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Ministry Pages

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

The Ministry Pages have been set up. Ministry Leaders are being contacted to learn how to update the pages.

Parish Registration Form

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500

To register in St Thomas More Parish click here for the registration form. Complete the form, print it out and submit it to the Parish Office. You may also place the completed form in the collection basket or give it to an usher at Mass.

Deacon Tony's Homilies

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

Deacon Tony's homilies are moving to his Ministry Page! Click "Ministries" from the Home Page, look under "Parish" then click "Deacon".

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Christmas Eve - 12-24-2012

We are here to celebrate a birthday! A very special and unique birthday.

The day when God was born into the human race in the person of Jesus Christ.

But before we get started, I want to tell you I get emotional at certain celebrations.

Like my grandchildren’s birthdays or birthdays of elderly people, who are very brave and continue to celebrate even when it is difficult to do so. So if I get a little choked up and sentimental, know that my tears are always tears of joy. I get so filled with the Holy Spirit that it flows out of me in tears. Also I have been on pain medication for the last three weeks from a back operation I had on December 4^th. Just a warning for anyone who gets alarmed when a grown man cries.

When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the fact that Jesus is that special gift from our Father in Heaven. Births bring NEW LIFE and they are joyous occasions. But this birth brings NEW LIFE to a different dimension. Jesus’ birth provided His life in human form and also opened up a whole new way for every human being to live out their lives.

“For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."

Notice that Jesus came to save us from ourselves. Yes we are sinners and any good Christian will always tell you that, yes we sin but we are also forgiven. We are forgiven because we admit our sinfulness and seek pardon from God and those we have offended.

We follow the instructions of John the Baptist when he called all to repent. We repent by reflecting on what we have done, during our day, and we have failed to do, and seek pardon when it is necessary. These acts of repentance bring about new life; healed and repaired life. It is very God-like to bring this life into our world and only we are capable (with God’s grace to guide us) of accomplishing this feat.

It’s almost like a special dance that we do with God, and in the process we grow closer and closer to Him and enjoy many blessings which add to the value of our lives. Yes life is a very valuable gift from God. Sometime we do not appreciate the value of that gift.

To illustrate my point, I want to share an experience I had when I was thirty. When I say I experienced something when I was thirty, know that it had something to do with my renewal weekend, which occurred in 1977. It was a time of great awakening for me and I was seeing things with a new vision. One of those things was the Celebration of Christmas and all the Christmas Carols that I had grown up with. We were singing

“Oh Holy Night” and a few lyrics hit me like in a new way. Keep in mind I was raised on songs like “Oh Holy Night” and sang them effortlessly without even thinking about the words I was mouthing. You all know how it goes: “ it was the night of our dear Savior’s birth-….long lay the world, in sin and error pining, till He appeared AND THE SOUL FELT IT’S WORTH…..FALL ON YOUR KNEES, OH HEAR THE ANGEL’S VOICES…OH NIGHT.. DIVINE, OH OH NIGHT WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN.

I was deeply moved because I knew and felt that my life had value. And I knew that the only reason that it had value was because Jesus came into this world to free me from my sins and that I would honor His redemption forever into eternity. If you are wondering about ways to grow closer in your relationship with Jesus and experiencing NEW LIFE,

Know that our parish offers reconciliation to all who wish to start afresh, adoration once a week to all who wish to seek His grace in their lives, social justice opportunities of putting your faith into action and of course, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass everyday.

I couldn’t help but notice that we are overflowing tonight and I assume that some of you are here visiting or just coming to a church for the holidays only. I want you to know that we consider all who enter our doors to be family. If you live nearby and are not members who attend regularly that we will be having a “Christ Renews His Parish“ weekend in the spring and would love to invite you to attend this spring. It’s a wonderful way to expand your participation with your Lord and Savior.

Deacon Tony

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33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - 11-18-2012

Let me start by reminding us that our hope is in Jesus Christ who died once for all and sits at the right hand of Father pleading for us.

The letter to the Hebrews today should encourage us a great deal. It was written for the Jewish Christians of the second century. The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling. So with such an inheritance we need not know the day or the hour as long as we are leading lives that are pleasing to God.

I am not good with imagery. I never seem to get it right when I do have an original thought the experts say I am wrong.

“…those who lead the many to justice shall be like stars forever”

This is the only line I will share with you.

The people at St Thomas More are aware of the people around them and are always inviting others to join them on the road to heaven.

So I figure, rather than take the Lord’s advise and look for the signs of the end times, I would rather just live right, starting today, and not worry about when the end is near. Of course with my natural tendency to rationalize, I need to seek the Church’s guidance on what to do and if I am doing it right.

The Catholic Church is offering us a “Year of Faith” which began last month and calling us to a “New Evangelization”.

Cardinal Dolan, in his address to the US Bishops, reminded them that they cannot evangelize until they themselves are evangelized. A reminder that all of us should heed. The Cardinal quotes Pope Benedict regarding this:

"Evangelization, appears not simply a task to be undertaken ad extra; we ourselves are the first to need re-evangelization. As with all spiritual crises, whether of individuals or communities, we know that the ultimate answer can only be born of a searching, critical and ongoing self-assessment and conversion in the light of Christ's truth."

"We, however, should never think that the new evangelization does not concern us as Bishops personally. In these days voices among the Bishops were raised to recall that the Church must first of all heed the Word before she can evangelize the world.

The invitation to evangelize becomes a call to conversion."

“The Sacrament of Reconciliation evangelizes the evangelizers, as it brings us sacramentally into contact with Jesus who calls us to conversion of heart, and allows us to answer his invitation to repentance -- a repentance from within that can then transform the world without.”

Cardinal Dolan recalled asking a new bishop his thoughts on attending his first plenary assembly. He was impressed with the organization, how informative and enjoyable it was; but the deepest impression was when he entered a large room filled with bishops who were lined up to go to confession.

Let us avail ourselves of this sacrament so rich with grace and God’s forgiveness. Maybe we can evangelize by inviting a family member or a friend to go to confession with us.

Deacon Tony

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29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 21, 2012

THE SERVANT SONG

The servant song is our song. “You do not know what you are asking.” You should be asking how can I be a better servant!

“You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt.

But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”

Now James and John asked to be right up there on the altar with Jesus. But they didn’t know what they were asking for. They knew nothing of the Passion and Death of Our Lord or His Resurrection. We actually know more about God’s kingdom than they knew as followers of Christ.

“But to sit at My right or at My left is not Mine to give.”

If you are like me, you would say: all I want is to get in to the last pew in heaven. I’m happy if God is happy. But aiming for the last pew might cause us to fall short of heaven entirely. So I ask myself: “Have I sought to know more about Jesus and try to grow closer to Him daily? Have I developed an eye for the needy around me? Since I am a Knight of Columbus, have I volunteered to give an hour of my time to pass out tootsie rolls for the handicapped of our area?” It’s not too late to help”

We have a great opportunity here at STM to grow closer to Jesus through CRHP. The next weekends are Nov 3 & 4 for the ladies and Nov 10 & 11 for the men.

In Hebrews the author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling.

The author’s main theme, the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus, is not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith. Another important theme of the letter is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem.

As Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say:

“The fruit of silence is prayer,

the fruit of prayer is faith,

the fruit of faith is love,

the fruit of love is service,

the fruit of service is peace.”

Deacon Tony

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24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 16, 2012

Poor Peter. Once again he is used as Our Lord’s example of what He wants from His disciples. Once again he goes from being the star pupil to the dunce who messed up.

When Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus commended him by saying:

“Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jona because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven." Then Jesus told them not to tell anyone about this.

Why do you think Jesus didn’t want His message shared yet?

It was because the teaching wasn’t fully developed. Not because it wasn’t clear in God's mind but because it was not going to be easy for His followers to accept the fact that they must give up their lives in order to truly live.

As we see in the rest of the passage, when Jesus told them the Son of Man was to suffer and die, Peter jumped up again to rebuke Our Lord for this message and was indeed rebuked himself with the words: “Get behind me Satan”. So Peter goes from the head of the class into the corner.

Jesus had a real up and down RELATIONSHIP with Peter. But it was a REAL RELATIONSHIP between two pure hearts. And that’s what Jesus wants when he asks:

"WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?"

Now relationships are not static but are always evolving; and hopefully growing.

Our relationship with Jesus should always be growing. I heard a theory once that eternity in heaven is sitting down for a conversation with Jesus and everyday He reveals a little bit more about Himself. And eternity cannot contain the depth of Our Lord’s being.

Another way to grow our relationship with Christ is to do what He has told us to do,

James, in the second reading, calls them “works”.

When we do for others our relationship with Jesus goes to a higher level and our spiritual lives show forth in a way that brings God’s grace into His kingdom on earth.

This Sunday we are commissioning our religious education instructors and that is a truly great work performed by Christ’s followers today. I taught for a few decades at various levels of high school and I always received more then I gave. I remember thinking that it was a good way for me to keep up with my study and growth. I would always tell the students that I was teaching for my own education first and theirs second. We can always use more religious-ed instructors with our growing student body.

But there are also many parents at this Youth Mass who see that their children get here every week. The Church has always taught that parents are the first educators of their children through their lives of example. I hope that all the parents here will be blessed from their efforts of seeing that their kids know Who Jesus is, in their lives and that they go to Him for the wisdom and strength to extend themselves to the needy around them.

Deacon Tony

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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 5, 2012

It is always nice to read the scriptures where God is providing for the people.

Manna from on high where the people can eat until they are filled to their heart’s content. They didn’t have to plant or reap; all they had to do was go out and collect it. They were instructed to pick just enough for that day except the day before the Sabbath when they were supposed to collect for that day and for the Sabbath to avoid working on the Sabbath which was forbidden by the third commandment. How kind God was in caring for His chosen people. They even kept manna in the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder of God’s care for them.

Eventually there was no need for manna when they arrived at the Promised Land which became their permanent home and they were once again, able to provide their own food. It was meant to be a temporary solution to their hunger while wandering in the dessert.

Jesus also provided a temporary solution to the people’s hunger when He fed thousands with just a few fish and barley loaves, which we read in last Sunday’s Gospel. Today the people continued to seek him in order to be fed by Him. But Jesus calls them out on their motives: you seek to be fed physically with food that perishes.

DO NOT DO THIS! Work for the food that endures for eternity.

Jesus makes a clear distinction between our life on earth and our spiritual lives. They are two different lives that have two separate needs to be nourished. Do we clearly see the differences in ourselves and in our relationship with Jesus?

But it takes right motives and a willingness to be renewed in the spirit.

"Give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty.

What are you hungry for? What are your motives in calling to God?

Do you we seek His mercy everyday? Do we seek Him in the Scriptures and allow Him to nourish us spiritually with His sacred words?

Do we care for the needy in our lives as a way of sacrificing our time and talent to do His will? Do we have Jesus’ heart for the needy in our lives?

Are we more about Jesus’ will for us or more about us?

We can start right here at Mass, as we prepare ourselves to receive the bread of life; the bread that feeds our souls and guides our hearts.

Deacon Tony

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16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – July 22, 2012

Jeremiah, who unfortunately is often referred to as a prophet of doom and gloom, accuses the kings of Judah for being so inept in ruling the people. They did not have the people’s best interest at heart and God held them responsible for the people’s return to idolatry. He tells them that the Lord will punish them for their lack of care and concern. However, the reading ends on a good note that suggests hope. God will eventually send the Messiah who shall be the savior, a clear allusion to Jesus. He will establish a “NEW COVENANT” with Israel and He said that this time it will be a different type of covenant. IT WILL BE WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS!

The Gospel is a fulfillment of the promise in Jesus, the true and good Shepherd whose utter concern for his flock is reflected in his teaching them many things to satisfy their hunger. Jesus is filled with compassion when he sees the people hungry for the Word of God. And so, despite his fatigue and desire for rest, he decides to teach them lengthily. By this act, Jesus shows the primacy of the needs of others over one's personal needs.

We, God’s people today in the USA are also hungry. We are hungry for a relationship with God that lifts high above the idols of our world. The idols that we choose to bring true happiness even though they fail to deliver anything permanent.

This should give us great confidence, great encouragement. Christ has not changed: He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has the same compassion for us that He had for those Galileans; we too are often like sheep without a shepherd wandering half-lost through life. He is ever calling us to come to Himself so that He will lead us to safe pastures. If only we would listen to His merciful call! Today's Gospel is one such call — it goes out to every member of this congregation who has been lax in his or her religious life up to now. Christ wants us back on the high-road to heaven. All we have to do is to break with the past, with the earthly things that kept us from God.

We can set out as freemen to follow Christ.

He has left to His Church the holy sacrament of penance in which He guarantees us a freedom beyond all comprehension, if we confess them with true sorrow.

He came to call sinners, He tells us. Let us answer His call.

Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” I thought it meant that I did not want Jesus as my shepherd because as a young boy I thought God was asking me to be good, which seemed impossible. It was indeed impossible without His grace and inspiration. On my own I could never be the person that God wanted me to be.

But it was a great comfort to me, in my adult life, when I read a different version of Psalm 23 that said, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want”.

There is truly nothing I want except a relationship with Christ that will guide me through this life and through all eternity.

Deacon Tony

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3rd Sunday of Easter – April 29, 2012

“PEACE BE WITH YOU”

Is that what Jesus said? Is that what He said every time He visited the Apostles after His Resurrection? It’s no wonder that He had to keep repeating Himself. It’s no wonder He wasn’t seeing His Apostles getting the message. What would you have done if you were left on your own without much success so far, even when the Boss was still there calling the shots? And when He was crucified and buried, it was one of those deals where they were left to say, “WILL HE BE BACK?”

What was the game plan? We were thinking it was going to go more smoothly than this. I don’t think we are ready for challenge. We should all relate to that feeling of walking in the dark and not being sure what God is calling me to do. Well, the first Apostles had times when they went back and forth a lot. They even returned to their original profession of fishermen; that doesn’t sound like men who were at peace. But Jesus had to show them that they needed Him no matter what they planned to do. We recall the scripture where Jesus showed up on the shore when they had returned from an unsuccessful night of fishing and He told them to recast their nets when they had given up. Boy I can relate to that example of the Lord being there with fortitude. I guess if we are truly to enjoy the peace that only Jesus can offer, we must seek Him and seek His counsel in our lives.

That’s what Peter must have done when he stood before the people and explained that Jesus was and always will be the plan that dates back to the beginning of time. That the Patriarchs glorified Him as “the author of life”. It must have given him peace to share the facts with people and tell them about the forgiving God who only asks for repentance.

The two Apostles, who had met the Lord on the road to Emmaus, understood that the Lord would be there for them. We should understand that we can rely on Jesus to be there for us in our brothers and sisters who walk the same path.

This peace that Jesus offers us is more than just peace of mind.

He offers peace of heart and soul. That is eternal peace.

So, when things go wrong we know that we have his counsel and concern to guide us through any situation. We have His forgiveness when we fail and reconcile ourselves to Him. We have His friendship.

Jesus knew what path He was calling the Apostles to travel. He knew that He was calling them to bring His presence to every situation that would occur on that path. He knew the path would have many pitfalls and roadblocks. You see, Jesus is the bridge between God and mankind. There is a great gulf between God and man that no one is able to cross. Jesus is the only way for us to reach our Creator and we are called to be Christ to others.

Deacon Tony

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5th Sunday of Lent – March 26, 2012

Let us die so that we can truly live.

What do Jeremiah, St Paul and St John have in common? They are the authors of today’s scriptures and they speak for God today just as they spoke for Him when they recorded their sacred ideas in their lifetime. God’s word lives eternally in time and enlightens us just as it enlightened the people of the times.

Jeremiah prophesied that God would make things new with a new covenant; a covenant of the heart. He would plant it deep within His people’s very being. And all would come to know Him intimately.

Paul tells us that Jesus while he was very human, walking this earth, obeyed His Father in heaven, even to the point of giving up His life to become the source of eternal life for all. Jesus became that new covenant that Jeremiah foretold.

John too prophesied the mysteries of Our Lord’s life while he walked this earth. Many came from all over to “see” Jesus while He performed miracles of healing and preached with authority. When he was troubled and asked the Father to save Him from the awesome task of dying, He, being open to God’s heart, embraced His call and prayed that the Father’s name be glorified. In glorifying God’s name, the Father called for all the people to hear that He approved of Jesus’ willingness to die so that new life would be born. The voice occurred so that the followers of Jesus would be assured that Jesus was the messiah and source of eternal life.

Jesus will make things new and make Himself known today. How? Through us! He preached how a grain of wheat must die to produce much fruit. That is a fact of nature. But how does that affect us? Does Jesus want us to die? In a way he does. Not physically die but to die to our pride. Become less so that He might become more. The way that Jesus becomes better known today is if we follow His example.

When we hold back love because we are too prideful to admit an error we miss a great opportunity to be a source of new life in a covenant relationship. When we can’t say we are sorry for a hurt that we caused, because of sinful pride, we miss an opportunity for healing that reflects God’s ability to be present in our world today. When we can’t forgive someone because they have hurt us so much, we miss an opportunity to imitate God who forgives us daily. When we refuse to find the needy people that live around us, we miss opportunities for God’s blessing which always brings new life with it.

As we approach the remembrance Our Lord’s passion, let us pray that the Lord will show us the ways that we can give of ourselves and therefore offer our sacrifices up on Jesus cross and do our part in His salvivic mission of love.

Deacon Tony

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7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - February 19, 2012

“Your sins I remember no more”

The Holy Scriptures that we share every Sunday are a “LIVING” testimony to God’s care and love for His people down through the generations of time. God is always trying to communicate to us and we are blessed for it. Just as Isaiah spoke for God in the Old Testament and the Early Church spoke to the new Christians in their time, the Church today makes the Bible our focus at every Mass everyday in the liturgy of the Word.

The fact that there is something for every generation, including ours, is proof that the scriptures are alive with a message for all of us.

Today we hear about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Isaiah proclaims:

It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses;

Your sins I remember no more.

God remains the same today as he absolves our sins in the sacrament of Reconciliation. That means that our sins no longer exist. If we went to Him and said, “You know that sin that I confessed yesterday”, He would say NO. God doesn’t dwell on our offenses and He doesn’t want us to dwell on them either.

He also doesn’t want us to deny them either or hide from them. When we deny them we must carry them. When we carry our sins the burden will cripple us. When Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins, he was a new man whole and complete. Jesus healed the paralysis only to prove to the Pharisees that He was God. Jesus is standing before us offering a complete and whole life. A Christian comedian once said that a man from his audience shouted out, “don’t you use Jesus as a crutch?”, to which he replied, “when you are crippled that ain’t so bad”.

Now let’s bring the Scriptures up to today at St Thomas More Parish. Let’s look at the four friends of the paralytic. They were concerned about their friend. They had the faith that if they could get their friend to Jesus, he would be healed. The crowds prevented them from entering the house but they were not to be denied their visit. They went to the roof of the house and cut a hole in it to lower their friend down right before Jesus. It was like they laid him out on a silver platter right before the Lord. Jesus noticed their faith and ingenuity. When I read about these friends, my mind goes back to my first REAL reconciliation. Even though I made my 1^st Confession when I was 7 yrs old, my first real confession occurred when I was thirty. I always had a problem with confession. Hiding behind the screen and going through the motions. It was so sad that I was doing confession my way and missing the blessings and healing that God wanted for me. But I had some friends who worked very hard planning a Christ Renews His Parish weekend that they invited me to. When I heard that there was going to be confession my heart sunk. But when I saw all the effort that my friends had made and the little effort that I was willing to make, it turned my heart around.

There would be no more hiding behind the screen and no more cloaked language. The sins that I had been carrying made me a cripple and The Lord took those sins and threw them as far as the East is from the West.

There were no more sins for me to carry.

You will be hearing a pulpit announcement today from one of the members of our Christ Renews His Parish team right here at St Thomas More. They will be inviting you to make a renewal weekend. Instead of giving up candy, smoking or something that’s bad for you during Lent, why don’t you do something that is really good for you to prepare for Easter?

If you leave early before the final prayer and recessional hymn please stop at the CHRP table, take one of their brochures home and pray over it to see what God wants of you.

A renewal weekend might just put you into the scripture readings.

Deacon Tony

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2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jan 15, 2012

“BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD”.

“SPEAK LORD FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING”

Two great quotations from the readings that go hand in hand.

Would the Apostle Andrew have followed Jesus if John the Baptist had not proclaimed: “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD”?

How long did it take Eli to advise Samuel to say “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening"? Even holy men and prophets don’t always recognize God’s calling.

It doesn’t really matter how long it took for Samuel to recognize God’s call. The important thing is that he answered and became a great prophetic voice to the Israelites. He was so respected as a prophet (one who speaks for God) that as a prophet he was able to assemble an army that soundly defeated the dreaded Philistines.

We too are called to speak up for the Lord and witness to His saving power over the dreaded force of the devil. Through prayer, the Sacraments, the Scriptures and almsgiving we become equipped to counter the devil’s influence in our world.

Just like the Philistines were to Israel in Samuel’s time, the devil doesn’t seem to go away. The battle is real and yet it can be very subtle. We can easily be convinced that we are right when we are dead wrong. We can easily refuse to engage the evil force around us.

IT’S LIKE THE KAMIKAZI PILOT ON HIS THIRTY THIRD MISSION.

We forget that Christianity is all about sacrificing for the better good. It’s about being faithful to our spouses and our families so that we can all grow closer to God. It’s about caring for the poor among us who, through no fault of their own, have slipped through the cracks in our society. It’s about enjoying God’s many graces that He freely gives us when we set about doing His work in this world.

I have been working on the present men’s Christ Renews His Parish team (#21) at St Thomas More parish and I can’t help noticing the similarities between them and the Apostles. They went away to a renewal. Many had never mentioned the name of Jesus in casual conversation and never felt the need to answer any call that didn’t seem to be there anyway. Some had never opened a bible and didn’t feel the need to be in a relationship with Jesus. But thanks to the John the Baptists from the previous team #20, they were pointed toward Our Lord and answered His call to “COME AND SEE”.

Keep in mind that many on team #20 were in the same boat, as team #21, six months prior and that team #19 shared many of the same conversions.

All this is also happening with the “Christ Renews His Parish” women at the same time. The bottom line is that we have our modern day Apostles who are sharing their faith and helping each other see the devil for who he is; a fraud who has no real power over a child of God who turns to Jesus in a real way.

You can easily go to our parish website and get an idea if there is something on the next Christ Renews His Parish weekend for you. http://www.stmirvine.org/events/

The two teams will be set up outside after Mass to answer any questions you might have about participation in our parish renewal. They are happy to invite you to come and see the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Deacon Tony

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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 13, 2011

CHILDREN OF LIGHT NOT DARKNESS

Investments are on many of our minds these days. How are our 401k’s performing? That is a concern for many of us as we march towards retirement. Some of us have invested our precious resources in the stock market and follow them religiously on a daily basis. There are entire news networks devoted to business news that flash stock market results continuously throughout the day. A business associate of mine brought me to a store front room at Jeffrey and Walnut where I saw people seated in front of multiple TV screens with nothing but worldwide stock market results; they were fixated on the screens. This particular friend ultimately set up his own TV in his home with a constant financial feed from a direct satellite feed.

Today’s gospel talks about a different investment. An investment of time and talent that reaps eternal payback. A man, with considerable and precious possessions, who was leaving on a long journey, entrusted his precious possessions to three men. He told them to care for these possessions until his return. As we know two invested them and reaped a return of a hundred fold. The third man was fearful of losing the possession and hid it for safe keeping. When the man returned he had praise and promotions for the two who returned more to him then they had originally been given. But the third man who showed no return on an investment, was thrown into the darkness.

For us today we are asked to look at the investment that God has made in our lives. People that live in the light of Christ will see and appreciate the fact that the Father sent His only Son, to die so that we might share in His eternal light and grace. All baptized people have been baptized into Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is an extremely important investment that requires us to invest in others around us and not hide it.

As spouses of the Light, we are obligated to share Christ’s message of freedom with our spouses so that we would reflect the woman in the first reading from Proverbs:

Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.

She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

We need to engage our children in “Jesus” conversation. Just as we see the value in checking that they did their homework, we need to measure their spiritual growth and be sure that Our Lord’s principle of life are being applied to their formation as a young Catholic person. We should see our investment in our children, as one that will return much fruit, so that we can say that we have seen our children’s children as a fruitful vine and healthy olive plants around your table.

We are obligated to invest some time with the poor, just as the good wife in Proverbs extends her hand to the poor. I have heard many people that have volunteered to work at The Catholic Worker in Santa Ana, say that it was like walking on holy ground when they were there. The same for those who were trained to conduct Communion Services in the local jails. It was like being on holy ground. I was discussing, just yesterday, with a parishioner about his volunteer efforts at Kairos, a program that works in the prisons. He noticed the difference in sharing his faith within the so called “free” society and sharing in the prison. The inmates were much more open to such matters, as were his friends and acquaintances outside the prison walls.

We have ministries at St Thomas More that are dedicated to sharing ourselves with others in need. St Vincent de Paul Society, YLI, Knights of Columbus, Our Religious Ed Department, Men’s Bible Study, ICF, Corazon, Filipino Community et al, for anyone looking for guidance to the needy. Just look in the bulletin for the list of ministries.

Now to get back to the man who returned from the long journey. He had the man who hid his investment thrown into the darkness, which some felt was unfair. But because he was afraid to risk himself, he chose the darkness. Just as the third man, when we choose to hide our spiritual selves from our spouses, our children, our friends, the needy around us, we ultimately choose to walk in the darkness beyond God’s grace, that is available to all who do His work.

JOHN 1:1

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through Him, and without Him, nothing came to be.

What came to be through Him was life, and this life was the light of the human race;

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness as not overcome it."

Deacon Tony

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30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Oct 23, 2011

RELIGION 101

Our first reading in Exodus comes from the middle of the explanation of the Ten Commandments. It’s concerned about the social aspects of the Israelites’ lives.

The first line about proper treatment of the alien in your company should strike us deep in our heart. Today we hear so much about aliens in America. But they are not called aliens; they are call illegal aliens, which puts a negative twist and allows us to rationalize that they are different then the aliens of the old testament. Does this term allow us to cheer when we hear about putting up electrified fences to keep people out or want to spend millions in patrolling these fences? God has no boundaries when it comes to His children.

God gave His people the Ten Commandments as a sign of His love for them and they truly appreciated His concern. He told us that if we follow His commands we would find the key to peace and happiness. This is the first step to attaining Wisdom.

Paul writes to the Thessalonians and compliments them for learning and imitating His example and being good witnesses to the communities around them. It seems so simple.

Now we know the Pharisees were the holy men of the Jewish faith and through their desire to be perfect, they scrutinized God’s command to nth degree. There was so much interpretation that everything needed a decree from them in order for the common man to know how to follow God’s law. They were always testing Jesus and put this question to him: “Which commandment is the greatest”?

We can always count on Jesus to simplify things so that it makes it easy for His followers to do the right thing. Love God with everything that you have. That seems simple enough. But then the challenge: Love your neighbor as yourself.

“THE SECOND IS LIKE IT.”

He doesn’t say it is second in importance. He says it is just as important. We cannot fluff this second command off. We must follow the second command.

Would we not do anything to feed our family if there was no work in our area?

Would we not love our spouses, even if they were not acting like we wished they would?

Would we not forgive them just as we would seek forgiveness from them if we sinned against them?

Would we not swallow our pride to follow God’s command?

Would we not forgive our children and show them examples of :

“DEEDS OF LOVING KINDNESS”.

We would if we want the peace of mind and heart that only God can give us!

Deacon Tony

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24th Sunday of Ordinary Time - September 11, 2011

“FOR TO ME LIFE IS CHRIST”

Our Gospel parable today is familiar and yet it gets our attention once again because it talks about workers rights and compensation; a subject that is of interest to all.

Do you think the owner was fair or was he generous to some and unfair to the others?

He claims he was generous but I think if he were generous he would have given more to the workers he hired at dawn. But what we think is not the rule of the day because the boss knows best and the Boss that Jesus is teaching about rules with love at the foundation of all of His decisions. God the Father truly knows best and He pays His workers with blessings that are unmeasured.

Indeed His ways are far above our ways and His thoughts far above our thoughts because He is the foundation of Love.

We have a great example of one of God’s best workers in St Paul.

And Paul shares with us in Philippians the core of his existence when he states:

Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

Paul’s love for his fellowman was apparent in everything that he was about and if he remained in the flesh the people of Philippi would be the benefactors.

Christ was who Paul experienced and he was impelled to share His Christ with all.

We have a group of men and women that we call Team 20. Some were knocked off their horse or some saw a great light. They were minding their own business when they gathered to pray together on a weekend last spring at the Petite Suites in Santa Ana. They came away with a new experience of Christ. They have a new passion for sharing Jesus but more importantly they have a sincere love for the people of St Thomas More Parish. God is showing His love through these men and women of Team 20 to all of us and it is a wonder to behold.

How can someone care for strangers and devout 6 months of their lives so that others may come to experience Christ in a deep and lasting way. Yes it is the same Christ that we pray to and yet we are called to see Him in a very personal way. We are called to know His love and feel the blessings that are our wages and that will carry us throughout our lives. It is a pay scale that goes beyond measure and we are privileged to be hired into God’s kingdom on earth.

Deacon Tony

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Aug 21, 2011

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 21, 2011

KEYS TO THE HOUSE

When I was 10 yrs old, a cat burglar entered our house in the night, while we were asleep and stole money from my folks and a really neat money-changer of mine that was filled with my paper route collections. The reason I bring this up is because just the week before, my older brother decided that we were going to secure our house by having keys made for all of the seven members of our family. Until that time, we always kept the doors unlocked and never used keys. Well the cat burglar entered through our kitchen window.... so much for securing our house.

In today’s scripture readings we hear about “keys to the House of David” and “keys to the kingdom”, our eternal house. And just as my brother learned that he didn’t have as much control of our house and who had access to it, we might have come to realize that the control over the kingdom of God, and our access to it, can be limited as well.

Jesus clearly ties the authority of the keeper of the keys to the authority to forgive sins.

We know this as the Sacrament of Reconciliation today and it is readily available in every Catholic Church.

The Code of Canon Law requires all Catholics to confess mortal sins at least once a year, although frequent reception of the sacrament is recommended. In a way, the keys to God’s kingdom are related to the keys that lock and unlock our hearts.

Have you ever heard someone say that they go directly to Jesus and don’t see the need to confess their sins to a priest. Well the priest represents Jesus in the confessional and he also represents society, who we have also sinned against. I know many people stay away from the sacrament for many different reasons but I truly enjoy hearing someone share the freeing aspect of the sacrament after they have been away from it for a long period of time. The difference in their vision before and after their confession is so apparent that it becomes a life changing experience that stays with them for the rest of their lives.

The things that we hold onto deep in our hearts are obstacles that get in the way of a clearer vision of the blessings that God wishes for us. They are a distraction from the spiritual opportunities that God offers to all who come to Him with open hearts. They prevent us from seeing God’s kingdom around us, and the joy of entering God’s house.

Personally, the shame that prevented me from approaching Reconciliation; the shame of my sin that was so important to me and the shame that stopped me from enjoying the freedom that Jesus knew his followers would come to know, when they confessed, melted away and showed itself to be so insignificant compared to the blessing of being saved.

Deacon Tony

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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 31, 2011

For Paul “is convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

Our God performs miracles in the lives of His loved ones.

He feeds them from the finest wheat that satisfies their innermost hunger for justice and peace.

Then how come, do I, sometimes, feel separated from our loving God and Creator? Why do I not recognize the miracles that God is performing in my life? Why do I feel a disconnect when it comes to feeling good about myself?

If we are hungry to know God in a deeper and more meaningful way, then we control the depth that we feel.

God’s love is constant. It is always there in the form of grace available to us. No person, no devil, no circumstance can prevent us from receiving God’s grace in full measure.

We control the spigot. Even God honors our free will to do whatever it takes to KNOW Him better.

“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE.....”

We determine the amount of time each day that we turn to God to do His will. We determine the effort we make to find Jesus in the poor and needy that lives in our midst. We determine how much we love our spouses and children.

We determine the time we spend seeking Him in studying the Scriptures and reading good books in order to understand what He wants from us.

God meant for us to enjoy life to the fullest and to be a free and open channel of His peace for others. Let us be sure that the spigot is turned on full blast when it comes to God and the grace that he offers to each of us. Let us not be stingy when it comes to sharing His grace with everyone around us.

Deacon Tony

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14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time - July 3, 2011

OUR LORD’S BURDEN

Things that Jesus is concerned about is what we are hoping to learn from our Gospel today. What is Jesus’ yoke all about?

First of all He tells us that “these things” are hidden from the learned and wise but revealed to the little ones. Let’s understand that the learned and wise were once little ones who have grown up. Sometimes growing up means more maturity and more responsibility. Sometimes maturity brings cynicism because we have to deal with the real world and no longer enjoy the protective seal of our childhood. But things of the spirit are meant to be understood as a child who understands their inability to see without God’s grace. So let us approach this task of understanding Jesus, by holding Him close to us and walking within His light.

Jesus’ yoke is always about others; it always is about relationships.

Our yoke should always be about others, if it is to fulfill God’s purpose in His kingdom on earth as well as in heaven. It is about our spouses, our children, our parents, our needy around us, our poor around us, and our prisoners around us. Keep in mind prisoners fall into two categories: those in physical prison buildings and those whose hearts are imprisoned by drugs, pornography, alcohol, pride etc. etc. We see this clearly in the scriptures.

Matthew 25:

37 the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

40 And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

If we are unable to identify our yoke, or our yoke always seems to be about ourselves, we need to seek our Lord’s guidance.

We do this in different ways: seek Him in the Holy Scriptures, visit Him in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel, attend Adoration for an hour on Friday evenings at 6:30 pm, visit Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, visit Jesus among the elderly at one of the local homes for the elderly in our neighborhood, or make a Christ Renews His Parish weekend. Sometimes it helps to take up Our Lord’s burden in order to understand Our Lord’s burden.

Once we have identified the burden that God has designed for us, and take that burden to our hearts and take it up as our cross, then we will know Jesus’ burden and truly come to understand the

“peace and rest that no one can take from us”.

Deacon Tony

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Pentecost Sunday - May 10, 2011

PROPHETIC HEARING

Have you had your prophetic hearing checked lately? If not you may be missing out on a lot of the best things that this life can offer.

When my daughter was in the third grade we discovered that her hearing canals needed to be replaced. It was a simple procedure and an easy fix. The way we discovered this need of hers, was through the school nurse. It seems that she was not hearing her teachers and her observant teacher suggested that the school nurse check her hearing.

Now she had been in school for about 2-1/2 yrs. + before we realized that she was missing very valuable instruction and we are grateful that it was discovered at all before she wasted any more valuable instruction.

Prophesy: to declare by divine inspiration or to speak as a mediator between God and humankind or in God's stead. Prophetic hearing is hearing with an open heart to God's message through one of his prophets.

We all know the story of Pentecost and how the Spirit of the Risen Lord came down with the power of a great wind and settled on the Lord's Apostles in the form of fire. These tongues of fire provided a great energy that forced these prophets out of their hiding and into the world to share at God's prompting.

The many people, of differing languages, all heard because they were of one heart; hearts that were seeking something more in their lives.

They all heard God's one message of hope if they but accepted God in the person of Jesus Christ and allowed His Holy Spirit to guide their every move. Many people came to believe that day and The Church was born in many more hearts, as the Spirit of the Risen Lord was allowed to freely love amongst His people. This love was clearly seen by all and became the living witness which spawned the phrase: "SEE HOW THEY LOVE ONE ANOTHER".

Today, we are those seeking to develop our prophetic hearing and seeking to love those around us with God's love and God's peace and understanding.

We are called to hear with God's heart as husbands and wives, as parents, as children, as friends and as neighbors. When we look at each other with God's eyes, we will look beyond the surface and into the deep recesses of hearts. When we do this it will be easier and easier to act out of God's wisdom and kindness even in the most trying circumstances. Even when our pride is hurt because others have let us down or we have let others down. Our pride will take a back seat to the love of God as it was demonstrated on Christ's cross.

When we are able to live by God's prophetic message, His Church will continue to grow and His grace will flow freely through us to all. And we will say, "how is it that we are able to understand God's language" since we are from so many varied backgrounds and circumstances?

Deacon Tony

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Third Sunday of Easter - May 8, 2011

RECOGNIZING JESUS AS THE SECOND PERSON IN THE BLESSED TRINITY

We are grateful to all of our mothers on this Mother’s Day, for many, many reasons. The sacrifices that they are called on to make, for their children, should always be appreciated and held close as our precious gifts. Most times our mothers are the ones who introduce us to God. Whether by reading us bible stories or praying with us at our bedside or just being kind, forgiving and gentile they mirror God’s love for us.

They are an integral part of God’s plan of establishing a relationship with His children. In a very special way, while feeding us and caring for our everyday needs, our mothers show us God’s love and help us to recognize His loving care for us as individuals. Jesus reveals His love and care for us through the love and concern of mom.

In today’s Gospel Jesus shows Himself to two disciples in three distinct ways. While walking and discussing the events of His death, Jesus appears and walks with them. But they do not recognize him.

Jesus admonishes them for not recognizing Him from the prophet’s testimonies down through the ages from Moses on down. Why were they downcast? He reviews all of the scriptures that foretold of His suffering and rising to glory. Their hearts were burning as Jesus opened the scriptures to them.

Finally, at the end of the day, while they were at table Jesus broke the bread, blessed it and shared it. It was in the breaking of the bread that they recognized him.

You know we have a number of people returning to the faith after being away, either trying other churches or just laying low.

Many have shared that they missed the Eucharist and felt that the grace of the Holy Eucharist gently called them back to the Lord’s table.

Scott Hahn, a contemporary author, theologian, and gifted Catholic apologist, shares his beautiful experience of how Jesus called him into the Catholic Faith through the power of the Holy Eucharist.

The three examples of Jesus in the Gospel, line up perfectly with the liturgy that we celebrate at each and every Mass. It’s easy to overlook the gifts that we celebrate and the powerful effect that they have in making Christ available to us in a real and recognizable way.

First, we come together to share greetings and acknowledge our sinfulness. In Matthew chapter 20 we read:

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

We are called to see Jesus in each other and we recognize Him in a real and meaningful way.

Secondly, we break open the Scriptures during the Liturgy of the Word and recognize Jesus in His living Word. As we prayerfully study and apply biblical principles to our lives our hearts burn with love for our God as He gently guides us.

And thirdly we celebrate the Eucharist as a sharing in the life and essence of our Lord and Savior. As we extend ourselves and allow the graces of the Eucharist to inspire us to imitate Jesus in His charity, we come to recognize our place in God’s kingdom.

May we remain dedicated to seeking to recognize Jesus in all that we do and allow Him to define who we truly can be. May we see each Mass as an opportunity to become holy as our heavenly Father is holy.

Deacon Tony

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Palm Sunday - April 17, 2011

ISAIAH SAYS:

“The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;

I have set my face like flint,

knowing that I shall not be put to shame.”

Flint is a very tough material that can withstand a lot of shock and rough treatment.

Christ Jesus humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus set His face like flint.

We have to be tough as flint to be true Christians.

If someone insults us or dislikes us we are supposed to show them kindness and forgiveness.

We are supposed to offer up some spare time to help the poor or the needy around us.

If we don’t see anyone in need around us we are supposed to find them.

But most importantly we are supposed to turn our lives over to God Who will guide us to those in need and Who will help us do the loving things that are needed.

Our dying Savior

is the only motivation that we need.

Deacon Tony

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Third Sunday in Lent – March 28, 2011

Can we quench God’s thirst? What can God be thirsty for? God thirsts to see His people satisfy their needs in Him and share His blessings with those around them, so that His name will be revered and held in high esteem. So that many will acknowledge His great capacity to love.

God knew the needs of His people in the desert. After all He had just got done feeding them in the previous chapter and then waited for them to ask for their thirst to be quenched. Beautiful examples of God providing for His people in Exodus 16 & 17.

He tells Moses that He will be standing right in front of him as he performs the miracle of having water flow from a rock.

In the Gospel, Jesus knows the needs of the woman and seems to enjoy the interplay just before her conversion. How delighted God must be to free someone from the chains of this world and introduce to them the wonderful freedom of His world.

And the first thing she does is leave her water jar behind to share with her neighbors about the new freedom that she has found.

As we come forward, with expectant faith, and bring our needs before Jesus, may we come to know His healing grace in our lives and may we share His blessings with all who we meet.

Deacon Tony

PARISH WELCOMING COMMITTEE NEEDS YOU

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

PARISH WELCOMING COMMITTEE

NEEDS YOU

Our parish hosts quarterly meetings to welcome new members

to the St. Thomas More parish family. Welcoming Committee

Members phone the new families to extend a personal

invitation to the meeting after Fr. John has sent them

letters in the mail. There is a need for several more

members to help make these phone calls, as well as

someone to organize this calling effort each month. The time

requirement would be just a few hours every three months. If

interested or for more information, or more information, please

call Vince and Barbara at (714) 389-7726.

Our parish hosts quarterly meetings to welcome new members to the St. Thomas More parish family. Welcoming Committee. Members phone the new families to extend a personal invitation to the meeting after Fr. John has sent them letters in the mail. There is a need for several more members to help make these phone calls, as well as someone to organize this calling effort each month. The time requirement would be just a few hours every three months.

If interested or for more information, or more information, please call Vince and Barbara at (714) 389-7726.

Bringing Home the Word

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Tours of the Cathedral Campus

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Did you know that you can tour the future Christ Cathedral Campus? Tours are led Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30 am and at 1:00 pm. It is recommended you tour with one of the docents who have a wealth of information about the campus and future plans. Wear comfortable walking shoes for the tour.

Once renovations of the cathedral itself begin in October, 2013, the cathedral building will be closed.

Renew Your Faith - Reflections for the Year of Faith

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Renew Your Faith Reflections page 1

Renew your Faith Reflections page 2

2013 ICF Book Award

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Branch 423 of the Italian Catholic Federation (ICF) is pleased to offer a $1,000
Book Award to a High School graduating Senior attending College or University in
the Fall of 2013. The applicant must be a registered member of STM, a baptized
Roman Catholic, and graduating in 2013 with a minimum weighted GPA of 3.0.
Scholarship applications can be found on the table outside the Parish Office or
downloaded here.

For more information contact Frank Giannantonio (714-838-3365).

Deadline for entries is May 24, 2013

Help Needed at the 9:30 am Mass

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

The St Thomas More “Act Of God” music group needs your help in two areas. If you love music but cannot play an instrument or sing we need your help!! We are looking for the following positions:

Music /Screen Administrator - This person would be able to help coordinate the words and text on the screens for the 9:30 Mass. We need a person who can coordinate with a few other parishioners to insure the computer program is loaded into the system, do some typing and phone calling and help to operate the program during Mass.

Added musicians - We are looking for an additional guitar player. The musician will need to be able to read basic guitar chords and rhythms. The individual needs to be able to practice on Thursday nights and Sunday morning before Mass.

If you are interested in joining the group please call. Keith Rattay @ (949) 559-6464.

Save the Date - VBS is Coming

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Come one, Come All!!! Ye Olde summer Vacation Bible Camp is coming back to St Thomas More! Kingdom Rock -- where Kids and Families stand strong for God is scheduled for the week of July 15 - 19.

VBS registration will kick-off Memorial Day weekend (May 25th & 26th).

Taize - Date Change

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

This month's Taize Prayer Service will be on Tuesday, May 21st @ 7:00 pm. There will not be Taize on the 28th.

Christ Renews His Parish Weekends

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

St Thomas More Catholic Parish invites you to Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) Renewal Weekend.

RENEW: Renew your life in Christ

REVITALIZE: Develop a deeper relationship with Christ

CONNECT: Meet others and share many of the same challenges and questions

Men's Weekend: May 25th - 26th Women's Weekend: June 1st - 2nd

To register: www.octomobi.com/crhpstmirvine OR call (949) 307-6215