Saint Dominic Catholic Community
Transcripción
Saint Dominic Catholic Community
St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 Saint Dominic Catholic Community Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Archbishop: Most Rev. Daniel Cardinal DiNardo God’s Call to Build: Our Bridge To The Future Dios Nos ha Llamado a Construir: Nuestro Puente Hacia El Futuro Pastoral Staff Pastor: Rev. Roger Estorque [email protected] Deacon: Rev. Mr. Phil Wiles Sr. Olga Rivera, DJ DRE Sr. Lupita Romo, DJ Bookkeeper: Duc Manh Ho Office Manager: Irma Galvan [email protected] Office Assistant: Eliseida Pineda Maria Ramos Claudia Ramirez - Evenings Ivonne Soto -Sunday Housekeeping Estela Sandoval Gabriela Ramos Pastoral Council Members Chairman - Juan Hernandez Secretary - Juanita Hernandez Beatriz Lopez, Esmeralda Ramirez Rosario Rodriguez Salvador & Maria Manzo Finance Council Members Hector Hernandez, Albert Allala Deacon Phil Wiles, Miguel Leyva Osvaldo Segura Church Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Religious Education From the first week of September through the last week of May CCE Office Hours Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday & Friday 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Saturday 4:00 –8:00 Sunday 9:00-3:30 Worship Schedule Weekend Masses: 8215 Reservoir Street, Houston, TX 77049-1728 281-458-2910 281-458-5703 Fax: 281-458- 7114 www.stdominichouston.org Saturday, English 8:15 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. Sunday, English 8:00 a.m. 11:15 a.m. Español 9:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. Weekday Masses: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:00 a.m. English Wednesday 7:00 pm English Liturgy of the Hours: Morning Prayer: Sunday - Saturday 7:30 a.m. Evening Prayer: Wednesday 6:30 p.m. & Saturday 5:30 p.m. Devotions: Rosary of the Virgin Mary: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 8:30 a.m. Saturday 8:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting: Spanish - Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Novena to the Sacred Heart: During the Friday morning Holy Mass Novena to the Miraculous Medal: After Wednesday evening Holy Mass Eucharistic Adoration: Weekly Holy Hour: Thursday 8:30 -9:30 a.m. First Friday -9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Reconciliation Sacrament: Wednesday 6:00 - 6:45 pm Saturday-5:00-5:45 p.m. Sacrament of Baptism Parents & Sponsors please register one week in advance. English Baptism Class: Firsts & Second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. English Baptism Celebration: Third Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m. Clase Pre Bautismal: Primer y Segundo Martes del mes a las 7:00 p.m. Bautismos Español: Segundo Sábado del mes al las 9:00 a.m. Sacrament of Marriage – Quinceañera Celebrations Call the Parish office 6 months in advance to schedule appointment with priest. Sacrament of the anointing of the sick Please call the parish office to make arrangements for communion to be brought to your home or to the hospital. Parish Registration If you are new to the parish, please register at the office. We, the parish community of St. Dominic, Houston, TX, a multi-cultured community, joined together by faith in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, commit ourselves to help each other grow in the understanding of our faith, celebrate this faith in Liturgy and live it out by using the gifts of each person in the service of others, especially those in need, so that in the end, we may become truly a community of faith: truly the people of God and be of service to all! Monday –Friday 8:30 a.m. –3:30 p.m. St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 PLEASE LET US KNOW… If you or a loved one are hospitalized and would like to be added to the prayer list, have a visit, homebound, and receive Holy Communion or the Sacrament of Anointing. Call the Parish office @ 281-458-2910 Harry Sonnier Laura Sonnier Ernestine Alsene Manuel Herrera Dot Neiderhofer Eileen Surovec Bobbie Anderson Georgia Malonson Glice Ligason Lily Rose Thomas Pauline Sanchez Frances Gouge Maria San Juan Harold DesVignes Dorthy Duhe Irene Richard Mervin Auzenne Eva Owens Joe Lozoya Eduardo Castillo Bob Rodriguez Marie Lewis Clarence Jenkins Albert Allala Eola Corbello Rosario Delin Sinlao J.W. Pollock Lynn Doane Erica Taylor Isaac Campos Pedro Gaviria Doreen Whitmeer MINISTRIES&ORGANIZATIONSLeaders&Time Altar Servers: Jesus Velasquez, & Hna. Lupita Romo, DJ 3rd Saturday 9:00 am. (English & Spanish) E. M. of Holy Communion:- Albert Allala - 713-301-4566 1st Sunday Cry Room after each mass E. M. de Eucaristia: Sr. Lupita Romo 2nd Monday 7:00 pm Lectors English: Albert Allala 2nd Sunday after each mass Lectores Spanish: Reyna Mendez Liturgy English Music: Melner Calvo, Sundays 5 :00 pm Liturgia Musica Espanol: Valentin Cobos, Jesus Puente, Elias Tello Ushers/Greeters English : Dee Gonzalez Acomodadores Español: Miguel Rodriguez Offertory Collection Counters: Gloria Casey Parish Pastoral Council– Juan Hernandez, 1st. Monday 7:00 pm Parish Finance Council: Hector Hernandez quarterly & as necessary Baptismal classes- English Melner Calvo, Alex Bozon, Michael Cubacub Clases Pre -Bautismales Español Lauro y Veronica Leal, Rogelio y Reyna Mendez , Valentin y Araceli Cobos Catholic Daughters Juanita Hernandez, 3rd Thursday 6:30 pm Family Ministry/Couples for Christ - Albert Allala Knights of Columbus: Raymund Helfrich, 1st. Sunday 9: 30 am Legion of Mary– Rosana Gonzalez, Saturday 9:00 a.m. English Legion de Maria –Rosana Gonzalez Martes 7:00 p.m. Español Facilities Maintenance Daron Monteilh & Clarence Jenkins Asamblea De Oración, Froylan y Gaby Andrade Jueves 7:00 pm MFCC St. Dominic: Osvaldo y Nancy Segura Parish Youth Ministry: Deandria Gonzalez Thursday 7:00 pm Clase Pre-Nupcial : Luis y Silvia Cervantes Pre-Nuptial Class: English Melner Calvo, Clem Monta, Alex Bozon Eucharistic ADORATION 1st Friday Holy Hour for Vocations: on Thursdays: 8:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m. Next Full Day Adoration : February 5, 2016 8:30am–9:00 p.m. Jesus asks us, “Can you not spend an hour with me?” For further information, call Mrs. Gloria Casey @ 713-453-4968 Pre -Baptismal Registration Must register in the parish office, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am –3:30 pm a week prior to the class. Bring child’s birth certificate; required to register Sponsors if married must be married by the Catholic Church and marriage certificate required. If single they must be at least 16, and bring copy of their Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation Parents and godparents must attend two pre-baptismal classes held 1st & 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 - 9:30 pm. Donation for class is $50.00 Baptism celebration 3rd Saturday of the month at 9:00 am Child being baptized can not be older than 7 yrs. Old. Children 7 years and older must be prepared through the parish Catechism Program. (Guidelines of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston ) ************** Información Pre- Bautismal - Pase a la oficina parroquial Lunes –Viernes, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm una semana antes de la clase. Es requerido presentar la acta de nacimiento del niño/a quien van a bautizar. Padrinos Si están casados deben estar casados por la iglesia Católica es requerido presentar la acta de matrimonio. Si son solteros deben tener por lo menos 16 años y presentar su acta de Bautizo, Primera Comunión y Confirmación. Papas y Padrinos tienen que asistir a dos pláticas pre-bautismales el primer y segundo martes del mes de 7:00-9:30 pm. Donación para la platica: $50.00 Bautismos el segundo Sábado del mes a las 9:00 am Niños sin bautizar no deben ser mayores de 7 anos de edad. Niños deben recibir catecismo en el programa de la parroquia. (Guías de Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston) PresentacióndeTresAños Cuarto domingo del mes durante la misa de 1:00 p.m. Pasa a la oficina y presente acta de bautismo para registrase Sacrament of Marriage: Register at least 6 months in advance; drop by the office and fill out form and be ready to meet the pastor; Pick up wedding information