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, 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 A Homily by Pope Francis Let not your heart be troubled. T hose who welcome the Holy Spirit will have a solid and endless peace, unlike those who choose to superficially trust in the tranquility offered by money or power. The peace offered by things money, power, vanity and peace in Person, the Holy Spirit. The first is always in danger of vanishing Today you are rich and you are somebody, not tomorrow instead no one can take away the second because it is a definitive peace. The Pope s homily, which centered on one of the greatest desires of mankind of all times, was inspired by a passage from the Gospel of John, in the liturgy of the day. Jesus is about to face the Passion and before he takes leave of the disciples, he announces, My peace I give you. A peace, says the Pope, which differs completely from the peace that the world gives us, because it is somewhat superficial it offers a degree of calm, even a certain joy but only up to a certain point. For example, it offers us the peace of wealth: I am at peace because I have everything I need, everything organized for my whole life, I do not have to worry This is a peace that the world gives. Do not worry, you won t have any problems because you have so much money the peace of wealth. And Jesus tells us not to trust this peace, because with great realism he tells us: Look, there are thieves thieves can steal your wealth! Money does not give you a definitive peace. Just think, metal also rusts! What does it mean? A stock market crash and all your money is gone! It is not a secure peace: It is a superficial temporal peace. Pope Francis also examined two other types of worldly peace. The first, the peace of power does not work either because a coup can stake it away. Think what happened to the peace of Herod when the Magi told him that the King of Israel was born: that peace vanished immediately. Or the peace of vanity, which Pope Francis termed an peace of conjecture, today you are greatly appreciated and tomorrow you will be insulted, like Jesus between Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Instead, the peace that Jesus gives is of a completely different substance. The peace of Jesus is a Person, the Holy Spirit! On the same day of the Resurrection, He comes to the Upper Room and His greeting is: Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit. This is the peace of Jesus: it is a Person, it is a great gift. And when the Holy Spirit is in our hearts, no one can remove His peace. No one! It is a definitive peace! So what is our task? To custody this peace. Safeguard it! It is a great peace, a peace that is not mine, it belongs to another Person who gives it to me, another Person who is in my heart and accompanies me all the days of my life. The Lord has given it to me. This peace is received at Baptism and Confirmation, but above all we receive it like a child who receives a gift without conditions, with an open heart. We must custody the Holy Spirit without imprisoning Him, asking for help from this great gift of God. If you have this peace of the Spirit, if you have the Holy Spirit within you, and you are aware of this, let not your heart be troubled. Be sure! Paul told us that we must first pass through many tribulations to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But let not your heart be troubled. The presence of the Spirit that makes our heart be at peace. Not anesthetized, no! At peace! Aware, but at peace with the peace that only God s presence gives. 2

3 Events & Meetings This Week SUNDAY, MAY 21 Coffee & Donuts: Family Center 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Children s Liturgy of the Word: Grades 1 & 2 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC 1:30 PM, Baptism Service: Narthex MONDAY, MAY 22 1:00 PM, Rummikub: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, High School Bible Study: Upper Room 7:00 PM, Job Networking: Rec Room 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1146: Rooms 401, 403, 405, 409 TUESDAY, MAY 23 9:00 AM, ESL 4, Room 507 9:30 AM 4:00 PM, Adoration: Chapel 9:30 AM, Quilters: Room 411 9:45 AM, Second Family: Outreach Ctr. 10:00 AM, Holy Hour Rosary for Respect Life: Chapel 3:00 PM, Divine Mercy Chaplet: Chapel 7:00 PM, Confirmation: Church 7:00 PM, BSA District Leaders Mtg.: PAC 7:00 PM, Scout Troop 1288: PAC 9:00 PM, Confirmation Reception: F. Center WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 5:30 PM, Contemporary Choir: Church 7:00 PM, Adult Choir Rehearsal: Church 8:00 PM, Young Adult Bible Study: Den THURSDAY, MAY 25 9:00 AM, ESL 4: Outreach Center 7:00 PM, ACTS Women s Retreat Team Recruiting Meeting: Family Center 7:00 PM, Adult Confirmation Class: Den 7:00 PM, Pope Pius XII Meeting: PAC 7:00 PM, Line Dancing: Great Room FRIDAY, MAY 26 NO BINGO SATURDAY, MAY 27 5:00 PM, Blood Drive Sign up SUNDAY, MAY 28 Blood Drive Signup after all Masses 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Children s Liturgy of the Word: Grades 3,4,5 9:45 & 11:30 AM, Nursery: 2 5 years; PAC Are you interested in becoming a Lector? Lectors proclaim the Scripture during mass. Lectors are required to be able to speak clearly to communicate the Word of God to all people. If you feel called to this ministry, contact the parish or sign-up online. Attendance at the following sessions is required June 1:00PM Registration Link: epiphanycatholic.org/ministry -training-events Or contact Dominick Aquila at the parish offices, 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, May 20 Vigil-Sixth Sunday of Easter 5:30 PM Laiseca Family Sunday, May 21 Sixth Sunday of Easter 8:00 AM Rose Ann Callegari 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Jaime Martinez 5:30 PM Jerry Tierney Monday, May 22 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Maria Balbina-Salazar Tuesday, May 23 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Jennie Perone Wednesday, May 24 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Minni Straniero Thursday, May 25 Easter Weekday 9:00 AM Jennie & Fred Perone Friday, May 26 St. Philip Neri 9:00 AM Jesus Cantu Saturday, May 27 Vigil-Ascension of the Lord 5:30 PM Jerry Lang Sunday, May 28 The Ascension of the Lord 8:00 AM Alfred Orsak 9:45 AM For the People 11:30 AM Raymond Guignard 5:30 PM Christine Castillo READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Acts 16:11-15; Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b; Jn 15:26 16:4a Tuesday: Acts 16:22-34; Ps 138:1-3, 7c-8; Jn 16:5-11 Wednesday: Acts 17:15, 22 18:1; Ps 148:1-2, 11-14; Jn 16:12-15 Thursday: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20 (for Ascension); otherwise Acts 18:1-8; Ps 98:1-4; Jn 16:16-20 Friday: Acts 18:9-18; Ps 47:2-7; Jn 16:20-23 Saturday: Acts 18:23-28; Ps 47:2-3, 8-10; Jn 16:23b-28 Sunday: Acts 1:12-14; Ps 27:1, 4, 7-8; 1 Pt 4:13-16; Jn 17:1-11a; or (for Ascension) Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20 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, Theresa McCluskey, Steve Chambers, Jackie Alfonso, Colette Johnecheck, Carson Hill, Rosita Alegre, Charlie Helms, Sandra Lucio, Linda Christine, Marlene Kirker, Don & Victoria Anderson, Bessie Polasek, Damon Mikosh, Barbara Gumabon, Joan Rushing, Marie Chaplinsky. 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. Please Remember In Prayer Our Deceased Nancy Renna, mother of Frank Renna The Ascension of the Lord will be transferred to Sunday, May 28. 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 Sunday: Coffee and Donuts In the Family Center Monday: Rummikub 1pm in the Outreach Center Make me for family fun this summer. Join us for Family Fun Nights every Wednesday in June from 6:30pm-8:30pm in the PAC. Each week will feature a movie on our big screen, a smorgasbord of games and tummy ckling snacks. Dinner will also be served each week for $5 per family! Tuesday: Quilters 9:30am in the PAC Tuesday: Youth Confirmation Celebration Thursday: Line Dancing 7pm in the PAC Friday: NO BINGO We welcome into our community: Carlos & Rosa Cartagena Adam & Mary Gill Alvaro & Christine Porras Gustavo & Liliana Quintanar Florentino & Diana Reyes Besona Sikod Tomas & Christina Silva Santisteban Bret & Lynda Steele ACTS Retreats are coming to Epiphany. The Women s retreat is September It will be held at the Cenacle Retreat House on Kirkwood south of I-10. An ACTS retreat is a 3 day and 3 night Catholic lay retreat presented by fellow parishioners. The weekend focuses on the a ainment of a deeper rela onship with our Lord through Adora on, Community, Theology and Service. For more informa on please Terri Bray, tmbray@usa.net, oractshouston.org. Ladies, have you ever aʃended an ACTS retreat? Would you like to serve on the team at Epiphany s first Women s ACTS retreat September 21-25, 2017? Please join us on Thursday, May 25 at 7:00 pm in the Family Center. For more informa on please contact Terry Bray at , tmbray@usa.net. 5

6 Our Stewardship Stewardship May 13/14 Sunday Offering $34, Trinity Dome $3, St. Vincent de Paul Society $2, Registered Households 6,649 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be God s will, than for doing evil. 1 PETER 3:17 The old line says if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Many of us are diligent in our planning, making sure things are progressing smoothly, then disaster strikes, we don t get the result that was intended. An unforeseen problem arises. Many times we may respond negatively. Why me? I did everything right! Here s the thing God has a different and better plan in store for you. DSF REPORT Parish Goal $398, Amount Pledged $250, Amount Paid $182, Number of Pledges 557 Support Our Advertisers Thank you to our advertisers for making our bulletins possible. We encourage you to patronize these businesses. Please tell them you saw their ad in our bulletin. If you are busy and have a long to do list, then let Epiphany s on-line giving program make your life easier! Faith Direct is our parish s e-giving program. Just enroll and your regular offerings to Epiphany are automa cally 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 collec- ons and dona ons to our new Catholic school. Visit or find their link on Epiphanycatholic.org. 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 any me, anywhere! Thank you for your con nued support of our parish family! Attention to those who use the nursery: Please take the time to complete the yellow tags. Include first and last name, age or birth date and a cell phone number. This is the best way to contact you in case of an emergency. EXTREMES If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, pa ence, humility, and charity. St. Philip Neri 6

