Author: Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

As you read this, I should be home – God willing – to spend some time with my family, especially with my mother. I will be away for three weeks, but you all will certainly be in my prayers and thoughts. I wish to reflect on three important events occurring this week.

First: We are already in the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” which began yesterday. The theme this year is based on a text from the Gospel of John: “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. (Remember the Nicene Creed?) This commemoration provides a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the common faith of various Christian churches as expressed in the Creed formulated at that Council. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2025 is an invitation to draw on this common heritage and to enter more deeply into the faith that unites all Christians.

We know that Jesus prayed for unity: “Father, may they all be one” (John 17:21). But this unity is not realized as an organizational unity. Instead, I believe that it is possible to have a unity based on loving service, the fundamental mark of Christianity. Such a unity is possible if we accept what St. Paul asked us to do: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3).

Second: Tomorrow is MLK Day in honor of Martin Luther King Jr– the Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, who had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. The King holiday is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. The King Center has this to say about the theme for this year: “Our strategic theme for 2025 is ‘Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365’” 

Treating all with our God-given dignity and respect is still a challenge for us. That’s why the US Bishops Conference established an Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. Here’s what the Bishops said: “Racism has rightly been called America’s original sin. It remains a blot on our national life and continues to cause acts and attitudes of hatred, as recent events have made evident. The need to condemn, and combat, the demonic ideologies of white supremacy, neo-Nazism and racism has become especially urgent at this time. Our efforts must be constantly led and accompanied by prayer – but they must also include concrete action.”

Third:  The National March for Life takes place this Friday, January 24 in Washington D.C. about which you have been reading in our recent bulletin issues. Over the past 52 years, the March for Life has collectively united millions of pro-life Americans from every age, background, and faith with a common purpose: to witness the inherent dignity and worth of every single human life, especially those endangered by abortion. As a pro-life Church, we support this largest annual human rights demonstration in the world, especially with our prayers.

We thank God that St. Matthias is a life giving community that welcomes and accepts all. Are we perfect? No. There is always room for improvement. Let us continue our efforts to eradicate any form of discrimination or prejudice in our thoughts and actions and promote life and unity.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

We know that the Jubilee Year 2025 was officially inaugurated by Pope Francis by opening the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica, on December 24. There are four other Holy Doors in Rome: the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the door located at the Rebibbia Prison in Rome.

Bishop James Checchio designated the following sacred places within our Diocese as places where the faithful may obtain the Jubilee Indulgence:

1. Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, NJ
2. Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, NJ
3. National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Washington, NJ
4. National Shrine of St. Lucy Filippini (inside St. Mary of Mount Virgin Church, New Brunswick, NJ.

The Bishop’s decree states (as you can see it on our website) “These sacred spaces have been carefully chosen to reflect the spiritual significance of pilgrimage and to foster deeper conversion and reconciliation among the people of God. The visit is not merely an outward action but a reflection of the soul’s pilgrimage towards God, with conversion, reconciliation, and renewal at its heart.”

Here in our parish, we inaugurate the Jubilee Year 2025 today, focusing on the meaning of this Jubilee year at all the Masses. The theme of this Jubilee Year, proposed by Pope Francis, is “Pilgrims of Hope.”  As he so beautifully expressed it: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”

There will be many resources coming from our Diocese as well as from the USCCB (US Conference of Catholic Bishops) that we can make use of for our spiritual enrichment. I like to mention two easily accessible resources that we can start with immediately:

1)      Catholic Brain:  This is a faith formation program for individuals and families, with lots of informative and fun stuff for growing in our faith. Our Parish has already a subscription and we use it for the GIFT program. But I do encourage all of us to use it for our own spiritual benefit. See page 8 in today’s bulletin for accessing it through Debbie Schurko, our Director of Religious Education.

2)      Rosary In A Year Podcasts:  This is for practicing one of the timeless devotional prayers of our Church – the Holy Rosary. See the blurb on page 7 in today’s bulletin about accessing these daily podcasts. You can use them at your convenience.

We will also be praying the Jubilee Prayer, penned by Pope Francis, at all our Masses. It concludes with these words: “May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the  treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever, Amen.”

Let us joyfully and prayerfully participate in this Jubilee Year 2025!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas, as we keep the feast of the Epiphany today. It is good to know that our Orthodox brethren in the USA and the rest of the world keep Christmas on January 7 as their churches follow the Julian calendar.

The story of the three kings (though the Bible speaks of them not as kings but as the wise men from the east or the Magi) has fascinated us all. Liturgically, Epiphany is when the birth of the Messiah is manifested to the world in and through the three kings (number three is concluded from the number of gifts offered to Baby Jesus). Equally fascinating is the story of a fourth king immortalized by Henry van Dyke in his story “The Other Wise Man” written in 1895.

The fourth wise man is not mentioned in the Gospels but his name is Artaban. In the story version, our hero was late and missed the caravan as the other three left without him. He got to Bethlehem too late to see the Baby Jesus. But Artaban did make it in time to save one of the Holy Innocents by bribing a soldier. For the next 33 years Artaban searched for Jesus. He did not find Jesus, but all the while the Fourth wise man fed the hungry and helped the poor. Then one day in Jerusalem Artaban saw the “King of the Jews” being crucified. He started to offer a pearl as ransom. But then he saw a girl being sold into slavery to pay family debts. Artaban gave his pearl to buy freedom for the girl. Suddenly the earth quaked as Jesus died on the cross and a stone struck Artaban. Dying, he heard a Voice saying: “When you helped the least of my children, you helped me. Meet me in Heaven!” Artaban, the fourth Wise Man, had been making God present in his community for years by helping others. God asks each of us on the feast of Epiphany to be a fourth Wise Man by becoming God’s epiphanies, making His love present in the world around us by our acts of love and kindness.

This story can teach us something about making New Year resolution. Do you believe in making a New Year resolution? I believe everyone should have a New Year resolution because we all need personal growth. If so, why do some studies show that only about 20% persevere in practicing their resolutions while the vast majority’s resolutions crash by February? There are many reasons like lack of specificity, overdue expectations, poor will power, etc. Still, making a resolution gives us an impetus to become better and improve areas where we need growth.

This is especially true for us Christians in living the values of our faith. Whether our resolution is of a secular nature (better money management, stop a bad habit like drinking, eating more healthily, etc.) or of a spiritual nature, (to pray more, to read the Bible daily, attend church more regularly, etc.), we need to practice perseverance in implementing these – as did Artaban, the fourth wise man. In order to have the discipline of perseverance, we need to be very conscious of the Word of God that tells us: “I can do everything through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).In other words, if we rely on God as the center of our New Year resolution, then we have a far better chance of success. It is a great help to have an accountability partner who will gently remind us or lovingly challenge us to stay the course.

As Proverbs 16:3 asks us, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Happy New Year Blessings!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal