27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday I wrote about October as the Respect Life month. It is also the month of the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily because the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. Mary is said to have appeared to St. Dominic in 1206 after he had been praying and doing severe penances because of his lack of success in combating the Albigensian heresy. Mary praised him for his valiant fight against the heretics and then gave him the Rosary as a mighty weapon, explained its uses and efficacy, and told him to preach it to others.

Recently I had the privilege of joining about 50 Catholics from various parishes, including ours, to go on a pilgrimage to Ireland, Scotland and the UK. Among the many shrines, basilicas, castles, ancient monuments and museums we visited, two Marian shrines stood out for me: the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock in Ireland and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in the UK.

The Story of Knock in East Mayo began on the 21st August 1879 when Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. Many men and women, whose ages ranged from five years to seventy-five, witnessed what they claimed was an apparition of Our Lady, St Joseph, and St John the Evangelist at the south gable end of the local small parish church. Behind them and a little to the left of St John was a plain altar. On the altar was a cross and a lamb (a traditional image of Jesus, as reflected in the religious phrase The Lamb of God) with adoring angels.

The guide explained to us that there was no message given by Mary. She just stood there in front of the altar and lamb with her hands folded. But in her silence she said so much. Like any child knows, a mother’s silence is powerful. Our Lady of Knock does the same thing; she does not say a word because our focus is not meant to be on her, our focus is meant to be on what is behind her: the lamb (symbol of Jesus) and the altar. Mary’s whole life and mission is to bring us closer to her son.

This tells us that the Rosary is not so much about Mary as it is about her Son Jesus. Rosary is Christo-centric! Her only desire and command all is: “Do what he tells you” (John 2:5) We need to open the gospels to understand what he tells us. The FALL INTO FAITH small faith sharing groups are the best opportunity for us to understand His Word better (see page 4). As you hear the witness stories of those who have benefitted from these groups, I urge you to consider signing up for this wonderful experience. It is not a long-term commitment – just six times during this Fall season.

The resource we are using is paid for by the parish for the participants, We need to know how many will participate in this faith-enhancing opportunity as we are contracting with a Catholic publishing company. If you are part of an already existing group, kindly let your group leader know if you intent to do it this time – I hope you will. If you are a first-timer, please contact Debbie Schurko, our DRE, at dschurko@stmatthias.net How I wish more of you will utilize this beautiful chance to grow more into His Word!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

This Tuesday we enter October, the Respect Life Month. We are a pro-life Church. This past Thursday (9/26/24) was the March for Life in Trenton, by thousands of young and old, giving peaceful, prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life. We know the Biblical teaching that life is a gift from God, and, hence, we respect it from womb to tomb. But, where in the Bible do we see explicit support for this?

The term “with child” (in reference to pregnant women) occurs 26 times in the Bible. The term “with fetus” never occurs. The Bible never uses anything less than human terms to describe the unborn (Exodus 21:22Ǧ23). In Luke (1:36 and 41), we are told that Elizabeth conceived a “son” and that the “babe” leaped in her womb. God does not say that a “fetus” leaped in her womb! Elizabeth greets Mary (in her early pregnancy) as “my Lord’s mother.” If God allows a child to be conceived, then God obviously has a plan for unborn children (Jer. 1:5; Lk. 1:13Ǧ17; Gen. 4:25; Jud. 13:3Ǧ5), and so to abort an unborn child is to stop a plan of God: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you… Psalm 139: 13: You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! Thus, based on the word of God, the Church teaches that an unborn child, from the moment of its conception in his or her mother’s womb, is precious because he or she carries an immortal soul.

We, here at St. Matthias, have been always supporting Sr. Mary Vertucci and her ministry to the poor girls in Tanzania. We have listened to her touching stories of many girls who have been helped to reach successful careers because of their experience at the Emusoi Center. We have supported Emusoi Center for long with our prayers and financial support. As we enter the Respect Life month, we have a special second collection next Sunday (October 6). We wish to be participating in promoting the fullness of life that Sr. Mary Vertucci and other missionaries are doing.

