As we spoke several weeks back, we try to live out our faith by praying, serving and providing for the Church.  Over the next few weeks we are just going to cover some simple facts around parish participation in prayer, service and contribution.
     Today, SJV parish consists of 769 registered families.  If each family averages 3 people this equates to around 2300 parishioners.  On average there are about 1000 Mass attendees per weekend, and about 750 receive communion.  Father does 8 to 10 Reconciliations on a normal week and we have about 1 baptism per month.
     These numbers indicate that just over 40% of our parishioners attend mass here, about 33% receive communion each week, 10% attend reconciliation once every 6 months and we have about a half a percent of new baptisms in the parish per year!
     Considering that here, in this Catholic Church, we come to worship and receive God, Our Creator, in each Mass and sacrament, these numbers are pretty astounding.  So for the next week, consider if you and your family are actively contributing and drawing others to our parish prayer life.

     For the last three years the stewardship council, has had the charter of informing and educating the parish on the stewardship model and our responsibilities for stewardship. 
     Over the last year and a half, this column has discussed the nature of stewardship, why we do it, the benefits of stewardship and how stewardship improves our relationship with God and with each other.
     Over the last seven weeks we have covered the various types of ministries available in our parish.  In short, there is a ministry for any skill or interest, any amount of available time, and the parish has needs in every area.
     The expectation was that by growing our knowledge of stewardship there would be an awakening in the parish and that the parish would respond by becoming more generous in their gifts of prayer, service and financial support.
     Each parishioner makes a personal decision to pray, to serve, and to provide.  Over the next few weeks we will provide some feedback to let you know how we as a parish are doing.  In the meantime, look for one new way to share your own Attitude of Gratitude.  

 If you are reading this article, in all likelihood you attend Mass, at least once per week.  Mass is where we come together as Christ’s Body the Church to offer thanksgiving . . . Eucharistia.  The question is do you attend or do you become one with Christ’s Church? 

   Becoming one means: greeting others and seeking each other out before and after Mass, eliminating noise from cell phones or children, dressing properly to be in the presence of God, participating in mental, vocal and musical prayer, listening prayerfully to the readings and homily and only receiving communion when in a worthy state.

   In addition to participating in the Mass, having an effective liturgy is part of what it means to be Church.  Serving with a liturgical ministry is a way to contribute to the communal worship. We can always use more greeters, ushers, lectors, choir members, Sacristans, Alter Servers and Eucharistic ministers. 

   All of these roles are relatively easy and contribute greatly to the worship experience and the time required is often just the time you spend in Mass.  Please, consider sharing your attitude of gratitude by joining one of the parish liturgical ministries.

     Dear SJV kids, we hope you all are well settled in your schools and performing well in your studies. Your schoolwork is to prepare you for when you become an adult and take on a job, to support your own family.
     Do you know what jobs Jesus had?  Jesus learned to be a carpenter from His father Joseph but later He became an extraordinary Teacher.
     There are many references in the Bible to Jesus as “teacher”. In fact, He started teaching at the age of 12.  The 5^th Joyful Mystery of the rosary is, “Finding Jesus in the Temple.”  His parents first thought Jesus was lost, but later found Him teaching and debating the Scriptures with priests and learned people of the Temple.  The twelve disciples also called Him teacher for He was constantly showing them how to shepherd His people and lead a holy life.
     We all have many teachers in our lives: our parents, teachers at school, our elders at home, and Priests and Religious Education teachers at Church. We should always try to see Jesus in our teachers and show our attitude of gratitude by listening to them and respecting them every day.

  In Genesis Chapter 2, God places man into the Garden of Eden to cultivate and care for the garden.  Man became the steward of God’s creation, to care for the blessings that God has given us.
   For the past several years much of the maintenance of the parish had declined.  Some was due to finances some was due to insufficient volunteerism.  However, the parish has recently retired some debt and reduced our cost structure and volunteerism within the parish is on an upswing.
   Over the last few weeks, there have been a lot of physical changes made.  The office has been rearranged and refurbished, the rectory has had a facelift, the pavilion has been cleaned, sidewalks have been re-laid and there has been lots of painting, cleaning, rearranging and planting.
   Almost all of this work has been done by volunteers.  We have a number of ministries in the parish that maintain the grounds, clean the church, plan the events, and the Knights of Columbus seem to be everywhere!
   There is still more work to be done, and not near enough volunteers to get it all done.   You are the stewards of SJV, so show your attitude of gratitude by physically, financially and spiritually helping the parish to flourish.  

     Throughout the Gospels, the one disciple that is most prominent is Peter. Peter was the first to acknowledge Christ as the Son of God, Peter is the one that speaks for the others, he is also the one that Christ entrusts the Church to.

     Was Peter perfect? No way. In fact, it takes a long time for Peter to "get it", Peter doesn't always know which way to go, Christ rebukes Peter, Peter denies Christ but Peter al­ways loves Christ and Christ always loves and forgives Pe­ter. Throughout the Gospels Peter demonstrates leader­ship.

     To love Christ one must be able to show leadership. Some are called to serve in leadership positions either on the Parish staff or on one of the parish Finance, Steward­ship or Pastoral advisory councils. Others are called to lead a particular ministry. All are called to lead by the example of our lives.

     Peter wasn't always right but he was never afraid to step up in service to His Lord. He knew that leadership means being active and participating. We are all being called to lead, in our prayer, in service and in giving. Show your atti­tude of gratitude by generously answering your call to lead.

For the three years of Jesus public ministry, he and his disciples traveled together throughout Judea. We have nu­merous stories of healing, exorcism, miracles and sermons.

Have you ever considered that the stories from the Bi­ble, don't really make up three years of time? For three years, the disciples followed Jesus, listening to him, praying with Him and learning from Him. Jesus spent the last 3 years of his life teaching the Apostles how to follow Him.

For 2000 years our faith has been taught in much the same way. Each of us teach our family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances by the way we live our lives.

Some of us are further called to share the faith through formal education programs. At SJV we have Religious Edu­cation, Vacation Bible School and Youth Formation for our young people. We also have Adult Bible study, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and Landings for returning Catholics. All of these programs pass on the faith to future generations.

We each have the responsibility of sharing our faith with those around us, please consider showing your attitude of gratitude by joining or helping in one of our teaching minis­tries.

Stewardship Corner

Dear SJV kids, we hope you all enjoyed your summer vacation and have had a pleasant start to the new school year!  Please remind your parents that Religious Education classes will begin Sep 11 (Sunday) and Sep 14 (Wednesday).

This time of year there is often a lot of change – new schools, classes, friends, teachers, neighborhoods, even a new pastor for SJV!  Sometimes people have a hard time dealing with change.  Sometimes we think that change is a result of our actions. Sometimes we think we can control change.

In reality, we don’t really control change. God permits change to occur, all we control is how we respond to the change. This is evident in Proverbs (3: 5-6), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

We don’t always know why God lets change occur, but we have to trust that God has more wisdom than we do.  Most often, God allows change to happen so that we grow from the experience, and as we grow our faith grows as well.

If you are struggling with change, ask God to help you learn to deal with the change in a way that is pleasing to Him, and show your attitude of gratitude by thanking God for the change that takes place in your life!

     For years, I thought that the only people that evangelized were the protestant churches.  I had this picture in my mind of people going door to door with pamphlets, or asking if I had a personal relationship with Jesus.
     Did you know that “evangelization” is from a Greek word, which means “good news”?  It comes down to us from Christ through the Apostles, and the root of Evangelization is from … where else … the Catholic Church.
     In Catholic tradition, the baptized are called to spread the Good News.  We do that by the way we live our lives, and how we treat others.
     In our parish, the “Reaching Hands” are those that reach out to others, to share about our parish and our faith, and who provide a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers.  Specific apostolates include the bulletin and e-ministry, the Neighborhood Outreach Groups, Newcomers Welcome, Parish prayer line and parish retreats.
     In addition to learning more about these teams at the parish website, the easiest way to show your Attitude of Gratitude is by sharing a welcoming smile each time you see someone new at Mass.  A smile and a kind work are the first steps to becoming Christ’s evangelist!

     Throughout His ministry on Earth, Chirst healed the sick, fed the hungry, comforted the brokenhearted and gave hope to the downtrodden.  His actions showed us how we are to treat those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
     The Caring Hands apostolates within our parish focus their energies on those who are in need of various types of assistance.  Our "Caring Hands" teams manage the parish pantry, work with the local serving center, provide assistance to the homeless, provide support for Heartgift, and comfort the greiving through the parish bereavement apostolate.
     Since the days of Christ, the Catholic Church has reflected Christ's caring hands.  While we hear of the failings of the Church, most don't realize that the Catholic Church is the single largest provider of charitable services in the world.  In this country alone, over 30% of all hospitals are Catholic hospitals.
     Consider showing your attitude of Gratitude by joining the caring hands of Chirst.  You can read more about the "Caring Hands" at www.sjvroundrock.org.

Dear SJV kids,
we hope you all are enjoying the summer vacation and praying for a much needed rain in Texas. Please remind your parents to register you for Religious Education for the year 2011-2012.

In today’s world, fear has become part of everyone’s life. We are all afraid of one thing or the other at some point in our life. Some are more afraid than others. Fear weakens us and can be an obstacle to our growth and to our spiritual life.

Sometimes fear grows in us due to lack of faith. When I was a kid, I remember my Mom telling me a simple tip to overcome fear that I would like to share with you. Anytime you are afraid, ask God to make the evil go away and ask your guardian angel to protect you. As you say this, make the sign of the cross and keep all your trust in God. Your fear will go away because our Lord, the living Father, hears each and every word of His children. After that, all you need to do is show your attitude of gratitude with prayers of thanksgiving.

Over the last several weeks we have discussed how God has given us the seven sacraments as a means for sharing His Grace with us. Part of our call as Christian stewards is to share God's grace with other people.

At SJV, we have adopted a vision to be the "Hands of Christ" as the manner in which we will share the grace of God with each other and with our community. Just as there are seven sacraments, we have organized ourselves around seven "Hands". Each of these hands is a different way that we can contribute.

Our church teaches that "Faith without works is dead". This means that each of us is called to live out the faith we profess and demonstrate that faith in our actions. Over the next several weeks, we will explore each of the "Hands" and how each of them allows us to demonstrate our Attitude of Gratitude to God.

   The last Sacrament we will cover is that of Holy Orders. This sacrament is conferred on those men who are called to serve as Deacons, Priest or Bishops. These men dedicate their lives to the Church and are consecrated to delivering the sacraments to the faithful.
   Deacons have the authority to deliver the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony. They were originally called to assist in administration and care for the people so that the Apostles could focus on teaching, preaching and spiritual development.
   Priests have the additional authority to confer the sacraments of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Eucharist and under special delegation from the Bishop, Confirmation. It is the priests that have the primary responsibility for our spiritual lives and our nourishment with the Word, the Eucharist and the other sacraments.
   Bishops receive the fullness of Holy Orders and trace their lineage directly to one of the Apostles. They have the additional authority to confer Holy Orders and Confirmation. The Bishops hold the full teaching authority of the Church in their diocese and they have they have the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the faith.
   The primary responsibility of the ordained is our spiritual well being. Unfortunately, most Deacons, Priests and Bishops spend a significant amount of their time in administration of the secular needs of their parishes or Dioceses. It is the responsibility of the lay faithful to take care of the secular needs of the Church. Show your Attitude of Gratitude for our ordained ministers by becoming the hands of Christ in our parish.

     The first five sacraments parallel the various stages of live.  These sacraments are experienced by nearly everyone.  The last two sacraments parallel specific callings for some, but not all.  Holy Matrimony is the sacrament that pertains to those who are called to join together and serve God as a married couple.
     A married couple makes a lifelong covenant with God and with each other.  The Church is indivisible from Christ, so, too, a valid Catholic marriage is indivisible.  A married couple become as one, therefore they share the responsibility of helping each other make it to heaven.  Finally, the married couple may be blessed by naturally cooperating with God in the creation of new life.  They, therefore, shoulder the responsibility of leading a new soul to the light of Christ.
     Those who live out their marriage in the grace of God demonstrate the love of God to each other and their children.  The love they share and the sacrifices they make for each other serve to model an Attitude of Gratitude to their extended family, the Church.

     Many of Jesus’ miracles were healings of the infirm.  Quite often when Jesus would heal someone, he would simply state “your sins are forgiven.”  The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick reflects both the healing power of God, and the forgiveness of sins, just as Jesus demonstrated.
     Those that are seriously ill hold a special place in God’s heart.  First of all, they are bearing the cross of suffering, which Christ told us we all must carry.  Second, the infirm often display a heroic level of humility and fortitude which can set an example for others to follow.  Finally caring for the infirm is a way for each of us to share God’s love with someone, who may desperately need to feel loved.
     This sacrament is granted to those who are seriously ill as a way to strengthen and cleanse them spiritually, quite often in preparation of their final journey to heaven.  We will all be blessed at some point in our lives to need and desire the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  A wonderful way to demonstrate your attitude of gratitude is to reach out to the infirm, visit them, and show them God’s love.

Dear SJV Kids,
     We hope you all are enjoying your summer vacation.  Vacation Bible School this year was a great succes where ou learned about our Catholic faith through fun-filled activities.   
     God loves each one of us so very much that He gave us His only son, Jesus Christ.  We are called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus in our daily lives.  He taught us how to pray to our hevenly Father in simple and yet very powerful ways.  When you do not know what to pray, just say the "our Father", the prayer the Lord taught us.  Say it slowly and think about each word in the prayer.    
     Jesus aslo aught us how to be good.  He showed us how to be opedient to our parents.  Although He is from God the Father, He opeyed, helped and grew up just like any other kid.  Let us show our attitude of gratitude by following the footsteps of Jesus.
     The Stewardship committee and the children of SJV Parish bid a loving farewell to Fr. Edwin and welcome Fr. Michael with open hands.  We offer thanks and prayers to God for all our priests.

  The Sacrament of Reconciliation fills a very special
need in our lives as Christians. While we are all made in
the image and likeness of God, we also have inherited the
stain of original sin from Adam and Eve. This stain makes it
difficult to lead our lives without occasionally lapsing into
sin.
  God knows that we have this tendency to fall away and
so he has given us the Sacrament of Reconciliation to bring
us back to him and to heal us when we have fallen.
  Reconciliation and Eucharist are both available to us as
frequently as we are in need of reception. God gives us
access to these sacraments because He knows how diffi-
cult it is to maintain a good and holy life.
  Unfortunately many Catholics do not recognize that rec-
onciliation is for our own good. God has given us this sac-
rament to heal our souls, just as we use doctors for the oc-
casional checkup.
  Just as God has given us Sacraments that mark our
Birth, feeding and adulthood in Faith, he has also given us
a Sacrament for when we are in need of his help. Show
your attitude of gratitude by taking advantage of the Sacra-
ment of Reconciliation!

In the Catholic tradition, the sacrament of Confirmation is conferred when an individual is prepared to think and act as a mature Christian. Similar to Baptism, we are anointed in Con­firmation and sealed with the mark of the Holy Spirit.

Just as when we move from adolescence to adulthood, there are new expectations and responsibilities, so too when we are confirmed there are new expectations and responsibili­ties. Confirmation parallels our maturation as humans and indicates that we are now able to think and act as adults in Faith.

As adults, we are responsible for our own growth and ac­tions, so too after confirmation we are accountable to continue to learn and grow throughout the course of our lives. The grace we receive strengthens us to a new level of maturity, to take responsibility for our own spiritual growth and to enable us to lead others in the Faith.

By living our lives as adult Christians, we show our attitude of gratitude by shouldering our responsibilities and leading oth­ers to Christ.

As physical creatures our most basic need is that of nourishment. Our body needs nourishment to grow and mature, as does our soul. The sacrament of Eucharist nourishes our soul.

The Church teaches us that the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. When we receive the bread and wine, we are receiving Christ's body and blood.

When we consume food, our body converts that food into our physical self. We are what we eat. So too, when we worthily receive the Eucharist we grow as the body of Christ.

When we pray the Our Father, we ask for "our daily bread." We are asking for more than just our physical nourishment. . . we are also asking God to nourish us with His Body and Blood. 

The word "Eucharist" means "thanksgiving." There are morning, noon and evening masses across our diocese every day. Receiving the Eucharist, more than once a week, is a perfect way to show your attitude of gratitude.

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning [Luke 12:35]

Congratulations to all of you kids for completing another successful school year. You are probably ready to enjoy your well deserved summer vacation.

Thank you, kids for making the “Fest of All” event a success with your active participation.

In summer, you do not have Religious Education (RE) classes but it should not stop you from knowing more about your faith. You can read Bible stories or read about saints. You can also make a resolution to spend 15 minutes every day reading the Bible and attend morning mass (8:15am) at least one of the week days (Tuesday to Friday). Know your faith and live with an Attitude of Gratitude to the Lord our God.