Author: Nathalie Godet

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

The Miraculous Medal Novena

One of the most popular and widespread devotions in the Catholic Church is the Miraculous Medal Novena. Here at Saint Matthias the novena is prayed every Monday morning after the 8 am Mass. The miraculous medal had its origin in Paris France in 1830 when Saint Catherine Labouré received an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catherine was born on May 2, 1806. Her mother died when she was 9. Catherine asked the Blessed Mother to be her mother in place of her deceased mother. In January 1830 she joined the Daughters of Charity and in July of that year, she had the first of several apparitions of the Blessed Mother. During one of these apparitions in the chapel of her convent in Paris, the Blessed mother showed herself inside an oval frame standing upon a globe with rays of light coming from her hands towards the globe. Around the frame were the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Mary asked Catherine to have the image struck as a medal. The image rotated and on the back, Catherine saw a large letter M surmounted by a cross with a bar at its base. Below this monogram, there was an image of the Sacred Heart crowned with thorns, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword.

Initially 2000 medals were made and distributed and some extraordinary healings and miracles occurred so quickly that people began to call the medal The Miraculous Medal. Today millions of Catholics wear the medal as a sign of their devotion to Mary and to implore her intercession.

Reciting the novena prayers takes less than 10 minutes. Among the prayers is the Novena Prayer which goes like this: O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our mother, penetrated with the most lively confidence in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal, we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena, if they be beneficial to our immortal souls and the souls for whom we pray.

Msgr. Brennan

In Celebration of 60 Years: A Fundraiser for the Future of Our Church

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

As you know, the 60th Anniversary celebration of our church began in May 2022. We had various celebrations including two special Masses, a parish picnic, and a Music Ministry concert. To make this anniversary a special event, we are planning to make much-needed improvements to our wonderful church. The initial projects we selected were based on the results of a parish survey in which so many of our parishioners participated.

To fund these projects, we are launching the “In Celebration of 60 Years, A Fundraiser For The Future of Our Church”, with the modest goal to raise at least $200,000. (This fundraiser is distinct from the Building, Repair, and Replacement Fund quarterly collection we had begun last year, which is intended for smaller routine maintenance needs.). This being our 60th Anniversary, please consider donating $60, or any multiple of 60, or whatever you can give to this cause. All the parishioners will be getting a letter with more details about this fundraiser.

Thank you.

Fr. Abraham Orapankal                      Joan Pritchard, Dolores Christmas, Edna Arguello-Hitchner
Pastor                                                                                              Co-Chairs

Donate in one of two ways:

1. Make check payable to “St. Matthias Church” and write “60th Fundraiser” in the memo line and mail to the Parish Office or drop in the collection basket.

2. Pay via ParishGiving.

 

 

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today is World Marriage Day, an annual observance to honor husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life. I invite every husband and wife to spend a little dedicated time in prayer and reflection by participating in a seven-day virtual retreat focused on marriage (www.foryourmarriage.org). See page 8 in this bulletin for more details about opportunities for marriage enrichment, divorce survival, and retreat.

We all know that marriage is NOT a bed of roses. Every marriage hits its rough spots. Pope Francis noted in his apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia that “the life of every family is marked by all kinds of crises. Couples should be helped to realize that surmounting a crisis need not weaken their relationship…Each crisis becomes an apprenticeship in growing closer together or learning a little more about what it means to be married. There is no need for couples to resign themselves to an inevitable downward spiral or a tolerable mediocrity” (no. 232). If you are struggling in your marriage, take heart! The Church cares about you and wants you and your spouse to find healing and a renewed sense of love. Be open to the resources our Church offers to enrich and support your married life.

At the same time, we need to be aware of those couples who have found it impossible to stay in marriage due to insurmountable difficulties and so have chosen to separate or divorce. All of us need to be sensitive to their situation as St. John Paul II beautifully asked us: “I earnestly call upon pastors and the whole community of the faithful to help the divorced and with solicitous care, to make sure that they do not consider themselves as separated from the Church… Let the Church pray for them, encourage them and show herself a merciful mother and thus sustain them in faith and hope.” 

