My dear parishioners, after fasting 40 days in the desert, Jesus was tempted by Satan to give himself over to darkness. Turn this rock into bread. Worship me. Jump off this high tower. Force the angels to catch you. Wonderfully for us, Jesus' steadfastness prompted the devil to depart. Yet the devil returned to harass the Son of God, exploiting many other opportunities. That was then, but what about now? Did Satan retire his temptation tool kit? Assuredly not.

Join the Knights of Columbus—Council 9794 St. Philip invites all Catholic men over the age of 18 and in good standing with the Catholic Church to join.

My dear parishioners, Jesus invited Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to accompany him in ministry, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." [Mk 1:17] Farther along Galilee’s shore, John and his brother James were mending their nets when Our Lord summoned them also to serve in his kingdom. Who were these men whom Jesus called? Simon, Andrew, James and John belonged to prosperous entrepreneurial families headquartered at the Sea of Galilee’s northern end. The four men were highly skilled and successful fishermen, their intimate knowledge of fishing waters, weather conditions, and equipment having been accumulated over years of experience and hard work. To be sure, the four were not powerful or wealthy men. James and John were very young...

Our First Sacrament class was blessed with a beautiful morning on Saturday, January 31 to celebrate their First Reconciliation.  We are very proud of the way they have taken on this step of their faith journey.  Please keep them in your prayers as they begin their preparation for the sacrament of First Holy Communion.

My dear friends, our Lord Christ is the source of everything good. Every grace and blessing comes from him alone. Though perhaps interrupted by a miracle or two, most human lives nevertheless are ordinary and unremarkable. What then makes an ordinary human life special? Saint Therese of Lisieux offers an answer. Rely on God for the very first grace. Make a great effort...

My dear parishioners, grace and peace in the Lord’s name! Our liturgical ministries were greatly reduced when we had Mass off-campus after Imelda and during last year's virus quarantine. We don't know what 2021 will bring. Nevertheless, we must rekindle our lay adult liturgy teams which support the Mass. We have three teams: 1) lay readers 2) extraordinary ministers of the eucharist, and 3) sacristans. These three teams assist the pastor and are needed at each Mass.

Our next lesson on how we can put our faith in action will be on Sunday, February 7...

Beginning February 17, JCF will be studying the upcoming Sunday readings using Emmaus Journey Reflections...

My dear parishioners, in recent weeks, several instances of spontaneous “shout outs” and overly loud voices have occurred in the celebration of daily and Sunday Mass. No one ever has discovered an easy way to approach, sort out and resolve this sort of thing. But as I am appointed to lead and guide, I would deem it a pastoral failure if I didn’t address these concerns clearly and firmly.

My dear parishioners, despite this past year deserving to be forgotten for its troubles, Christ Our Shepherd led all of us to “springs of living water,” to slake our thirst for the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit.” [Rev 7:17; ROMAN MISSAL, Introductory Rites 2011] ...

My dear parishioners, King Herod (called “Great”) ruled the eastern Mediterranean at the time of Jesus' birth. The Judean king, exhausted by his relentless pursuit of administering and preserving power, eventually became incompetent and mentally unstable, a final decay not uncommon to ruthless and aging sovereigns. Toward the end of his reign, executions and exiles, palace politics and poisonings were not uncommon. Plots and counterplots, both real and perceived, swirled around Herod’s head like smoke...

Thanks for your Generosity! Dear Parishioners, it has been a crazy year, but we want to let you know how much we have appreciated your monthly donations to Mary’s Blessings. We all know how hard just getting by has been for many people. Everyone has heard stories of hardship from friends or neighbors. With so much going on to disrupt our lives you have continued to give generously to the poor in our area. It seems like no matter how much we have to share with them, we could use even more. It is disheartening to see how many calls come in with requests for such large amounts to pay the rent and utilities these days. There is so much suffering going on!

The young parishioners of St. Philip had their first practice for the Christmas Eve Nativity Pageant. We were so happy to see all their smiling faces. Thank you to the parents who volunteered! We are so excited to watch these kids retell the story of Jesus' birth. There is still time to be a part of this beautiful event. All youth, grades K-12, of the parish, are invited to participate. Our last practice is Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9:30 am-11:00 am. Contact Heather Wehking @ 713-562-5947

My dear parishioners, grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Over the years, you have given gifts to many people. Weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and birthdays are just a few occasions which prompt people to give presents to one another...

My dear parishioners, many persons feel that a right relationship with God means a casual relationship between equals. There are many things wrong with this thought. For one, it is a naive and human-centric perception. And second, with respect to the divine realm, a relationship of substantial and personal equality is reserved only to the three divine persons of the most Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Consider how our Lord Jesus Christ, although like us in all things, is not merely human but human and divine. Though made to be sin for our sake, he himself was wholly without sin. We, human creatures, are sinful. We are not equal to God...

We were happy to welcome Fr. Barker this morning into our first-grade class. The kids were excited to see him! He was able to visit and see all the things we were learning in class. He joined the students in praying the rosary before leaving. Thank you Father!

My dear parishioners, in a few short days the Year of Grace 2020 comes to a close in the Church. We remember how the liturgical seasons and feast day celebrations unfolded in spirit and in truth this past year. Surely, the important things of life have value both on earth and in heaven, chief among them being salvation in Christ and the glory of the eucharistic celebration...

The CCE Elementary students celebrated All Saints Day by dressing up as a Saint of their choosing. The children enjoyed a fun morning learning about the Saints, playing All Saints Day Bingo, and enjoying some time with Father Barker. We believe our students are “MINT” to be Saints and reminded them with a special treat bag of peppermints at the end of the morning. Thank you to all the students (and their parents)  and teachers who dressed up and shared fun facts about their Saint.

My dear parishioners, the human soul’s greatest longing is to dwell with God in the fullness of his eternal glory. With this in mind, we annually remember our beloved deceased in a special way throughout November. We pray for the souls of the faithful departed to be granted a favorable judgment by God and a heavenly rest at the last. Praying for the dead is a venerable Christian obligation. At the time of his crucifixion, Christ himself descended to the dead to minister to Abraham and his holy descendants who had “all died in faith, not having received what was promised, but having seen it and greeted it from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” [Heb 11:13]

My dear parishioners, do the underprivileged merit a greater share of God's care and favor due to their distressed conditions? Is impoverishment an inherently favorable environment in which to seek the Lord? Do we draw closer to God more easily if we are less distracted by the care of possessions and ownership? We must answer, in many circumstances, yes, perhaps most, but not by necessity. Some embrace poverty as an aid to their salvation and for the “sake of the kingdom of heaven.” [cf. Mt 19:12] Many, poor from birth or impoverished by circumstances, neither escape nor transcend the cruel environment in which they live...