We really hope you can join us!

April 21… Burnet, TX…

Jonathan Alexander with Ike Ndolo Band

April 22…  Austin, TX…

Ennie Hickman with Ike Ndolo

April 24… Clear Lake, TX…

Ennie Hickman with Ike Ndolo

April 25… Houston, TX…

Dinner with the Adore Family

April 26… La Porte, TX…

Ennie Hickman with Ike Ndolo

April 27… Houston, TX…

Ennie Hickman with Ike Ndolo

April 29… Spring, TX…

Ennie Hickman with Ben Walther Band

Commitment is something that we don’t always think about, yet is something we all face.

When we think of the word commitment it is fair to say that many things come to our mind. As a young

adult/college student this word can be very scary. The word commitment seems long term, forever and final.

It’s a buzz word in the young adult culture that is often avoided altogether.

We live often “in the moment” and “for the moment” and the idea of committing past the “moment” is a total

“buzz kill.” This being said, this season of young adulthood is a season of learning to become an adult. It’s a

season of learning the ropes and using the tools given to you as you move into becoming whole. Some

people prolong this process and some don’t. It’s a choice. However, if you want to live the life God desires for

you to live, then becoming and adult is a part of the process. Thus when we talk about the word

“commitment” it’s important to take it seriously. Like discipline, commitment is something that we learn and

grow in. For example, the commitment someone has when they are dating in high school looks a lot

different then the commitment a husband and wife have. We learn the depth and art of commitment as we

grow in virtue and grown in our understanding of Gods design for our life.

So why is commitment important to living the life God wants for us? The answer to this question is simple.

Commitment is what holds everything together…it’s the hinge-pin. Without commitment, the process of

living a healthy and balanced life falters. So what is commitment? Commitment is being totally dedicated to a

cause. Every goal in your life needs commitment. Everything you will work for and do in your life will require

commitment from you. Commitment is being totally dedicated to a cause and seeing it through to the end,

no matter what’s at stake. When you look at your life, your desires, goals, etc…it will take commitment. Your

vocation with take commitment. Your job will take commitment…etc. As you begin living a life of balance it

will take your willingness to commit…to dedicate yourself to the cause…see things through till the end!  This is why

Just imagine a Wendy’s packed with 30 type-A personality high school boys, and it’s easier to envision. Countless times I would be half way through my burger when I would remember it was Friday and just blurt out “ah crap, it’s Friday!” The sound that would follow was similar to that of your home team losing the game at the last second.

It’s funny to me now because it’s almost like more businesses remember that Lent is coming up, and about Friday fasting, than most Catholics. You’ll see signs for Fish sandwich sales and Meatless food options at basically every establishment. And while a majority of people tend to treat lent as a “Catholic New Year” by making healthy life choices, it’s about more than food.

I know we are already into lent, but this year, I’d like to take a different approach to it. What if we took this time to fall deeper in love with our Church and our God by remembering rather than removing?

Lent is an ancient tradition within our Church, and for good purpose. Many of you already know and realize this, but it’s worth repeating: It’s only when we slow down and sacrifice, that we can truly see the worth of this life. The Church knows that we tend to be a bit, how do you say…hyperactive. Especially in our American culture. We are always “too busy” or “don’t have enough time”. I use this excuse often, and often have this excuse used on me. It seems to be especially predominant amongst those working for the Church. Two major things happen: We get so focused on what we’re doing that we forget why we’re even doing it in the first place. Or we get so focused on what we’re doing that we lose sight of those things that mean the most to us.

We live in a time of turbulence and chaos. I tend to believe that this will only change when Jesus comes again, or I die. However, so much of my time is invested in passing blame rather than doing work to fix all of this. Often times, I should just be looking interiorly instead of pointing to the exterior. Lent provides an introspective view. Lent provides a time to examine myself and see what the source of all this really is. Lent provides a time for me to remember why I’m even alive in the first place.

My sacrifices remind me of who I really am and who I’m called to be, not just physically but spiritually. If I am not entering into this wholly and authentically, then I am most certainly not becoming holy authentically.

2 Corinthians 5:7 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come”

It’s one of my favorite scripture verses, yet the hardest to live by. I sometimes tend to discredit the old, precisely because it’s old: it just seems outdated. But as I get older, my appreciation for all things old grows. The wisdom, the growth that has happened leads to something new.

However, this lent I have been moved at how good I am at hiding my old life. I keep it hidden in my heart, and I’ve become so good at it, that there are aspects of my old life that I’ve even hidden from myself. It’s in remembering my old life that I allow the new to completely kill it off. It’s found in intentional sacrificing. Instead of allowing it to fester and grow like an unseen disease, I launch an all out assault on it, and allow the Lord to give me a glimpse of what life can be. Instead of losing hope in what He wants to create in me, these wounds become the door to greatness. Why would I ignore the thing that hurts the most in my life if I know that it will eventually lead to something new? Wounds and suffering have been given meaning. Instead of running from them, I’m given power to embrace them.

I have recently become enamored with this tree in my back yard. Now, I’m not hugging it and talking to it, but I’m just fascinated by it. It’s only 60 years old and it’s huge, yet it started out so small. I can’t help but look at that and think “God, what will you create with me by the time I’m 60?” Thinking about all that it has withstood and been through is kind of weird, but really inspiring. From weather changes to people change, all kinds of animals; all sorts of outside influence and circumstance. Yet, it continues to grow and progress. Despite it’s exterior circumstances, no matter how great or dire, it has become a beauty to behold, a sight to be seen.

Lent is more about slowing down, becoming small and allowing the Lord to reorder us interiorly than doing things to make ourselves big or fix our exterior. The tradition of becoming small has been around a lot longer, and has withstood much more than those who would make a tradition of becoming big. Just remember who you are and who God is when that bell rings, and in doing so, allow yourself to be transformed into something truly breathtaking.

Want us to come to your parish?

Email Tammy for more information.

I was out for lunch with my Pastor and a friend.  We were enjoying our appetizers and some conversation on evangelizing the “young church” when we figured we should get our waitress in on the convo and get an unassuming “20 something” young woman’s perspective on faith among people her age.

The conversation started with a little bit of a shock as she told us she was “catholic”.  She grew up going to Church, with very devout grandparents, and loving the pastor at her church.  But my heart started breaking as she revealed more about her “faith”.  She had no idea any of us worked for the Church, let alone one of us was a priest (who was wearing street clothes); so she spoke freely and shared her experience of “Church”.

She hasn’t been to Church in years; she couldn’t even name a church to go to in the area, Catholic or protestant.  She still loves Jesus but hates religion, especially the Catholic religion she grew up with, because she didn’t want to be a “hypocrite”.  She doesn’t pray regularly, but she believes Jesus wants her to be “happy and successful”.  We asked, if her friends would know a good place to go to church or meet Jesus- she looked perplexed (probably starting to get annoyed at all these Jesus questions)- “religion isn’t really something any of us do around here.”

The final question we asked her was, “If you wanted to start a relationship with Jesus today… what would you do? Where would you go?” This was by far the deepest, most personal, and most pointed question we had asked… her response, “I have no idea”.

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Here is where most people would probably invite her back to Church.  “We have a 9am mass on Sunday.  Come on by, we’d love to have you!”  Evangelization done. Mission accomplished. We spread the Gospel.

But we didn’t invite her to Church.

Don’t get me wrong, the Mass is the highpoint of our existence, the source and summit of everything!  This girl needed Jesus… and needed Him bad.  But was inviting her to Mass automatically going to put her into a relationship with Jesus… in someways yeah, of course; through the readings and the Eucharist (if she was prepared to receive).  But, if no one is there to help explain the mass, process the experience, teach her to pray how will she really be able to bring the grace home with her to transform her daily life?

In last Sunday’s Gospel we see a perfect example of evangelization; that for most of us probably went unnoticed.  The unsung “evangelist” was Andrew, who “…found his brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’. He brought him (Simon) to Jesus.” (Jn1:41-42)

Andrew evangelized our first Pope!!  Andrew could have just told Simon to, “go and find Jesus! He’s at the Jordan River”, but Andrew walked with him, explaining Jesus was the Messiah!

And I believe we’re called to do the same thing; not only invite people to where they can find Jesus, but walk with them into a relationship with Christ: answering their questions, encouraging them, praying with them… entering into a relationship with them!  Evangelization is more then an invite to a “church event”.  It’s an invitation into relationship.

A relationship with Jesus and His Bride, the Church, doesn’t just happen.  We need to help foster those relationships by giving of ourselves and modeling the relationship someone else help foster in us.

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Our conversation with our waitress ended with an open invitation to not only our Church but also into our homes.  I plan on taking my wife, Carolyn, with me sometime this week back to that restaurant so she can meet this waitress and hopefully begin some sort of relationship/friendship that will begin to draw this girl back into the arms of Christ.

Please pray for our waitress that she may begin to hear Christ calling her back into a relationship with Him.