Sunday Homily l 12.28.14 l Holy Family

MASS READINGS  Sunday, December 28
•  All the readings together
•  Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14
•  Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5
•  Colossians 3:12-21
•  Luke 2:22-40

FR. MARK'S HOMILY  Feast of the Holy Family

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CORE MESSAGE

Holy families don't "just happen" ... if we want our families to be holy we have to live intentionally.

WISDOM FROM THE HOLY FATHER

Pope Francis on Family

“And I want to repeat these three words: please, thank you, sorry. Three essential words! We say please so as not to be forceful in family life: “May I please do this? Would you be happy if I did this?”. We do this with a language that seeks agreement. We say thank you, thank you for love! But be honest with me, how many times do you say thank you to your wife, and you to your husband? How many days go by without uttering this word, thanks! And the last word: sorry. We all make mistakes and on occasion someone gets offended in the marriage, in the family, and sometimes—I say—plates are smashed, harsh words are spoken but please listen to my advice: don’t ever let the sun set without reconciling. Peace is made each day in the family: “Please forgive me”, and then you start over. Please, thank you, sorry! Shall we say them together? [They reply “yes”] Please, thank you and sorry. Let us say these words in our families! To forgive one another each day!”

Recorded Sunday, December 28, 2014 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana. © Fr. Mark Toups, 2014

COMING JANUARY 2014! 
THE HOLY MASS: 
Why do we do what we do at Mass?

Class 1 
Who determines how we worship God?
Tuesday, January 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. > in the church
Saturday, January 10 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. > in the church
> Will also be available through YouTube

Class 2 
The Passover Meal:
Why was it important and how does it connect to Mass
Tuesday, January 20 from 6-7:30 p.m. > in the church
Saturday, January 17 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. > in the church
> Will also be available through YouTube

Class 3 
The Liturgy of the Word
Tuesday, January 27 from 6-7:30 p.m. > in the church
Saturday, January 24 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. > in the church
> Will also be available through YouTube

Class 4 
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
Tuesday, February 3 from 6-7:30 p.m. > in the church
Saturday, January 31 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. > in the church
> Will also be available through YouTube

Class 5 
True Presence: Is the Eucharist really Jesus?
Tuesday, February 10 from 6-7:30 p.m. > in the church
Saturday, February 7 from 8:15-9:45 a.m. > in the church

> Will also be available through YouTube

Christmas Schedule

CHRIST THE REDEEMER Christmas Schedule

Let's Get Ready Confession
Christmas Eve, December 24: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 12 noon

Christmas Eve Wednesday, December 24
Christmas Eve Mass: 4 p.m. in the Church (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Eve Mass: 4 p.m. in the Family Life Center (Fr. Blair)
Christmas Eve Mass: 6 p.m. (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Eve Mass: 8 p.m. (en Español)
Christmas Eve Mass: 11 p.m. (Fr. Mark)

Christmas Day Thursday, December 25
Christmas Day Mass: 7:30 a.m. (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Day Mass: 9:30 a.m. (Fr. Mark)

Sunday Homily l 12.21.14 l Advent Week 4

MASS READINGS  Sunday, December 21
•  All the readings together
•  2nd Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16
•  Psalm 89:2-3, 4-5, 27-29
•  Romans 16:25-27
•  Luke 1:26-38

FR. MARK'S HOMILY  Advent Week 4

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CORE MESSAGE

There's a difference between being prepared and ready.

Let's Get Ready Confessions in December

• Monday, December 22: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 23: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 24: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Recorded Sunday, December 21, 2014 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana. © Fr. Mark Toups, 2014

Karoline Theriot: Rocking my World!

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Christmas Schedule

Let's Get Ready Confessions in December
Saturday, December 20: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday, December 22: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday, December 23: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 12 noon

Christmas Eve Wednesday, December 24
Christmas Eve Mass: 4 p.m. in the Church (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Eve Mass: 4 p.m. in the Family Life Center (Fr. Blair)
Christmas Eve Mass: 6 p.m. (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Eve Mass: 8 p.m. (en Español; Fr. Glenn)
Christmas Eve Mass: 11 p.m. (Fr. Mark)

Christmas Day Thursday, December 25
Christmas Day Mass: 7:30 a.m. (Fr. Mark)
Christmas Day Mass: 9:30 a.m. (Fr. Mark)

Sunday Homily l 12.14.14 l Advent Week 3

MASS READINGS  Sunday, December 14
•  All the readings together
•  Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11
•  Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54
•  1st Thessalonians 5:16-24
•  John 1:6-8, 19-28

FR. MARK'S HOMILY  Advent Week 3

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CORE MESSAGE

If we want this Christmas to the best Christmas ever then it must be connected to reality. If we really are going to welcome a savior we have to let God into our regrets, resentments, and resistances.

LETTING GO OF THE BANANA

“If our wanting is to be wholehearted then what we want must be connected to the rest of reality”

Regret

1. Have we made decisions that have negatively altered the direction of our life?
2. Have we made mistakes that have hurt us or others?
3. Do we have relationships that have suffered because we chose to work too much or neglect the time needed to nurture relationships?
4. Do we have sins we’ve committed that we’re ashamed of ... especially the sins we have been absolved of but can’t forgive ourselves of?
5. Have we lost time in life because “we were lost” (“I’ll never get her teenage years back when I was drinking)

Resentment

1. Do we have buried anger that we hold onto to protect us from the pain of the regret?
2. Do we feel trapped because we can’t undo it … we’re angry at being trapped.

Advent

1. We can resist forgiving
2. We can resist asking for forgiveness
3. We can resist the Sacrament of Reconciliation
4. We can resist or struggle forgiving myself of?

HOMEWORK: LET'S TAKE CHRISTMAS SERIOUS

Regrets
Get a sheet of paper and make a list of the following regrets. 

• Decisions I’ve made that have negatively altered the direction of my life
• Mistakes I’ve made that have hurt me or others
• Relationships that have suffered because I chose to work too much or neglect the time needed to nurture relationships
• Sins I’ve committed that I’m ashamed of ... especially the sins I have been absolved of but can’t forgive myself of
• Time that was lost because “I was lost” (time with God, family, etc.)

Resentments
Get a sheet of paper and divide into four columns.

• Column 1: Resentments. List it all (people, places, things, life, situations, God—everything or everyone with whom I am angry with, resent, feel hurt or threatened by)
• Column 2: The Cause. What happened? Be specific as to why I am or was angry.
• Column 3: Affects Me How? How did it or does it make me feel? 
• Column 4: Where Was I To Blame? What’s the truth here? Where was my responsibility in this relationship? What might I have done instead? Where was I at fault?

Resistance
Prayerfully look at the insights from your reflecting on your regrets and resentments. Ask yourself the following questions and commit to action.

1. Who do I need to forgive? Don’t forget, this person may or may not still be alive. What’s the best way for you to really forgive them?
2. Who do I need to approach and ask them to forgive me? Be prudent here, don’t rush this process. Ask God to show you how to proceed.
3. What do I need to bring to the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
4. What do I need to forgive myself of? (If you need help with this, Fr. Mark can be of assistance.)

Let's Get Ready Confessions in December

• Friday, December 19: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, December 20: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Monday, December 22: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 23: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 24: Confessions from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Recorded Sunday, December 14, 2014 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana. © Fr. Mark Toups, 2014

Sunday Homily l 12.07.14 l Advent Week 2

MASS READINGS  Sunday, December 7
•  All the readings together
•  Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11
•  Psalm 85
•  2nd Peter 3:8-14
•  Mark 1:1-8

FR. MARK'S HOMILY  Advent Week 2

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CORE MESSAGE

Do you really need a Savior this Christmas?

SOBERING STATISTICS

• 36% of registered voters voted November’s primary elections
• 64% of registered voters voted in the 1950s

• 73% of Americans trusted the government or elected officials in the 1950s
• 24% of Americans trust the government or elected officials

• 50% of Americans consider themselves happy. 50% of Americans, half of our country, do not consider themselves happy.
• Only 45% of American adults—less than half—believe their children will have a better life than they are.
• A few years ago Americans spent $150 billion on pornography, alcohol and illegal drugs. That’s more than the Federal government’s $130 billion budget for education.

• Somewhere around 60% of American Catholics went to Mass on Sunday in the 1950s
• Less than 25% of American Catholics will go to Mass today

• 16% of Americans do not believe in Jesus Christ - that’s more than double the 8% in 1990
• 13 million American adults believe their salvation is unimportant
• Every five seconds someone dies - without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

• 1/3 of Americans believe that Christmas is a cultural holiday
• In that same survey, 1 out of every 4 American Catholics believe that Christmas is a cultural holiday

• 88% of American children believe in Santa
• 78% of American recognize believe in Jesus Christ

• 2/3 of Americans my dad’s age believe Jesus is central to Christmas
• Less than ½ of Americans my age believe Jesus is central to Christmas

Recorded Sunday, December 7, 2014 at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana. © Fr. Mark Toups, 2014