Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. September 16, 2018 FOLLOW ME. Becoming True Disciples GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL. GIVER 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

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1 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time September 16, 2018 FOLLOW ME Becoming True Disciples GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

2 W Come Follow Me e ve all experienced it: life was wonderful and everything seemed to be going along smoothly. Your career and relationships were moving forward with no conflicts or stress. Your family members were healthy. You knew you were loved, and you were surrounded by your loved ones. And then, it happened. A phone call reporting an accident or death. Your child or parent has gotten sick. A job has been lost. Whatever it was, things changed for you and your family. There was no going back to before. Peter and the Apostles experienced that same sinking feeling when they heard Jesus say that he would have to suffer and die. After all, things had been going so well for Jesus and his friends as they traveled from town to town, teaching the crowds and healing the sick. This Sunday s Gospel falls at the halfway point of Mark s Gospel and indicates a turning point as Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, where he will eventually suffer betrayal, rejection, and torture before dying on a cross. Although we know that the story ends with the Easter morning Resurrection, the Resurrection is a far-off event in the passage we hear this Sunday. Peter and the Apostles weren t prepared to hear that something horrible was looming on the horizon. When Jesus asks Peter, Who do you say that I am?, Peter s reply is spot on: You are the Christ. This is a great statement of Peter s faith, but it was also loaded with political and cultural implications. For Peter and many of Jesus s other followers, the Christos the Messiah or anointed one would be the long-awaited king who would bring justice and prosperity to the oppressed people of Israel. But Jesus makes it clear that he is not that kind of messiah, and his followers won t enjoy royal privileges. Jesus explains that, if those traveling with him are to be true disciples, they will have to imitate his example: Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. By telling us to take up our cross, Jesus isn t saying that we have to meekly endure unfair treatment and suffering or embrace a blind, offer it up sort of spirituality. And while they may be opportunities for grace, things like illnesses, sad events, and even disasters aren t the cross. There is nothing particularly Christian about many of the challenges we face in daily life. We can never silently or blindly accept abuse or injustice as being the will of God. Jesus rejected these and so should we. Instead, the cross that we are to carry embodies the sacrifices, trials, and hardships that can be a consequence of placing our faith and hope in him and of living according to his teaching. The consequences or cost of discipleship (to borrow the phrase from Dietrich Bonhoeffer) can take two forms. The first is that by saying yes to Jesus, we willingly set aside ways of thinking and acting that are at odds with the Christian life. Faithful discipleship demands that we sacrifice for the good of others, promote peace and justice, and seek God s will in whatever comes our way. It means being a person of love and hope. The second consequence is much more dramatic and costly: physical suffering and even death for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel. As we embrace the cross and accept the consequences of following Jesus the Christ, we can find comfort and strength in the knowledge that the cross was not the end for Jesus and it is not the end of our story either. Jesus conquered death. The Resurrection transforms the cross his and ours into a sign of hope and life: Whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it. We here at St. Theresa are experiencing exciting growth and change in our parish and school. At this same time let us remember the ones among us that are in need, spiritual or physical. Pray for those in need or better yet, step up to help us serve them. May I remind all of you to find your servant's heart. Henderson, Silas. Connect! Sunday Reflection: Come, Follow Me. LPi, 11 Sept GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

3 Regular Stewardship 1st and 2nd Week of September Year to Date Actual Monthly Goal 21, ,000 Actual Goal 296, ,400 Our monthly stewardship goal of $109,000 is the amount that will fund our liturgical and sacramental life, our religious education and youth ministry, and our other ministries and services. Our September month to date results of $21,963 put us at 20% of our monthly goal. As a reminder, our online donations come in during the 4 th week of the month, so those are not yet reflected here, and we are hopeful that we can still meet our goal for the month if we receive $87,000 in additional stewardship offerings over the next three weeks. This would also put us in a great position towards meeting our year-to-date goal. Let s help our parish ministries to flourish through our generous and continuous stewardship support. We ask you to please continue to prayerfully assess your stewardship participation, and remember that every contribution, no matter the size, helps contribute to our financial success as a parish and our ability to minister and serve depends on our entire parish family. A slight adjustment was made to the September Goal. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

4 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHURCH HISTORY IF YOU WERE ASKED ABOUT THE CRUSADES, THE INQUISITION, THE DARK AGES, THE GALILEO AFFAIR, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? Join us for this exciting journey through Church history! Dates, Times, Location Monday Evenings 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm beginning October 22, 2018 and ending March 4, There will be a break for Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. Friday session beginning at 10:00 a.m. starting October 26th. This morning session is for the Seniors! Registration, For More Information The Knights of Columbus have agreed to sponsor the study and pay for the DVD s. Individual Workbooks will cost $30 and registration will be after each Mass beginning Sept. 1-2 and 8-9 and checks should be made out to St. Theresa Catholic Church. For more information Contact Bob at or bob@fpchouston.com or Suzanne at or suzanne@fpchouston.com. For those who missed the Early Church, you will be able to view it online in 5 sessions. This study will be 15 weeks with 7 in 2018 and 8 in 2019 beginning Jan.14th. GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

5 For more information contact Patrick Miral at or at The school and church community continue to pave the way for our school children through prayer, generosity of financial resources, and uplifting the community through service. We invite you as parents, parishioners and friends of St. Theresa School, to prayerfully consider making a gift to Fund the Mission of St. Theresa. Your generosity allows each student to grow academically and spiritually in a loving community which is dedicated to embodying the virtues of Faith, Service and Knowledge. Your support plays a pivotal role in the annual financial needs of the school and its programs. For contributions please mail your donation, or call to make a gift over the phone, or make your gift online at Your gift is tax-deductible. GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

6 All are invited to join us for the weekly Adult Education Group called Sunday by Sunday. We meet weekly from 11:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. on the second floor of the gym. This is a wonderful opportunity for fellowship, faith sharing and reflecting on the Sunday readings. For more information contact Mike or Suzanne Kidder at Celebrate with us! Bilingual Mass at 10:00 a.m. After Mass please join us for food, games, caricatures, face painting, and entertainment, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fellowship Hall and outdoors. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

7 We are deeply saddened by the news recently released concerning a priest that was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in Conroe in the1990's. You can visit the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston website for more information concerning the situation. If you have any questions or comments about these allegations, please contact Jonah Dycus in the Archdiocese Communications Office at jdycus@archgh.org. We want to reinforce with our families that your children's safety and wellbeing is and always will be, our highest priority at St. Theresa Catholic School. Please keep all victims of abuse as well as The Archdiocese of Galveston Houston in your prayers. HOUSTON POLICE: 911 HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS AND WEBSITES HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT NON-EMERGENCY CALLS: HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: 311 NATIONAL EMERGENCY CHILD LOCATOR CENTER: AMERICAN RED CROSS: RED-CROSS Volunteer at redcross.org. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The Bridge Over Troubled Waters 24 Hour Hotline: UNITED WAY OF GREATER HOUSTON: 211 Texas/United Way Helpline Available 24/7 CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER: NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE CENTER: Available 24 hours everyday Online Chat: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS (NA): SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (SAA): COUNSELING (GRIEF, FAMILY, ETC.): Catholic Charities FAMILIES OF ADDICTS: Al-Anon Family Groups ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA): OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (OA): Corinthians 9:6-7

8 Bienvenidos EN ESPAÑOL Noticias Celebre con nosotros! No habrá Misa de 12:00 p.m. Misa Bilingüe a las 10:00 a.m. y después de la Misa habra comida, juegos, caricaturas, entretenimiento, 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fellowship Hall and outdoors. PETICIONES Solicite sus peticiones para la misa para los seres queridos que ya han fallecido o para los que tienen alguna necesidad. Por favor contacte a Deandra Mackey al ext. 301 SANDWICH MINISTRY Ayude a Casa Juan Diego haciendo una bolsa de almuerzo por semana. 1. Prepare su bolsa de almuerzo todos los martes por la mañana. Un "almuerzo" consiste en dos sándwiches ( por favor, no mantequilla de maní!) Y una pieza de fruta (manzana o plátano). No se necesitan bebidas. 2. Traiga la bolsa de almuerzo a la oficina de la parroquia de St. Theresa entre las 7:00 a.m. y 10:30 a.m. Muchas gracias de antemano por su generosa ayuda! GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER

9 Parish and School Directory Haskell, Houston, TX Phone: Fax: Pastor: Fr. Phil Lloyd, ext. 312, Deacon Larry Vaclavik, Deacon Dwight Coles, Deacon Bill Wilson, Deacon Juan de Dios Perez Parish Manager Enrique Benitez, ext. 315 Development Director Cynthia Garza, ext. 303 Finance Cherie Hernandez, ext. 305 Jeanette Batalla, ext. 334 Patrick Flaherty, ext. 343 Capital Campaign Johanna Bransford, ext. 309 Pastoral Associate Matrimony/Annulment App./Funerals Patrick Miral, ext. 310 Director of Music David San Miguel, ext. 311 Director of Adult Education / Hospitality Ginger Tamborello, ext. 306 g.tamborello@sttheresa.cc Faith Formation Janice Berger, ext. 335 j.berger@sttheresa.cc Youth Ministry Joseph Blanco, ext. 329 j.blanco@sttheresa.cc Receptionist/Clerical Assistant, Parish Deandra Mackey, ext. 301 d.mackey@sttheresa.cc Mary Ann Virgilio, ext. 301 maryann.virgilio@sttheresa.cc St. Theresa School StTheresaCatholicSchool Principal Melissa Ilski melissa.ilski@sttheresa.cc Director of Admissions, School & ECC Kelly McCarty, ext. 314 k.mccarty@sttheresa.cc Administrative Assistant, School Rhonda Lastovica, ext. 321 r.lastovica@sttheresa.cc Early Childhood Center Director Melanie Leadingham, ext. Director of Admissions, School & ECC Kelly McCarty, ext. 314 k.mccarty@sttheresa.cc Regular Parish Office Hours Monday Thursday: 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 1:00 p.m. Maintenance Manager Andras Bandi, ext. 302 andras.bandi@sttheresa.cc Bulletin Inquires and Sacramental Records Veronica Benitez ext. 333 v.benitez@sttheresa.cc 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

10 The Week Ahead Sunday, September 16 8:00 am Mass, Gym 8:30 am RCIA, Office 10:00 am Mass, Gym 11:00 am Faith Formation, FH, School, Library, Office 11:00 am Sunday by Sunday, Upstairs Gym 12:00 pm Spanish Mass, Gym 1:30 pm Natural Family Planning, Office 3:00 pm High School FF, Gym 5:30 pm Mass, Gym Monday, September 17 7:00 am Mass, FH 2:30 pm Sr. Carolyn Book Club, Office 6:30 pm Meditation Group, Office 6:45 pm Baptism Class, FH 7:00 pm Spanish Prayer Group, Lounge Tuesday, September 18 7:00 am Mass, FH 7:30 am-10:00 pm Adoration, Blessed Sacrament Chapel 6:00 pm Finance Council, Office 8:00 pm Men s Encounter, Lounge Wednesday, September 19 7:00 am Mass, FH 5:30 pm Reconciliation, FH 6:30 pm Mass, FH 7:00 pm Legión de María, Lounge 8:15 pm Men s AA, Fellowship Hall Thursday, September 20 6:30 am Women s AA, Office 7:00 am Mass, FH 7:30 am-10:00 pm Adoration, Blessed Sacrament Chapel 6:00 pm Women s Group Meeting, Lounge 7:00 pm Adult Ed. Planning Meeting, Office 7:00 pm Women of the Little Way, Sacristy Friday, September 21 6:45 am Rosary for Peace, FH 7:00 am Communion Service, FH 8:00 am Mass, Gym 6:00 pm Spanish Class, Lounge Saturday, September 22 Block Box Collection: School Spirit Sunday 8:30 pm Engaged Couples WS, FH 4:00 pm Reconciliation, Gym 5:30 pm Mass, Gym ALTAR FLOWERS The flowers on the altar are in memory of Hilda Barrilleaux donated by Anonymous Donor. MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK Sunday, September 16 8:00 AM Richard Mills (L) Joey Russo (L) 10:00 AM Pro-Populo (Parishioners) 12:00 PM All Souls 5:30 PM Estelle Bilnoski Audrey Morrow Monday, September 17 7:00 AM Robert Adolph Audrey Morrow Tuesday, September 18 7:00 AM Jack & Verian Minter Dewey L. Coles Jr. Wednesday, September 19 7:00 AM Joseph (Jody) Tusa Jr. Darwin Brokmeyer 6:30 PM The Solfkas and Bannerts Thursday, September 20 7:00 AM Barry Haarde Friday, September 21 7:00 AM Communion Service 8:05 AM All Souls Saturday, September 22 5:30 PM Edward and Christine Bench Reba Catanese Sunday, September 23 8:00 AM Joseph and Family (L) Cherian and Family (L) Jais (L) 10:00 AM Pro-Populo (Parishioners) 12:00 PM Betty Joyce Sample 5:30 PM Leo Etlinger

11 Our Chapel is generally open: Monday to Friday from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Sunday from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

12 Nifty Cleaners 5901 Washington Ave Scott Alexander Parishioner Rae Miles Technician The Neighborhood Computer Guy RE-ROOF - REPAIRS - FREE ESTIMATES Annie and Doug Raburn Selling bungalows to mansions in and around Houston for the last 20 years araburn@marthaturner.com Phone: Web: theneighborhoodcomputerguy.net rae@theneighborhoodcomputerguy.net Henry D. Nguyen, CPA PLLC 950 Echo Lane, Suite 200 Houston, Texas Specializing in Small Businesses and Individual Tax Returns henry@hdn-cpa.com For Bulletin ad space please contact Veronica Benitez at Stccbulletin@ sttheresa.cc