Such Biblical insights and action plans are important. What about biblical understanding to be grounded in God’s message for taking care of other aspects of our life? The best way is the small groups that we are starting soon. Pope St. John Paul II said, “Small Christian Communities are a tremendous source of bringing more life into our life and into a Parish.” We have rightly titled this season of Bible sharing as “Fall Into Faith.” Time and again we have heard the testimonies of those who were and still are in small groups. Why not be enriched the same way? For sign up information, please see page 4 of our bulletin, or call Debbie Schurko, our Director of Religious Education in the parish office.

October begins with the feast of Little Therese of Child Jesus – the very popular saint of simplicity, teaching us that we can be holy by doing the smallest acts with love. One of her many inspiring quotes that touched me is: “I learned from experience that joy does not reside in the things around us, but in the very depths of the soul, that one can have it in the gloom of a dungeon as well as in the palace of a king.” May we all experience that joy, no matter what!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal.

 

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A Message From Fr. Lancelot

Dear Friends,

In his book “True Self, False Self,” Basil Pennington presents us with one of the greatest tasks of our lives: coming to a true knowledge of ourselves. While we often define ourselves by our achievements or the successes of our families, it is far more difficult to understand our true selves—who we are at the core, beyond the superficial layers of identity.

Throughout literature, we find characters wrestling with their identity,

    1. Shakespeare’s Hamlet laments:

                 “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties… and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?”

    1. In Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Estella admits:

                 “I am what you have made me.”

    1. Elizabeth Gilbert, in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, describes her personal crisis:

“I don’t know how to be here. I don’t know how to live in this world anymore.” This is a striking confession of her disorientation, as she embarks on a journey to reconnect with herself, realizing that she has lost touch with who she truly is.

This past weekend’s Gospel also challenges us to reflect on our knowledge of Jesus, which is intrinsically linked to our self-awareness. Jesus was often misunderstood—even by His closest followers. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus responded:

“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” (John 14:9).

Jesus’ Confrontation of Our False Self:

Jesus continually confronts us, urging us to move beyond the false self—the self that is preoccupied with personal gain, security, and social image. His teachings challenge our assumptions about life and force us to confront deeper truths:

Self-Centeredness:

Jesus challenges us to break free from a life centered on self interest. The false self-thrives on selfish ambition, but Jesus calls us to love others, sacrifice, and live for a higher purpose.

A Personal Reflection:

As I reflect on these lessons, I am confronted by the reality that, while there are many tasks to accomplish during our time on earth, one of the most essential is to come to know both God and ourselves. Personally, I would be deeply saddened to reach the end of my life only to realize that I had lived more for myself and my needs than in my relationship with God. To miss this opportunity for deeper connection and true self-awareness would be a great loss.

St. Augustine’s “Late have I loved you, O Lord, late have I loved you. You were within me, but I was outside.”

 

Fr. Lance

 

Join Us for a Fun-Filled Day to the Sight & Sound Theater to See Noah Live on Stage

The Senior Ministry and St. Martin DePorres Society will once again host a trip to Lancaster, PA to see Sight & Sound “NOAH LIVE ON STAGE” on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

PRICING:
Adults (Age 13+): $175
Children (under 13): $105

***Tickets, Bus, and Theater seatings will be assigned on a first-come first-serve basis! So Reserve Early!***

PRICE INCLUDES:
– Roundtrip Transportation
– Light Breakfast on the Bus
– Ticket to “NOAH” Live on Stage  (SHOWTIME – 11:00am)
– Lunch Buffet after the show at Miller’s Restaurant

TO SECURE TICKETS:
$75 deposit/ticket due by December 15th
Final payment due by March 15th

(Note: After April 1st, Tickets are Non-Refundable)

Make checks payable to:
“St. Martin De Porres Society” with “Sight and Sound”, an email/phone# in the memo and mail or drop check off at the Parish Office.

