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February 29, 2024Dear friends in Christ
This weekend is the beginning of what is shaping up to be a busy month for us at CtR, even with Spring Break on the horizon next week. We celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Lent, and the days of March will take us all the way to Easter Sunday (March 31) this year. Let us continue to keep the hallmark disciplines of the season – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – foremost in our hearts as we make our way to glory of the cross.
On this 3rd Sunday in Lent we read the famous passage from St. John’s Gospel of Jesus (save for the 9 a.m. Mass which will hear the story of the women at the well for the 1st Scrutiny with our Elect in RCIA) overturning the tables of the money changers in the temple area. It’s one of the earliest bible stories I can recall from my childhood because the imagery is so vivid – Jesus makes a whip out of cords and drives them out, spilling their coins on the tables and scattering the doves. I remember a children’s prayer book with amazing drawings of the scene that captured my attention. It was wild and chaotic, and dare I say it, even cool, at least to my 7-year-old mind. The bad guys were getting their just desserts, it seemed to me.
As I’ve matured (hopefully), I’ve come to see this moment in the life of Jesus not as an excuse for violence (“if Jesus overturned a table, it must be OK for me to throw a temper tantrum, too”), but rather as an opportunity to look at my own life. Do I have such zeal for the house of the Lord? Am I profaning another of God’s sacred places – the temple of my heart – by my own actions and sins? Jesus’ anger at what he witnessed in the temple area does not give us carte blanche to do the same in our life. Though it looked like chaos, he was always in control, driven only by the mission of his Father, not his internal rage.
Ask yourself, in moments of anger, if you are really compelled by the will of God, or just your own desire to have things your way? Jesus was teaching a lesson long ago that we would do well to still take to heart today. He is creating a new temple by his life, death, and resurrection, and anything that profanes that mission in our life needs to be driven out in these days of Lent by prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Life must always be about his Passion of the cross, not our passion of fear or anger.
I thank everyone who came out for our Lenten Parish Mission this past week with Deacon Greg Kandra. We had wonderful attendance all three nights and I heard repeatedly from so many of you how much you enjoyed it and what a blessing it was for our parish community. Deacon Greg was effusive in his praise of our parish, too, as he just couldn’t get over the spirit of the people. On Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after he got here, he turned to me as we were walking to the Parish Hall for coffee and donuts and said, “I love this parish! This is what the church should be everywhere!” I agree, but of course, I’m biased, and so it was nice to hear from someone who has traveled extensively across the country seeing the church in different places.
Keep on your radar our annual St. Joseph’s Altar pasta luncheon and bake sale happening two weeks from now on Sunday, March 17. We’ll start with the blessing of the altar, which will be beautifully decorated with all manner of baked goods and treats, at 10:30 a.m. (following the 9 a.m. Mass), and then the serving line will be open continuously until 1 p.m. so others can attend after the 11 a.m. Mass. Dinners are $10 for adults and $5 for children, while kids 3 and under are free. All proceeds from the dinner and bake sale go to benefit Cypress Assistance Ministries. It’s become a beloved tradition here at CtR each March and the ladies of the parish do a great job of making it a wonderful event for the whole parish. See www.ctrcc.com/st-joseph-altar to buy tickets in advance or purchase them at the door.
Also happening before you know it is our 39th annual Spring Festival on April 27-28. We’ll officially kick off the immediate preparations (ticket sales and volunteer sign-ups) in a few weeks on Palm Sunday weekend, but there’s much already happening behind the scenes. Our website has lots of information already, and we’ll be adding to it in the coming weeks. Get a jumpstart in supporting our efforts by becoming a Festival sponsor at one of our several underwriting levels. It’s also a good time to think about items to donate for our live and silent auctions, and for our flea markets. See the website for how you can contribute. Thanks for your support of this most vital event for our parish and the greater Cypress community.
We have a full-time opening on our staff for Coordinator of Marriage and Family Life to help us minister to the many couples who come to us each year as they prepare for the wedding in the Church. We’re looking for someone who is detail-oriented with a pastoral heart to walk with couples and help them understand the beauty and gift, but also the demands, of living out the Sacrament of Matrimony. See www.ctrcc.com/workwithus for a full job description.
In addition, we have openings in a couple other parish departments, and our school also has a few openings for teachers next year. Let me highlight one area in particular where we need additional help, and that’s in our parish nursery. If you know of someone who is great with kids and looking for part-time work, mainly on Sunday mornings and some evenings, encourage them to apply. Maybe you know of a great babysitter (18 or older) who is looking to earn a few more dollars for college. If so, please send them our way.
Peace, Fr. Sean