Dear friends in Christ,
Today the Church celebrates the 13th week of Ordinary Time, but in our country we also commemorate Independence Day weekend. Given that July 4 falls on a Tuesday this year, we’ve got an extra long time to celebrate. We thank God for the gift of our freedom and all the men and women who have served our country to win that freedom (and those who continue to do so on our behalf throughout the world today). Many have fought and died to safeguard the way of life we enjoy. Let us not forget the great sacrifices that have been offered on our behalf, while all the while remembering the ultimate sacrifice and true freedom we have comes through God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear friends in Christ,
On this 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear a timely message from Jesus in the Gospel from St. Matthew: “What I say to you in darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.”

Dear friends in Christ,
Happy Father’s Day to all our dads this weekend. I pray that your family will celebrate your presence in their life by giving you the greatest gift a dad could ever want – complete control of the TV remote for one day! Seriously, we honor all fathers, both the living and deceased, today and thank them for the gift of life they provide. Let us call upon the patron saint of all husbands and fathers, St. Joseph, to watch over and intercede on behalf of all of them. And let us not forget the wonderful gift of life that grandfathers, adopted fathers, step-fathers, foster fathers and Godfathers offer their children. May God bless them all!

Dear friends in Christ,
Having culminated the great season of Easter with the Feast of Pentecost last Sunday, the Church now turns her attention to Ordinary Time, weeks so named not because of their “ordinariness” but because they are numbered. Today is the beginning of the 10th week of Ordinary Time, and we’ll continue in Ordinary Time all the way to the end of November and the beginning of Advent. The first two Sundays following Pentecost are given special recognition with today being the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, or Trinity Sunday. Next week is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi Sunday.

Dear friends in Christ,
On the Feast of Pentecost this weekend we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus and what has come to be known as the “birthday of the Church.” Gathered together in Jerusalem the followers of Jesus, who were comprised of every race and tongue, soon discovered themselves to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” It was a microcosm of what the Church would become: faithful believers in the saving work of Jesus Christ who are empowered by the Spirit to go and spread the Good News. That work continues today. We, too, come from different backgrounds and ways of life but yet we are united by the Spirit of God to build up the Body of Christ in all we say and do.

Dear friends in Christ,
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. We remember Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of the Father where he sits in glory until he comes again, a belief we profess every Sunday in our Creed. This feast is celebrated 40 days after the Easter resurrection which by tradition would have put it on the calendar for last Thursday. Some of you may remember “Ascension Thursday” holy days from your youth. It is still celebrated on that Thursday in some of the dioceses, but several years ago nearly every other diocese, including the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, chose to move the celebration to Sunday to highlight its prominence and give more people an opportunity to celebrate. So to be clear – you did not miss a holy day of obligation! It just moved a few days down the calendar so that we might celebrate it in all its glory today.

Dear friends in Christ,
I’d like to take a moment this weekend to both look back and look forward. I’m in a bit of a reflective mood after celebrating my 19th anniversary of priesthood ordination this past week. Thank you for the kind wishes. While I’m not one to mark anniversaries too much in my own life, it’s nice to pause and remember all the people who the Lord has brought into my life since that day. My life has been enriched a “hundredfold,” to quote Jesus, as a result of His calling me to the priesthood. I give thanks for it every day. And to spend the last 13 years of it here at CtR is just icing on the cake!

Dear friends in Christ,
We wish a blessed and happy Mother’s Day today to all of our mothers. Moms hold a special place in our hearts and we need only look at the example of Jesus to know that love and respect for mothers is an age-old tradition in our faith. From the wedding feast at Cana to the hill at Calvary, Mary was always present in the life of her son. In a special way we ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on all mothers, both living and deceased. And let us not forget the wonderful gift of life that grandmothers, adopted mothers, step-mothers, foster mothers and godmothers offer their children.

On May 7 we celebrated our Groundbreaking Ceremony for our new Redeemer Activity Center (RAC).

Dear friends in Christ,
After a phenomenal Spring Festival last weekend (much more on that in a moment) we turn our attention this weekend to the Groundbreaking for our new Redeemer Activity Center (RAC). It’s being held today, Sunday, May 7. Please make plans to join us on the field behind the back parking lot near the playground after the 11 a.m. Mass. You’ll see a big tent erected and the outline of the building staked on the ground.

Dear friends in Christ,
Welcome to our 32nd annual CtR Spring Festival weekend! Come one, come all! If you are reading this on Saturday night or any time on Sunday, I hope you will make plans to stop by the festival and enjoy everything that it has to offer. And I do mean everything. We’ve got plenty of space to spread out and a few new rides and games this year. The food booths and auction tent are back in the usual spots, but take time to wander around the grounds to see all there is to offer. From the delicious homemade bar-b-q dinner from our new smokin’ team in the Community Center (followed by bingo in the mid-afternoon), to the live and silent auctions under the big tent, to the games for the kids, there is truly something for everyone. The wine garden is back again for the adults. The Sweet Shop will satisfy any child’s (or adult’s) sugar craving and the plant booth will give your green thumb a new friend to care for. Don’t forget the ever-popular Flea Market where you can find anything and everything under the sun. Make us an offer as everything must go!

Dear friends in Christ,
Happy Easter! Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Easter continues for 50 glorious days so let us celebrate with hearts and minds renewed in the Risen Christ. Today, the 2nd Sunday of Easter, is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday, a day dedicated to the Divine Mercy devotion that focuses on the mercy of God the Father through His Son, Jesus. To commemorate the day we will have a service at 3 p.m. today in the church. There will be a reading of Scripture and a reflection on the Divine Mercy as it relates to the Eucharist. All are invited to join us for this time of prayer in thanksgiving for the gift of the Divine Mercy to the Church.

Dear friends in Christ,
“Alleluia! Alleluia!” That double “Alleluia” is a hallmark of today’s great celebration of Easter. Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is risen from the dead! The stone has been rolled away and the empty tomb lets all know without a shadow of doubt that death has been overcome. The appearance of the Risen Christ to the disciples brings to fulfillment what had been foretold of Him in all of the Scriptures. The Messiah had to first suffer and die but He will rise again on the third day. Today is that day and so we raise our voices in glory to God!

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 branches 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. 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.

Beginning in early May, renovations begin on the current Youth Ministry suite. The space will be transformed during the summer months into classrooms, and meeting and lab spaces for Christ the Redeemer Catholic School. In anticipation of the renovations, the Youth Ministry Office is now on the second floor of the Parish Office.

Dear friends in Christ,
This is the 5th Sunday of Lent, but our Lenten journey is not over. In fact we’re entering the home stretch. 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. In today’s Gospel we hear a precursor of Easter with the resurrection of Lazarus. Just as Jesus raises Lazarus from the realm of the dead, so too shall Jesus Himself rise from the dead.

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 in the homestretch. Keep the faith! It’s also the second scrutiny for our Elect as they make their way to the waters of baptism. Please remember to keep them in your prayers.

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.

Dear friends in Christ,
Are you missing something? There’s something absent at Mass these days. One of the hallmark liturgical aspects of Lent is the lack of the “Alleluia” before the Gospel is proclaimed. Did you notice it wasn’t there? The “Alleluia” falls silent in the season of Lent as we remember the penitential nature of these 40 days.

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 14 of these Catechumens at the 9 a.m. Mass this weekend and later tonight they will be received by Cardinal DiNardo at the Rite of Election that we are hosting at CtR (one of four such services around the Archdiocese today). Our 16 from CtR, along with nearly 1,800 others from other parishes, will makeup the largest group of Catechumens from any one diocese in the country.