TRANSPORTATION:
BUS DEPARTS at 7:15 AM Sharp!
From The Catholic Community of St. Matthias, 168 John F Kennedy Boulevard, Somerset, NJ 08873
BUS RETURNS at approximately 7:30 PM

For More Information and To Purchase Tickets Contact:
Pearl Scottpearlkscott12@gmail.com or Dolores Christmasdeechristmas@aol.com

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

What do you think of the new screen in our church? Thank you to those of you who approached me or Fr. Lancelot, and shared your joyful approval and positive feedbacks about it – far from the doubts and concerns some had before seeing it. It was a labor of love – extended over four years of deliberations, fundraising, planning, checking with other parishes with similar media projects, choosing a company that would give us the best service, and spending so many hours in meetings, consultations, revisions, re-scheduling,  and so on and so forth. Thanks be to God that it has already made a big difference in the participation of the congregation to pray and sing – as many of you commented – due to the clarity of the letters on the screen which can be seen from all angles as well as all the way back. The livestream of the Mass has excellent clarity of the video and sound for those who are watching online. This is an asset for the parish not only for enhancing our liturgy but also for faith formation, sacramental prep and other events.

In the contest of enhancing our liturgical experience, I wish to share with you that Joan Seamon, our music director, and I have been getting some letters about our music. The good news is that these letters were not concerned about the quality of music or singing during Mass. They were appreciative of our music ministers and the quality of their singing. The concern was regarding the desire to have some quiet time to pray in the church before the Mass.

The rehearsal before Mass is a common practice in many parishes – though where the rehearsal takes place varies. But, the unique situation of our church is that the position of the choir is directly facing the congregation which is perfectly fine during Mass. Yet, during the rehearsal, the choir is, as one put it, “in your face”, making it very distracting for people who want to pray. During rehearsal, it is only human and natural to have some small talk, fun, laughter, etc, all of which are watched by the congregation and it is not surprising that those who want to concentrate in prayer/meditation/silence are unable to do so.

More letters began to come in the recent months from parishioners as well as visitors (some anonymous, few with names) – all of which I have shared with Joan Seamon. Some parishioners talked to me in person on this matter. Some wanted me to send the choir back to the loft – which I flatly refused stating that it would not happen during my pastorate. That was one of the reasons I spoke at all the four Masses of one weekend last month (and two Masses previous to that) about why we are a Eucharistic community where the people are surrounding the altar and sanctuary, and that I was not interested in changing the layout of our church. I also discussed these matters with all our deacons and Fr. Lancelot.

After all these months of prayerful reflection, consultations, and listening, my own discernment is that the desire for some quiet time in the church before Mass is not only genuine but is also required by the Church. The General Instruction for the Roman Missal says that there should be a quiet opportunity in the church for the faithful to prepare prayerfully for the Holy Mass (GIRM, no. 45). We have to admit humbly that we have not been practicing this in our church. Considering all these, I have asked Joan to create that time of sacred silence by not having the practice in the church from now on. I understand it will bring some unhappiness and inconvenience. But such sacrifice by a few is for the greater good of our larger community. We are very proud and grateful that we have the best church music in our diocese and beyond. Thank you Joan and all the Music Ministers.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

Please Join the Diocese of Metuchen Office for Multicultural Ministry for a Black Catholic Gathering

Faith and Fellowship on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at St. Peter the Apostle University & Community Parish Hall in New Brunswick.  The Black Catholic Committee is a multi-ethnic committee of passionate Catholics working to implement the Pastoral Plan of Action recommended by the National Black Catholic Congress last year in July.  Registration is $10 to cover lunch.  You can sign up now on the Diocese of Metuchen website on the Office of Multicultural Ministry home page or contact Sr. Miriam Perez or Deacon Rick Fortune at the Diocesan Office.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

September 8 is a very important day in the Marian calendar and for Marian devotion. It is the birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary. This feast day is celebrated exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. However, this year, September 8 falls on a Sunday and so Mary’s birthday is not even mentioned in the Ordo, the liturgical calendar of the Church. Even though September 8 is not a Holy Day of Obligation, many Marian devotees may be confused or even upset about this glaring omission. How is this possible? Is this not an affront or disrespect to Mary? Not at all. Why not? The reason is simple: Sunday is the Day of the Lord and it will have precedence over the feast of any other saint, even that of Mary. There can be exceptions, for instance, when the feast of the patron saint of a parish is to be celebrated on a Sunday.

