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January 11, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Baptism of the Lord concludes the Christmas season in the Church. Living our baptismal vows means that our lives are not guided by our own preferences but by a deeper integration Gospel values and characteristics. The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is a day in which the Church remembers Jesus baptism in the Jordan River at the hands of John the Baptist. It’s also a time for us in this day and age to recall our own baptism and what happened to us on that day.
It is a tradition in the Church on the Feast day of the Baptism of the Lord to celebrate the sacrament of Baptism. We are blessed here at STHY to be able to witness the Sacrament of Baptism during our mass times. We will have several families of the parish who will be presenting their children for baptism at the weekend masses. Please welcome our new members to the church family and continue to pray for the young people of the parish.
For the great majority of Catholics, the day of our baptism is a day for which we have no recollection as we were likely baptized within a month or two of our birth. What’s important is that on the day of our baptism we were claimed for Christ. Our parents and Godparents spoke up for us on that day and said, yes, this child will accept the calling of Christ.
Whenever I baptize a child (which is one of my great joys as a priest), I always make a point to speak to the parents that what is happening to their child on this day is nothing less than a gracious gift of God. I wonder if we really understand the power we inherit on the day of baptism. It is in baptism that our sins are forgiven. It is in baptism that the original sin that we are born into is washed away. It is in baptism that we are called members of a body, the community of the Church. It is in baptism that we are given the great mandate of Christ. It is in baptism that we are saved!
As we enter 2019, let us all think of ways in which we can make life easier for ourselves and the parish. Recall that our electronic payment system, Faith Direct, is an easy and secure way to see that your offertory contributions to the church are made on a timely basis. It is an easy and wonderful way to contribute to the church. You can register in less than five minutes by logging on to www.faithdirect.net and entering our parish code of TX526. From there a few short steps will have you set up as you wish: weekly, monthly, special collections, etc. You can pay by credit card or bank draft. It’s convenient, fast and secure. Thank you for your generosity and support of STHY.
We are in the process of organizing a Pilgrimage to Italy for October 2019. We plan to visit the cities of Venice, Padua, Siena Macerata, Florence, Assisi and Rome. From the dates of October 7th -18th, 2019, we will be visiting historical religious sites and museums along with celebrating Mass throughout the tour. Tour information flyers are in the Narthex near the monitor, or go to our website, Sthyacinth.org and click Parish Pilgrimage 2019 under the Parish Life tab, and you can contact the parish office at 281-479-4298.
Next, I send out my sincere thanks to all who made a pledge for our Building Faith, Family and Future… our Sanctuary, Our Home…. Capital Campaign. I truly appreciate your generosity and support. We ask every family, this holiday season, to consider an equal sacrifice, not an equal size gift. As we close out the Christmas season, we can all do our part, and every pledge, of every size, is most needed and welcomed.
Finally, Please keep in prayer throughout the next few weeks for our high school youth who will be having their Confirmation Retreat on January 25th- 27th . Our Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Mr. Steven Sotelo along with our Director of Faith Formation , Mrs. Pamella Johnson and the Confirmation team, have all been working very hard over the past few months to make sure that all the details for the retreat ready for our Confirmandi. Auxiliary Bishop George Sheltz will be the Celebrant for the Confirmation Mass which is scheduled for Spring 2019.
God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels