2Nd Sunday of Dedication of the Church

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211 Present Street, Missouri City, TX 77489, Phone: 281-969-7236 |Weekly Bulletin Vol. 16 No. 45 November 10, 2013 2nd Sunday of Dedication of the Church CHURCH SCHEDULE November, the Month of the Holy Mass Sunday: 9:00 AM (Malayalam) Holy Souls in Purgatory 10:45 AM (English) Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM Friday: 7:00 PM Novena to St. Joseph, our patron Saint Saturday: 9:00 AM Novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help Eucharistic Adoration & Night Vigil Every 1st Friday Starting with the Holy Mass @ 7:00 PM Confession Before and after weekday Masses Charismatic Prayer on Saturdays Adult’s Prayer: at Bl. JP II Home @ 5:00 PM Kids’ Prayer: @ 5:00 PM Jesus Youth Prayer: @ 5:00 PM CCE Classes starts @ 9:00 AM Contact Information Office: 281-969-7236 Vicar: Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy Tel: 281 904 6622 Email: [email protected] Trustees: Augustine Vaniapurackal - 832-692-3456 John Babu - 832-520-9500 Jose Uthirakulath - 832-233-1480 Joy Chencheril - 832-577-6375

Farewell To All my Parishioners: This to convey the message of my transfer and a new appointment from our beloved Bishop His Excellency Mar Jacob Angadiath. I will be relieved from the office as your Pastor and Vicar of both St. Joseph's Houston and St. Mary's Pearland on November 30th 2013. I am appointed as the Vicar of Blessed John Paul the 2nd Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Garfield, New Jersey. Yours sincerely in our Lord , Fr. Jacob Christy Parambukattil Parish Council

Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar) 281 904 6622 1. Augustine Vaniapurackal -Trustee & ward member - St. Agnes-Lake Olympia & Lake Shore 832-692-3456 2. John Babu -Trustee 832-520-9500 3. Jose Uthirakulathu -Trustee 832-233-1480 4. Joy Chencheril -Trustee & ward member - St. Sebastian- Alief, Sugar Land, Katy 832-577-6375 5. Lisamma Joseph - Ward member - St. Antony's - Stafford 832-576-2136 6. Sunil Kurian - Ward member - St. Augustine-Sugar Land & Missouri City 281-450-4669 7. Vinoy Kurian - Ward member - St. Elizabeth - Riverstone & Colony Lakes 832-886-2566 8. Biju George-Ward member-St. Mathew-New Territory, Telfair, Sugar Land, Avalon Villages 832-455-9005 9. George Joseph - Ward member - St. George - Sharpstown & Westbury 281-844-0048 10. James Viruthukulangara-Ward member-St. Alphonsa-Sienna, Missouri City North, Alvin 713-530-8026 11. Bobby Joseph - Ward member - St. Thomas – Creek Stone 713-972-2620 12. Roychen Joseph - Ward member - Blessed Chavara-North Shore & Spring 713-478-9573 13. Bose Kurian - Nominated member 832-545-0054 14. Jose Manakalathil - Nominated member 281-731-4570 15. Salby Vincent - Nominated member 281-818-3733 Saint Joseph, 16. Sabeena Roncy - Nominated member 832-475-9962 17. Stacy Ouseph - Nominated member 832-453-5260 our Patron saint, 18. Anoop Kudakasseril - CCE staff member 832-684-5392 19. Geo Thayil - SJYAL member 281-630-8185 Pray for us! 20. Manju Maliekkal - Church Organizations 832-656-6335 21. Rev. Sr. Alphin MSMI - Pastoral Services 832-287-2926 22. Paul Joseph - Pastoral Council member 281-728-3222 23. Jessy Kurian - Pastoral Council member 281-857-6572

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Lk 1:45)

Liturgical Calendar ALTAR SERVERS 2nd week of Dedication of the Church November 15, Friday 10 Sun Second Sunday of Dedication of the Church Next Sunday is World Day of Communication (Special collection) Daniel Chakkramakil, David John Ex 40:1-16 (39:32-40:16) The Tabernacle and its equipments are sanctified Ben Tony & Nikhil Joseph 1Kigs 8:22-29 (8:10-29) Solomon’s prayer before the altar November 16, Saturday Heb 8:1-6 (8:1-9:10) We have a high priest seated at the right hand of the throne of the Joe Arackal, Cyril Simon, Kriston Gloria, Majesty Mt 12:1-11 (12:1-21) The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath Bryan Chacko 11 Mon 2Cor 4:11-15 We ar always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake November 17, Sunday Mt 19:16-22 If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments Malayalam Mass @ 9:00 AM 12 Tue 1Cor 4:1-5 We are the servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries Sam Kurian & Kurian Pannappara Mt 19:23-30 Very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God 13 Wed 2Cor 11:7-15 False Apostles English Mass @ 10:45 AM Mt 21:23-27 The authority of Jesus Jeswin Gloria, Kriston Gloria, Daniel 14 Thu 2Cor 11:16-21 Paul’s sufferings as an apostle Chakkramakil, & David John Lk 10:8-16 Whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me 15 Fri Gal 4:12-20 I am in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you LECTORS Jn 14:1-7 Jesus the way to the Father 16 Sat Syro-Malabar Hierarchy is instituted (1924) November 17, Sunday 3 Jn 5-12 Whoever does good is from God Malayalam Mass @ 9:00 AM Lk 22:24-30 The dispute about greatness 17 Sun Third Sunday of Dedication of the Church; World Day of Communication 1st reading: Basil Joseph (Special collection) 2nd reading: Baneeja Antoney Num 9:15-18 (7:1-10+9:15-18) The tent of the covenant is filled with the glory of God Is 54:1-15 Good news about the new Jerusalam English Mass @ 10:45 AM Heb 9:5-15 (9:1-15) Christ entered once for all into the Holy Place with his own blood 1st reading: Bryan Chacko Jn 2:13-22 (2:12-22) The body of Christ is the temple 2nd reading: Maria Aykara

Read this bulletin online: www.stjosephhouston.org | Published by:Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar, St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Missouri City, TX) November 10,2013 CONTINUING CHRISTIAN EDUCATION (CCE) IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS !!!  Confession for 12th Grade on next Saturday (11/16).  CCE Teachers In-Service program on next Saturday, November 16.  Teen and Youth Retreat with Rev. Fr. Mark Goring on next Saturday, November 16; starting with Holy Mass @ 8:30 AM till 2:30 PM; Pizza lunch will be provided for retreat attendees.  Altar Boys training on every Friday @ 5:30 PM

The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath ~ Mt 12:1-11

What does the commandment "keep holy the Sabbath" require of us? Or better yet, what is the primary intention behind this command? The religious leaders confronted Jesus on this issue. The "Sabbath rest" was meant to be a time to remember and celebrate God's goodness and the goodness of his work, both in creation and redemption. It was a day set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on our behalf. It was intended to bring everyday work to a halt and to provide needed rest and refreshment. Jesus' disciples are scolded by the scribes and Pharisees, not for plucking and eating corn from the fields, but for doing so on the Sabbath. In defending his disciples, Jesus argues from the scriptures that human need has precedence over ritual custom: In their hunger, David and his men ate of the holy bread offered in the Temple. On every Sabbath morning twelves loaves were laid before God on a golden table in the Holy Place. Each loaf represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. No one was allowed to eat this bread except the priests because it represented the very presence of God. David understood that human need took precedence over rules and ritual regulations.

Jesus also quoted of the Sabbath work involved in worship in the Temple. This kind of work was usually double the work of worship on weekdays. Jesus then quotes from the prophet Hosea (6:6): I desire mercy, and not sacrifice. While the claims of ritual sacrifice are important to God, mercy and kindness in response to human need are even more important. Why didn’t the Pharisees recognize the claims of mercy over rules and regulations? Their zeal for ritual observance blinded them from the demands of charity. Jesus’ reference to the bread of the Presence alludes to the true bread from heaven which he offers to all who believe in him. Jesus, the Son of David, and the Son of Man, a title for the Messiah, declare that he is “Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he showed mercy to those in need. All who are burdened can find true rest and refreshment in him.

"Lord, make us to walk in your way: Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance; where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance; where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice; where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither care nor restlessness; where there is the fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter; where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness; this we know through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

Read this bulletin online: www.stjosephhouston.org | Published by:Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar, St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Missouri City, TX) November 10,2013 ENCYCLICAL LETTER LUMEN FIDEI (The light of Faith) OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF FRANCIS Week 13 CHAPTER TWO:UNLESS YOU BELIEVE, YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND Is 7:9 Faith and truth

23. Unless you believe, you will not understand (cf. Is 7:9). The Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint translation produced in Alexandria, gives the above rendering of the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz. In this way, the issue of the knowledge of truth became central to faith. The Hebrew text, though, reads differently; the prophet says to the king: "If you will not believe, you shall not be established". Here there is a play on words, based on two forms of the verb ’amān: "you will believe" (ta’amînû) and "you shall be established" (tē’āmēnû). Terrified by the might of his enemies, the king seeks the security that an alliance with the great Assyrian empire can offer. The prophet tells him instead to trust completely in the solid and steadfast rock which is the God of Israel. Because God is trustworthy, it is reasonable to have faith in him, to stand fast on his word. He is the same God that Isaiah will later call, twice in one verse, the God who is Amen, "the God of truth" (cf. Is 65:16), the enduring foundation of covenant fidelity. It might seem that the Greek version of the Bible, by translating "be established" as "understand", profoundly altered the meaning of the text by moving away from the biblical notion of trust in God towards a Greek notion of intellectual understanding. Yet this translation, while certainly reflecting a dialogue with Hellenistic culture, is not alien to the underlying spirit of the Hebrew text. The firm foundation that Isaiah promises to the king is indeed grounded in an understanding of God’s activity and the unity which he gives to human life and to the history of his people. The prophet challenges the king, and us, to understand the Lord’s ways, seeing in God’s faithfulness the wise plan which governs the ages. Saint Augustine took up this synthesis of the ideas of "understanding" and "being established" in his Confessions when he spoke of the truth on which one may rely in order to stand fast: "Then I shall be cast and set firm in the mould of your truth".[17] From the context we know that Augustine was concerned to show that this trustworthy truth of God is, as the Bible makes clear, his own faithful presence throughout history, his ability to hold together times and ages, and to gather into one the scattered strands of our lives.[18]

24. Read in this light, the prophetic text leads to one conclusion: we need knowledge, we need truth, because without these we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward. Faith without truth does not save, it does not provide a sure footing. It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our deep yearning for happiness, something capable of satisfying us to the extent that we are willing to deceive ourselves. Either that, or it is reduced to a lofty sentiment which brings consolation and cheer, yet remains prey to the vagaries of our spirit and the changing seasons, incapable of sustaining a steady journey through life. If such were faith, King Ahaz would be right not to stake his life and the security of his kingdom on a feeling. But precisely because of its intrinsic link to truth, faith is instead able to offer a new light, superior to the king’s calculations, for it sees further into the distance and takes into account the hand of God, who remains faithful to his covenant and his promises. Will continue on following weeks (source: http://www.vatican.va/)

Read this bulletin online: www.stjosephhouston.org | Published by:Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar, St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Missouri City, TX) November 10,2013 TEEN & YOUTH RETREAT

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Led by Rev. Fr. Mark Goring Companions of the Cross (Director of Catholic Charismatic Center, Houston, TX)

On Next Saturday, November 16

Begins with Holy Mass @ 8:30 AM - 2:30PM A retreat responding to Pope Francis' call to a "New Evangelization" @ St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church

211 Present Street, Missouri City, TX 77489 We invite you to join in this life changing retreat for our teen & youth who seek to rejuvenate their Catholic Faith. The Retreat include Spiritual reflections, live music, Eucharistic adoration, healing service and more.... All are Welcome! No registration required & Lunch will be provided

Vicar Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy

St. Leo the Great St. Homobonus St. Gertrude St. Aedh MacBricc St. Frances Xavier Cabrini St. Margaret of Scotland St. Andrew Avellino St. Brice St. Gratia St. Theoctiste of Lesbos St. Didacus Bl. Gratia St. Tiberius St. Abbo St. Agnes of Assisi Sts. Trypbaena & Tryphosa St. Arcadius and Companions St. Othmar St. Tryphon St. Caillin St. Afan St. Demetrius St. Chillien St. Africus St. Elaeth St. Dalmatius of Rodez St. Agnes of Assisi St. Guerembaldus St. Devinicus St. Alfrick St. John of Ratzeburg St. Gredifael St. Elpidius Justus of Canterbury St. Quintian St. Eucherius of Lyon St. Leo of Melun St. Maxellendis St. Fidentius St. Monitor St. Mitrius St. Gobrain St. Nonnus Bl. Vincent Bossilkov St. Hugh of Lincoln St. Baudolino St. Joseph Moscati November 14 St. Lebuin November 11 St. Rufinus St. Lawrence O'Toole St. Hugh of Lincoln St. Martin of Tours St. Gregory Palamas St. Baricus St. Theodore St. Alberic of Utrecht St. Athenodorus St. Venaranda November 17 St. Bartholomew of Rossano St. Serapion St. Bertuin St. Clementinus St. Valentine and Dubatatius St. Veranus St. Dubricus St. Hugh of Lincoln St. Theodore of Studites St. Hypatius of Gangra St. Roque Gonzalez de Santa Cruz St. Columba the Virgin St. Joseph Pignatelli St. Hugh St. Cynfran St. Jucundus of Bologna St. Gregory Thaumaturgus St. Rhediw St. Lawrence O'Toole St. Hilda St. Mennas St. Modanic St. Acisclus St. Menas St. Alphaeus St. Mercurius November 15 St. Anianus Bl. Kamen Vitchev Bl. Salomea of Poland St. Aba Mina St. Albert the Great St. Dionysius of Alexandria St. Leopold St. Eugene November 12 St. Abibus St. Hugh of Noara St. Arnulf St. Namasius St. Josaphat of Polotsk St. Zachariah Martyrs of Paraguay St. Anastasius XIX St. Secundus, Fidentian, & Varicus St. Hilda of Whitby St. Astericus St. Desiderius of Cahors St. Dionysius the Great of Alexandria St. Benedict and Companions St. Eugene Bl. Josaphat Kocylovskyj St. Ymar St. Findan Source: http://www.catholic.org/saints/ St. Cadwallader Bl. Gaius of Korea f_day/nov.php St. Cummian Fada Bl. Hugh Faringdon Pope Francis Prayer Intentions St. Emilian Cucullatus Bl. Hugh Green St. Evodius Bl. John Eynon for November 2013 St. Livinus Bl. John Rugg General Intention: Suffering Priests. St. Machar Bl. John Thorne That priests who experience difficulties St. Renatus St. Kanten may find comfort in their suffering, St. Rufus of Avignon St. Luperius support in their doubts, and confirmation St. Namphasius St. Machudd in their fidelity. St. Nilus the Elder St. Malo Missionary Intention: Latin American St. Paternus Bl. Richard Whiting Churches. That as fruit of the continental St. Patiens Bl. Roger James mission, Latin American Churches may Bl. Gregory Lakota St. Paduinus send missionaries to other Churches.

Read this bulletin online: www.stjosephhouston.org | Published by:Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar, St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Missouri City, TX) November 10,2013 A Letter From St Francis of Assisi to All the Faithful: We Must be Simple, Humble and Pure It was through his archangel, Saint Gabriel, that the Father above made known to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that the worthy, holy and glorious Word of the Father would come from heaven and take from her womb the real flesh of our human frailty. Though he was wealthy beyond reckoning, he still willingly chose to be poor with his blessed mother. And shortly before his passion he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. Then he prayed to his Father saying: Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me. Nevertheless, he reposed his will in the will of his Father. The Father willed that his blessed and glorious Son, whom he gave to us and who was born for us, should through his own blood offer himself as a sacrificial victim on the altar of the cross. This was to be done not for himself through whom all things were made, but for our sins. It was intended to leave us an example of how to follow in his footsteps. And he desires all of us to be saved through him, and to receive him with pure heart and chaste body. O how happy and blessed are those who love the Lord and do as the Lord himself said in the gospel: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul; and your neighbour as yourself. Therefore, let us love God and adore him with pure heart and mind. This is his particular desire when he says: True worshippers adore the Father in spirit and truth. For all who adore him must do so in the spirit of truth. Let us also direct to him our praises and prayers saying: Our Father, who art in heaven, since we must always pray and never grow slack. Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbours as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ. Source : http://www.catholic.org/saints/story.php?id=52623

Read this bulletin online: www.stjosephhouston.org | Published by: Rev. Fr. Jacob Christy (Vicar, St Joseph Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Missouri City, TX) | Nov 10, 2013