An Easter Homily by Pope Francis

Transcription

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2 PARISH CLERGY Rev. Tom Lam Administrator Rev. Martins Emeh, J.C.L. Parochial Vicar Deacon John Evanoff Pastoral Associate Deacon Don Kish PARISH STAFF Business Manager Lu Hill Administration Gerry Broussard, Misha Gabriel, Dan Stamps, Mary Tran Religious Education LouAnn Svoboda, Director Dave Clark, Charlotte Fulton, Sarah Karchunas, Maria Laiseca Youth Ministry Joey Harvey, Director 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 Kirk Harris Young Kim, Alex Trejo COMMUNITY LIFE Nursery Coordinator: Anne Salazar Bingo: Friday at 7:30 p.m Welcome Newcomers If you would like more information on our Parish Community, please visit An Easter Homily by Pope Francis Peter ran to the tomb. What thoughts crossed Peter s mind and stirred his heart as he ran to the tomb? The Gospel tells us that the eleven, including Peter, had not believed the testimony of the women, their Easter proclamation. Quite the contrary, these words seemed to them an idle tale. Thus there was doubt in Peter s heart, together with many other worries: sadness at the death of the beloved Master and disillusionment for having denied him three times during his Passion. There is, however, something which signals a change in him: after listening to the women and refusing to believe them, Peter rose. He did not remain sedentary, in thought; he did not stay at home as the others did. He did not succumb to the somber atmosphere of those days, nor was he overwhelmed by his doubts. He was not consumed by remorse, fear or the continuous gossip that leads nowhere. He was looking for Jesus, not himself. He preferred the path of encounter and trust. And so, he got up, just as he was, and ran towards the tomb from where he would return amazed. This marked the beginning of Peter s resurrection, the resurrection of his heart. Without giving in to sadness or darkness, he made room for hope: he allowed the light of God to enter into his heart, without smothering it. The women too, who had gone out early in the morning to perform a work of mercy, taking the perfumed ointments to the tomb, had the same experience. They were frightened and bowed their faces, and yet they were deeply affected by the words of the angel: Why do you seek the living among the dead? We, like Peter and the women, cannot discover life by being sad, bereft of hope. Let us not stay imprisoned within ourselves, but let us break open our sealed tombs to the Lord so that he may enter and grant us life. Let us give him the stones of our rancor and the boulders of our past, those heavy burdens of our weaknesses and falls. Christ wants to come and take us by the hand to bring us out of our anguish. This is the first stone to be moved aside this night: the lack of hope which imprisons us within ourselves. May the Lord free us from this trap, from being Christians without hope, who live as if the Lord were not risen, as if our problems were the center of our lives. We see and will continue to see problems both within and without. They will always be there. But today it is important to shed the light of the Risen Lord upon our problems, and in a certain sense, to evangelize them. Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control us; we must cry out to them: the Lord is not here, but has risen! He is our greatest joy; he is always at our side and will never let us down. Christian hope is a gift that God gives us if we come out of ourselves and open our hearts to him. Today is the celebration of our hope, the celebration of this truth: nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from his love. The Lord is alive and wants to be sought among the living. After having found him, each person is sent out by him to announce the Easter message, to awaken and resurrect hope in hearts burdened by sadness, in those who struggle to find meaning in life. That is so necessary today. However, we must not proclaim ourselves. Rather, as joyful servants of hope, we must announce the Risen One by our lives and by our love. How can we strengthen our hope? The liturgy teaches us to remember the works of God. The readings describe God s faithfulness, the history of his love towards us. The living word of God is able to involve us in this history of love, nourishing our hope and renewing our joy. The Gospel also reminds us of this: in order to kindle hope in the hearts of the women, the angel tells them: Remember what Jesus told you. Let us not forget his words and his works, otherwise we will lose hope. Let us instead remember the Lord, his goodness and his life-giving words which have touched us. Let us remember them and make them ours, to be sentinels of the morning who know how to help others see the signs of the Risen Lord. 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, APRIL 16 Nursery Closed Masses at 8 am, 9:45 am, 11:30 am in the Church and in the Family Center MONDAY, APRIL 17 PARISH OFFICES CLOSED TUESDAY, APRIL 18 9:00 AM, ESL 4, Outreach Center 9:30 AM 7:30 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room :00 AM, Scripture Study: Den 10:00 AM, Holy Hour Rosary for Respect Life: Chapel 3:00 PM, Divine Mercy Chaplet: Chapel 4:00 PM, Holy Hour Rosary for Vocations: Chapel 7:00 PM, Rosary: Chapel 7:00 PM, RCIA: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, KC s General Meeting: PAC 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1288 Court of Honor: Family Center 7:30 PM, Evening Prayer & Benediction WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 9:30 AM, Called to be Mom: Family Ctr. 9:45 AM, Baby Bottle Preparation: Outreach Center 8:00 PM, Young Adult Bible Study: Den THURSDAY, APRIL 20 9:00 AM, ESL 4: Outreach Center 12:30 PM, ELC Knitting Group: Room 404 6:30 PM, Financial Peace Legacy: Room 403 6:30 PM, Spanish Bible Study: Rec Room 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, APRIL 21 11:30 AM, Forever Young: Family Center 7:30 PM, Bingo: Family Center SATURDAY, APRIL 22 9:00 AM, Adult Confirmation Retreat: Den 9:00 AM, Job Search Seminar: Rec Room 6:30 PM, Crawfish Fest: Family Center SUNDAY, APRIL 23 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2-5 years: PAC 12:30 PM, Epiphanic: Softball field 1:30 PM, Baptism Service: Narthex The Parish Offices will be closed on Easter Monday, April 17 to allow for staff members to spend time with their families. The offices will reopen Tuesday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. Divine Mercy Sunday Holy Hour April 23rd - 3:00PM Join us for adoration and the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I am love and Mercy Itself 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 Cynthia Viator Ladies Club Joan McManamy Forever Young Barbara Hajjar, Clare Snow 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, April 15 Easter Vigil 8:30 PM John Gennusa Sunday, April 16 The Resurrection of the Lord 8:00 AM-Church Rose Ann Callegari 8:00 AM-Family Center David Jacobs 9:45 AM-Church For the People 9:45 AM-Family Center Jeff Thaler 11:30 AM-Church Karen Hurbrough 11:30 AM-Family Center Mamie LeLeux No 5:30 PM Mass Monday, April 17 Monday within the Octave of Easter 9:00 AM Jerry Lang Tuesday, April 18 Tuesday within the Octave of Easter 9:00 AM Alfred Orsak Wednesday, April 19 Wednesday within the Octave of Easter 9:00 AM Rose Ann Callegari Thursday, April 20 Thursday within the Octave of Easter 9:00 AM Phillip Loyacano Friday, April 21 Friday within the Octave of Easter 9:00 AM Rose Ann Callegari Saturday, April 22 Vigil-Divine Mercy Sunday 5:30 PM Rosalba Reyes Sunday, April 23 Sunday of Divine Mercy 8:00 AM Rose Ann Callegari 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Loretta Courtney 5:30 PM Jaime Martinez READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; Mt 28:8-15 Tuesday: Acts 2:36-41; Ps 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; Jn 20:11-18 Wednesday: Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105:1-4, 6-9; Lk 24:13-35 Thursday: Acts 3:11-26; Ps 8:2, 5-9; Lk 24:35-48 Friday: Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27; Jn 21:1-14 Saturday: Acts 4:13-21; Ps 118:1, 14-21; Mk 16:9-15 Sunday: Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31 Please pray for our military men and women. good health: Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to Jason Sides, Hailey Williams, Maria Mercedes Enriquez, Janet Cuccia, Chester Bourgeois, Everly Joy Gonzalez, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Celia Tovar, Carson Hill, Rosita Alegre, Charlie Helms, Sandra Lucio, Linda Christine, Marlene Kirker, Don & Victoria Anderson, Bessie Polasek. 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. Attention Catholic Boy Scouts! A new set of classes for the Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII religious emblems is now starting! These emblems are open to Catholic Boy Scouts and Venturers between the ages of These emblems offer a fun way for Scouts to learn about their faith and better understand their vocational calling. You can find out more by attending an introductory session on Thursday, April 20 th, at 7 p.m., in the PAC or by contacting louis.meneghetti@total.com. DANCING FOR JOY The people say that the sun dances on this day in joy for a risen Savior. Alexander Carmichael 4

5 Our gathering for the 55 and over crowd meets this Friday at 11:30am with a catered meal from Hasta La Pasta. The cost is $10. Checks should be made out to Forever Young. For more information, please call Parish Life Join Principal Daniel Courtney for a presentation on raising Christian kids. The gathering begins at 9:30am in the Family Center. All are welcome to join the Epiphany Ladies Club at our Charity Luncheon on Friday, April 21, at Falcon Point Country Club at 11:00 AM. There will be a silent auction, a live auction and other exciting prizes. Tickets cost $25.00 and can be purchased by contacting Marie Mormile at or mpm1@att.net. Please come for an afternoon of fun! Any questions about any of our upcoming events, please contact us at epiphanyladiesclub@gmail.com. Our Stewardship Stewardship April 1/2 Sunday Offering $40, St. Vincent de Paul Society $7, Registered Households 6,651 Do you put God first in all things? Possessions, money, power, ego can easily become gods to many of us. Do a quick check of what is important to you. Is God at the very top of the list? If not, your priorities need to be re-adjusted. Don t let earthly things become a god before God. Sunday: NO Coffee & Donuts Monday: Parish Offices Closed Tuesday: Quilters 9:30am in the PAC Wednesday: Called to be Mom 9:30am in the Family Ctr. Thursday: Line Dancing 7pm in the PAC Friday: Forever Young 11:30am in the Family Ctr. Friday: Bingo 7:30pm in the Family Ctr. The annual Epiphany Knights of Columbus Scholarship process is starting. Applications are now available at the front desk of the church office. Word copies of the application are available by ing Vince DeBonis at vdebonis@comcast.net. 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 24 th in the church office. Interviews will be conducted Friday and Saturday, May 5 th and 6 th. Please take advantage of this excellent opportunity to be recognized for your gifts to the parish and surrounding community. 5

6 Sanctify Christ as Lord in Your Hearts 1Peter 3:15 Men s ACTS Retreat May 18 21, 2017 Cenacle Retreat House Come make history at Epiphany of the Lord as we conduct our first ever Men s ACTS Retreat. This interac ve, three nights, three day 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 Adora on, Community, Theology and Service. The Retreat begins the evening of Thursday, May 18 and concludes with the welcome home celebra on at the 11:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 21. The cost of the retreat is $275. Registra on for the Retreat can be completed on-line at our Epiphany s website: h ps://epiphanycatholic.org/acts Please register soon as space is limited to 24 retreatants! For more informa on / answer any ques ons please contact John Bannon ( jamban95@gmail.com / ) or Mike Fagnant ( fagnaml@gmail.com / ). We look forward to you joining us for a spiritual, faith renewing experience you will cherish forever. Approaching End-of-Life Issues Morally A time of serious illness is naturally distressing for the one who is ill and for the family and friends of the one who is suffering. Making sound moral decisions in these circumstances may be especially difficult when we consider the emotional strains that are part of caregiving. Epiphany is offering an information session to help you approach end-of-life decisions in light of the teachings of the Catholic Church on April 19, at 7:00PM in the Epiphany Room. Speaker: Deacon David Garvis, MA, BCC, CHCE (Staff Chaplain, Medical Ethics Advisor - Baylor St. Luke s Medical Center) Please send an to Deacon John Evanoff letting him know of your interest in attending and the nature of your care-giving situation: John@epiphanycatholic.org Respect Life Bulletin Board Attention Teens!! National Pro-Life T-shirt Day is April 21 st. This is a national day of action where young people all over the country are encouraged to wear a pro-life t- shirt to school and share a picture on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using #NPLTD17. The Respect for Life Committee is selling pro-life t-shirts to promote this event. Shirts are $10.00 and will be on sale in the PAC prior to Jr. High and High School CCE classes on April 9 th and April 12 th. You can also place an online order at For more information send an to respectlife@epiphanycatholic.org or visit the website 6

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8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in April Regular Meetings: Mon. Epiphany Job Networking at 7 p.m. in the PAC; Tues. Respect Life Rosary at 10 a.m. in the Chapel. April 16: Happy Easter April 19: Baby Bottle Preparation April 20: Dave Ramsey Legacy April 22: Job Search Workshop April 22: Habitat for Humanity Work day April 25: Second Family April 27: Dave Ramsey Legacy April 27: Respect Life Meeting See for details. Habitat for Humanity Join Epiphany volunteers in the fight against poverty housing and homelessness on April 22nd. Volunteers will be helping with the painting of the house. Space is limited so go to sign up genius to sign up. go/5080c4dacad2aa0fd0-habitat. Habitat asks that we please wear closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing. Orientation begins at 8am and work will begin shortly thereafter. See our website for waiver forms, directions to the work site and more information. Career Search Seminar Are you looking for a new career? Want to improve your resume writing, networking, interviewing and other successful career search skills? SATURDAY APRIL 22 Pre-register by 04/19/17 via to seminarejn@gmail.com If you have any question please call Lisa in Outreach at Baby Bottle Blessing It is Baby Bottle time again and we need to get our bottles ready for distribution to help those in crisis pregnancies. Bottles need to be unpacked and filled with information slips. If you have some time on April 19 from 9:45 to 12:00, please join us in the Outreach Office. We will start at 9:45 am and please stay as long as you can. Please go to to sign up. 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 or twice a week. That the goal is to keep people in their homes as long as practical. This is accomplished by providing rides, going shopping, in-home visiting, and providing respite to the primary caregiver. That members and CarePartners mutually support one another through prayer and sharing. That we want to be assistance but need to hear from you. Contact Bev at bevkracht@sbcglobal.net if you want a visitor. 8

9 Adult Faith Formation INFANT BAPTISM PREPARATION Expecting a new baby? Or, do you have a little one who has not yet been baptized? Have you been chosen to be a Godparent? A Baptism Preparation Session for parents and godparents will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. until Noon in the Family Center. Parents must attend a baptism preparation session before scheduling their child s baptism. Call to register for this preparation session. The next opportunity to attend a baptism class at Epiphany will be on Saturday, August 12, Did You Know? The Catholic Church encourages couples to be both generous and responsible stewards over their fertility. Responsible parenthood is lived within the structures that God has established in human nature. The nature of sexual intercourse, which is both life-giving (pro-creative) and love-giving (unitive), reflects a Divine plan. That is why the Church teaches that husband and wife must not actively intervene to separate their fertility from their bodily union. Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods respect the Divine plan and are at the service of authentic married love. To find out more about this topic, please save the date of April 21 for an information session conducted by fertility care professional associated with Caritas Clinic/CHI St. Luke s Hospital in Sugarland. Session will be held in the Den on the second floor of the PAC Bldg. at 6:30 on April 21.Please register in advance by ing to: cooperfertilitycare@gmail.com Genealogy Group Epiphany s Genealogy Group will meet on Wednesday, April 26 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. upstairs in the Parish Activity Center. Parishioner, Elena Wilson, will trace her lineage to Asturias, Spain. Her presentation discusses the battle of Covadonga, Burgos Cathedral and two historically significant monasteries. All are welcome to join us! Easter is nearly three weeks later this year than last. Why does the date wobble around the calendar so? The way of calculating the date was set by the Emperor Constantine in 325. The decision ended a very bitter controversy in the church. Some people wanted to synchronize the Pasch with Passover on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month Nissan, and their opponents wanted it after the Passover was complete, on the Sunday after the first full moon of springtime. The ecclesiastical rules do not exactly connect with the astronomical rules. The emperor squashed the hopes of the quartodecimans, as the fans of 14 Nissan were called, and chose Sunday. The traditional rule is that Easter is the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox, the fourteenth day of the new moon, and later than March 21. Thus, Easter wobbles between March 22 and April 25. The actual tables and methods for computing the date are extraordinarily detailed, with subtle variations and mind-bending exceptions and charts with golden numbers, dominical letters, and epacts measuring leap years. In 1954 and 1962 the ecclesiastical calculations actually overrode the astronomical new moons and bumped Easter back a month! Today, there is a movement in the World Council of Churches (Protestants and Orthodox) for all Christians to combine their celebrations, based on the star charts for the Jerusalem skies. In principle, the Catholic Church is open to an ecumenical agreement on a fixed date for Easter, but we desire a unanimous decision from the World Council. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. 9

10 Elementary Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry We can t thank our catechists, office helpers and the many other volunteers enough for their help in passing on the faith to our youth. Our community is very blessed to have been the recipient of their time and talent. We d like to say thank you by inviting them to be our guest this Saturday at our youth ministry crawfish dinner. Spouses are welcome to join, but will need to purchase a ticket. EpiphanyCatholic.org/AYC Class of 2017: Join us for Sunday Liturgy on May 28th at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow in the Family Center. Knights of Columbus will present the recipients of the 2017 Senior Scholarships. Operation Rice Bowl is over. If you didn t get to turn yours in during Faith Formation, please bring them by the parish office. 10