In this context, it is good for us to know of a beautiful Apostolic Exhortation that Pope Saint Paul VI wrote in 1974 titled Marialis Cultus, (The Cult of Mary). It is a short but excellent writing on Mary. In the face of excessive pious practices and non-Biblical devotion to Mary, the Pope wanted us have a true Marian spirituality and appreciate the right place of Mary in the life of the Church. The Marian devotions should not be an end in themselves, but should clearly lead us to the mystery of Christ. Hence when a Mass is celebrated to honor Mary, the key point is that Mary is present always to glorify and to magnify the Lord. Mary never seeks her honor and glory but to glorify Jesus. Our Lady proclaimed so eloquently in her Canticle of praise—the Magnificat—these words: “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” (Lk 1:46-47)

Paul VI insisted that a true Marian devotion should include at least three indispensable elements: Christocentric, Biblical, and Ecclesial. The document called for the need to correct some doctrinal deviations, in some popular presentations of Mary, in the light of the Scriptures and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This was very important to Catholic Church’s sensitivity to the perception of different Christian denominations who base themselves only on the Bible for their beliefs and practices, including their understanding of Mary’s role. Marialis Cultus no.32 reveals the concern for the restoration of Christian unity in the ecumenical environment, with the document identifying some common understandings of the mystery of Mary with the Orthodox Christians, the Anglicans and the Reformed Churches.

Today’s gospel has Jesus healing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Jesus takes the man aside from the crowd. Being away from the bustling noise of the crowd is very significant. Blaring voices can hinder us from hearing the voice of God. We can truly listen to God only when we create a space for silent listening. That is what Mary did as Luke testifies: And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart – Luke 2:19. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart – Luke 2:51. Happy Birthday to our Blessed Mother Mary!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

I hear so many say, “I can’t believe summer is over!” When we keep ourselves very busy, I think it is only natural that we don’t realize the passing of time. So here we are stepping into September. That means our school and campus will be more alive as we happily welcome back our students, parents, teachers and administrators for the new school year. The summer vacation was the ideal time to do all the maintenance work for the school building – cleaning, waxing, painting etc. The classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and cafeteria – in fact the whole school building looks very inviting – thanks to the hard work of Julio Montero and team, and Mary Pat Burke-Grospin, our Business Administrator, who oversaw it.

Parents, students and teachers must have been going through what experts call “back to school stressors” – making them feel nervous, worried, anxious about changing the easy summer routine and adjust to the schedule of going back to school. But, it is important for us to realize that returning to St. Matthias School should be producing, not stress and anxiety, but hope and comfort. What makes us different from public schools, charter schools, and other private schools is that we teach the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith. We provide for the spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of our students and so parents are at ease to leave their children with us. Thank you parents for making sacrifices to send your children to St. Matthias. Thank you to Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, and our staff and faculty for caring for the holistic formation of each and every student entrusted to our care. It was so edifying for me to see teachers spending many days to prepare their classrooms, making them as attractive and welcoming as possible. Our students will certainly feel very welcomed and loved.

Keeping our St. Matthias School open, welcoming and going is the happy fruit of the united effort of all of us in this Catholic Community of St. Matthias. Thanks in a special way to all our parishioners and Tuition Angels who contribute so generously to promote Catholic education which is an integral part of the mission of our parish.

All this flurry of activity – be it for back to school, back to regular work after vacation, or continuing work with no vacation – is more meaningful when we realize that this is the Labor Day weekend and that it provides us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of our work. The Catholic Church proclaims the dignity, meaning and redemptive value of all human work which was transformed by Christ the carpenter-worker.

Hence in the midst of resting and celebrating this Labor Day weekend, let us take a few minutes to reflect on the deeper meaning of our labor, and how our faith shapes our understanding of the value of our jobs: “How is my job creating good in the little world I find myself in? In my family? In my work place? In my friendship circle? In my own heart?”

 

Happy Labor Day!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Dear Friends,

There are two matters of importance to share with you. The firsts is about the checks that are made out to St. Matthias. The Chase bank has introduced stricter security controls and so they have informed us that every check must be made payable to “Church of St. Matthias” which is the official name of our account with them. That means they will not honor checks written to St. Matthias Church, Community of St. Matthias, St. Matthias parish, etc. So I request you, if you are making any contribution by check to the parish, to write it to Church of St. Matthias.

The second matter is: today we have the commissioning of our new Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) at the 12 noon Mass. Each year, one third of the members retire after a three-year term of service. Thus Marilyn Wegg and Frank Rees are retiring this year. They have been very committed to the Pastoral Council with a sense of passion that was clearly evident in their regular attendance at the meetings, constant involvement in the events in the parish and in their own attention to the common good of the Parish Community. I wish to thank them very sincerely for their goodness and time of ministry as PPC members.

Together with the existing members who completed two years (Stephen Busono and William Isele) and one year (Sheila Tartaglia and Didi Molano), I am very happy to welcome Teresa Yannotta, Joe Percoco and Miles London to the new PPC team. Every potential member of the Council attended the “Discernment Retreat” to pray and discern the will of God in the matter of serving the People of God of St. Matthias through the ministry of the Parish Pastoral Council. The PPC assists the pastor on all matters concerning the pastoral life of the parish. The PPC members represent the parishioners, bringing to the Council the concerns and ideas of the community to be discussed and give recommendations to the pastor.

One of the initiatives that the PPC implemented this year was the suggestion box in the narthex to make it easy for the parishioners to communicate their comments and ideas for the good of the parish. The PPC informed our community through bulletin that if anyone wishes to get a response, the name should be given. Interestingly many comments are anonymous expressing an individual’s anger and discontent towards the clergy, to the music ministers, staff members or to something that he/she is unhappy with. I have been very open to suggestions and criticisms, willing to engage anyone who has a grievance. But when someone hides behind anonymity simply to vent their angry feelings in uncivilized words, there is no way to engage that person in an open and meaningful dialog. No matter what, I am happy to hear from our parishioners not only through the suggestion box, which will continue to be there, but also through other ways of communication, including meeting in person.

Today, as we commission the new PPC for 2024-2025, I wish them another year of ministry as a consultative body to the pastor. Let us pray for them and continue to offer them our support. Please congratulate and get to know them so that you can communicate to them the needs and concerns of the Parish.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

Catholic Social Teaching in the Public Square

                                         ELECTION 2024 REFLECTION SERIES

                                                                                         SAVE THE DATES

                                        Thursday, September 19                                          Thursday, October 3

                                        Thursday, September 26                                          Thursday, October 10

                               All sessions are from 7 – 8:30 pm in the John XXIII room at St. Matthias.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) say in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, “As a nation, we share many blessings and strengths, including a tradition of religious freedom and political participation.  However, as a people, we face serious challenges that are both political and moral.  This has always been so, and as Catholics we are called to participate in public life in a manner consistent with the mission of our Lord, a mission that he has called us to share.”  The USCCB goes on to say, “Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care.” As the Racial Justice Initiative here at St. Matthias, we feel it necessary to open a dialogue on racial justice issues as they pertain to politics in America, with a focus on our responsibilities as dictated by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

This dialogue will take place over four weekly sessions, each one-and-one-half hour long, during which we will pray, discuss CST principles, watch informative videos on pertinent topics, reflect, and discuss. The topics will be broken out as per the USCCB Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship:

SESSION 1—HUMAN DIGNITY

  • Topics discussed will be voting rights and criminal justice reform.

Human life is sacred. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Catholic teaching about the dignity of life calls us
to oppose torture, unjust war, and the indiscriminate use of drones for violent purposes: to prevent genocide and attacks against noncombatants; to oppose
racism; to oppose human trafficking; and to overcome poverty and suffering.

SESSION 2—THE COMMON GOOD

  • Topics discussed will be healthcare equity and environmental justice.

Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met. Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible, and a right to access those things required for human decency—food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing, freedom of religion and family life.

SESSION 3—SUBSIDIARITY

  • Topics discussed will be education equality and economic justice.

The principle of subsidiarity reminds us that larger institutions in society should not overwhelm or interfere with smaller or local institutions, yet larger institutions have essential responsibilities when the more local institutions cannot adequately protect human dignity, meet human needs, and advance the common good.

SESSION 4—SOLIDARITY

  • Topics discussed will be gun violence and Christian Nationalism.

**PLEASE NOTE: These sessions will be strictly NON-PARTISAN and focused solely on issues as they pertain to RACIAL JUSTICE.

We hope you will join us as we thoughtfully and prayerfully prepare for the upcoming general election in November.  ALL  ARE  WELCOME.