Welcome to St. Therese Catholic Church
Welcome to St. Therese Catholic ChurchWelcome to St. Therese Catholic ChurchWelcome to St. Therese Catholic Church
Father's weekly message
February 8, 2026, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father” (2)
Why Do We Call God “the Father” or “Our Father”?
Humanity invokes God as Father in three distinct ways: in a general sense, a particular sense, and a unique sense.
First, God is called “Father” in a general sense. Many religions invoke God as Father in the sense that: (a) he is the father of all gods and of humanity; (b) he is the origin and creator of the visible and invisible world; (c) he is the author and sustainer of life; and (d) he is all-knowing, all-powerful, and the source of all good. Therefore, in a general sense, God is Father to the entire universe—visible and invisible.
Second, God is called “Father” in a particular sense. The Hebrew Scriptures call God Father because: (a) he created us in his image and likeness, with our unique identity as male and female (Gen 1:27); (b) he entered into a covenantal relationship with those who “walked in his ways”; and (c) he revealed himself as the Father of the patriarchs, and as the defender of the poor, the orphaned, the widows, and the oppressed. From the time of creation, God intended to be our Father, and granted humanity the privilege of living in his presence and enjoying life in paradise. However, humanity lost this privilege through the sin of disobedience, caused by greed and pride—the desire “to be like God.” The devil deceived Adam and Eve by presenting the forbidden fruit as beautiful, desirable, and useful for gaining knowledge. When our first parents reached for the fruit, ate it, and shared it with each other, they lost their dignity and were deprived of paradise with all its privileges, joys, and rights. The greatest loss of all was the privilege of being children of God. Yet, despite this tragedy, God did not abandon humanity to everlasting disaster. Instead, he chose people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many God-fearing men and women in human history to re-establish his fatherly relationship with humanity. Finally, God sent his Son to restore our relationship with him through Jesus Christ.
Therefore, through Jesus, we have the third and unique reason to invoke God as “Our Father.” The people of the Old Testament could not fully perceive or comprehend the mystery of the Trinity—one God in three persons—because this mystery was not fully revealed until the time of Jesus. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, and the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith’. The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—reveals himself to humanity and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin.” (CCC 234)
Within this mystery of the Trinity, God the Father reveals the Son, God the Son reveals the Father, and God the Holy Spirit bears witness to both the Father and the Son. Thus, the three divine persons enable us to address God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, reveals the true identity of the Father and teaches us to “call no one father on earth,” for we have one Father in heaven. Therefore, only those who believe in Christ and receive rebirth through Baptism—in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit—can “truly” and “fittingly” call God, “Our Father” and “Abba”, and enter into his house, which is our paradise. — Fr. Jesu
Announcements for February 8th, 2026
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is this Friday, February 6th. Please sign up in the Narthex to spend some time with our Lord. Please know that when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for public adoration, someone must be present. So, please sign up!
La Adoración al Santísimo Sacramento será este viernes, 6 de febrero. Por favor, apúntate en el Nártex para pasar un tiempo con nuestro Señor. Recuerda que cuando el Santísimo Sacramento está expuesto para adoración pública, alguien debe estar presente. ¡Así que, por favor, apúntate!
We will have Communion Service Tuesday through Friday of this week as all priests will be at a Priests’ Retreat in Dallas.
La Adoración al Santísimo Sacramento será este viernes, 6 de febrero. Por favor, apúntate en el Nártex para pasar un tiempo con nuestro Señor. Recuerda que cuando el Santísimo Sacramento está expuesto para adoración pública, alguien debe estar presente. ¡Así que, por favor, apúntate!
As Saturday, February 7th is First Saturday we will have an 8:00 a.m. Mass.
Como el sábado 7 de febrero es Primer Sábado, tendremos Misa a las 8:00 a.m.
Contribution Envelopes are in the Narthex in alphabetical order. Please pick yours up on the way out. If you currently do not have envelopes and would like some, please contact Sharla Lewis in the church office.
Los sobres de contribución están en el nártex en orden alfabético. Por favor, recoja el suyo al salir. Si actualmente no tiene sobres y le gustaría recibir algunos, comuníquese con Sharla Lewis en la oficina de la iglesia.
The 2026 Bishop’s Appeal has been renamed Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries. The new name emphasizes the focus of the appeal on providing support for the essential ministries that serve the faithful of the diocese. This year’s theme: “Take Courage” invites us to embrace God’s mercy and allow that mercy to fill us with the strength and courage needed to respond wholeheartedly to the Lord’s call. We will have our commitment weekend at our Parish the weekend of February 7th and 8th. If you have received a pledge envelope, please bring it to the Church office, do not mail it directly to the Diocese. This enables us to keep track of our parish donations.
La Campaña del Obispo 2026 ha sido renombrada como Campaña del Obispo para los Ministerios. El nuevo nombre enfatiza el enfoque de la campaña en brindar apoyo a los ministerios esenciales que sirven a los fieles de la diócesis. El tema de este año: “Tengan Valor” nos invita a abrazar la misericordia de Dios y permitir que esa misericordia nos llene de la fuerza y el valor necesarios para responder de todo corazón al llamado del Señor. Tendremos nuestro fin de semana de compromiso en nuestra Parroquia el fin de semana del 7 y 8 de febrero. Si ha recibido un sobre de compromiso, por favor llévelo a la oficina de la Iglesia, no lo envíe directamente a la Diócesis. Esto nos permite llevar un registro de las donaciones de nuestra parroquia.
The Ladies Guild are having a garage sale on the church grounds March 27th and 28th. They are currently accepting donations and ask that you please drop them off during church office hours at the food pantry. NO CLOTHES PLEASE.
El Gremio de Damas tendrá una venta de garaje en los terrenos de la iglesia el 27 y 28 de marzo. Actualmente están aceptando donaciones y piden que, por favor, las entregues durante el horario de oficina de la iglesia en la despensa de alimentos. POR FAVOR, NO ROPA.
It’s time to renew your Bulletin Ad or purchase a new Ad for your business! Ads are $150.00 each and are displayed each week in the bulletin and online for an entire year! Please stop by the church office to reserve your spot today!
¡Es hora de renovar su anuncio en el Boletín o de comprar un nuevo anuncio para su negocio! Los anuncios cuestan $150.00 cada uno y se muestran cada semana en el boletín y en línea durante todo un año. ¡Por favor, pase por la oficina de la iglesia para reservar su lugar hoy mismo!