In this context, it is important to have a clear picture of their status in the eyes of the Church as there are many misconceptions: Catholics who are separated or divorced, and who have not remarried outside of the church, are in good standing in the church and can receive the sacraments, including holy Communion. That means divorced/separated Catholics are not excommunicated from the church as some mistakenly think. Annulments do not cost thousands of dollars. Annulments do not take years to process and do not have to be processed in Rome. Divorcees with children can get an annulment. Even if your “ex” does not cooperate in the annulment process, you can still get help. Separated/divorced Catholics are welcome at Mass and Church activities. Separated/divorced Catholics can receive the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation – provided their remarriage, if any, is in the church. They can be sponsors at Baptism and Confirmation. The children of the separated/divorced Catholics can be baptized and receive other sacraments.

Knowing that we are all God’s children trying to live life to the best of our ability will give us a greater understanding of the struggles we all face, especially those with difficulties in marriage; it will then give us a greater appreciation of each other.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Mass In Celebration of Black History Month

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Join us for the annual St. Matthias Mass in Celebration of Black History Month

Fr. Cyril Adim Offiong,

Parochial Vicar of St. Cecilia’s Church in Iselin

will be the presider.

Saturday, February 25, 2023 – 5:00 PM

Liturgy and Worship to be led by
The UMOJA IMANI CHOIR under the direction of Aaron Brown and Joan Seamon

ALL ARE WELCOME!

Mass to be followed by a showing of a video narration of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King in the St. John XXIII Room at 6:00 PM
‘Letter From A Birmingham Jail’ and a reflection.

(Light dinner to be served – pizza, sandwiches, drinks).

Please click here to RSVP

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day – the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all peoples. The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to the following Sunday, which is today – in order to highlight the gift of consecrated persons for the whole Church.

In our Diocese of Metuchen, there are many religious houses where the members have made a gift of themselves to God in consecration, making their light shine through their vowed commitment to making Jesus Christ the center of their lives. In our own parish, we are blessed to have the presence of two such consecrated persons – Sr. Marie Therese Sherwood, OSF and Sr. Maria Derecola, OSF. They belong to the “School Sisters of St. Francis”, an international religious order that originally came to the United States in 1913 to serve as teachers to immigrant children. Of course, the original mission of their community – and Catholic Sisters in general – has evolved over the years in order to meet the differing needs of the times. The Sisters of the United States Province serve in three states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Texas) and two countries (USA and Italy) with a single common denominator — outreach to God’s people wherever they are and for whatever their needs may be. We are grateful to Sr. Marie Therese and Sr. Maria for their presence and ministry in our community of St. Matthias.

Today’s Gospel passage has Jesus asking us to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. The religious men and women do that in a very visible way by consecrating themselves with religious vows. But that is not the vocation of the vast number of people. So how can an ordinary Catholic, who is not in the lime light of public sphere, become the light of the world?

A woman in Bible study related that when she recently went into her basement, she made an interesting discovery. Some potatoes had sprouted in the darkest corner of the room. At first she couldn’t figure out how they had received enough light to grow. Then she noticed that she had hung a copper kettle from a rafter near a cellar window. She kept it so brightly polished that it reflected the rays of the sun onto the potatoes. She exclaimed, “When I saw that reflection, I thought, I may not be a preacher or a teacher with the ability to expound upon Scripture, but at least I can be a copper kettle Christian, catching the rays of the Son and reflecting his light to someone in a dark corner.”

This woman’s experience is an inspiration for all of us that we too can become the light of the world by radiating the light of Jesus Christ.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

The Alzheimer’s Association & St. Matthias Catholic Church Monthly Support Group

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

The Alzheimer’s Association and Saint Matthias Catholic Church are co-hosting a monthly Support Group for people living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia and their care partners. Our next meeting will be Wednesday, March 8th, from 2 pm-3 pm on Zoom. 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

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

The National Catholic Schools week begins today, with the theme: Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.  Our Bishop Checchio has written a beautiful letter explaining this theme very well.  You can read a portion of his letter in this bulletin. The complete letter is on our parish website.

This theme should remind us of the motto of our own St. Matthias School: Faith, Caring Excellence. Is it just a coincidence? No. Catholic schools were begun with the specific purpose to form students to become good Catholics by instilling in them the values that would make them good citizens of the world, so that they would enrich the society with the leaven of the gospel and the example of faith. That is why the Catholic school, like the Catholic Church, is not a building or an institution, but it is the people. As the people of God, we, here at St. Matthias, work together to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth and raise up the next generation to do the same. Hence our teachers and students forming the foundation of the school are active people of faith who serve others and God, under the able leadership of Mary Lynch, the School Principal. We, parents, elders, benefactors, and well-wishers have a stake in this mission of Catholic education. Thank you for all the support you give to St. Matthias School to help us fulfil this mission. Our 10 am Mass this Sunday is a celebration of our Catholic School. It will be followed by an open house – open to all.

Each year the Diocese of Metuchen honors youth leaders from various parishes. The St. Timothy Award is given annually to High School Youth who live as disciples of Christ, setting a positive example for other youth, witness to their faith by exhibiting Catholic morals and integrity, demonstrate Gospel values through service to others and exhibit Christian leadership in parish, school, and/or community settings. We are very happy that two of our St. Matthias parish youth were chosen for this award: Melody Adamski and Emily Chavez. Hearty congratulations to these young ladies for meriting this great honor through their leadership, faith and service. As we are proud of their achievement, I wish to thank Sue Lenczewski, our Youth Ministry Coordinator, and Deacon John Radvanski who have been guiding our Youth/NeXt Level ministry.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus begins each of the Beatitudes with “Blessed are you …” These are guides for us to live joyfully. Each beatitude Jesus has uttered is so counter-cultural that we won’t believe it unless we experience it. It is then that we can and will know the “blessedness” that Jesus promises in the here and now. May we all resist Satan’s beatitudes (read on page 4 in this bulletin!) and imbibe the BE-ATTITUDES of Jesus and make each day a happy one for us and for others.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

What’s the difference between a “Catholic Bible” and a “Protestant Bible”? This is a question that I have been asked many times, and probably you have too. The Catholic edition of the Bible has 73 books while the Protestant edition has only 66 books. The New Testament books are 27 in Catholic and Protestant Bibles. But Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include sections in the Books of Esther and Daniel that are not found in Protestant Bibles. These books are called the deuterocanonical books. The Catholic Church believes these books are part of the canon of Scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit. These books are printed as part of the Old Testament in a Catholic Bible. In some other Bibles, these books (and sometimes additional, non-Scriptural books) are printed between the Old and New Testaments.

Today, the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, is instituted by Pope Francis as the “Sunday of the Word of God.” This is to remind us all of the importance and value of Sacred Scripture for the Christian life, as well as the relationship between the Word of God and the liturgy. Why is reading and praying the Bible so very important in our personal and family life? The words of Sacred Scripture are unlike any other texts we will ever hear, for they not only give us information, but they are the vehicle God uses to reveal himself to us, the means by which we come to know the depth of God’s love for us, and the responsibilities entailed by being Christ’s followers, members of his Body. Surveys have shown that few Catholics read the Bible on their own or as a family. At the same time, we are amazed at other Christians who are able to quote Bible verses. As St. Jerome once noted, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”

Why is proclaiming the Scriptures an essential part of the liturgy? The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says: “When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel” (GIRM, no. 29). Hence, Scripture readings are an essential part of every liturgical celebration – whether it be a sacrament or a prayer service. Readings from Scripture are part of every Mass. At least two readings (3 on Sundays and solemnities), one always from the Gospels, make up the Liturgy of the Word. In addition, a psalm or canticle is sung.

These readings are typically read from a Lectionary. For convenience, the readings and psalms for each day of the year are put together in the Lectionary. The readings are divided by the day or the theme (baptism, marriage, vocations, etc.) rather than according to the books of the Bible. Not all of the Bible is included in the Lectionary.

Someone created this meaning for the word BIBLE: Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. But in fact, Bible is the nourishment for every day of our lives here on earth. What extra effort can we make to be more familiar with God’s Word?

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal