Welcome to Sts. Martha, Mary & Lazarus, Friends of Jesus ...

1 Dec. 10, 2017 Welcome to Sts. martha , Mary & Lazarus, Friends of Jesus Catholic Church Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Pastor: Rev. Msgr. Chester L. Borski, Parochial Vicar: Rev. Richard McNeillie Parochial Vicar: Rev. Michael Pham Deacons: Mr. Tony Cardella, Mr. Bob MacFarlane, Mr. Al O Brien, Mr. Guy T. Puglia, Mr. John Schuster, and Mr. Gary Yepsen Baptized into Christ Jesus , we worship as one and reach out to all. Parish Office hours: 9 AM - 4 PM Monday-Friday Liturgy & Sacraments Weekend Masses First Saturday (Pro-Life Mass): .. 8:30 AM Saturday Vigil: .. 5:30 PM Sunday: .. 7 AM, 9 AM, & 11 AM En Espa ol .. 1 PM Life Teen: .. 5:30 PM Nursery at 9 AM, 11 AM & 1 PM Spanish Mass Weekday Masses Monday: .. 8:30 AM Tuesday.

2 8:30 AM & 7 PM Wednesday: .. 8:30 AM & 10 AM Thursday: .. 6:30 AM & 8:30 AM Friday: .. 8:30 AM Sacrament of Penance Tuesday: Church 6:15 -7 PM Saturday: Church 10 AM - 12 PM Church 4:30-5:20 PM Perpetual Adoration Adoration Chapel 24 hrs. Anointing of the Sick Please call for a priest if you are seriously ill at home, about to en-ter the hospital, or if someone is close to death. Baptism Classes and Ceremony: Call the Parish Office to register Marriage Preparation at least six months before the wedding. Register to attend an information meeting by calling 281-358-6637. Funerals Call the Parish Office for more information, 281-358-6637. 4301 Woodridge Parkway, Porter, TX 77365 281-358-6637 fax 281-358-7973 TODAY S READINGS First Reading The rugged land shall be made a plain; the rough country, a broad valley (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11).

3 Psalm Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation (Psalm 85). Second Reading Conduct yourselves in holiness, hastening the coming of the day of God (2 Peter 3:8-14). Gospel I have baptized you with wa-ter; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:1-8). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Is 35:1-10; Ps 85:9ab, 10-14; Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday: Zec 2:14-17 or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Jdt 13:18bcde, 19; Lk 1:26-38 or Lk 1:39-47, or any read-ings from the Common of The Blessed Virgin Mary, nos. 707-712 Wednesday: Is 40:25-31; Ps 103:1-4, 8, 10; Mt 11:28-30 Thursday: Is 41:13-20; Ps 145:1, 9-13ab; Mt 11:11-15 Friday: Is 48:17-19; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Mt 11:16-19 Saturday: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16, 18-19; Mt 17:9a, 10-13 Sunday: Is 61:1-2a, 10-11; Lk 1:46-50, 53-54; 1 Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Second Sunday of Advent Monday: St.

4 Damasus I Tuesday: Our Lady of Guadalupe Wednesday: St. Lucy Thursday: St. John of the Cross Saturday: Las Posadas begins MASS INTENTIONS 11 8:30 AM Clarino Basabe 12/Our Lady of Guadalupe 13 8:30 AM Geor ge Kovacik 10 AM Pauline & Benny Pennucci 14 6:30 AM Jack Schuler 8:30 AM Lance Corporal Luke Yepsen 15 8:30 AM Jack Throop 16 5:30 PM Dor othy Palus 17 7 AM John D. Barone 9 AM Theodore Bella & Mima Bella 11 AM Ter esa Par issi 1 PM For the Parish 5:30 PM Barbara & Francis Mason Please note: During the school year, the 8:30 AM School Mass takes place in the Activi-ty Center (Faith Formation campus). NEXT SCHOOL MASS: WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13. THE 2018 SUNDAY MISSALS AND CALENDARS HAVE ARRIVED!

5 Sunday Missal - $2 Calendar - $1 Available in the Narthex or the Parish Office. Fr. Borski requests only your presence no gifts please. If you want to make a donation in his honor, you may do so to St. martha Church-Debt Reduction or St. martha Harvey Relief Fund. Volunteers needed for Anniversary Celebration: For all Masses on Dec. 16, 17 and 21, we will need 12 or more volun-teers to distribute commemorative rosaries and prayer cards to each family. For the Mass of Thanksgiving at noon on Dec. 21, we will need an ad-ditional 3 or more volunteers to assist with parking (to help our invited clergy). If you can help, please e-mail our volunteer coordinator at and indicate at which Mass(es) you are available to help.

6 To the parish family of St. martha , The message of the Scriptures for the 2nd Sunday of Advent is very clear and challenging: prepare for the coming of the Lord by conver-sion of heart and by remembering the promises of God. The prophetic call to conversion is an urgent one. We are to make ready for the Lord s coming not just by shopping for gifts for Friends and family or by decorating our homes with Advent wreathes and Christmas trees, but by opening our hearts to the Word of God. This presumes on our part a deep desire to change our ways so that our behavior begins to reflect that of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. What if we were to compare the number of hours spent Christmas shopping to the number of hours spent dedicated to prayer and community service?

7 How would we fare in this comparison? An examination of conscience based upon this comparison might indicate what we could do to heed the prophet s call, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. The Church sets aside these days of the Advent season and invites us to go into the room of our hearts and allow the Lord to speak to us. How can we prepare room for the Lord? How have our senses be-come dulled to the movement of God s Spirit in our hearts? What com-mitments have we made and now have forgotten or broken? Whom have we neglected, especially within our family? Have we marked our calendars for this Thursday, December 14th to attend the parish Pen-ance Service and seek the gift of the Lord s forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

8 While the prophet s call to conversion is an urgent one, the message we receive from our God is one of great hope. The first line from the reading from the prophet Isaiah is one of the most eloquent and consoling in the Old Testament, Comfort, give comfort to my people. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. The prophet as-sures us that our God will come to save us as a shepherd gathers his lambs into his arms and carries them close to his heart. The Advent Scriptures remind us that the great joy of this season is only experi-enced by those who are truly open to accepting the gift sal-vation offered in the person of Christ Jesus . And on this weekend when our parish celebrates Sharing Sunday, let us share that joy with those in special need of God s touch in their lives.

9 Fr. Chester Borski From the Pastor PLEASE REMEMBER THE RECENTLY DECEASED AND THEIR FAMILIES IN YOUR PRAYERS Bob Landvogt (husband of Nancy Landvogt) Norman Deitz (father of Neal Deitz) Vincent Grande (father of Phyllis Grande Holly) Bernardina Pagan Rivera Blossom Byngton Benedict Byron Bertrand (husband of Ginger Bertrand) Mary Callahan Please remember the sick and their families in your prayers: Don and Angie Chesnut, Muriel Williams, Wal-don Landry, Rodney Powell, Joan Brandt, Eleanora DeLeon, Catherine Sedlak, Michael Kohler, Carmen Aloisio, Carlene Stroupe, Sue Hammer, Rowan Mae Sullivan, Terry McDaid, Bette Hale, Dennis Alvary, Brandon Evans, Michael Adkins, Dona Beaston, Bill Barineau, Sally Howard, Dickie Howard, Randall Herr, Claudia Peak, Beverly Rose, Ann Colangelo, Daniel Norton, Miriam Meier, Angelika Mejia, Chris Thibodeaux, Helen Katacski, Catherine Casey, Karen Eastman, Eliza-beth Modenbach, Oscar Velasco, Judy Miles, Gerald Buchta, Noreen Stack, Josie Perez, Mary Silvers, Jo White, Maria Coronado, Millie Smaardyk, Lar-ry Auman, Lynette Smith, Peggy O Brien, Shannon Bosco, Mary Lou Sepulveda, Alfredo Soto.

10 Lisa Fergu-son, Carlos Rodriguez, Efren Martinez, Brodie Nikolai, Paula Seams, Victor Hugo Carbajal, Penny Gaido, Cornelio S. J. Obordo, Polita Luna, Dennis R. Barker Jr., Denise McLeod, Dorothy Parker, Deacon John Schuster, Grant McTaggart, Richard Kuehler, martha Busch, Joan Evans, Marie Hubbard, Rick Frantz, Lupe Renteria, Bruce Ward, Mark Phillips, Rod Schoelner, Aida Palmeri, Jason Whitcomb Communion to the Sick: If you or a loved one are in Kingwood Hospital, and would like a Communion Minister to visit, call the church office at 281-358-6637 to let us know. Hospital regulations require us to have the pa-tient s name and room number before we send someone. Military Wreath: Please pray for our active military as seen on the wreath in the Narthex.