Did you know that many companies sponsor a matching gift program to encourage employees to be generous? That’s FREE money to a non-profit of their choice. Why not consider giving to the Church this year? Your end-of-year giving may have DOUBLE the impact!
Email ahanna@stmatthias.net to find out if your company has a matching gift policy!
Saturday, Dec. 24th – Christmas Eve
4:00 PM Church
4:00 PM Cafeteria
6:30 PM Church
12 Midnight Mass
Sunday, Dec. 25 – Christmas
10:00AM Church
12:00PM Church
Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 – New Year’s Eve – Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
5:00PM Vigil Mass
Sunday, January 1, 2023 – New Year’s Day – Solemnity of Mary Mother of God
10:00AM Mass
12:00PM Mass
Sunday, January 8, 2023 – The Epiphany of the Lord
Saturday 5:00PM Mass
Sunday 8:00AM, 10:00AM & 12:00PM Masses,
1:15PM Franklin High School
Madrigals (Church)
On GivingTuesday 2022 — Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Thank you to our amazing community for their generosity and support during Giving Tuesday. We appreciate you! For anyone who would still like to give, it’s not too late. Every donation — no matter how small — helps!
St. Matthias continued two GivingTuesday campaigns:
The church’s campaign had two goals: 1) To raise funds for monitors and equipment to project text and videos inside the church, and 2) To raise funds to purchase and install permanent live-streaming equipment so we can continue to livestream our Masses and other services to spiritually connect our entire community, especially our homebound parishioners and family members and friends unable to participate in-person. On November 29th as we continued the second part of last year’s Giving Tuesday campaign: Spiritual Tech Connect. We thankfully reached our goal of $13,748, so we can set up the new media for a better liturgical experience in person and online.
Donate in one of two ways:
Does your employer offer a matching gift? If so, please let them know of your donation!
Questions? Contact Mary Jo Loboda at mjloboda@stmatthias.net.
The Sacrament of Penance/ Reconciliation/Confession
How long has it been since you celebrated the sacrament of Penance? You can’t remember? Maybe you have wondered like some other Catholics; does the church still teach that we have to go to confession? Or you think “I have committed too many sins, I am too embarrassed to confess my sins to a priest” Or perhaps you think “I do not know what to confess, I think I live a pretty good life”. Or it might be as simple as “I do not remember how to go to confession “
Yes, the church still urges us to use the sacrament of confession frequently. Only God can forgive sins. But Jesus willed that the church should be his instrument of forgiveness on earth. On Easter night when he appeared to his apostles he breathed on them and said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you……..receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain they are retained” Jn. 20:22. Bishops and priests continue this ministry today in the sacrament of confession. It is always God who forgives as the Catechism reminds us, “The priest is the sign and the instrument of God’s merciful love for the sinner. The confessor is not the master of God’s forgiveness, but its servant” CCC # 1465 The church still teaches that Catholics should celebrate this sacrament frequently ; “after having attained the age of discretion , each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year .Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion , even if he experiences deep contrition , without having first received sacramental absolution “ CCC # 1457 And the catechism goes on to say “confession of venial sins is strongly recommended by the church “ CCC # 1458
Confessing your sins to another human being (also a sinner) is not easy. But a priest, conscious of his own faults and sins is not surprised at anyone’s confession . In our Reconciliation Room we do have a screen so that your identity is hidden from the priest. The priest is not there to judge you or condemn you but to serve as the shepherd or loving father who welcomes back the repentant sinner and celebrates with him/her God’s mercy and forgiveness. The focus in confession is not so much on the penitent or on sin, but on God’s mercy. Recall the words of scripture, “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” Rom 8:39
So you don’t know what sins you have committed or what to confess! Many people do live holy lives avoiding mortal sin but we do well to remember the words of Saint John , “ If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves , and the truth is not in us” 1 Jn 1 ; 8 All sin is an offense against God . To appreciate the magnitude of any sin we should recall the words of Saint Paul, “You were washed , you were sanctified , you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God “ 1 Cor 6: 11. If you are not sure what to confess I suggest you go to the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and read through the information there including several examinations of conscience for married people, singles, young people and more. Go to www.USCCB.org and type in Penance in the question box .You can also find a brochure on the book rack of our church with an examination of conscience. Also if you really want to inform yourself on the catholic teaching on this sacrament read the Catechism of the Catholic Church chapter two, The Sacraments of Healing, especially #1420 to #1470 on the sacrament of Penance.
