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March 11, 2024Dear 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.
This Sunday is the 5th Sunday of Lent and we are now coming into 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. 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 (remember our parish-wide effort to help Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, especially) the next two weeks and see if you don’t see an improvement in your walk with the Lord. There are still plenty of good days ahead to prepare yourself for the coming Easter celebration.
This Sunday at the 9 a.m. Mass we celebrate the third and final Scrutiny for our catechumens who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil on March 30. Please remember to keep them in your prayers, as well as our Candidates (those who have been baptized already and now seek full communion with the Church). Those candidates will be received into the Church on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7. Looks like we will have nearly 30 candidates joining the Church that day, one of our largest cohorts ever. Praise be to God!
This weekend is also our annual St. Joseph Altar in the Parish Hall. All are invited to join us for a wonderful pasta meal after the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses, and to see the beautiful altar that has been created dedicated to St. Joe (even though today is St. Patrick’s Day!). Dinners are $10 for adults and $5 for children aged 3-10. All proceeds from the dinner and bake sale go to benefit Cypress Assistance Ministries. Those attending the vigil Mass on Saturday night and the early Sunday morning Mass are invited as well to see the altar and pick-up some homemade Italian goodies.
It’s not too early to begin looking ahead to next Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week. Of course it begins with Passion (Palm) Sunday. Palms will be distributed and blessed at all masses. Remember that the 9 a.m. Mass on Palm Sunday begins outside on the plaza as we remember Jesus’ procession and entry into Jerusalem. A nice tradition that has developed over the years at CtR is the wearing of the color red on Palm Sunday by members of the congregation. It’s the liturgical color of the day, of course, and a good reminder of the passion and suffering our Lord endured for us.
We’ll cover more of the Holy Week schedule in next week’s bulletin, but to help you prepare our liturgy schedule for the Triduum will be as follows: Holy Thursday, March 28, 7 p.m.; Good Friday, March 29, 3 p.m.; Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil), March 30, 8 p.m.; and Easter Sunday, March 31, 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (in Spanish), with additional seating and video in the Parish Hall as needed. Note that special time for the last Mass on Easter Sunday: 1 p.m. and it is in Spanish There is no 5 p.m. Mass on Easter Sunday. Again, we’ll have more details next week, but plan now to join us for these holiest of days.
As always, I make a special appeal to our ushers, greeters, Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion and other liturgical ministers to please sign-up in advance to assist at these liturgies. Easter Sunday, with our double schedule of masses in the Church and the Hall, is an especially busy time. If possible, I encourage you to sign up for multiple services. I assure you the Lord will double the graces you will receive if you do!
Next weekend will also be the official kickoff to our upcoming 39th annual Spring Festival, happening in just five weeks on April 27-28. Now is the time to get ready, sisters and brothers. We’ll be distributing Raffle tickets to everyone as you leave Mass that weekend. Take a book (or two!) for your chance to win the Grand Prize of a $12,000 Visa Gift Card, or one of several other prizes. Our Festival ticket and information booth will open that weekend for the first time where you can buy advance tickets for all the rides, food, and drink. We’ll also have t-shirts for sale (those who pre-ordered shirts will be contacted on how to get theirs), and, of course, most importantly, it is a chance to volunteer to help.
This is where we need you the most. Exercise the gift of Stewardship by signing up to take a shift or two at one of our many rides, booths, and games. Every area of the Spring Festival is staffed by volunteers from the parish community, from the bingo hall to the flea market, and all points in between. We have time slots openings for all ages, youth to adults. Sign up early for the best selection of where you can put your gift of time and talent to work.
Our final Lenten Fish Fry is this Friday, March 22 from 4:30-7 p.m. They’ve been enjoying great crowds this year, and the fish and service is better than ever. My thanks go out to all the Knights for their hard work, and to the Ladies Auxiliary whose dessert table is a source of delicious temptation. Special shout-out to the teens from Youth Ministry who are doing a great job of clearing tables. What a great community event it is! Come support all of them one final time before Holy Week, and stay for our last celebration of the Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m.
Peace, Fr. Sean