Bulletin for Sept. 30

Dear friends in Christ,

I always like when Moses appears in our First Reading on Sunday. As I’ve stated a number of times, I’m a big fan of Moses, and outside of Jesus (and probably Mary, too), he’s my favorite person in all of the Sacred Scriptures. In the Book of Numbers today we hear how God comes down in the cloud and strikes up a conversation with Moses, and then “takes” some of the Spirit that was on Moses and bestows it to the elders. I find that fascinating! The Spirit that Moses has, which he of course received from God, is thus sort of subdivided out and given to others, and when the elders receive some of what Moses had been given, they too are able to prophesy in the name of the Lord. That my friends is some powerful stuff!

As great and powerful as the Sprit is, Joshua is not too happy about it. Usually Joshua comes across as one of the really good guys in the Old Testament, but today we see that he, like us, is far too human. He’s a bit jealous and petty. He’s upset that Eldad and Medad, who were not present when the Spirit was given, were nonetheless prophesying still the same. He implores Moses to stop them, but wise Moses refuses to take that bait. “Are you jealous for my sake?” he asks. “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets.”

Brothers and sisters you and I are among “all the people” of the Lord and it is incumbent on us to make the Lord known. We have the gift of the Spirit, whether we think we do or not, and others have likewise been given it. Let us not be petty like Joshua and worry about who should or shouldn’t be doing the Lord’s work. If they are speaking the truth and preaching God’s words by lives of faith and action, then let us not get in the way of it being heard.

As I previewed last week, today we welcome Sister Elsa Miranda of the Missionary Carmelites of St. Teresa to CtR. Sr. Elsa is part of the Missionary Carmelites of St. Teresa here in Houston, and she’ll speak at all Masses this weekend to tell us about the good work she and other missionaries from her order are doing throughout the world. In addition to our prayers of support, we’ll have a second collection today to help her fellow missionaries. Remember that every year all the parishes of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston welcome a missionary to inform us of the vital work they are engaged in to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to afford us the opportunity to be united in prayer and solidarity with them and those they serve. Please join me in welcoming Sr. Elsa to CtR.

At 6:30 p.m. this coming Thursday, Oct. 4, our CtR Catholic School is hosting an Open House for all prospective families. I know that this current school year has just started, but we know from experience that parents are always looking ahead to what the future holds. If you have been curious of what CtR Catholic School offers, I encourage you to come visit us that evening. Our principal, Dan Courtney, and all of our teachers will be here that night and will be happy to show you the wonderful academic, extracurricular, and faith-filled programs our school offers.

We’ll also host an Open House in the spring, but that’s during the school day and obviously our teachers can’t stop their instruction in the classroom to visit with parents, so this evening session in the fall is a great opportunity to get some one-on-one time with our faculty and staff and really discover what CtR offers. If you haven’t seen the school as of yet, I encourage you to come take a look, and please spread the news to your family and friends who may be looking for a Catholic-based education for the children. We’re in our fifth year now at CtR Catholic School and have an enrollment of 440 children in grades Pre-K through 8th. With the opening of the Redeemer Activity Center this year and our enrichment classrooms for S.T.R.E.A.M., art, and music, we’re able to offer a full array of educational opportunities. Come see what all the excitement is about at CtR Catholic School this Thursday, Oct. 4. It’s a wonderful ministry of our parish and I encourage all parents to consider a Catholic education that truly is second to none.

Speaking of the Redeemer Activity Center (RAC), it’s always been our goal to host a variety of events in the gym that appeal to all parishioners and not simply our Youth Ministry or school students. The gym is for everyone as witnessed a few weeks ago when we hosted exercise and Pilates classes that were well received by parishioners. Now we’ve got another event coming up open to all parishioners, our inaugural 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament on Oct. 13. It’s open for boys and girls, and men and women, from 5th grade and up. Yes, that means that some of you “old guys” who like to hoop it up are encouraged to come out and show us your best James Harden crossover skills. (Please try not to injury yourself!)

I’m grateful for Jason Shipe ( [email protected]) for organizing the tournament for us. Jason has even graciously offered to save a spot for a team of clergy to compete, but alas we’re going to have to sit out this time. Like Michael Jordan, my basketball playing days are over! But I look forward to stopping in to check out what promises to be a fun and full day of basketball. See our parish website for more information and to register, or send Jason an email and he’ll get you in the loop.

I know we are not yet out of September, but I want to call your attention to a couple events on the horizon for November. First up, please reserve Saturday, Nov. 10 for our 5th annual Chili Cook-Off. This has quickly become one of the “must-do” events in the parish in the fall. It’s a great night of chili, drinks, music, live and silent auctions, and fun for the whole family. It takes place on our back parking lot and is not to be missed. I encourage you to get your tickets in advance and make plans to join us. Cook teams are also encouraged to register to compete. We’ve got some great chefs out there who really go all out on their chili and competition is fierce. You can sample it all and so much more by joining us on Nov. 10. Tickets available on the website.

Secondly, please also plan to take part in our 10th anniversary of the church dedication weekend on Nov. 16-18. We’ve got a full slate of activities to commemorate that day in 2008 when we moved into our “new” church. More details coming soon, but make sure it is on your calendar. It promises to be a special weekend of celebration.

Peace, Fr. Sean

P.S.: Remember that our annual Blessing of the Animals, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, takes place next Saturday, Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. Plan to join us on the driveway between the church and Parish Life Center. It only takes about 15 minutes or so, but it’s always a fun event. All creatures, great and small, are invited to attend.