A 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, 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 A Homily by Pope Francis O n the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis offers us three words essential for the life of an apostle: confession, persecution and prayer. Confession. Peter makes his confession of faith in the Gospel, when the Lord s question turns from the general to the specific. At first, Jesus asks: Who do men say that the Son of man is? The results of this survey show that Jesus is widely considered a prophet. Then the Master puts the decisive question to his disciples: But you, who do you say that I am? At this point, Peter alone replies: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. To confess the faith means this: to acknowledge in Jesus the long-awaited Messiah, the living God, the Lord of our lives. Today Jesus puts this crucial question to us, to each of us, and particularly to those of us who are pastors. It is the decisive question. It does not allow for a noncommittal answer, because it brings into play our entire life. The question of life demands a response of life. For it counts little to know the articles of faith if we do not confess Jesus as the Lord of our lives. Today he looks straight at us and asks, Who am I for you? As if to say: Am I still the Lord of your life, the longing of your heart, the reason for your hope, the source of your unfailing trust? Let us ask ourselves if we are parlor Christians, who love to chat about how things are going in the Church and the world, or apostles on the go, who confess Jesus with their lives because they hold him in their hearts. Those who confess Jesus know that they are not simply to offer opinions but to offer their very lives. They know that they are not to believe half-heartedly but to be on fire with love. They know that they cannot just tread water or take the easy way out, but have to risk putting out into the deep, daily renewing their self-offering. Those who confess their faith in Jesus do as Peter and Paul did: they follow him to the end not just part of the way, but to the very end. They also follow the Lord along his way, not our own ways. His way is that of new life, of joy and resurrection; it is also the way that passes through the cross and persecution. Here, then, is the second word: persecution. Peter and Paul shed their blood for Christ. Here I would especially emphasize something that the Apostle Paul says before, in his words, being poured out as a libation (2 Tim 4:6). For him, to live was Christ, Christ crucified, who gave his life for him. As a faithful disciple, Paul thus followed the Master and offered his own life too. Apart from the cross, there is no Christ, but apart from the cross, there can be no Christian either. For Christian virtue is not only a matter of doing good, but of tolerating evil as well, even as Jesus did. Tolerating evil does not have to do simply with patience and resignation; it means imitating Jesus, carrying our burden, shouldering it for his sake and that of others. It means accepting the cross, pressing on in the confident knowledge that we are not alone: the crucified and risen Lord is at our side. So, with Paul, we can say that we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken. The third word is prayer. The life of an apostle, which flows from confession and becomes self-offering, is one of constant prayer. Prayer is the water needed to nurture hope and increase fidelity. Prayer makes us feel loved and it enables us to love in turn. It makes us press forward in moments of darkness because it brings God s light. In the Church, it is prayer that sustains us and helps us to overcome difficulties. A Church that prays is watched over and cared for by the Lord. When we pray, we entrust our lives to him and to his loving care. Prayer is the power and strength that unite and sustain us, the remedy for the isolation and self-sufficiency that lead to spiritual death. The Spirit of life does not breathe unless we pray; without prayer, the interior prisons that hold us captive cannot be unlocked. 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, JULY 9 Food Drive 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 3:30 PM, Marriage Support Group: Outreach Center MONDAY, JULY 10 1:00 PM, Rummikub: Outreach Center 6:30 PM, Bereavement Meeting: Den 7:00 PM, Job Networking: Rec Room TUESDAY, JULY 11 9:30 AM 7:30 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room :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, Scout Troup 1288: PAC 7:00 PM, Rosary: Chapel 7:30 PM, Evening Prayer: Chapel WEDNESDAY, JULY 12 9:45 AM, Clinic Care Kits Workshop: Outreach Center 6:30 PM, Family Fun Night: Great Room 7:00 PM, Vocation of the Catechist Module: Den THURSDAY, JULY 13 10:25 AM, Caregiver s Support Group: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, Walking Through Grief: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, Genesis 2:18: Epiphany Room 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, JULY 14 7:30 PM, Bingo: Family Center SATURDAY, JULY 15 No Events Scheduled SUNDAY, JULY 16 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 3:30 PM, Marriage Support Group: Outreach Center 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 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, July 8 Vigil-Fourteenth Sunday in O.T. 5:30 PM Rafael Correal Sunday, July 9 14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM Rosie Dave 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Joseph Toscano 5:30 PM Betty Long Monday, July 10 Weekday 9:00 AM Aida Alinsub Tuesday, July 11 St. Benedict 9:00 AM Robert Van Orden Wednesday, July 12 Weekday 9:00 AM Betty Long Thursday, July 13 Weekday 9:00 AM Donna Rubino Friday, July 14 Weekday 9:00 AM Julia Jacques Saturday, July 15 Vigil-Fifteenth Sunday in O.T. 5:30 PM Priscilla Naranjo Sunday, July th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 AM Wanda Evanoff 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM John J. McGlew 5:30 PM Gino Ferrari READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Gn 28:10-22a; Ps 91:1-4, 14-15ab; Mt 9:18-26 Tuesday: Gn 32:23-33; Ps 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b, 15; Mt 9:32-38 Wednesday: Gn 41:55-57; 42:5-7a, 17-24a; Ps 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19; Mt 10:1-7 Thursday: Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5; Ps 105:16-21; Mt 10:7-15 Friday: Gn 46:1-7, 28-30; Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40; Mt 10:16-23 Saturday: Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a; Ps 105:1-4, 6-7; Mt 10:24-33 Sunday: Is 55:10-11; Ps 65:10-14; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23 [1-9] Please pray for our military men and women. Please keep the following people in your thoughts and prayers this week as we wish them a return to good health: Jason Sides, Hailey Williams, Janet Cuccia, Chester Bourgeois, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Rosita Alegre, Barbara Gumabon, Joan Rushing, Marie Chaplinsky, David Braun, Margaret Braun, Dona Johnson, Donna West, Bill Robb. 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. Beginning their life of love together Sarah Zientek and Patrick Rozum We offer our prayers and extend our joy and support to them. HOPE Never deprive someone of hope it may be all they have. Anonymous TV Mass for the Homebound Now on KUBE channel 57 at 10:30 a.m. Cable and Satellite Channels AT&T U-verse channel 57/1057 HD Comcast channel 53/653 HD DirecTV channel 57 Dish TV channel 57 4

5 Parish Life Make Ɵme for family fun this summer. Join us for Family Fun Nights every Wednesday in June and July from 6:30pm-8:30pm in the PAC. Each week will feature a movie on our big screen, a smorgasbord of games and tummy Ɵckling snacks. Dinner will also be served each week for $5 minimum donaɵon per family! Spagheƫ finally makes it s appearance on the menu. BFG (Big Friendly Giant) will play on the big screen in the Epiphany Room and Toy Story will be on the other screen in the Great Room. This week we ll have a few teens on hand to watch children so the adults can have some adult Ɵme. Beginning July 18th a new ministry will begin called Genesis 2:18. The passage begins with God saying: it is not good for the man to be alone. There are many people who are living alone after the loss of a loved one through death or divorce. This new monthly gathering will be specifically for people who are single and over the age of 50. The group s purpose is to make friends, offer activities that are fun and informative, and support one another. Genesis 2:18 will take place in the PAC at 7pm. We ll have food and drinks and a full bag of fun community building activities. Inspirational Catholic CDs & Brochures Our Lighthouse Catholic Media kiosk in the lobby of the parish office has been stocked with new materials. These CDs, books and booklets present a practical and effective program to help Catholics know their faith... to keep their faith! We all live busy, busy lives. Finding the time to learn about our faith can be difficult. But now, we are able to meet you where you are! Wherever you have a CD player available to you, in the car, in your computer, in your CD or DVD player at home, you can deepen your understanding and love for the Catholic faith. The new materials on the kiosk offer inspirational and faith raising CD s, Books and booklets. These feature some of the most inspiring Catholic speakers -- bishops, priests, deacons and eminent Catholic lay men and women. The kiosk is available on weekdays from 8:30AM to 8:30PM. We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity... for yourselves and to share with others friends and family members, Godchildren, college students, grandchildren, young married couples, neighbors and others. We ask for a donation of $5 per book, $4 per CD and $3.00 per booklet and $.50 per pamphlet to help cover the cost to the Parish. Checks can be made payable to the parish. Donations will be used towards the purchase of additional materials. Questions? Please call the parish office. 5

