Author: Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Did you read the happy news that our Deacon John shared in last Sunday’s bulletin? He wrote: “I wish to share the exciting news that St. Matthias was recently awarded an opportunity by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry to participate in a 3‐year opportunity to learn and implement Accompaniment strategies.” This is the result of the painstaking efforts that Deacon John and Sue Lenczewski have been making to make our youth ministry more effective. In the acceptance letter, the Project Manager of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry wrote:

“After reviewing all of the applications and interviews, I am pleased to share that St. Matthias has been selected to participate in one of the five cohorts for the Accompaniment Project. Congratulations! The selection process was exceptionally difficult, and we considered many factors while continually calling on the Holy Spirit for guidance in our discernment. In the end, we believe that we have the right set of parishes with the right demographics, attitude, and gifts to make a difference in our Church’s ministry with young people.”

 We are one of only 43 parishes chosen nationally. Considering that there are over 17,000 Catholic parishes in the US, this selection is very significant to us to be part of this three-year national pilot project for accompanying our youth about whom we all have great interest and concern. Praise God! Stay tuned for more info about the next steps as this will involve the rest of us too.

We enter the second week of the season of Advent. Naturally, we are going to be caught up (if we are not already!) in preparations for Christmas and all the celebrations surrounding that holy day. Since this year’s Advent is the shortest in many years (only three weeks instead of the usual four), it will make us feel very rushed and even totally unprepared as Christmas suddenly comes upon us. This is true not only about all the external preparations (decorations, shopping, sending greetings, gift buying and wrapping, etc.) but also about our spiritual preparations. One important spiritual preparation is the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession which we all can benefit from. Due to this year’s Advent limitations, we will not be having the Advent Penance Service. Instead, we will have ample opportunities to avail of this wonderful sacrament throughout Advent. I wish to repeat what I wrote in the bulletin last week:

“Both of us priests plan to be available for confessions during the whole season of Advent: weekdays after the 8 am Mass, and a longer time on Saturdays from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. If these times are not convenient, you can call any of us and make an appointment. I would encourage you to plan early to take advantage of this Sacrament that brings so much peace of heart.”

 Today’s gospel, about John the Baptist who was sent as the messenger to prepare the people for the Messiah, has this verse: “And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:1-8). This is a timely reminder to all of us about repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Very glad to see that many of you are already utilizing these Advent days to receive the grace of this healing Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance. We priests have this opportunity this Thursday at the Diocesan center as we gather for an Advent day of retreat. All of us are in need of the healing touch of the Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

 

Dear Friends,

We are happy that our “Spread the Light Christmas Tree” campaign is on track despite some hiccups along the way. Seven parishes, including ours, had decided to collaborate in buying the trees from the same Tree company. But all of us were disappointed at the much smaller size of the trees delivered instead of what we had ordered. We complained to the company and they replaced more than half of our trees that were too small. Hence we are able to do justice to all our parishioners and others who sponsored the trees, though there may be slight variations in size. Thank you for your understanding of a situation beyond our control. Hearty thank you to Jo-Ann Piagentini and Pat Cullen who coordinated the entire project with the help of so many of our parishioners and staff – too many to name here. Enjoy the ethereal beauty of these 300 trees lit for over a month from now, and invite your families and friends to come and enjoy the same.

This first Sunday of Advent reminds us to enter this holy season of preparation for Christmas with hope. Unlike the animals, we are blessed with the ability to think about the future. We need to do it with hope rather than hopelessness. One of the reasons why we read the Old Testament passages during Advent is to learn about the hopes of the people of those times. They longed for restoration of order and peace in a world of division and conflict as they awaited the Messiah. Our hopes are no different from theirs: lasting peace, tranquil lives, sufficiency of food, end to conflicts, suffering and pain. The difference is that we know that the Messiah has come and so we await the anniversary of his coming as well as be conscious of his second coming at the end of time.

The Advent practices are meant to help us welcome the Messiah in our hearts in a very conscious way. The lighting of the Advent wreath is a beautiful practice that happens in our church each Sunday of Advent. But it is a lovely practice that more and more families are doing at home. Please see in today’s bulletin a short prayer service for the families who plan to have an Advent wreath lighting at home.

Jesus is ‘Word made flesh’ and so we need to listen to God’s Word more frequently. In the recent months, many of our parishioners have been taking a copy of “The Word Among Us” monthly publication. Some of you have told me that the daily scripture readings, prayers and reflections in them were very helpful. I am happy that we offered this free for our parishioners even though I was told to follow the practice in some parishes where an offering of a dollar per book is in place. No matter what, growing in familiarity with the Word is truly a great preparation for Christmas.

Let us not forget that receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best spiritual preparation for Christmas. Both of us priests plan to be available for confessions during the whole season of Advent: weekdays after the 8 am Mass, and a longer time on Saturdays from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. If these times are not convenient, you can call any of us and make an appointment. I would encourage you to plan early to take advantage of this Sacrament that brings so much peace of heart.

Let us all live Advent and make it a fruitful experience.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

 

Dear Friends,

I hope we all had a happy and relaxed time for Thanksgiving, with family and friends. Thanksgiving has put us into the start of the holiday mindset – a whole season of celebrations, excitement, and joy. Generally, we use positive terms to wish one another:

“Happy Thanksgiving.” “Happy Hanukkah.” “Merry Christmas.” “Happy New Year” or, for those who are concerned about political correctness, “Happy Holidays!” But not everyone feels happiness. Studies show that holidays evoke not just feelings of happiness and enjoyment but also sadness, cynicism, and even loneliness. How do we help and support those who don’t find calendar holidays a time to celebrate?

Psychologists and counselors recognize high levels of stress and unhappy feelings during this season. They suggest many tips to maintain balance and prioritize one’s mental health – including a healthy lifestyle with quality sleep, regular exercise, and a nutrient-dense diet. One tip is to connect and reach out for support. Small groups like family, close friends, and church groups can be a big source of support. I believe it is here that you and I can be observant to sense feelings of unhappiness or depression in individuals around us, so we can reach out to them and offer them encouragement.

As believers, one tip that we can practice, as well as suggest to others, is to turn our emotions over to God and pray for peace and connection every time we feel down. I found Psalm 30 very helpful. Its dominant theme is thanksgiving for God’s deliverance. In nearly every line the psalmist either expresses thanks and praise for God’s deliverance or describes the circumstances of that deliverance. Keeping the spirit of Thanksgiving, all the days after Thanksgiving Day, is the best way to stay happy.

Today’s Feast of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (formerly known as Feast of Christ the King) is the signal that the Church’s calendar year is coming to an end and that we are about to start the new year! Thus, the First Sunday of the New Year in the Liturgical Calendar is next Sunday as we begin the season of Advent! It is good for us to know that today’s feast was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life that leaves God out of our thinking and living and organizes human life as if God did not exist. This feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations. May we all recognize this truth and continue our efforts to honor Jesus by living his values in our lives.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal