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Category Archives: Parish Announcements

13 Mar

Lazarus, Come Out!

For all who are interested in the RCIA process the gospel reading for this Sunday is the rising of Lazarus from the dead.

 

Lazarus, Come Out!

By Larry Perry

In this Fifth Week of Lent, all who are preparing for Baptism, 1st Eucharist, and Confirmation hear the gospel account of the Raising of Lazarus proclaimed during our Sunday liturgy. And whether we are preparing for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation or we were baptized as infants many years ago, this story from the Gospel according to John has a message that is appropriate for us all.

Here we are, deep into our Lenten journey on this 5th Sunday of Lent. We see holy week and Easter on the horizon. We sense the nearness of the joy of our Easter celebration. Our popular culture and marketing sees nothing but Easter bunnies, chocolates, flowers, Easter eggs and new Easter outfits. Everything is happy and beautiful. We are urged to jump ahead in the story and disregard what our journey to Easter is really all about. But we know well what lies ahead in the story of our Lenten pilgrimage through holy week. These are days that remind us of hard truths and hard realities. These are days that press us to look at what we sometimes prefer to avoid or deny. What about suffering? What about death? What about heartache and heartbreak? What about disappointment, sadness and broken dreams. What about weakness, my own and that of others? What about pain and loss? What about when nothing seems to make sense, when we try to wrap our heads and hearts around tragedies which are beyond our comprehension? What about the trials and tribulations of everyday life? These days of lent and the journey toward Easter are days that help us frame, focus and understand the pathway of our lives. In our Christian faith and our Catholic spirituality we call this the “paschal mystery.” This mystery is about the mystery of Jesus’ own life, death and resurrection and about the same pattern of life, death and resurrection we can trace so clearly in our own lives.

Ultimately we have a choice in answering these questions. We can decide that there is no answer and that everything is capricious and random – that there is no real meaning to it all. Or we can look with eyes of faith to see and believe that there is a meaning and purpose for our lives with the joys and sorrows that accompany us.  We can see, in the example of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, an illumination that shows the meaning and purpose of our own lives. This is what we believe and celebrate in these days of lent. It has been said:  “It was love that held Him on the cross, not the nails.”  We see, in the paschal mystery, what love is and we see what love does. That’s the important part – what love does.

We listen to the first reading this Sunday and hear the words of the prophet Ezekiel who speaks on behalf of God saying: “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back . . . I will put my spirit in you that you may live.” In the Gospel we hear Jesus calling to his friend Lazarus who had been dead in the grave for four days: “Lazarus, come out!” But was Jesus calling Lazarus to come out to the same life he had before he entered the tomb or was he being called to a new  and different life? Surely it was to a new life – to a resurrected life.

So, to what are we being called, when we hear Jesus shouting for us to “Come out!”? In these readings we hear the voice of God reminding us that we are called to come out to new life. We are called to a life that is lived in the paschal mystery, namely, to live in the pattern of Jesus’ life – death – and resurrection. We are being called to come out, to rise, to be set free and to walk into new life. We are being called to come out and rise to a new life of love that keeps us here in our lives because of love. We are called to rise to forgiveness, compassion, mercy and care for those in suffering. We are called to be with those who are alone. We are called to rise to love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is what new life, outside the tomb, looks like. And even when it is hard, painful or confusing, we continue with faith that God will bring resurrection and will walk with us in good times and in bad.

There is a quote from President Teddy Roosevelt which expresses the way of this mystery. While he has never been acclaimed for his theological presentations on the journey of the paschal mystery, it is, nonetheless, this great mystery which lies at the heart of his writing when he says: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

What we believe as followers of Jesus is that we are called out of the tomb to something great, rich, fulfilling, graceful and life-giving. In the words of Pope Francis: “Each day in our world, Beauty is born anew. It rises transformed through the storms of history.”

13 MARCH

SVDP Easter Basket Assembly

Members of St. Vincent de Paul met recently to assemble Easter baskets for the children of the families we serve. Fifty baskets were assembled with donations of supplies from SVDP members to be distributed before Easter. We thank everyone who joined us!

13 MARCH

Men’s Club BBQ Pre-Sale Orders

The St. Francis of Assisi Men’s Club is once again selling its famous BBQ chicken and sausage! You can place your order at sfasat.org/bbq/ or by scanning the QR code. Presale orders will be accepted through Sunday, April 7. Please make sure you receive an email receipt confirming your order. If you do not receive a confirmation email after placing your order, please contact Nikki in the parish office to verify that your order was processed. The price per chicken is $12 and the price per sausage order is $6. Orders will be available for pick up outside the church entrance between 9:30 am – 12:30 pm on Sunday, April 14.

12 MARCH

Adult Confirmation

Adult Confirmation classes will be offered again starting on Sunday, April 21 at 6:30 PM in the parish library. Classes will be each Sunday through May 19. Email Deacon Johnny Flores jflores@sfasat.org or check at the parish office for more information.

11 MARCH

KOC: Fishing Trip

Sign up for the Knights Fishing trip weekend from June 22 – 23! On this trip, we will be bay fishing out of Rockport, Texas looking for Red Drum, Trout, Sheepshead, and Flounder. It’s important that you contact the lead fishing guide, Capt. Colson, to secure a spot on a guide’s boat. Capt. Colson will keep us together with guides who network together for larger fishing trips and tournaments. You can bring up to four per boat. See the attached flyer for more details and cost. Please let Mike McGlothing know if you have any questions, text or call him at 210.387.4253 for more details click the button below.

7 MARCH

The Easter Triduum

Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday (March 28) commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper and every disciple’s call to service. Join us as we celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper at 7 pm. You may participate in the washing of the feet tradition during the Mass if you choose. The Blessed Sacrament will be reposed after Mass for silent adoration. There will be no 10 am Mass on Holy Thursday.

Good Friday
Good Friday (March 29) commemorates the crucifixion of our savior, Jesus Christ. Join us to pray the Stations of the Cross in the church at 3 pm. At 7 pm, we will celebrate the Veneration of the Cross liturgy and communion service. You will have the opportunity to reverence the wooden cross, the sign of our salvation. There will be no 10 am Mass or Fish Fry on Good Friday.

Easter Vigil
At the Easter Vigil (March 30), we hear salvation history and welcome our newest brothers and sisters into the community of faith. Many will receive Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or will make their profession of faith. Join us for this sacred night of renewal and welcoming at 8:30 pm. There will be no Reconciliation and no 5 pm Mass on Holy Saturday.

Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday (March 31) celebrates Christ’s resurrection and victory over death forever. Join us for our Masses at 8:30 am (church and hall) and 11:15 am (church and hall). We will also have a Spanish Mass at 1:30 pm in the church. Please arrive early. There will not be a 5 pm Mass on Easter Sunday.

7 MARCH

Missed the Ministry Fair?

Did you miss the ministries fair weekends in February? Don’t worry, it’s not too late to get involved, scan the QR code to sign up for ministries that interest you! If you have signed up for a ministry and have yet to hear back from them please contact Miriam Flores in the Parish Office.

7 MARCH

Easter Lilies for Our Liturgical Environment

You can make a contribution for Easter lilies for a suggested amount of $10 per lily. These lilies will decorate the church during the Easter season. After the Easter season, those who made a contribution for a lily may take any lily home. Please write who the donation is in memory or honor of.

7 MARCH

Men’s Club Pancake Breakfast

The Men’s Club invites you to Pancake Breakfast in Henke Hall after
the 8 am and 11:15 am Masses on Sunday, March 17. This event is free, but donations are welcome! All proceeds will be donated to organizations within our Parish.

Welcome to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church