Author: Nathalie Godet

Spread The Light! Come Visit Our Beautiful Christmas Trees.

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

On SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2023, following the 5:00 PM Mass, our beautiful Christmas trees will be blessed and lit.   The trees will remain lit every night from 4:30 PM until 11:00 PM, through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 2024.  People are welcome to come to visit the trees and read the plaques throughout this time.  Everyone driving by on JFK Boulevard will be reminded of the hope and peace that breaks into our darkness at Christmas time.

For a directory of the Christmas trees, please click here or visit www.stmatthias.net/treedirectory.

1st Sunday of Advent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

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

 

The Giving Tree is Back! Please Consider Donating.

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

The Giving Tree is at the front of the Church and will remain there until Sunday, December 17th.

During this time you will have the opportunity to take ornaments and purchase some or all of the items listed. Once again in conjunction with Catholic Charities, we will distribute gifts to Elijah’s Promise, Great Expectations, Naomi’s Way, Ozanam Family Shelter, Ozanam Men’s Shelter, PACT, YES Early Learning Centers (Sacred Heart & St. Ladislaus), as well as Pregnancy Aid and Local Families.

 We will be collecting and sorting gifts on the weekends of December 9th/10th and December 16th /17th .

Please note we will be collecting gifts on these weekends only.  ALL GIFTS ARE DUE BACK NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM ON DECEMBER 17th!

Please SECURE THE ORNAMENTS TO THE PACKAGES, otherwise, we have no way of knowing where the gifts are to be delivered.

As in the past few years, Great Expectations is requesting gifts through the Amazon Wish List.   To access the list, please click here.

In addition to the gifts listed on the ornaments and on the Amazon Wish List, there is a need for:

    • Children’s coats, hats, and gloves
    • Men’s and women’s sturdy/warm winter hats and gloves
    • Underwear – Men’s sizes Med – XL and Ladies sizes 6-8  (There is a great need for these items)

    These gifts should be placed under the tree and they will be distributed where needed.

    This year over 500 ornaments have been placed on the tree. There is still a great need in our community so please, if you have not done so already, grab a tag, purchase a gift, and bring joy to those less fortunate. St. Matthias parishioners and friends have always been generous in the past.  Please keep up our tradition going – it means a lot to so many people in need. Thank you!

  • With the many gifts to sort and deliver, we can use more elves and drivers for deliveries on the mornings of December 11th and 18th , after the 8:00 AM Mass.

    Should you have any questions and/or would like to volunteer to help, please contact:

    Joanne Diana at (732)322-6270 or j-diana@comcast.net

     

A Note of Thanks…

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

A HUGE Thank You to all of our parishioners who volunteered to set up the 300 trees for our Spread the Light Campaign. Almost 40 people, adults, teens, and kids came out to help. With three men starting at 8 AM, including Fr. Lancelot, lashing trees to poles, joined by many more at 9 AM testing lights and lighting the trees, the work was completed by noon! The old saying, many hands make light work, is certainly true!

So, from all of us on the planning committee to all who came out to help, THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Pat and Jo-Ann

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

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

 

Alzheimer’s Support Group Meets in Person on December 13th at 2 PM

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

The Alzheimer’s Association and St. Matthias Catholic Church are co-hosting a monthly Support Group for individuals living with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, their care partners, and others dealing with the disease.  Our next meeting will be Wednesday, December 13th, from 2:00 PM -3:00 PM in the Parish Office at St. Matthias. Registration is required.

To register, call 800-272-3900 and mention the St. Matthias group.

The Group provides a safe and supportive environment and offers dementia-related education, emotional support, and connections with resources so that the group members may enhance their lives in the midst of the journey.
For more information, visit alz.org/NJ.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today is the World Day of the Poor. It was established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et Misera, issued on 20 November 2016 to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In preparation for this year’s celebration of the World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis had urged everyone to work toward providing free healthcare, medical examinations, vaccinations, and bill payment assistance to those in need.

The theme for World Day of the Poor 2023 is a passage from the Book of Tobit: “Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor.” The Pope stressed that “a great river of poverty is traversing our cities and swelling to the point of overflowing; it seems to overwhelm us, so great are the needs of our brothers and sisters who plead for our help, support and solidarity.” This is literally true in our own area as our St. Vincent De Paul Society is overwhelmed with requests for help in the recent months. Helping those in need is something that we here at St. Matthias, have been passionate about through the ministry of St. Vincent DePaul Society, and we can be happy that we are helping as many deserving individuals and families as we can.

Last Sunday we revived the Children’s Liturgy of the Word, which we had suspended during Covid. The 10 am Mass was packed with families with children and it was a delight to see some seventy children having a separate and wonderful time of understanding the Sunday Scriptures.  They were given an increased opportunity to come to a full, active and conscious participation in the Liturgy of the Word according to their spiritual capacity.

I am sure that we all agree that helping our children appreciate and benefit from the Sunday worship is very important. Taking them away from the adults during the Mass facilitates sharing the message of the gospel with them at their level and encourages them to form a loving and generous response to the Word of God. This way of doing Mass helps children to learn about their faith in a positive and enjoyable manner. This encourages parents to bring the children to Mass and to come as a family regularly. I am very grateful to Cecelia Regan who leads this ministry, with the help of Dee Nann, Jody Martielli, Maria Fonseca, Melanie McNamara, Marianne Viaud and Fran Johnson.

We are entering the Thanksgiving Week. We all take a pause from our regular work and activities to celebrate this quintessential American holiday. But, the celebration will be meaningless unless we become people of gratitude. Thanksgiving Day is to remind us that our expression of thanks to God and to others must become a habit with us on a daily basis. Please come for the Thanksgiving Day Mass here in our church at 8 am so that we can begin this day with the Eucharist, which literally means thanksgiving. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving time with your family and friends.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Out of over 17,000 Roman Catholic parishes in the US, about 800 are considered to be predominantly African-American. Our 12 noon Mass today is an opportunity for our parish community to celebrate National Black Catholic History Month – thanks to the initiative of our St. Martin de Porres Society. I am very happy to welcome Reverend Gerard C. Marable, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Galloway, NJ, as our presider.

When we recite the Creed on Sundays, we profess our belief in the “communion of saints.” The Book of Revelation 7:9 says: “I saw a huge crowd After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” This reminds us that the holy ones in heaven are diverse in terms of nationality, race, color, or language. One takeaway we can learn about the National Black Catholic History Month is that there are over 100 saints from across the African diaspora. Currently, though there are no African-American saints, the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has advanced beatification and canonization causes of six inspirational African-American men and women: Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Servant of God Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette DeLille, Venerable Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greeley, and Sister Thea Bowman. You can read more about these holy men and women in our bulletin this month.

The “communion of saints” reminds us of another celebration: the commemoration of our departed brothers and sisters. The special Memorial Mass we celebrated on November 2nd evening was a very touching and meaningful liturgy. One of the emails I got stated: “Because we could not be in NJ for the remembrance mass, we were thankful that St. Matthias live-streamed it. We could be present for our mom along with all of those families who lost their loved ones as well.” Yes, we do miss our departed dear ones and we continue to lift them up to God.

But this month is also meant to remind us of our own death – a topic that we rather not discuss or even think of. So it may sound strange to hear that there is a revival of an ancient practice called “Memento mori” or “remembering one’s own death.” Even before the Roman empire, meditation on death and the last things was a common practice of ancient philosophers like Plato. The phrase and the practice were then incorporated into medieval Christianity. “Memento mori” was such a popular religious theme in this period that it inspired a genre of art, music, and literature.

The difference for the Christian is not only remembering our own personal death which of course will happen as there is an end to this earthly life, but Jesus has transformed our death into a new life of glory through his own resurrection. St. Benedict said to keep death before your eyes daily. St. Francis of Assisi had made peace with his own mortality, going so far as to call death his “sister.” Some­day Sister Death will greet us and we will go home to our God who created us, loves us, and re­deems us through Jesus our Savior. So this commemoration of the dead is not to make us scared but hopeful of our own future life of bliss with our dear ones in the Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal