"Refusing to See" by Fr. Chris House

March 17, 2023

After the Passion Narratives in the four Gospels, this Sunday’s Gospel from John of the healing of the man born blind is both the longest and probably the most action-packed of all Gospel passages proclaimed at Mass.

Refusing to See

           

After the Passion Narratives in the four Gospels, this Sunday’s Gospel from John of the healing of the man born blind is both the longest and probably the most action-packed of all Gospel passages proclaimed at Mass. This passage is made up of rapid movement and interchanges between the Lord and His disciples, the Lord and the man born blind, the man once healed being interrogated by the Scribes and Pharisees, then the Scribes and Pharisees interrogate the man’s parents followed by a second interrogation of him, Jesus’s encounter with the man, and finally Jesus’s rebuke of the Scribes and Pharisees. What becomes clear in these interchanges is that there are two simultaneous journeys happening: one is moving towards the Light and one is moving away from the Light.

 

The man whom Jesus heals is said to have been blind from birth. The disciples assume, as was normative for the time, that his blindness was the result of sin, perhaps that of the man’s parents. The Lord tells them that his blindness is so that the glory of God might be revealed. This points to an interesting aspect of John’s Gospel. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus’s miracles are always noted as the result of Jesus being moved with compassion for someone or for a group; in John, the signs that Jesus performs are not due to his compassion (which surely was not lacking), but to show the glory of God.

 

Another fascinating aspect of this passage is that Jesus is not the main actor. He is the one who animates the scene by healing the man, but we see the man himself as the central evangelist. The man does not know who Jesus is, but he knows that Jesus must be of God because of what Jesus has done for him. Despite the bullying and intimidation visited on him by the Scribes and the Pharisees, the man only becomes more persistent in wanting to know more about the man who healed him. Greater than the opening of the man’s eyes, is that his heart is opened to a new experience of faith. He professes his faith in Jesus and becomes the Lord’s disciple. He begins to walk by the light that is Jesus.

 

While the man journeys closer and closer to the light that is the Lord Jesus, we see the Scribes and the Pharisees going in the opposite direction. They are comfortable and safe with a belief that God only works within specific parameters, only within the dictates of the law given by the Lord through Moses. They cannot accept that while God may choose to bind Himself to the law, He is never bound by the law. The law is given to lift people up to God, to help them on the journey to Him; but the Scribes and the Pharisees all too often saw the law as an end unto itself and thus made it an idol. The law is good, but God is also able to bring about good beyond it. Ultimately, the Scribes and the Pharisees see Jesus as a threat. They choose to blind themselves to the manifestation of the power of God in Jesus’s actions because to accept the truth of Jesus’s actions will mean that they must change, and they simply are not willing to do so.

 

Do we fall into the same traps at times? In our heart of hearts, do we at times know the truth that God is seeking to convey in our lives, but we find it easier to “turn a blind eye” rather that acknowledging that maybe we are holding on to something that is contrary to God’s will or what God is asking of us? May the Lord heal us of any spiritual blindness and grant us the grace to not be afraid to see life by His light and to walk in his ways.

 

Prayers for Pope Francis

 

Last Monday marked ten years since our Holy Father Pope Francis was elected to the Papacy. Let us pray that the Lord will bless him with every grace needed to fulfill his ministry as successor of St. Peter and head of the Church on earth.

 

Good St. Joseph

 

The Solemnity of St. Joseph is celebrated annually on March 19th, but the feast is transferred to March 20th this year because of the 19th being the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Nothing that St. Joseph ever said is recorded in the Scriptures, but his fidelity to God in his actions is remembered in God’s word. St. Joseph is the patron and protector of the Universal Church; may he intercede for us that we may be faithful to God each day in thought, word, and deed.

 

Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!

Father Chris House

 

Rejoice! Celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Lent

March 15, 2026
Happy 4th Sunday of Lent! This Sunday, we celebrate Laetare Sunday marking roughly the middle point of Lent. Laetare Sunday shifts our focus to the coming liturgies of Holy Week and Easter Season. Laetare means rejoice in Latin and comes from the Entrance Antiphon at Mass which announces Rejoice, Jerusalem, and who love her from Isaiah 66. Holy Week Schedule is below for reference. Next Sunday, March 22nd at 2pm, Christthe King will host a Penance Service for our Parish plus Parishes of Blessed Sacrament and St Agnes. Anyone is welcome to attend. 6 priests will be available for the Sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation. Our new Church project that we will be doing this summer is installing a Hearing Loop system. A hearing loop allows more hearing access for those with hearing aids. This hearing loop will be installed sometime this summer; we do not have a date yet. After installation, those who use hearing aids will just need to turn on telecoil in their hearing aids to use the system. If you would like to donate to the project, you can place a check in collection or drop something offto the office just put Hearing Loop in the memo. You can also donate online for the project by giving to the offertory and putting Hearing Loop in the note. Lent Information Stations of the Cross Every Wednesday 5pm Every Friday 12:05pm  Lent Penence Service March 22 at 2pm Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and St. Agnes Hosted by Christ the King 6 Priests will be available for confessions Holy Week Schedule: March 29-April 4 Palm Sunday: Normal Mass Times Holy Thursday: 5:30pm Good Friday; 5:30pm Easter Vigil: 8pm Easter Sunday:April 5 8am and 10am (Please note no 4:30 or 5pm this weekend) Confessions Monday through Friday: 6:30am-6:50am Every Saturday: 3:00pm-4pm Every Sunday: 4-45pm Military Weekends April 12-25 and May 16-17

Third Sunday of Lent: Opportunities for Prayer and Formation

March 8, 2026
Happy 3rd Sunday of Lent! Thank you to Fr. Alex, Dcn. Scott, and Dennis offer their insightful reflections on God’s Mercy. Each night was a greattime of prayer, insight, and some fellowship on the last night at the social. Our Parish Mission leads well into a few different formation opportunities at CTK. Dcn. Scott will be offering formation reflections on the Sacrament of Confession weekly during Lent Feb. 25 through March 25th . We also are offering Life Everlasting on the 4 last things Feb 19th – March 19th . All are welcome to attend and more details in the bulletin. I will be out of town this week, if you need anything, please reach out to Parish Office. On March 9 at 7am in place of Mass, we will have Communion Service provided by Dcn. Scott. I want to thank you for your generous support of our 1st Annual School Fund Appeal that began Dec 2, 2025. We started with a modest goal this year of 25K and we have raised over 42K! The Annual School Fund Appeals runs through May, if you like to donate visit https://www.ctkcougars.com/support-ctk/annual-fund.cfm. We began this yearly appeal to assist with School Capital improvements and support teacher/staff appreciation including bonuses and quarterly lunches. All funds from the annual school fund stay at CTK school. For next year’s Annual School Fund Appeal will replace the teacher appreciation envelope and school fund envelope. Below is list of projects: Summer of 2026 Projects Pre-K and K-8 Tuckpointing Pre-K HVAC Pre-K and K-8 Playgrounds safety improvements School Security Cameras-Interior Lent Information Stations of the Cross Every Wednesday 5pm Every Friday 12:05pm Lent Penence Service March 22 at 2pm Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and St. Agnes Hosted by Christ the King 6 Priests will be available for confessions Confessions Monday through Friday: 6:30am-6:50am Every Saturday: 3:00pm-4pm Every Sunday: 4-45pm Military Weekends April 12-25 and May 16-17

Second Sunday of Lent: A Mission of Mercy & Grateful Hearts

March 1, 2026
Happy 2nd Sunday of Lent! This Sunday, March 1 at 6:30pm, we bring our Lenten Parish Mission here at Christ the King on the Mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Fr. Alex will speak the 1 night on the Mercy of God in the Sacrament of Confession. On March 2nd , Dennis will reflect on the Road to Emmaus from Luke 24 with Adoration and confessions being available afterwards. Finally on March 3rd, Dcn. Scott will reflect on a Parable from Jesus that reveals the Mercy of God with a social afterwards in the Parish Center. Anyone is welcome to attend these 3 evenings. I want to thank you for your generous support of our 1st Annual School Fund Appeal that began Dec 2, 2025. We started with a modest goal this year of 25K and we have raised over 41K! The Annual School Fund Appeals runs through May, if you like to donate visit: https://www.ctkcougars.com/support-ctk/annual-fund.cfm . We began this yearly appeal to assist with School capital improvements and support teacher/staff appreciation including bonuses and quarterly lunches. All funds from the annual school fund stay at CTK school. For next year’s Annual School Fund Appeal will replace the teacher appreciation envelope and school fund envelope. Below is list of projects: Summer of 2026 Projects Pre-K and K-* Tuckpointing Pre-K HVAC Pre-K and K-8 Playgrounds safety improvements School Security Cameras-Interior Lent Information Stations of the Cross Every Wednesday 5pm Every Friday 12:05pm Lent Penence Service March 22 at 2PM Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and St. Agnes Hosted by Christ the King 6 priests will be avaialbe for confessions Confessions Monday through Friday: 6:30am-6:50am Every Saturday: 3:00pm-4pm Every Sunday: 4-45pm Military Weekends March 4-6 and April 12-25

Into the Desert: Our Lenten Journey Begins

February 21, 2026
Happy 1st Sunday of Lent! Our Gospel this weekend recalls Jesus 40 days in the desert after His Baptism. A time of prayer and fasting for Him before He began His public ministry which revealed overtime that He was the Messiah and Son of God. Throughout the Old Testament, time in the desert, recalls the Israelites 40 years in the desert before they entered the Promised Land. Jesus’s time in the desert is a foreshadowing then that He is going to lead a New Exodus through the desert to a New Promise Land. Our Lenten journey of 40 days intimates Jesus’s 40 days in the desert and prepares for Holy Week when we call the New Exodus and New Passover accomplished by Jesus Christ. This past week our 3rd graders received the Sacraments of Confirmation and 1st Holy Communion on Feb 17 at the Cathedral. We will celebrate them as a Parish on Feb 22 at 10am Mass. They will process in and receive Holy Communion first during Mass. We will have A Parish Lent Mission Sunday March 1, 2, and 3 at 6:30pm on the Mercy of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Fr Alex, Dennis, and Dcn. Scott will each take a night. Fr. Alex will discuss the Sacrament of Confession one night. Dcn. Scott and Dennis will each speak one night on a Parable from Jesus that reveals God’s Mercy. We will have a social on March 3 after the Mission. Reminder during Lent, we will use the Penitential Act Form B seen below. It is not commonly used at Mass, but is a nice option for Lent. Below is more information on Lent. Lent Information Stations of the Cross Every Wednesday 5pm Every Friday 12:05pm Confessions Monday through Friday: 6:30am-6:50am Every Saturday: 3:00pm-4pm Every Sunday: 4-45pm Lent Resources Lenten Companion by Ascension Press Exodus 90 and Magnify Halo App Lenten Parish Mission March 1-3 at 6:30pm More information to come Penitential Act The Priest then says: Have mercy on us,O Lord. The faithful reply: For we have sinned against you. The Priest: Show us,O Lord, your mercy. The faithful: And grant us your salvation. Military Weekends March 4-6 and April 12-25 

As We Prepare Our Hearts for Lent

February 7, 2026
Happy 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Hard to believe, but Lent is right around the corner. Ash Wednesday falls on Feb 18 this year. Below is some Lenten Information. I am away next this weekend on annually priestly retreat. I will be on retreat spending time with prayer with Jesus at St Meinrad from Feb. 5-11. If you need anything during that time, simply reach out to the office. During Lent, we will use the Penitential Act Form B seen below. It is not commonly used at Mass, but is a nice option for Lent. You might have noticed the 3 new planters outside of a Church. We installed those planters for security reasons after a security audit. It was recommended in our security audit to install a barrier to prevent easy access to our Church front doors. I pray that these barriers are never needed. Unfortunately, in our world today, extra security measures are required. We plan to add some flowers to the planters in the spring. Lent Information Lenten Parish Mission March 1-3 at 6:30 PM Ash Wednesday 7am Mass, 8:30am (School Mass), 12pm Penitential Act (Ash Service), 5:30pm Mass The Priest then says: Have Mercy on Us, O Lord Stations of the Cross The faithful reply: Every Wednesday 5pm For we have sinned against you. Every Friday 12:05pm The Priest: Show us, O Lord, your mercy. Confessions The faithful: Monday through Friday: 6:30am-6:50am And grant us your salvation Every Saturday: 3:00pm-4pm Every Sunday: 4-45pm Lent Resources Lenten Companion by Ascension Press Exodus 90 and Magnify Halo App Military Weekends Feb. 21-22 and March 4-6

United in Faith and Community

January 23, 2026
Happy 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time! This Sunday, Jan 25, we kick off Catholic Schools Week for our Parish School. At 10am Mass, some kids from our school will serve as lectors and greeters at Mass plus the Cougar Chorus will sing at Mass. Catholic Schools week each year is an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of our Catholic schools especially their Catholic Identity. The National Theme for Catholic Schools Week this year is United in Faith and Community. This theme emphasizes the uniqueness of a Catholic School. Our uniqueness as a Catholic School flows from education and formation being centered around Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who unites us. At our Baptism, Jesus brought us into a bigger family, the family of God. Our faith in Christ unites then and calls us to community, to live as part of the family of God. We will celebrate Catholic School Weeks with a variety of activities that celebrate this theme of being united in Faith and Community through Jesus Christ. We will celebrate with Sunday Mass with kids in ministry roles, Eucharistic Procession at School on Thursday, and many other fun activities. Please keep us in prayer this week as we celebrate the uniqueness of being of Catholic School. Finally, one minor change that we will begin in February for Christ the King Parish is a new procedure for those receiving low gluten hosts. Anyone needing a low gluten host beginning in February will simply proceed to the priest distributing Holy Communion at Mass. The priest will have low gluten hosts in a special pyx. Military Weekends Feb. 21-27 and March 4-6

Behold the Lamb of God

January 19, 2026
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Baptism of the Lord

January 10, 2026
Happy Feast of the Baptism of the Lord! I am sad to miss this great feast with yall. I am away on military drill Jan 10-11. Please keep me in prayer and know of my prayers. This great feast moves us from the Nativity scene with Mary, St. Joseph, shepherds, and Magi to roughly 30 years later in Jesus’s earthly life. The Feast of Baptism of the Lord manifests that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Messiah. This Feast of Baptism of the Lord serves as a Bridge to Ordinary Time because Christmas Season is all about the long-awaited Messiah being born and Ordinary Time is about seeing Jesus prove and show forth in His public ministry that He is the Messiah. At His Baptism, we hear the Father’s voice and Holy Spirit appearing as a Dove to confirm that Jesus is the Messiah as he begins His public ministry which will end with His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. This manifestation of the Holy Spirit at Jesus’s Baptism also harkens back to the Old Testament Kings and Prophets being anointing with the Spirit of the Lord as they began their Mission. So, the appearance of the Holy Spirit signifies that Jesus is the Anointed Messiah beginning the next stage of His Mission, His public ministry. For more information of this great feast visit https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/why-jesus-was-baptized or Why Was Jesus Baptized? -Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon on YouTube. After this weekend, we will begin taking down Christmas decorations. We will leave the Nativity Scene up until Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2. Presentation of the Lord traditionally closed Christmas Season until recently since it was 40 days after Christmas. We also have a very beautiful Nativity Scene, and it will be nice to enjoy its beauty through Feb. 2. Military Weekends Jan. 10-11 and Feb. 21-27

Epiphany: Christ Revealed to the World

January 3, 2026
Happy Feast of the Epiphany! Epiphany, traditionally on Jan. 6 closes out the 12 days of Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. We will the conclude the Christmas Season next weekend with the Baptism of our Lord. The Feast of Epiphany focuses on the Magi – the 3 wise men coming from the Persia area to see the newborn King of the Jews. Most likely these 3 wise men, Magi, would have been part of a bigger caravan. These 3 wise men would have studied astrology, philosophy and many other academic disciplines. They also were most likely of the priestly class of Persia who, with their astrology training, interpreted Divine messages from the stars. And as the Scriptures convey, gave 3 gifts to the newborn King: gold for a King, frankincense for a God used in worship, and myrrh to signify his death and burial. The significance of this great Feast is that the Magi represent the first Gentiles (non-Jews) encountering Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament, the Messiah is expected, based on God’s promises to Israel, to be a light to the Gentiles. Meaning the Messiah through Israel would bring the Gentiles into the Covenance and family of God. For more information on the Magi visit https://catholiceducation.org/en/culture/the-magi.html or https://catholicinsight.com/2025/01/04/themeaning- of-the-magi-and-the-star-of-bethlehem/ Military Weekends Jan 10-11 and Feb. 21-27 

The Holy Family and the Ongoing Joy of Christmas

December 29, 2025
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