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Welcome
Our Pastor is
Reverend
Polycarp
Otieno
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Our Lady of Sorrows Church online. We hope that our website gives you the information you are seeking. Please feel free to read more about our church on this site, or come in for a visit. We would love to greet you and share with you our love for Jesus Christ and for you, our neighbor.
245 W. Hwy 90, China, Texas 77613
Our Faith
We believe that the door to salvation is always open and so are the doors to our church. Our mission is to be fully devoted to Jesus by opening our arms to those in search of the truth. We show God’s love and concern for our fellow man at every opportunity. Through works of charity and opening our doors to listen and love, we feel that we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
Church Office- 409-752-3571
Church office hours-
Mon-Thur. 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Mass Times
WEEKENDS
Saturday at 4:00 PM
Sunday at 8:30 AM
Weekdays:
Tuesday 8:00 AM
Wednesday- 8:00 AM
Thursday- 8:00 AM
Friday 8:00 AM
Reconciliation: Saturday 3:00- 3:45 p.m.
Adoration- Wednesday
8:30 a.m. -noon
Baptism: Please call the
office for appointment. Baptism Classes are required.
Weddings: Diocesan policy for Marriage requires that you make an appointment with the pastor at least six months before the anticipated wedding. Please meet with the pastor before setting your final date.
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Children's Mass is Sunday October 13
8:30 a.m. Join Us!
Sunday September 15, 2024
Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Our lives should reflect our belief in Christ
TODAY’S READINGS
First Reading- Isaiah 50:4-9- Isaiah prophesies of the servant of the Lord who has not turned his back on the lord, but has given his back to those who beat him, believing that the Lord is his help.
Psalm-116:1-9- I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living.
Second Reading- James 2:14-18- James argues that faith without works is dead.
Gospel- Mark 8:27-35-In the Gospel Jesus asks hi disciples who they say he is. Peter answers, You Are The Christ. Jesus then says that anyone who wishes to follow him must take up his cross.
It is so easy to be distracted by worldly comforts brought forth by people, as well as material possessions. In today's Gospel, Christ proclaims of the need to separate ourselves from these habits. Sometime while we’re praying the Litany of Humility, we might ask ourselves if we really want these petitions to become true. To deny ourselves feels paradoxical, especially living in a society that highly values each human's right to so many freedoms. We can often reach above and beyond that which we're entitled to.
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We celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15th. We remember the Seven Sorrows of Mary. 1. Prophecy of Simeon 2. The flight into Egypt 3.The loss of the child Jesus in the temple 4. Jesus carrying the cross 5. The Crucifixion 6. Receiving Jesus' body from the cross 7. Burial of Jesus
ACM Appeal for Catholic Ministries Building the Kingdom Together
All donations stay in our area to fund many different Ministries. Anything we bring in over our goal, 100 percent stays at our Church.
BACK TO THE TABLE- Bishop David Toups and the Diocese of Beaumont have launched a new program, encouraging us to come back to the family table and to Christs table. For more information, prayers, discussions and back to the table recipes**Please text the word "table" to 55321** PLEASE join us at the table- bring your family and friends.
Sometimes we think the argument of faith vs. works started with the Reformation. But the second reading shows that it was already being debated in New Testament times. The simplified version of the debate has the Reformers saying that faith alone is all we need to be saved, while the Catholic side says we have to do good to be saved. Actually, they are both right.
The idea of works being necessary for salvation probably goes back to the Old Covenant emphasis on the law and the commandments. The Jews believed that keeping the law showed their holiness. They avoided anything or anyone that was unclean. They believed that their religious practices set them apart from the pagans around them. Then Jesus came to show that only God is Holy. Our holiness comes from loving God and loving others. Because Jesus is the Son of God, he is the best way to know God. So believing in Jesus is not just believing that he exists, (like those who believe in Santa Claus or UFO’s.) It means we believe in Love, the love Jesus showed by his life and death. We believe in a Person who loves us and showed us that God is not our boss or judge; he is our Father. He gives us life and protects us; he supports us and also lets us learn from our mistakes. Then he forgives us, showing that he loves us even when we turn away from him.
So if we truly believe in Jesus we believe in what he said and did. We follow his commandment of love, not because we want to avoid evil, but because we love him so much we want to be just like him. We help others, not to make us look good, but to show them how good God is. So you cannot truly believe in Jesus without wanting to help others to know and love him too. Jesus’ way of saying that in today’s gospel was to take up our cross and follow him. That is truly a work of faith.