Yes, all Catholics should celebrate this sacrament on a regular basis. Every sacrament is a sacred place where we encounter the living God. If you can, get to confession before Christmas and if not make a New Year’s resolution to return to confession as soon as possible. Saint Matthias celebrates confession every Saturday from 3.30 – 4.30 pm. in the Reconciliation Room off the front vestibule of the church. Confessions are also available every Tuesday and Friday morning during Advent and Lent, after the 8am mass. And of course you can always arrange for confession by simply calling any priest. Remember those words of Christ, “I tell you there will be more joy among the angels of God over one repentant sinner” Lk 15;10
Msgr. Brennan
This weekend, DECEMBER 10TH & 11TH, is the last weekend that gifts will be collected!
Thank you to everyone that has already donated a gift to the organizations listed on our Giving Tree. If you haven’t donated yet but would still like to, this weekend is the final weekend to drop off your presents. GIFT CARDS should be dropped directly into the collection basket. Please be sure to SECURE all ornaments to the outside of the package. Without the tag, we have no way of knowing where or to whom the package is to be delivered. If you prefer online shopping, please visit our Virtual Giving Tree for additional direct shipping options.
St. Matthias parishioners have always been generous. If you have an hour to spare on Monday morning, December 12th, to assist with the delivery of gifts, please contact Joanne Diana at (732) 322-6270 or email her at j-diana@comcast.net.
Looking for that perfect gift for the person who has everything? Need a hostess gift? Bridal Shower? New Home? For that extra gift for the unexpected recipient?
Then pick up a 60th Anniversary Cookbook for only $20 or a 60th Anniversary Ornament for only $10!!
They will be on sale after all Masses this weekend. If you haven’t picked up your pre-ordered book, you can also do that at these events!! Don’t miss out on the delicious recipes!!
Dear Friends,
The Christmas and New Year season is an exciting time but it can also be a time of frenzy. Is it going to be a wonderful time filled with fun, peace, joy, laughter, optimism, fellowship, family, friends, good food, giving, winter activities, cozy evenings, and fond memories? Or is it going to be a miserable time of stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, hurry, loneliness, disappointment, overworking, overeating, overdrinking, and overspending? The choice is ours. Of course, we will all choose the first option. But what do we need to do for achieving that wonderful time? There are so many ideas but let me focus on just three:
1) Get enough sleep. It may sound too obvious, and even simplistic, but the fact is that too many of us get too little sleep. God gave us the night to rest and sleep. Science tells us that when we get good sleep, the body does its best repair work. We feel fully refreshed. Research has shown that those who sleep less than six hours have their cortisol levels rise. That means a higher stress level for the body, throwing our physical, psychological, and emotional health off balance. Keep the balance with enough sleep.
2) Live in the present moment. People generally live in the past (with guilt, regret, resentment etc) or in the future (planning, worrying, imagining, etc). In the process what they are doing is destroying the joy of living in the present moment. This is not any new age philosophy but straight from the gospels. For lack of space, let me give just two examples from what Jesus taught: One: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Why did Jesus include that in that most important and only prayer he taught us? Once I have the food for this day (not only the physical food but also other human needs like shelter, clothing, friendship, acceptance etc), I can be happy for today, even though there are other problems and challenges that I may have to face tomorrow. Two: Every one of the beatitudes are given in the present tense (Blessed are the poor, Blessed are those who mourn, etc). That means the blessedness God is offering is not a future promise but a present reality. So focus on the present moment.
3) Take inspiration from Bible: Selections that the Church proposes for our reflection each Sunday will have some insights that will help us. For example, in today’s 2nd Reading, St. James has very practical advice for us: “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient.” (James 5:7-8). Precious advice we all need to practice.
4) Ponder the Christmas mystery with carols: What is the mystery? God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to us in the most vulnerable human form possible – a helpless baby. Ponder this mystery. A very practical and easy way to do this is by listening to the words of your favorite Christmas songs – at home, in the car, etc.
Try doing these four ideas, and you will be amazed at how easily you get into the spirit of the season. You will be happily surprised that you are not only enjoying every moment of this season but also that you are spreading the same feeling to others.
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal
Monastic Monday is a day set apart each week for Contemplative practice as a way for parishioners to come together in a non-reactive way, developing a connection with God in personal prayer with an interior silence. Contemplative practice also helps assure that if more of us tend to our inner lives, then our collaboration and ministry will be deeper and less beset by ego, fragmentation and division.
Our parishioners who attended the recent Retreat/presentation by Msgr. Joe Kerrigan had a taste of contemplative practice, and were very touched to hear about Monastic Mondays in his parish of St. Joseph in Bound Brook, and were interested in attending one. Msgr. Kerrigan is inviting us to his parish on December 19 for a Monastic Monday experience of contemplative prayer. I encourage anyone interested to attend. Click here to know what to expect that day.
https://www.dreamsofstjoseph.org/blog/parish-news/special-advent-version-of-monastic-monday/
We will bless and light the trees on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2022, following the 5:00 PM Mass. The trees will remain lit every night from 6:00 PM until midnight, through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, 2023. People are welcome to come to visit the trees and read the plaques throughout this time. And 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 https://www.stmatthias.net/treedirectory/.
Dear Friends,
What a spectacular sight to see those 260-plus Christmas trees lit! They truly “Spread the Light” of this season celebrating the birth of our Savior. So many hands and hearts worked hard to make it a reality, beginning with those who sponsored each tree, dedicating it to someone special. Mary Pat Burke-Grospin, our Business Administrator, coordinated this project, with Jo-ann Piagintini and Pat Cullen. Julio Montero and Deacon John, who regularly supervised all logistics, had already fixed the rebars so that our volunteers – thanks to so many who showed up on both Saturdays – could attach the trees to the rebars and do the decorating with lights. Mr. Patrick from Franklin Electric took the lead in wiring/connecting the power. Knights of Columbus set up the manger, besides helping with trees. The parish staff – Trish Stumper, Vinnie Natale, Nathalie Godet, and Amy Hanna – helped with registration, keeping track, preparing and laminating the plaques, etc. Mr. Bill Gleason’s generous donation/seed money helped with the entire project. Thus we are grateful to a host of people (named and not named here) who made this a work of love bringing joy to all who come to see the illuminated trees or pass this way. May God bless everyone for their goodwill.
It was very gratifying to see more people attending church these past weekends, especially on the First Sunday of Advent as we entered a new Liturgical year of grace. This year, there are four full weeks in Advent to prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of the Son of God who is the Savior of the world. Please come to worship with us each Sunday, and invite someone to come with you.
Last weekend both of us priests spoke about extra times when we will be available for Confession. Why? The Sacrament of Reconciliation figuratively wipes the slate clean in any liturgical season, but Advent provides a poignant time to experience the joy of reconciling with God and with others, being one with Christ in the here and now, while celebrating His First Coming in His birth in Bethlehem and preparing for His Second Coming and all eternity. Hence I wish to remind you that on Tuesdays and Fridays after the 8 am Mass, you can avail of this Sacrament. And, on Saturdays (Dec. 3, 10 & 17), both of us will be available for Confessions from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Besides, the parish penance service will be on Sunday, Dec. 18, 6:30 pm. Last-minute Advent confessions are as painful as last-minute Christmas shopping!
You may have already seen the Christmas and New Year Mass schedules. We will have two Masses at 4 pm on Christmas Eve (Saturday, December 24): one in the Church, and the other in the Cafeteria, followed by a 6:30 pm Mass in the Church. The Solemn midnight Mass with carols by our great Choir beforehand will be a divine experience you do not want to miss. On Sunday—Christmas Day—Masses will be at 10:00 am & 12 noon in the Church. These will be very helpful to those who want a preview or to plan ahead.
May this Advent help us to enter more fully into the spirit of what we are preparing for: Jesus who is the reason for this season!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal