"Remaining Rooted in Christ" by Fr. Chris House
April 26, 2024
Remaining Rooted in Christ
This Sunday’s readings remind us of the profound love of God and our call to abide in Christ like branches connected to the vine. The imagery of the vineyard and the branches in the Gospel of John invites us to reflect deeply on our relationship with Jesus and our mission as his disciples.
In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus speaks to us using the analogy of the vine and the branches. He says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit because without me you can do nothing." This statement is at the core of our Christian faith – our union with Christ is essential for our spiritual vitality and fruitfulness. Just as branches draw their sustenance and life from the vine, so too do we draw our strength and purpose from our connection to Jesus. When we remain in him through prayer, the sacraments, and a life of discipleship, we are empowered to bear abundant fruit – the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To not remain connected to Jesus, the vine results in spiritual decay and death.
The first reading from Acts recounts the conversion of Saul, who becomes Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles. Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a fervent follower of Christ is a testament to the transformative power of encountering Jesus. His life bears witness to the reality that when we abide in Christ, our lives are changed, and we become instruments of God's love and mercy in the world. In the second reading from the letter of John, we are reminded of the importance of love in our Christian walk. "Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth," John writes. Our love for one another is a tangible expression of our connection to Christ. It is through acts of love and compassion that we bear witness to the presence of God in our midst.
As we reflect on these readings, let us recommit ourselves to abiding in Christ, remaining rooted in his love, and bearing fruit that glorifies God and brings hope to others. May our lives be a reflection of the vineyard tended by the Father, producing abundant fruit for the Kingdom.
Confirmation and First Holy Communion
This Tuesday evening students in our school and PSR program will receive the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist from our bishop at the Cathedral. Next Sunday at the 10AM Mass we will celebrate a solemn Communion Mass with those students who will receive their First Holy Communion this Tuesday. Please pray for our students who are receiving these great gifts of God’s love that the graces they receive will keep them firmly rooted in God’s divine life.
Christ the King School Presents Mary Poppins
All are welcome to attend our school’s production of Mary Poppins next weekend, May 3rd, 4th and 5th. Friday’s and Saturday’s performances are at 7:00PM and Sunday’s performance is at 2:00PM.
Auction Thank You
Thank you to all who organized, volunteered, donated, and purchased items making our school auction possible and successful. May the Lord bless you for your generous support of the work of our school!
Blessings to you and yours for the week ahead!
Father Chris House
Happy 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Our Lord’s teaching in the Gospel today is pretty challenging. Forgiveness is always tough because something wrong has happened and a hurt has occurred. Forgiveness though is not about ignoring the wrong or hurt. Forgiveness is not about saying what happened was right nor about putting ourselves in the situation again. Forgiveness is ultimately about some type of reconciliation and healing, which looks different in each circumstance. We seek to forgive because Jesus forgives us and living in Him we are called to participate in the difficult work of reconciliation. Reminder, next weekend is the first Sunday of the Family Formation series after 10am Mass. Childcare and food are both provided. You can attend 1, 2, or al 3 sessions depending on your family’s availability. As I mentioned in my homily a few weeks, we are offering this series as way to support families in handing on the faith to their children. Finally, Catholic Crash Course wil be Sept 20 and Sept 27 after 5pm Mass in the Parish Center. Anyone is welcome to attend. If you know anyone interested in OCIA, please invite them to these nights. Fr. Jayke will connect with them and make a plan with them for OCIA. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Catholic Crash Course: Sept 20 and 27 after 5pm Mass Family Faith Formation Series: Sept 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Stewardship State Parish Homily: Sept 25 and 26 Pledge Commitment Weekend: Oct 3 and 4 In Jesus our King, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule September 11-13 and October 16-18
Happy 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time! I pray that you have a restful Labor Day Weekend. Our Lord’s instruction in today’s Gospel is hard to live by. It is always hard to have difficult conversations with someone often due to conflict and emotions running high. If you are like me, I can avoid conflict at times or want to speak about others behind their backs without having the difficult conversation with them one on one. Jesus’s instruction chalenges us in a good way to have the difficult conversations and trust that He will be present to guide us through them and make them fruitful. Our School Annual Fund launched earlier than anticipated this year to help with unexpected costs due to our Parish School experiencing unexpected water main leak during the first week of school. We have repaired the immediate needs, and school is back in session. We are working towards a long-term solution for the water main while keeping school in session. Many people have asked how I can help and the best way to help right to assist with the unexpected costs through the Annual Fund. h ttps://www.ctkcougars.com/support-ctk/annual-fund.cfm Worship Candlelight Adoration – Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Catholic Crash Course: Sept 20 and 27 after 5pm Mass Family Faith Formation Series: Sept 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Stewardship Centennial Campaign Information Session: Sept 8 at 6pm, Sept 9 at 12pm and 6pm State Parish Homily: Sept 25 and 26 Pledge Commitment Weekend: Oct 3 and 4 In Jesus our King, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule September 11-13 and October 16-18
Happy 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who assisted with Fr. Jayke’s Welcome Reception. It was a great time of fellowship welcoming him to Christ the King. He has already been an immense gift to our Parish Family. This weekend in our Gospel, our Lord Jesus reminds us that the cross and discipleship intertwined together. If we want to follow Jesus, we need to embrace the cross. I will preach on this theme at Mass and connected to our new Vision and Mission of our Parish including our Formation events coming up this fall. As I mentioned last weekend, our Parish School experienced unexpected water main leak during the first week of school. We have repaired the immediate needs, and school is back in session. We are working towards a long-term solution for the water main while keeping school in session. This water main issue was certainly an unexpected need, and we decided to begin our School Annual Fund earlier than anticipated to help with the costs. Many people have asked how I can help and the best way to help is to assist with the unexpected costs through the Annual Fund. https://www.ctkcougars.com/support-ctk/annual-fund.cfm If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More of a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the bulletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 31. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. Finally, Reminder that there will be Candlelight Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this Sunday, Aug 30, at 7pm. Worship Candlelight Adoration: Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 @ 7pm Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 @ 5:30pm Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Afternoon Sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Begins Sept 27 after 5pm Mass Fellowship Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10 am Mass. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule September 11-13 and October 16-18
Happy 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time! Our Gospel today is the foundation for the Papacy. As we know, St. Peter was the first Pope, and every Pope draws their line back to him. St. Paul outside the walls in Rome has portrait of every pope back to St. Peter. Something important to remember about the Office of the Pope is the does not replace Christ Jesus, but rather represents Him. St. Peter is entrusted with the kings (symbol of authority), but he does not create the key or lock. Jesus creates and defines both. Office of the Pope is simply to protect and not change the keys,namely the deposit of faith revealed in Scripture and Tradition. This weekend, we will have a Welcome Reception for Fr. Jayke after 10am Mass. He has been a wonderful addition to Christ the King. Let’s show him a warm welcome as he continues to settle in here at Christ the King. We also will have our Volunteer Luncheon next Sunday on Aug. 30. If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the bulletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 31. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. Worship Candlelight Adoration–Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Afternoon Sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Begins Sept 27 after 5pm Mass Fellowship Fr. Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10amMass. Flyer and RSVP coming soon. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule September 11-13 and October 16-18
Happy 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Our Gospel today is often misinterpreted these days with Jesus been seen as practicing racism towards the Canaanite women. This interpretation though is not recognizing the language of the time. Jesus is making a play on words with the word dog which was often a word used to describe Gentiles, nations not Jewish. Isreal’s mission was to bring the nations (Gentiles) into the covenant. Gentiles were brought into the new covenant though Jesus. The women correctly understood this mission of Jesus and Jesus praises her for her faith and persistence. Next Weekend, we will have a Welcome Reception for Fr. Jayke after 10am Mass. He has been a wonderful addition to Christ the King. Let’s show him a warm welcome as he continues to settle in here at Christ the King. I am excited to announce as part of our stewardship efforts on campus that we be beginning our Centennial Capital Campaign. I never dreamt of doing a campaign in my 2nd year here at Christ the King, but our school windows and lintels are in critical need and need to be replaced next summer. You wil receive information in the coming weeks via mail with more details. My campaign letter is also in this buletin. If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the buletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 24. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. Worship Candlelight Adoration –Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Afternoon Sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Begins Sept 27 after 5pm Mass Fellowship Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and September 11-13
Happy 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time! I am excited to announce as part of our stewardship efforts on campus that we be beginning our Centennial Capital Campaign. I never dreamt of doing a campaign in my 2 year here at Christ the King, but our school windows and lintels are in critical need and need to be replaced next summer. You will receive information in the coming weeks via mail with more details. My campaign letter is also in this bulletin. I want to say thank you to everyone who assisted with the sendoff reception for Dennis Trickey and Colin Taylor. We pray for both as they head back to Seminary. Reminder this weekend, we will have our Annual Missionary Appeal coordinated through our Missions Office. Sr. Catherine will be here Aug 8-9 to share about her Religious and their Mission. She will speak at al Masses right before Mass starts. For more information see the bulletin. We also have blessing of backpacks this weekend at 4:30pm and 10am Masses. Dates are earlier due to my military schedule. For the Volunteer luncheon coming up on Aug 30. This luncheon is simply our way of saying thank you. We will offer a meal after 10am Mass plus a gift. Anyone who volunteers at Christ the King is welcome to attend. Volunteers would include service teams like funeral luncheon team, Altar and Rosary, parish nurses, Good Samatarians, PB & J, auction team, money counters, etc. plus Mass ministries like Choir, Ushers, etc. Please sign-up for food count purposes, sign-up will be released soon. If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the bulletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 24. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 @ 7pm Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 @ 5:30pm Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass . Afternoon sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Begins Sept. 27 Fellowship Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass. Flyer and RSVP coming soon. In Christ's Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and September 11-13
Happy 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who assisted with Dcn. Scott’s Farewell Reception. It was a great time of fellowship as we move into his assignment at St. Boniface in Edwardsville. This weekend, we will have a sendoff reception for Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor. Dennis will be missed and has been a great gift to Christ the King. He will be back for visits. Collin Taylor is a parishioner and is entering his first year of seminary. We are immensely proud of him and he will be back for visits during seminary breaks. Next weekend, we will have our Annual Missionary Appeal coordinated through our Missions Office. Sr. Catherine will be here Aug 8-9 to share about her Religious and their Mission. She will speak at all Masses right before Mass starts. For more information see the bulletin. Next weekend, we also will have Blessing of the Backpacks at 4:30pm Mass and 10am Mass. We moved the date up due to my military schedule. The Blessing will take place at the end of Mass. For the Volunteer luncheon coming up on Aug 30. This luncheon is simply our way of saying thank you. We will offer a meal after 10am Mass plus a gift. Anyone who volunteers at Christ the King is welcome to attend. Volunteers would include service teams like perishing nursing, Good Samatarians, PB & J, auction team, money counters, etc. plus Mass ministries. Please sign-up for food count purposes, sign-up will be released soon. If you are interested in joining Pastoral Council, we are looking for 2 new members. More a description on the Pastoral Council, please see the bulletin. If you are interested, simply submit a letter of interest to Erin by Aug. 24. Term for pastoral council is 2 years with an option for a second term. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. Our new School Annual Fund assisted with some of these projects and raised over $58K. Those projects are finishing up. We also repainted the parking lot lines. We will be doing some maintenance on the Gym Floor over the next 2-3weeks. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 after 5pm Mass. Afternoon sessions to be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4 after 10am Mass Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 OCIA: Dates to be released soon Fellowship Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass. Flyer and RSVP coming soon. In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and September 11-13
Happy 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Our 1st reading today praises the gift of Wisdom. Through the Bible, wisdom is praised as a gift from the Holy Spirit. From the biblical perspective, this gift of the Holy Spirit allows one to understand Divine truths and apply them concretely to their lives. Through this understanding and application, the wise person makes sound decisions through following the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Let us pray then each of us can know the Holy Spirit’s prompts correctly and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. Reminder, we will be installing the Hearing Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel with no 6:30am confessions. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. Our new School Annual Fund assisted with some of these projects and raised over $58K. Those projects are finishing up. We also repainted the parking lot lines. We will doing some maintenance on the Gym Floor over the next 2-3 weeks. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule August 13-16 and Sepatember 11-13
Happy 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time! Thank you to everyone who assisted with Totus Tuus! It was a great week of worship, formation, and fellowship for our youth. As you can see below, we have some exciting events coming up soon. To assist myself and parish staff with these events, I am excited to announce that Michelle Ofreneo Zata and Amanda Cagwin have hired as Parish Engagement Coordinators. These positions are part-time and they will be coordinated many things including women’s ministry, family formation events, and welcoming new parishioners. I am excited for them as they begin his ministry partnering with me to provide parish engagement opportunities. We will be installing the Hearin Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. Reminder, that we are doing a new Parish Directory. Sign up information is around Campus and in the bulletin. Please sign up for photos, they are free for the directory. It will be great to have a new one as Fr. Jayke comes on board. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. We also will be repainting the parking lot lines. Parking lot needs work, but we do that in due time after several big projects are completed on Campus. Worship Candlelight Adoration – Aug 2, Aug 30, Oct. 4, Nov. 15, and Dec. 6 Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16
Happy 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time! This weekend, we welcome Fr. Jayke White to our Parish for his 1st Weekend. We will have a Welcome Party for him on Aug 23 after the 10am Mass. We will be installing the Hearing Loop in the Church on July 28-30. During that time, we will not have access to the Church for Mass, Adoration, and Confessions. I apologize for the inconvenience. We will offer Daily Mass those days at 7am in the Sacred Heart Chapel. Please use the St. Joseph Choir Door to enter those days. Reminder, that we are doing a new Parish Directory. Sign up information is around Campus and in the bulletin. Please sign up for photos, they are free for the directory. It will be great to have a new one as Fr. Jayke comes on board. In the bulletin as well, you will see some new funeral policies for our Diocese. They were promulgated by Bishop Paprocki on July 1. Bishop met with all the funeral directors and Pastors of our Diocese this past year to explain the changes. Below you will find worship, formation, and fellowship events coming up. Dates to be released soon! More similar types of events are being planned as well. We continue our Stewardship this summer with the tuckpointing ongoing, Pre-K HVAC, and Playgrounds. We also will be repainting the parking lot lines. Parking lot needs work, but we do that in due time after several big projects are completed on Campus. Worship Candlelight Adoration – dates will be released soon Marian Candlelight Masses: Dec 2, 9, 16, and 23 Formation Adult Faith Formation Series: this fall after 5pm with meal provided. Dates will be released soon Family Faith Formation Series: 3 sessions coming up this fall after 10am Mass with meal provided Pre-Advent Mission: Nov. 15-16 Fellowship Dcn. Scott Farewell Reception: July 26 after 10am Mass Dennis Trickey and Collin Taylor Send Off: Aug 2 after 10am Mass Fr Jayke White Welcome Party: Aug 23 after 10am Mass Volunteer Appreciate Luncheon: Aug 30 after 10am Mass In Christ’s Mercy, Fr. Mark Tracy Fr. Mark’s Military Schedule July 18-19 and August 13-16 Totus Tuus Mass is open to all parishioners 11:15
