A Homily by Pope Francis

Transcription

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2 PARISH CLERGY Rev. Tom Lam Pastor Rev. Martins Emeh, J.C.L. Parochial Vicar Deacon John Evanoff Pastoral Associate Deacon Don Kish PARISH STAFF Business Manager Lars Gustafson Administration Gerry Broussard, Misha Gabriel, Dan Stamps, Mary Tran Religious Education LouAnn Svoboda, Director Dave Clark, Charlotte Fulton, Becca Hammock, Maria Laiseca Youth Ministry Joey Harvey, Director Matt Kiernan Parish Life Ministry Dave Clark, Director Music Ministry Christian Mondragon, Director Adrienne Copeland Liturgy Ministry Dominick Aquila, Director Outreach Ministry Schottsie Hill, Director Lisa Gilkeson Facilities Manager Vince DeBonis Christian Cholico, Young Kim, Alex Trejo COMMUNITY LIFE Nursery Coordinator: Anne Salazar Bingo: Friday at 7:30 p.m Welcome Newcomers For more information about our parish please go to our website A Homily by Pope Francis Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe. That was the complaint Jesus made to the official who asked Him to heal his son. The people knew that Jesus had already performed great miracles; and in the Gospel, the Lord seemed to lose pa ence, because His miracles seemed to be the only thing that ma ered to them. In his homily at the morning Mass, Pope Francis reflected on this passage: Where is your faith? Seeing a miracle, a wonder, and saying, You have power, you are God. Yes, it is an act of faith, but so small. Because it is evident that this man has a strong power; but faith begins there, but then it has to go forward. Where is your desire for God? Because this is the faith: to have the desire to find God, to encounter Him, to be with Him, to be happy with Him. The Lord calls us to true joy. But what is the great miracle the Lord accomplishes? The first reading, taken from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, explains it for us, the Pope said. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create. The Lord a racts our desire to the joy of being with Him: When the Lord passes into our life and performs a miracle in each of us, and each of us knows what the Lord has done in our life, it does not end there: this is the invita- on to go forward, to con nue on the journey, seeking the face of God, the Psalm says; seeking this joy. Many Chris ans put their lives in parking mode. Miracles, then, are only the beginning, the Pope said. He asked what Jesus would think of so many Chris ans who stay put a er the first grace they have received, who do not con nue on the journey. He compared them to someone who would go to a restaurant and be content with an appe zer, and who would then return home, not realizing that the main course would be even be er: Because there are so many Chris ans who are stopped, who don t con nue on the journey; Chris ans who have run aground on the concerns of daily life good things in themselves! but they don t grow, they remain small. Parked Chris- ans: they ve parked. Caged Chris ans who don t know how to fly with the dream to this beau ful thing to which the Lord calls us. A true Chris an takes risks. Pope Francis said we can all ask ourselves the ques on, What do I really desire? Do I really desire God, and seek to be with Him? Or am I afraid? Am I mediocre? What is the measure of my desire? Am I sa sfied with the appe zer, or do I desire the banquet that is set before me? The Holy Father concluded his reflec on by encouraging those present to maintain their desire, to not be content with where they are. Go forward a li le bit, take risks, he said. The true Chris an takes risks, he goes out of his comfort zone. 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, MARCH 18 Coffee & Donuts: Family Center MONDAY, MARCH 19 9:00 AM, Daily Mass: Chapel 10:30 AM, ELC Craft Group: Room 403 1:00 PM, ELC Book Club: Room 404 1:00 PM, Rummikub: Outreach Center 6:30 PM, KC s Meeting: PAC 7:00 PM, Handbell Choir: Church 7:00 PM, Mary, a Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1146: PAC 7:00 PM, Job Networking: Rec Room TUESDAY, MARCH 20 9:00 AM, Daily Mass: Chapel 9:00 AM, ESL Class: Outreach Center 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room 411 9:40 AM 7:30 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:45 AM, If not me, then who? class: Outreach Center 10:00 AM, Holy Hour Rosary for Respect Life: Chapel 10:00 AM, Scripture Study: Den 3:00 PM, Divine Mercy Chaplet: Chapel 4:00 PM, Holy Hour for Vocations: Chapel 4:45 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 4:45 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 7:00 PM, RCIA: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, Scout Troop #1288: PAC 7:00 PM, Youth Advisory Committee: PAC 7:00 PM, Solemn Evening Prayer: Chapel WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 9:00 AM, Daily Mass: Chapel 10:00 AM, James: Pearls for Wise Living: 4:45 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 5:30 PM, Contemporary Music: Church 6:30 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 6:30 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 6:30 PM, High School FF/Confirmation 7:00 PM, Adult Choir Rehearsal: Church 8:05 PM, Young Adult Bible Study: Rm.404 THURSDAY, MARCH 22 9:00 AM, Daily Mass: Chapel 9:00 AM, ESL Class: Outreach Center 2:30 PM, Citizenship Class: Room 403 6:30 PM, Spanish Bible Study: PAC 7:00 PM, Home Based Parent/Student Assessment Meeting: Family Center 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, MARCH 23 9:00 AM, Daily Mass: Chapel 5:30 PM, KC s Fish Fry: PAC 7:00 PM, Lenten Way of the Cross: Church 7:30 PM, Bingo: Family Center SATURDAY, MARCH 24 No Events Scheduled SUNDAY, MARCH 25 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 3:30 PM, Elementary Faith Formation 3:30 PM, Junior High Faith Formation 3:30 PM, Marriage Support: Outreach 7:00 PM, High School FF/Confirmation The Knights of Columbus have fired up the fryers for their famous fish dinners. This year s menu includes fried and grilled fish, fried, boiled, and spicy shrimp, mac and cheese, pizza, onion rings, and hush puppies. This year s proceeds will be benefi ng Katy area chari es, Seminarian scholarships, and youth ministries. Our previous menu included baked fish. This year it will be grilled fish. In addi on this year we have added Lobster Bisque to the menu. The next crawfish serving will be on March 23 rd. If you are a Harvey Vic m bring a picture for our Harvey Wall and receive volunteer pricing for meals. Dinner starts at 5:30 p. m. 7:30 p. m. and once again you can dine in at the PAC center or drive-thru at the west end of the PAC center. If you would like to work the event please go to the Knights website and sign up. Thank you for your con nued support and we look forward to cooking for you and your family. Baptisms Please contact parish office for preparation classes. Baptism Session for Parents 2 nd Saturday of February, May, August, November 10:00 AM Noon To register call LouAnn Svoboda ( ) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) For information call LouAnn Svoboda ( ) Sacrament of Marriage Must be a registered, active member of the parish at least six months. Contact parish office eight months before wedding to begin preparation. Finance Council Chair Denny Dellinger Pastoral Council Chair Tom McGeehan Knights of Columbus C.J. Hattier, Grand Knight St. Vincent de Paul Society Rebel LeBoeuf Ladies Club Sharon Yohe Forever Young Norma Lopez, Mary Davis Bulletin Deadline The deadline for article submission is Thursday at noon (ten days before publication). Your article can be sent to gerry@epiphanycatholic.org. Check our website for Liturgical & Faith Formation Schedules. epiphany@epiphanycatholic.org Child s Play Learning Center, Alyce Gabrysch, Director, ; Fax; childsplaykaty.com 3

