow too comfortable or complacent in this life. Remember, beatitudes are meant to turn our world upside down. Pay attention, humble yourself, and stay hungry for the kingdom of God. Then we will truly know what it is to be blessed.

Dear friends in Christ,
On this 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time we hear one of my favorite phrases of Jesus: “Duc in altum.” That’s the Latin translation for the words “Put out into deep water,” which He says to Simon (Peter). I just love how that sounds – ”Duc in altum.” It’s a powerful invitation to Simon and the other fishermen to go not only physically deeper into the water for a better catch, but for all of us to go deeper into our relationship with Christ. When we stay at the surface level, we don’t experience the richness of the depths of Christ. Sure, it’s safer and easier to stay in the shallow water, but the Lord invites us to trust in Him and go deeper. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus says to Simon. He’s saying it to us as well. Do not be afraid to follow Him, to trust in Him, to go deeper with Him. You, too, will be amazed at what you’ll catch.

Dear friends in Christ,
I have written this bulletin letter well in advance of its publication due to being out of the office this past week when it went to print, so my apologies. As I mentioned in last week’s bulletin, on Thursday, Jan. 31 of this past week, the list of names of credibly accused priests was released by the dioceses of Texas, including our own Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It is my intention to address the matter at Mass this weekend and in the coming weeks, but since I’m writing this before the fact and haven’t seen the list, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it specifically. But permit me to share a few general points.

Clergy for whom allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have been admitted, substantiated or determined or considered to be credible. This list is being presented to the faithful of the Church in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as part of an effort to bring about the restoration of trust.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston joins with the other Catholic dioceses of Texas to publish the names of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse or misconduct with minors since 1950. The list can be found on our archdiocesan website at www.archgh.org.

Dear friends in Christ,
On this 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time I invite you to listen closely to our second reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. The great apostle clearly defines how the many are one. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,” he says. Baptism unites us in Christ, and from there we are each gifted with unique charisms. Some have the gifts of healing, or assistance, or administration, or a variety of tongues, he says. They are different in each of us, but each is important to the whole. We are called to use our individual gifts to the service of the one Body of Christ. That’s Stewardship in a nutshell, my friends. In your prayer, ask God to reveal your gifts more clearly to you and then, through holy wisdom and courage, use your gifts to serve God and neighbor.

Dear friends in Christ,
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen the green vestments and colors in the church, but Ordinary Time has returned now that Advent and Christmas have concluded. Today is the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (the 1st Sunday was superseded last week by the Baptism of the Lord) and we’ll be in this liturgical season until Lent begins in early March. Our Gospel today is the famous miracle story of the Wedding Feast at Cana, wherein Jesus intercedes with the first of His many “signs” that foreshadow His abundant, overflowing love for all people. May the fullness of that sign be seen in our own love for others as well.

Dear friends in Christ,
This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. It closes out the Christmas season and is an opportune time for us to recall our own baptism. Most likely you were baptized as a baby but for some, baptism came later in life as an adult. Regardless of age, baptism cleanses us of original sin and inaugurates us into a way of life. As we hear John the Baptist say in today’s Gospel, “He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Thus it is we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with that comes a mandate to live our lives worthy of our calling. Every day we should strive to live that out in a more authentic and purposeful way. What a great mission God has entrusted to us!

Dear friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. 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 will see Him in all people and all places in this coming year.

Dear friends in Christ,
Merry Christmas! Yes, it is true. Our Christmas celebration indeed continues today. The birth of our Savior is not a once-and-done proposition but continues up until the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord next weekend. So let the Christmas spirit reign in your hearts and in your homes a few days longer. Don’t be so quick to put away the decorations (especially the crèche!) and try to hold on to the spirit of Christmas – the celebration of the Word made flesh that dwells among us – throughout this coming year.