Thanksgiving 2008
Dear Parishioners at Christ the Redeemer,
I give thanks to my God every time I think of you – which
is constantly, in every prayer I utter – rejoicing, as I plead
on your behalf, at the way you have all continually helped
promote the gospel from the very first day.
(Philippians 1:3-5)
With Thanksgiving approaching, we have the opportunity to pray and reflect on the many blessings of God in our lives throughout the years. Now in my twenty-first year here at Christ the Redeemer Parish, all of you parishioners are front and center in my mind and heart at prayer time. When I say that I am grateful for my priesthood and ministry here at CTR, those prayers come with names and faces of families through those years. The parishioners and others in our local area have afforded me numerous opportunities to know the presence of God in my life.
As we gather at the Eucharistic Table, the blessings of God in Christ Jesus become realized. As always, we come together at the Lord’s Table. We are able to see in the gathered Assembly the diversity and wonder of God in each person and family. We have the chance to give thanks for blessings received, burdens shared, the laughter and tears of life together. As ministers together we have been able to discover Christ in our brothers and sisters in their needs and concerns, which we have served together.
On behalf of the parish community let me thank those who minister with and among us: Eucharistic Ministers at Mass and among our sick, Readers, Servers, Ushers, Cantors, Choir Members, Instrumentalists, and Art and Environment Workers. A word of thanks also to our Catechists and Religious Education volunteers, who work with our children. We thank also our community volunteers -- LINK volunteers, Blood Drive people, our Doughnut crew, our Parish Nurses, ESL and Citizenship teachers, our Just Faith Groups -- who put other people first. A word of thanks to our Finance Committee for their practical and good work and advice in the use of our resources.
Gracias a todos mis ministros en la comunidad hispana de Cristo Redentor: Lectores, Ministros Eucarísticos, Servidores, Miembros del Coros, Catequistas y Voluntarios, y los Miembros del Grupo de Oración.
As we stand grateful before the Father, my prayer is for continued blessings in overflowing measure. Stand firm in those blessings and take hope in God’s fidelity to us.