6 Our Stewardship Stewardship July 1/2 To be announced due to earlier bulletin deadline Registered Households 6,656 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. - MATTHEW 11:30 When we think of being good stewards, we may think that God is asking too much of us when He calls us to generously share our time, talent and treasure. However, we must remember that we are not owners of anything, we are merely stewards of the gifts God has given us. All He is asking is that we give back a small portion of what He has already given to us. DSF REPORT Parish Goal $398, Amount Pledged $272, Amount Paid $219, Number of Pledges 653 Faith Direct is our parish s on-line e-giving program. It s easy and convenient. Just enroll and your regular offerings to Epiphany are automatically deducted from your checking account or billed to your credit card. It s secure and easy to use! You can also use Faith Direct for second collections and donations to our new Catholic school. Visit or find their link on Epiphanycatholic.org. Don t forget Epiphany while you are away during the summer. You can use Faith Direct for convenient automatic payments from your checking account or credit card. Remember Epiphany s parish code is: TX 613 Faith Direct also has a free App for your phone! It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android users. The App allows parishioners to access their account anytime, anywhere! Thank you for your continued support of our parish family! SAVE UP When saving for old age, be sure to lay up a few pleasant thoughts. Anonymous KSHJ 1430 AM English Catholic radio in Houston, TX. Tune in for intelligent talk, catechesis, apologetics, a Catholic perspective on news and current events, great fun, and lots of advice on living the faith in our relationships and sharing the faith with our friends and family. Listen on air at AM 1430, online at GRNonline.com, or on your mobile device both IOS and Android. 6

7 Around the Archdiocese St. Faustina Career Transition Ministry Helping People with Career Transitions! Securing adequate employment is always a challenge. Finding employment under the prevailing regional economic conditions has made it even more difficult. In today s market, you have to be at your best in marketing yourself, networking strategically, leveraging social media, and maintaining optimism to land the right job. St. Faustina s Catholic Church has an answer for you! Our Career Transition Ministry provides the needed training, assistance, opportunities, encouragement, and spiritual guidance for those who are unemployed, underemployed, or in a career transition. Join us each Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon at our Parish Campus (28102 FM 1093 Fulshear TX 77441). A group of parishioners who have gone through similar situations and survived will provide practical information and assistance with: Identifying career strengths and interests Exploring career options Developing a personal brand Creating a 30-second job pitch Developing a marketable resume Improving networking techniques Understanding how to use social media Managing the transition process Each session includes a networking session, job lead sharing, and individual help. We provide free resume reviews and career counseling for those who attend. The meetings are open to the community and there is no charge. For more information, visit or John or Mike at: ctm@saintfaustinachurch.org. 7

8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in July Regular Meetings: Mon. Epiphany Job Networking at 7 p.m. in the PAC; Tues. Respect Life Rosary at 10 a.m. in the Chapel. July 9: Food Drive July 9: Marriage Support Group July 10: Bereavement Support Group July 12: Clinic Care Workshop July 13: Caregiver s Support July 13: Walking through Grief July 16: Marriage Support Group July 20: Walking through Grief July 22: Job Search Seminar July 23: Marriage Support Group See for details. FOOD DRIVE Today The Boy Scouts are collecting non-perishable food especially the following Pasta Sauce, Cereal and Chili and personal care items for Epiphany Food closet. Items can be brought to either parking lot after morning Masses, today. Please place your monetary contributions in the Sunday collection, but please write in food donation on the memo line. If you forgot to bring something, food donations may be dropped off in the loggia food bin anytime. Thank you for your assistance! BEREAVEMENT MEETING July 10 th Next gathering is on Monday, July 10 at 6:30 pm in the Den of the PAC. If you cannot attend but want information, call Outreach at May our presence and care to those most in need reflect the gentleness, esteem, and dignity we see reflected in the life and work of Jesus. -St. Vincent de Paul Together, let s help our neighbors in need! Society of St. Vincent de Paul Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Annual Black Bag Collection Today July 8-9th Ride to Mass Needed! A parishioner who lives in the Lakemont Subdivision needs a ride to church, and she is open to any mass time during the weekend. If you can help, please call the Outreach Office at Thank you for your generosity! Toothbrushes toothpaste and Floss picks needed! Please drop them off in the loggia collection bins for Clinic Care Kits. Dental care is important to children and these are not allowed by food stamps. Join us on July 12th to help assemble the items into baggies to deliver to local organizations, we start at 9:45 am. 8

9 Adult Faith Formation Have You Registered Your Students For Faith Formation? If your child was enrolled in FF during the school year, a preprinted registration form was recently mailed to your home in May. Beginning July 1 there will be a $10 late fee per family that applies only to families previously enrolled at Epiphany. If you are a new parishioner, or if your child is just beginning FF this year, contact: charlotte@epiphanycatholic.org to request a FF registration form or call: , ext Class placement is dependent upon the number of VIRTUS trained adults who volunteer as catechists to teach the children. Call if you feel God tugging at you to become a catechist. Do you feel God nudging you? Perhaps the only reason you have not yet become a catechist is because no one has every asked you. Consider this your personal invitation to respond to your baptismal call and share your faith with the youth of our parish. We nurture and train our catechists. Keep your faith alive while sharing it with others. Call LouAnn at or louann@epiphanycatholic.org. Bishop Robert Barron s Pivotal Players Word on Fire has made The Pivotal Players episode on St. Francis of Assisi available on Epiphany s website! You will find this episode on the main page at Enjoy! INFANT BAPTISM PREPARATION A Baptism Preparation Session for parents and godparents will be held on Saturday, August 12, 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, November 11, How Does Faith Grow? Experience shows that people join a faith community because someone like you offers them an invitation. SHARE THE JOURNEY OF FAITH... Invite someone you care about to contact LouAnn at louann@epiphanycatholic.org or call for more information regarding the process to become Catholic. Adults from all faith traditions, or no religious background at all, are welcome to join the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). We offer an opportunity to come together in a small group to learn more about our Catholic Faith. Sessions focus on the teachings and experience of Church and prepare adults to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season. Sessions begin Tuesday, September 12, 2017 at 7 PM. An initial interview is necessary. Catechist Modules Archdiocesan catechist modules are offered at Epiphany at no cost. Visit our website or call for information. 9

10 Children s Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry A special thanks to over 200 youth and adults who helped to make our VBS program a huge success. We are truly blessed to have been given a wonderful gift of time and talent. If you are planning for your children to attend faith formation on campus in the fall, please don t wait until the summer is over to register. Classes will fill up and home based faith formation will be your only available option. Forms can be filled out and returned to the parish any time. Payment can be made online, in the office or by mail. We are looking for leaders to join the Youth Advisory Committee and Student Council. Joey@EpiphanyCatholic.org to learn about this great opportunity to grow, learn and plan some upcoming events for EYM! Calling all Catechists! We are looking for volunteers to help teach the faith to our young people. Interested candidates should joey@epiphanycatholic.org for more information! Call Dave, LouAnn, Charlotte, Maria, or Joey in the Faith Formation Office to hear about how to sign up They can also help you discern which grade level you may be more suited for, or even if a role other than catechist might be a great fit for your time availability or skills. Pray for our young people and their chaperones on mission trip this week! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday, July 12: Vocation of the Catechist July 19: Liturgical Catechesis July 26: Spirituality & Evangelization Check out their progress on Instagram! 10