4 Liturgy & Prayer PRAYER LIST FOR THE SICK LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS THIS WEEK SPECIAL REMEMBRANCES Saturday, March 17 Vigil-Fifth Sunday of Lent 5:30 PM Patricia Ciolino Sunday, March 18 Fifth Sunday of Lent 8:00 AM Harold Hagen 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Nancy Dore 5:30 PM Michael Bevis Monday, March 19 St. Joseph 9:00 AM Sam Mercaldi Tuesday, March 20 Lenten Weekday 9:00 AM Hunter Spire Wednesday, March 21 Lenten Weekday 9:00 AM Fernando Jose Zuniga y Rivero Thursday, March 22 Lenten Weekday 9:00 AM Carl Dore Friday, March 23 Lenten Weekday 9:00 AM Amador Doyala, Jr. Saturday, March 24 Vigil-Palm Sunday 5:30 PM Marlene Peters Sunday, March 25 Palm Sunday 8:00 AM Verena Frerich 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Jennie & Fred Perone 5:30 PM Hope Mercaldi Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to good health: Jason Sides, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Lauro Garza, Amapola Garza, Mike Doa, Tina Filoromo, Mary Laverock, Maria Concepcion Espinosa, Maynard McDonald, Donna Johnson. To make a request for someone to be on our prayer list, please call the parish office at Your loved one s name will appear on our prayer list for six consecutive Sundays. If a longer period of time is needed, please call the parish office to renew your request. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: 2 Sm 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16; Ps 89:2-5, 27, 29; Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22; Mt 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Lk 2:41-51a Tuesday: Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102:2-3, 16-21; Jn 8:21-30 Wednesday: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dn 3:52-56; Jn 8:31-42 Thursday: Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9; Jn 8:51-59 Friday: Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18:2-7; Jn 10:31-42 Saturday: Ez 37:21-28; Jer 31:10, 11-13; Jn 11:45-56 Sunday: Mk 11:1-10 or Jn 12:12-16; (procession) Is 50:4-7; Ps 22: 8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mk 14:1 15:47 [15:1-39] Please pray for our military men and women. 4

5 Parish Life KC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS 2018 The annual Epiphany Knights of Columbus Scholarship process is starting. Applications will be available starting March 19 at the front desk of the parish office. Word copies of the application are available by ing Vince DeBonis at The KC s will honor college-bound students at the Senior High Graduation Mass with $500 to $1000 scholarships. Applications are due no later than Monday, April 23 rd in the parish office. Interviews will be conducted Friday and Saturday, May 4 th and 5 th. Please take advantage of this excellent opportunity to be recognized for your contributions to the parish and surrounding community. Epiphany Ladies Club Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show Please join us for a fun day on Friday, April 13 at Falcon Point Country Club. There will a delicious three course lunch, door prizes, silent and live auction items and raffle baskets. All proceeds will go to our St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Epiphany School and our youth ministry. Tickets are $27.00 and can be purchased by contacting the parish office at We are recruiting volunteers to help with the Epiphanic. This would be a great opportunity for families to work a booth together. A link to our volunteer sign-up page is on our website at: Singer/songwriter and inspirational speaker Kitty Cleveland is well-known to EWTN audiences, having appeared several times as a guest on Life on the Rock with Jeff Cavins, on Backstage, and more recently as a guest of Johnnette Benkovic on Women of Grace during Christmas week. She also appeared on EWTN live from the National Shrine of Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday, where she shared her family's miracle story. Kitty has appeared multiple times on Catholic TV and radio stations throughout the country. Men s ACTS Retreat April 26-29, 2018 All men of Epiphany are invited to attend our second ever Men s ACTS Retreat. This interactive, three nights, three days retreat led by fellow parishioners and supported by our Clergy will bring you closer to our Lord through the Holy Spirit in the focal areas of Adoration, Community, Theology and Service. The Retreat begins the evening of Thursday, April 26 and concludes with the welcome home celebration at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, April 29. The cost of the retreat is $275 which includes round-trip transportation to/from the retreat center. Please register soon as space is limited to 24 retreatants! Registration for the Retreat can be completed on-line at Epiphany s website: 5

6 Our Stewardship Epiphany Catholic School Stewardship March 10/11 Sunday Offering $81, Catholic Relief Services $5, St. Vincent de Paul Society $1, Registered Households 6,702 I will be their God and they shall be my people. - JEREMIAH 31:33 What does it mean to be God s people? It means we recognize that everything we have and everything we are belongs to God. We aren t owners of anything, we are merely stewards of the gifts God has given us. It means we are willing to use our gifts and our lives to care for our neighbors and the world, just as God cares for us. Epiphany of the Lord would like to let you know that JS Paluch is currently working on our Church Bulletin. If you would like to advertise your business in the Church Bulletin please contact: J.S. Paluch Company at Epiphany s wonderfully illustrated Way of the Cross books featuring pictures of our actual stations are on sale in the parish office during the week or after the morning masses on March 18. Parish Devotions Tuesdays Eucharistic Adoration 9:40 am 7:00 pm Pro-Life Rosary Divine Mercy Chaplet Vocation Rosary Solemn Evening Prayer Fridays Stations of the Cross 10:00 am 3:00 pm 4:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 6

7 EPIPHANY OF THE LORD TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK MARCH 27 Solemn Evening Prayer 7:00pm HOLY THURSDAY MARCH 29 Mass of the Lord s Supper 7:00pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament begins after mass and continues until 11:30pm GOOD FRIDAY MARCH 30 The Passion of the Lord 3:00pm HOLY SATURDAY MARCH 31 The Easter Vigil 8:30pm No Confessions at 4:00pm No Saturday 5:30pm Mass EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 1 Church 8:00am 9:45am 11:30am Family Center 8:00am 9:45am 11:30am No 5:30pm Mass on Easter Sunday 7