7 EPIPHANY BINGO - As a result of the dedicated work of all the Bingo volunteers and the tremendous support of the players in 2016, net proceeds from the year in excess of $60,000 have and will be distributed and split between local charitable organizations, Epiphany outreach, and to the catholic school capital campaign. We invite all parishioners to come join us again for Bingo in Friday night Bingo has started again. As always MAXIMUM CASH PRIZES of $2500, allowed by state law, are given away at EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT BINGO. This includes a $750 final game jackpot prize each night. What a great way to spend an evening with friends or family, and at the same time help to provide funds to many local charitable organizations. The bingo window and concessions open at 7:00 and the games begin at 7:30 with 4 earlybird games and 8:00 for the regular games. We have increased the prize amounts for the earlybird games, so come early. The Bingo volunteer group still has a need for a few more volunteer members on each team, including for the concession area. Check out the Bingo link on the Epiphany website for the bingo calendar, and more information on games, concessions, and how to join our volunteer team. Around the Archdiocese Are you looking for a way to deepen your spiritual life and grow in your understanding of what is true and essential in being a Christian Woman? A woman who is alive, aware and caring? If so, then we invite you to experience THERESIANS Theresians is an organization that provides spiritual enrichment for women. We are a global community of Christian women who meet in small faith communities to pray, to be enlightened and challenged and to support and strengthen each other in one s own lifestyle and one s own way of reaching out with Gospel values. We give one another courage to meet the ups and downs of every day life. Friendships are deepened, values are shared, spiritual journeys are supported, and fresh insights on God s presence in our lives are gained. Our Patron Saint is St. Therese of Lisieux We are forming two new communities in Fort Bend County (one day and one night). To learn more, visit our website: Contact: Donna Wheeler, or dtwheeler@sbcglobal.net 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. 7

8 Outreach Ministry Outreach Events in May: Marriage Support Group We talk about the Gift of Marriage, and find new ways to create, strengthen, and maintain happy and satisfying marriages. This support group is open to join at any time, and if both spouses cannot attend, one spouse can attend alone. Twice a month on Sunday s in the Outreach Center from 3:30 to 4:45pm. June 4th and June 11th. Baby Bottle Blessing Regular Meetings: Mon. Epiphany Job Networking at 7 p.m. in the PAC; Tues. Respect Life Rosary at 10 a.m. in the Chapel. May 23: Second Family Meeting May 27/28: Blood Drive Sign up June 4: Marriage Support Group June 5: Bereavement Support meeting See for details. Forgot to pick up a Bottle? Don t Worry. Just come by the Outreach Center and pick up a Bottle. Fill it with your loose coins and checks before returning it to us on Father s Day. BLOOD DRIVE June 11th Sign-up Next Week at tables outside church or online at If you can, please donate at this Blood Drive. If you will not be here, please donate at another location and remember Epiphany s Donor Group # is Society of St. Vincent de Paul If you ve ever considered helping SVDP, now is the time to volunteer. Because of the downturn in the economy, there s an overwhelming need for volunteers to help in the SVDP Office. All of the financial donations are greatly appreciated and are helping those who are in dire circumstances. Now, the manpower to allocate those funds appropriately is needed. Bilingual volunteers are most needed. If you have an interest in helping, please call and leave a message for Sharon at weber.sharonj@gmail.com. JOB SEEKERS NETWORK Did you know that Finding a job can be the hardest job you will ever have? Securing a job today requires a set of skills many of us may not have used for years! The key to a successful job search is creating a weekly plan and sticking to it. Review your plan monthly and modify it when necessary. Want more pointers come to our networking meetings and talk with one of our experienced facilitators. Meetings are Mondays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the PAC. Do you know of anyone in need of an uplifting card from our card ministry? We send cards to parishioners/family member who: have lost a loved one, are experiencing some type of illness are going through a difficult time, have just had a baby or have done anything exemplary deserving congratulations Sometimes it is nice to know you are in someone s thoughts and prayers We are here to do that, but we need your help Please call Outreach at to request a card. 8

9 Adult Faith Formation VIRTUS (Protecting God s Children) focuses on educating teachers, parents, and other adults who interact with children about sexual abuse and providing them with information to help prevent abuse. This takes place in awareness sessions led by trained facilitators. The awareness sessions consist of videos, worksheets, and discussions. Original training session will be held at Epiphany Saturday, June 3, from 9:00 Noon in the Parish Activity Center (PAC). Pre-registration is mandatory at A valid identification must be presented at check-in. No late admittance is allowed. If you are over 18 and active in ministry at Epiphany, you must be VIRTUS trained. All adult parishioners, ESPECIALLY PARENTS, are encouraged to be VIRTUS trained! Questions? Need assistance with the registration process? Call the Faith Formation Office at No walk-ins! Become part of the solution by making yourself aware of abuse in our society that affect youth. Faith Formation Registration For the school year Registration for Faith Formation (FF) classes begins on June 1. If your child was enrolled in FF during the school year, a preprinted registration form was recently mailed to your home. If you are a new parishioner, or if your child is just beginning FF this year, contact our office to request a FF registration form: or charlotte@epiphanycatholic.org. Class placement is dependent upon the number of VIRTUS trained adults who volunteer as catechists to teach the children. Call if you feel that God is tugging at you to become a catechist. The custom of genuflection is not found everywhere in the Catholic Church. In fact, it is a bit of breach of etiquette to genuflect in most Eastern Catholic Churches. If you re visiting an Eastern Catholic or an Orthodox church, the when in Rome rule should be adopted. Watch what the home team is doing! Usually, Eastern Catholics and Orthodox reserve a small portion of the eucharistic bread for the dying in a cupboard or eucharistic dove, but it is not a center of attention or devotion. The rule is to make a profound bow, called a metasis, toward the altar bowing deeply while making the sign of the cross. East and West split years before we Westerners began to reserve the Blessed Sacrament prominently in our churches. Thus, the East never changed the original custom of bowing toward the altar. Increasingly, as tabernacles became more widespread in the West and moved into prominent placement within churches, we replaced the bow toward the altar with a genuflection toward the Blessed Sacrament when its place of reservation is visible. In a church where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a special chapel or off the main axis of the building, normally you should bow toward the altar when you enter your pew, because the eucharistic table is the principal sign of Christ s presence in the church building. If you have ever participated in the liturgy of Dedication of a Church and Altar, there is no mistaking the altar s significance: it is first slathered with chrism and then adorned with a brazier billowing clouds of incense that fill the whole church as a sign of prayer and presence! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Interested in Becoming Catholic? Contact LouAnn at louann@epiphanycatholic.org or call

10 Elementary Faith Formation Epiphany Youth Ministry Please join us in praying for our students who will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation on May 23 and June 13! Registration for VBS is going strong. If you are thinking about registering, you might do it soon as some grade levels are beginning to close. If you can help during the week of June 26-30, please sign up at We have a specific need for VIRTUS trained adults to help with crafts. Deepen your faith this summer and join us for a journey towards holiness! EpiphanyCatholic.org/AYC Registration forms for the faith formation year have been mailed out. Once received, they can be filled out and returned to the parish any time. Payment can be made online, in the office or by mail. Classroom space is limited, so please don t wait too long to register. EPIPHANY YOUNG ADULTS: Join our growing ministry by attending one of our upcoming events (including Bible Study, Service and Fellowship). Check us out on Facebook (@EpiphanyoftheLordYoungAdults) for more info and a schedule of upcoming events! 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. Parents: please Maria@EpiphanyCatholic.org a picture of your senior for our slideshow! Junior High Summer Kick-Off! June 6th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Main Event! Join us for bowling, laser tag, pizza and arcades! Cost is $20 per person! RSVP to Joey@EpiphanyCatholic.org no later than June 2nd! Chaperones needed. 10