check-list. Quinceañera Celebrations: The family must be registered in the parish for a period of three (3) months prior to the date of the first preparation session. The candidate should register for her/his Quince Años ceremony on or before her/his 14th birthday . The candidate must have been baptized in the Roman Catholic Church and must have received First Eucharist prior to the time of the ceremony. If the honoree has not received the Sacrament of Communion, she/he should be enrolled to prepare to receive the sacrament before the Quince Años ceremony. The candidate must attend and complete preparation sessions with the coordinator and must join our parish youth program. Pick up Quinceañera information check-list. St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 Dear Friends in St. Dominic. Queridos amigos en San Dominic, We are now back in the ordinary time of the church’s calendar. Ahora estamos de vuelta en el tiempo ordinario del calendario de la iglesia. Does God really want us to be happy? Of course we all know what we should say. But do we really believe it? The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said that Christianity is opposed to joy. Many people today would probably say the same thing. Is it true? Does God really want us to be happy? What does the Bible tell us? This week-end’s scriptures is about the miracle at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle! It was at a wedding in Cana. Jesus is at a small party. And the wine runs out. Jesus’ mother Mary tells him the wine is gone. And then she tells the headwaiter --Do whatever he tells you. Mary does not speak often in the Sacred Scriptures, but every time she does speak, her words overflow with wisdom. And this is no exception. Mary was the very first Christian, the first Catholic. She was filled with the Holy Spirit after the Annunciation, and from then on she dedicated her entire life to serving Jesus and contributing to his mission. When we were baptized, we too received the gift of the Holy Spirit. And when we were confirmed, we formally declared our intention to spend our lives serving Jesus and contributing to his mission. But it is not always easy to carry out that noble and wise intention. Life is full of challenges, surprises, and temptations, and it is easy to get distracted. With her last words in the Bible, the Blessed Virgin Mary gives us the three keys to stay on-task in our efforts to follow Christ and discover the happiness that only he can give. The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God, is teaching us how to follow Christ, how to become a mature Christian: By imitating her attitude of creative service, by sharing in her confidence in Jesus, and by joining her obedience to God's will, we will travel surely and swiftly along the path of a truly fulfilling, meaningful, and everlasting life. Mary says: Do whatever he tells you and Jesus tells the waiter to fill up 6 ceremonial jars with water. We are all familiar with what happens next. Actually, maybe we are too familiar with it. Sometimes it is good to step back for a minute and consider what the Bible actually says. Jesus turns the water into wine. But remember the context. It is probably a relatively small party. People have already been drinking freely. You might expect Jesus to make a few more gallons of wine and then tell everyone to call it a night. Do you know how much wine he makes? Somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of wine! That is close to 900 bottles! God is not stingy. Jesus is saying that this celebration is good. John also tells us that this miracle revealed Christ’s glory. God glories in our joy. God is overwhelmingly generous. St Thomas Aquinas has a phrase: Goodness is diffusive of itself. This means that goodness spreads by its own power. And since God is all good, he cannot contain his generosity. It overflows into every corner of our lives. So--- does God actually want us to be happy? Does He want to fill our lives with joy? Yes! Sincerely yours in Christ Rev. Roger Estorque ¿Dios realmente quiere que seamos felices? Por supuesto, todos sabemos lo que tenemos que decir. Pero, ¿realmente creemos? El filósofo alemán Friedrich Nietzsche dijo que el cristianismo se opone a la alegría. Muchas personas hoy en día probablemente diría lo mismo. ¿Es verdad? ¿Dios realmente quiere que seamos felices? ¿Qué nos dice la Biblia? Las escrituras de esta semana es de el milagro de Caná, donde Jesús realizó su primer milagro! Fue en una boda en Caná. Jesús está en una pequeña fiesta. Y el vino se acaba. La madre de Jesús María le dice que el vino se ha terminado. Y entonces ella le dice al jefe de camareros -¿Usted haga lo que él os diga. María no habla a menudo en las Sagradas Escrituras, pero cada vez que habla, sus palabras desborde con sabiduría. Y esto no es una excepción. María fue la primera cristiana, el primer católico. Ella fue llena del Espíritu Santo después de la Anunciación, y desde entonces dedicó toda su vida a servir a Jesús y contribuir a su misión. Cuando fuimos bautizados, nosotros también recibimos el don del Espíritu Santo. Y cuando nos confirmaron, declaramos formalmente nuestra intención de dedicar nuestras vidas al servicio de Jesús y que contribuyen a su misión. Pero no siempre es fácil de llevar a cabo esa intención noble y sabio. La vida está llena de retos, sorpresas, y tentaciones, y es fácil distraerse. Con sus últimas palabras en la Biblia, la Santísima Virgen María nos da las tres claves para mantenerse en la tarea en nuestros esfuerzos para seguir a Cristo y descubrir la felicidad que sólo él puede dar. La Santísima Virgen María, la Reina del Cielo y de la Madre de Dios, nos enseña cómo seguir a Cristo, cómo llegar a ser un cristiano maduro: Al imitar su actitud de servicio creativo, compartiendo en su confianza en Jesús, y al unirse a su obediencia a la voluntad de Dios, vamos a viajar con seguridad y rapidez en el camino de una vida verdaderamente plena, significativa y duradera. Mary dice: Haced lo que él os diga y Jesús le dice al camarero para llenar 6 jarras ceremoniales con agua. Todos estamos familiarizados con lo que sucede a continuación. En realidad, tal vez estamos demasiado familiarizados con ella. A veces es bueno dar un paso atrás por un minuto y considerar lo que la Biblia dice. Jesús convierte el agua en vino. Pero recuerde el contexto. Es probablemente una pequeña fiesta. La gente ya ha estado bebiendo libremente. Se podría esperar a Jesús para hacer un poco más de galones de vino y luego decirle a todos a llamar a una noche. ¿Sabes cuánto vino se hace? En alguna parte entre 120 y 180 galones de vino! Eso es cerca de 900 botellas! Dios no es tacaño. Jesús está diciendo que esta celebración es bueno. Juan también nos dice que este milagro reveló la gloria de Cristo. Glorias de Dios en nuestro gozo. Dios es abrumadoramente generosos. Santo Tomás de Aquino tiene una frase: La bondad es difusivo de sí mismo. Esto significa que la bondad se propaga por sus propios medios. Y puesto que Dios es todo bueno, no puede contener su generosidad. Se desborda en cada rincón de nuestras vidas. Así --- qué Dios realmente nos quiere ser feliz? ¿Quiere llenar nuestras vidas con alegría? ¡ Atentamente suyo en Cristo Rev. Roger Estorque St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX Saturday 8:00 am 6:00 pm Sunday 8:00 am 9:30 am 1l:15 am 1:00 pm 4:00 pm Monday 8:00 am Tuesday 8:00 am Wednesday 7:00 pm Thursday 8:00 am 7:00 pm Friday 8:00 am Saturday SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 January 16th † All Souls/Difuntos † All Souls/Difuntos January 17th † Otto Schreck/George Family † Margaret Schreck/George Family Birthday-Jose Rivera/Rivera Family † Elias Limon/Familia Limon-Lopez † All Souls/Difuntos † Elias Limon/Familia Limon-Lopez † Antonio Martinez/Ana Martinez MFCC Sagrada Familia January 18th Martin Luther King, Jr. † Juliet Tan/Family January 19th † All Souls/Difuntos January 20th St. Fabian; St. Sebastian † All Souls/Difuntos January 21st St. Agnes † All Souls/Difuntos Asamblea de Oración January 22nd † All Souls/Difuntos January 23rd St. Vincent; St. Marianne Cope 8:00 am 6:00 pm † All Souls/Difuntos † All Souls/Difuntos Monday January 18th OFFICE CLOSED MLK HOLIDAY OFICINA CERRADA DIA FERIADO Tuesday January 19th 5:30 pm Coro Angeles de Dios/Mr. Tello 6:45 pm OEC 6TH, 7TH & 8TH Grade 7:00 pm Coro Voces de Jubilo/ Mr. Puente Wednesday January 20th OEC Pre-Confirmation & Confirmation 6:45 pm 7:00 pm Formación de Servidores Thursday January 21st 5:30 pm Coro Angeles De Dios/ Mr. Tello Friday January 22nd 5:30 pm OEC 1er Comunión Español 5:30 pm Formacion Padres de OEC 7:30 pm MFCC 20 Etapa Saturday January 23rd 9:00 am Legion of Mary English 4:30 pm OEC 1st Communion - English Sunday January 24th 9:45 am OEC English Regular Class PK-5th 11:30 am OEC Clase Español Regular PK- 50 GOD’S CALL TO BUILD: OUR BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE DIOS NOS HA LLAMADO A CONSTRUIR: NUESTRO PUENTE HACIA EL FUTURO Yearly Budget Weekly to meet budget 1/10/2016 Building $347,750.00 $ 6,687.50 $ 6,104.49 $ 1,666.86 STEWDARSHIP WEEK-END FEBRUARY 20TH & 21ST Goal $34,000.00 DSF VIDEO PRESENTATION WEEK- END JANUARY 30TH & 31ST DSF COMMITMENT WEEK-END FEBRUARY 6TH & 7TH Pledged $202,627.64 Received to date $ 31,710.43 Need $170,917.21 94 Participating Families READINGS FOR THE WEEK/LECTURAS DE LA SEMANA Monday: 1 Sm 15:16-23; Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23; January 18th Gospel: Mk 2:18-22 Tuesday: 1 Sm 16:1-13; Ps 89:20-22, 27-28; January 19th Gospel: Mk 2:23-28 Wednesday: 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51; Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10; January 20th Gospel: Mk 3:1-6 Thursday: 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Ps 56:2-3, 9-13; January 21st Gospel: Mk 3:7-12 Friday: 1 Sm 24:3-21; Ps 57:2-4, 6, 11; January 22nd Gospel: Mk 3:13-19, Saturday: 2 Sm 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27; Ps 80:2-3, 5-7; January 23rd Gospel: Mk 3:20-21 St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory. — 1saiah 62:2 TODAY’S READINGS First Reading — As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so God rejoices in the chosen Zion and Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:1-5). Psalm — Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations (Psalm 96). Second Reading — All the varied gifts and talents found in the Christian community are products of the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Gospel — At a wedding festival in Cana, Jesus changes water into wine at his mother’s request (John 2:1-11). LECTURAS DE HOY Primera lectura — Como el esposo goza con su esposa, así Dios se regocija con su elegida (Isaías 62:1-5). Salmo — Cantemos la grandeza del Señor (Salmo 96 [95]). Segunda lectura — Todos los diferentes dones y talentos que se encuentran en la comunidad cristiana son obra del mismo Espíritu (1 Corintios 12:4-11). Evangelio — Compartiendo el gozo de una boda en Caná, Jesús rellena la provisión de vino (Juan 2:1-11). NOW HIRING We are in need of a part time janitorial person if interested please stop by the office or call for appointment. Applicant must present id and Social Security to apply. ESTAMOS OCUPANDO Estamos buscando a una persona de medio tiempo para la limpieza. Si le interesa favor de llamar a la oficina o haga cita. El que aplique debe presenta su identificación y seguro social SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 Segundo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario Entonces las naciones verán tu justicia, y tu gloria todos los reyes. — Isaías 62:2 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: January 17 That we open our hearts and allow the Holy Spirt to work God’s plan through each of us. “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) St. Paul tells us that God has blessed each of us for a reason. How has God blessed you? Are you using your gifts according to God’s plan; helping to do His work here on earth? Remember that if you don’t do the work God planned for you, no one else can do it. 2o. Domingo del tiempo Ordinario: 17 de enero Que abramos nuestros corazones y permitamos al Espíritu Santo realizar el plan de Dios a través de cada uno de nosotros. " cada uno le es dada la manifestación A del Espíritu para provecho” (I Corintios 12:7) San Pablo nos dice que Dios nos bendice a cada uno de nosotros por una razón. ¿Cómo te ha bendecido Dios? ¿Estas utilizando tus dones según el plan de Dios, ayudándolo a hacer Su obra aquí en la tierra? Recuerda que si no haces el trabajo que Dios ha planificado para ti, nadie más podrá hacerlo. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD No one who understands the reality that God is can think that God does not exist. —St. Anselm of Canterbury LA EXISTENCIA DE DIOS Nadie que entiende la realidad de que Dios existe puede pensar que Dios no existe. —San Anselmo de Canterbury St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX 12 Day Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage June 13-24, 2016 Venice-Padua-Bologna (Tomb of St. Dominic, our Patron)-Florence- Siena & Assisi-San Giovanni Rotondo (Padre Pio) Rome (Papal Audience) $3,690. Per Person From Houston Includes Roundtrip Air Transportation , First Class Hotels, Double Occupancy, 2 meals a Day, Breakfast & Dinner, Daily Sightseeing, Daily Mass. For details: Please contact IRMA GALVAN 281-458-2910 during office hours. Hymn Competition for the Year of Mercy Residents of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston are invited to participate in a hymn competition in honor of the Year of Mercy. The theme of the hymn is “Merciful, Like the Father.” The winner will have his music distributed throughout the Archdiocese for potential use on Divine Mercy Sunday and throughout the Year of Mercy. The winner will receive a cash award. For more information, go to www.archgh.org/yearofmercy/prayer/ Hymn-Competition-for-the-Year-of-Mercy/. Para el Himno del Año de la Misericordia Se invita a los residentes de la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston para participar en un concurso de canto en honor del Año de la Misericordia. El tema del himno es “Misericordioso Como el Padre.” El ganador tendrá su música distribuida en toda la arquidiócesis para su uso potencial en el Domingo de la Misericordia y en todo el año de la Misericordia. El ganador recibirá un premio en efectivo. Para obtener más información , vaya a www.archgh.org/yearofmercy/prayer/ Hymn-Competition-for-the-Year-of-Mercy/. SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 INTENCIONES DE MISAS Favor de pasar al la oficina por lo menos un semana antes de fecha de intención. No le de su intención a ultima hora al lector. El nombre de intención debe aparecer en el boletín. El boletín es enviado a impresa en lunes para edición del próximo domingo. La donación por intención son $10.00 MASS INTENTIONS Please come by the office at least a week prior to date that you want intention mentioned. Please do not give name to lector last minute before intentions are mentioned. Names will appear in the bulletin. Bulletin is sent to press on Monday of the week before Sunday edition. Donation per intention is $10.00 LA ASAMBLEA DE ORACIÓN Se reúne cada Jueves a las 7:00 pm en la iglesia. Venga a las alabanzas y charlas de diferentes predicadores Clinica Medica Comunidad Latina 212 Charles st. Humble, Tx 281-973-9510 Lunes a Viernes 9:00 am-7:00 pm Sabado 9:00 - 2:00 pm St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016 SORPRESAS SURPRISES Life is full of surprises, some pleasant, some not. The scriptures are filled with stories of God’s surprises cropping up when they are least expected: younger children obtaining the inheritance; the lowliest being seated highest up; an itinerant preacher, killed like a criminal, exalted to eternal, heavenly glory. Anybody who has planned a wedding or similar event knows that they are filled with opportunities for surprises. For the bridegroom in today’s Gospel story, who has no direct contact with Jesus, the pleasant surprise came because somebody else paid attention and had faith in Jesus. We may think that the point of today’s familiar story of the wedding at Cana is that when we have faith in Jesus, our lives will be pleasantly changed. A Christian, however, needs to have a broader perspective and realize that to have faith in Christ means that somebody’s life— not necessarily our own—will be surprised for the better. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Although our tradition carries a long memory of marriage as a sacrament, it may surprise you to learn that for nearly eleven centuries, there was no single wedding ceremony approved for use in the Church. While we have evidence of priests blessing marriages as early as the second century, in the early period church leaders relied on civil authorities to manage marriage for everyone in society. In most cases, society yielded its authority to sanction marriage to the male heads of households. From ancient times, marriage had been a family affair, managed by the father of the family, who acted as priest and guardian of family tradition. Each head wanted to keep the family gods alive, and so he would arrange for brides for his sons, paying a “bride price” as compensation for the loss of a skilled household worker. As creepy as that sounds, it was a step up from the kidnapping practice of earlier years. Even after the kidnapping raids stopped, the customs remained. Every wedding contained the ritualized kidnapping of the bride, the husband abducting his bride from the festivities, carrying her over the threshold to prevent her father’s gods from following her into her new religion. There, he fed her a piece of “sacred cake,” initiating her into a new way of life. It’s fascinating to see how customs endure, long after we have completely rejected the values and attitudes they originally expressed! La vida está llena de sorpresas, algunas agradables, otras no. La Sagrada Escritura está llena de relatos sobre las sorpresas de Dios que surgen donde menos se esperan: los hijos más jóvenes reciben la herencia, a los más humildes se les dan los sitios de honor; un predicador itinerante, condenado a morir como un criminal, es exaltado hacia la gloria celestial eterna. Cualquiera que haya planificado una boda o celebración similar sabe que está llena de oportunidades para que surjan sorpresas. Para el novio (el cual, en el relato bíblico, no tiene contacto directo con Jesús) la agradable sorpresa vino porque otra persona había prestado atención y tenía fe en Jesús. A lo mejor pensamos que la lección de la conocida historia de las bodas de Caná es que cuando tenemos fe en Jesús, nuestra vida cambiará positivamente. Sin embargo, un cristiano necesita tener una perspectiva más amplia, y darse cuenta que tener fe en Cristo implica que la vida de alguien –sea la tuya, sea la de otra persona– va a mejorarse sorpresivamente. TRADICIONES DE NUESTRA FE En 1502 el fraile Nicolás de Ovando y doce franciscanos dieron inicio a la evangelización de América en la República Dominicana. Ellos fueron enviados por los reyes españoles con el mandato de convertir a los nativos “sin les hacer fuerza alguna”. Con los misioneros llegaron Alfonso y Antonio Trejo quienes traían con ellos un cuadro de la Virgen María bajo la advocación de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia. Ellos la llevaron a Higuey, donde en 1572 se le construyó su primer santuario. Poco a poco esta pequeña imagen se convirtió en la Reina del corazón de los dominicanos. María observa dulcemente a su recién nacido quien yace sobres las pajas. Está coronada y lleva puesto un manto azul rociado de estrellas y un escapulario blanco. Lleva una aureola hecha de doce estrellas. En una esquina de la imagen san José también observa al niño por encima del hombro derecho de María. El 25 de enero del 1979 Juan Pablo II la coronó por ser la primera evangelizadora del continente Americano. Con ella los doce misioneros trajeron la Alta Gracia de Jesucristo a nuestras tierras. St. Dominic Catholic Church Houston, TX CHURCH NAME AND ADDRESS St. Dominic Catholic Community #197225 8215 Reservoir Houston, TX 770049 PHONE 281-458-2910 CONTACT PERSON Irma Galvan Email Address [email protected] SOFTWARE Microsoft Publisher 2010 Adobe Acrobat XI Windows 7 PRINTER Savin C9025 TRANSMISSION TIME Tuesday 10:00 am SUNDAY DATE OF PUBLICATION January 17, 2016 NUMBER OF PAGES SENT 1 through 8 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME January 17 2016