8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in March Regular Meetings: Monday Epiphany Job Networking at 7 p.m. in the PAC; Tuesday Respect Life Rosary at 10am in the Chapel. March 20: Understanding Poverty March 25: Gift of Marriage March 27: Understanding Poverty March 27: Second Family April 1: Easter See for details. Call the Outreach Center at for more information on the various ministries. Would you like to increase your poverty competency skills improving communication and relationships, as well as developing strategies for planning and creating systemic change? Then don t miss out on a new Lenten Series starting this week. If Not Me, Then Who? Empowering our Neighbors Starting Tuesday For 4 weeks 9:45 to 11:45 am Outreach Conference Room Call Outreach for more information and to register The Gift of Marriage Going to the chapel, and we re gonna get married...what happens after that? Learn how to put the song back into your marriage, or share your tips of the trade with others by attending The Gift of Marriage, a ministry which offers support for married couples. Join Richard Yohr LPC, CART, as he leads the group on Sunday March 25 at 3:30 pm during Faith Formation. If your spouse can not attend, principles can be taught to you! For more details, call the Outreach Office at To arrange for babysitting, nursery@epiphanycatholic.org by Friday,March 23rd. DID YOU KNOW... That Second Family Care Team is a group of men and women who offer support to the elderly, ill or disabled by visiting CarePartners in their homes once a week. That the goal is to keep people in their homes as long as practical. This is accomplished by in-home visiting, and providing respite to the primary caregiver. That members and CarePartners mutually support one another. That there are so many in our community who need a friend! Please consider joining our Team. Our next meeting is on March 27th 9:45 to 11:30 a.m. Are you able to give a fellow parishioner a ride to Mass? There is an older parishioner who lives at Atria Assisted Living Center who needs a ride. This location is across from Cinco Ranch Junior High school. If you are able to assist, please call

9 Adult Confirmation Preparation Adult Faith Formation Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation for Adults will begin with an on-site day retreat on Saturday, April 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by six consecutive Thursday evening classes. Participants must be at least 18 years old, not presently in high school, baptized Catholic and received Holy Communion, also, if married, marriage must be sacramental in the Catholic Church. Registration closes March 20. An initial interview together with an updated baptismal record is required. Contact louann@epiphanycatholic.org or call LouAnn at to schedule your interview. REPENTANCE God has promised pardon to one who repents, but has not promised repentance to one who sins. St. Anselm What are the Scrutinies? The Third Scrutiny focuses on the Gospel of John 11:1-45 the story of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, and beloved friend of Jesus. This final Scrutiny takes place after the homily during the 9:45 am Mass on March 18. Continue to pray for the adults and youth who are preparing to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter Vigil Mass. Over the next two weeks, as we hear of the interior anguish of Jesus, we are led to the Garden of Gethsemane, the scene of a night of suffering, failure, and loss. In Hebrew, the word means olive press, and it was an olive grove, although only a few trees remain. Olives can t be eaten off the trees, they need to be cured knocked from the trees at harvest time, scooped into a stone basin, and cracked open by a heavy millstone. The crushing stone weight was itself called a gethsemane, and once it was lowered onto the olives, oil from the fruit and the inner stone would drip into a groove and flow into jars. The night before his death, Jesus experienced such anguish that scripture says his own blood perspired from him, an image no one who understands olive oil production could miss. Today, the Mount of Olives is within the city of Jerusalem and the site of the Church of All Nations, also known as the Basilica of the Agony. It was built in 1924, funded by Catholics in twelve different countries. An open-air altar on the grounds is used by Anglicans on Holy Thursday every year. Nearby is the Russian Church of Mary Magdalene, built by the czar in 1888, its magnificent golden domes a distinctive landmark. There is also another tiny Catholic Church, called Dominus Flevit, or The Cry of the Lord, built in a teardrop shape in the mid-1950s. For centuries, the Franciscan order has had the care of the shrines of the Holy Land, and our Good Friday collection helps sustain these precious sites. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. 9

10 Children s Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry ENCOUNTER LENT! We encounter Alefa in Malawi, where seeds are helping her family survive an uncertain climate. How can you care for God s creation this Lent? How can you support those, worldwide, who are forced to flee their homes to find safety or better opportunities? Visit crsricebowl.org for more. Help Us Expand Our Ministry for Children with Disabilities Do you have experience working with children with disabilities or know someone who does? We are working to grow our ministry of educating children with disabilities in our parish and need your help. To learn more about how you can share your faith and talents please attend our informational session April 8th following the 9:45 mass in the Family Center. For more information, contact Dave Clark at The Church owes persons with disabilities her best efforts in order to ensure that they are able to hear the Gospel of Christ, receive the sacraments, and grow in their faith in the fullest and richest manner possible. National Directory of Catechisis, 49 Tues. March 20 or Wed. March 21 Sun. March 25 (Gr. 1-5) Unit Four: EQ Two How are we called to become missionary disciples of Jesus Christ? (Gr. 1-5) Unit Four: EQ One How and Why does God call me to follow Jesus Christ? Register online! 10