Author: Nathalie Godet

A Rich Treasure of Celebrations

January 16 to 25 is filled with a plethora of special observances for our church and society. On January 16 we observe a National holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr .the great Baptist minister and civil rights leader who inspired many people and laid the foundation for the 1964 Civil Rights legislation that would begin a healing and reconciliation process in America. Born on January 15 1929 in Atlanta Dr. King proved to be a powerful, inspirational leader who sought to end racial discrimination through nonviolent peaceful means. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace in 1964. He was assassinated on April 4th 1968 in Memphis TN. People are asked to reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King. We follow the American custom of celebrating the holiday on a Monday, the third Monday, rather than the actual day of his birth.

From January 18 to 25 we will celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme is taken from the first chapter of Isaiah, Do Good: Seek Justice. Is 1:17. During this week we are asked to pray that our world may move towards the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer at the Last Supper, “that all may be one” Jn. 17:21. The week concludes significantly enough on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. If the grace of God was powerful enough to bring about his conversion then it can surely bring about a more unified church and help thereby to promote the Good News of Christ to a waiting world. Consider attending mass an extra day this week to pray for Christian unity.

And finally on January 20 we will celebrate the 50th Annual March for Life in Washington DC. This year’s celebration will also mark the momentous overturn of Roe V Wade. Abortion is the greatest human rights abuse of our time but thanks to the perseverance of the Pro Life Movement, through education and advocacy change is slowly taking hold. The struggle continues now that the decision about Pro Life policies is handed back to our elected representatives in Washington and in States Capitols .This year’s March for Life will go from the Mall to the Steps of the United States Capitol building and not to the steps of the Supreme Court, as in other years. There will be many speakers at the rally on the Mall preceding the March. I will be marching as usual and encourage others to do the same. Watch our bulletin for information about buses.

And on January 23 our nation will observe a Day of Prayer for Legal protection for the Unborn. Consider attending Mass at 8am that morning or join us for a Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life immediately following Mass.

A rich plethora of feasts and celebrations indeed, all for justice and the protection of human rights. Let us “Do Good and Seek Justice” (Is 1:17)

Msgr. Brennan

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas! Yes, Christmas is that magical time of the year when glittering lights and colorful decorations line the streets and homes and children are eagerly waiting to open the gifts under the tree. One word that we hear often during the Christmas season, especially from liturgical and other sources, is ‘incarnation.’ It literally means taking flesh. Christmas is the feast of God incarnating as a human being.

Incarnation is a familiar term I have been hearing from my Indian background with the Hindus. Their Scriptures describe ten incarnations of God “to restore righteousness in the world whenever there is a large-scale erosion of moral values.” But the Christian Scriptures teach only one Incarnation, and its purpose is given in John 3: 16: “God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not die, but have eternal life.”  Thus every Christmas reminds us that we need a Savior every day, and that Savior is Emmanuel, God-with-us. That is certainly our cause for joy.

Pope Francis has written and spoken much about the joy we should have for having Emmanuel, God-with-us. Here’s a passage I liked from his Apostolic Letter (Misericordia Et Misera): “In a culture often dominated by technology, sadness and loneliness appear to be on the rise, not least among young people. This often gives rise to depression, sadness and boredom, which can gradually lead to despair. We need witnesses to hope and true joy if we are to dispel the illusions that promise quick and easy happiness through artificial paradises. We need to acknowledge the joy that rises up in a heart touched by mercy. Let us keep in mind, then, the words of the Apostle: “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

It is this joy that we try to express when we wish each other  “Merry Christmas!” Let us not be cowed down by the secular progressives who want us to be ‘politically correct’ by diminishing the display of Christian greetings, traditions and practices. Let us not be caught up in the cultural war of “Merry Christmas vs Happy Holidays.” Instead, let us be proud of our Christian heritage that the founding fathers and mothers of our nation envisioned. Hence, religious freedom is an essential freedom that we need to practice joyfully.

Christmas blessings to you and to your family!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

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