Author: Nathalie Godet

Make Lent 2022 the Best Lent Ever!

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Participate in a St. Matthias “Live Lent” Small Group

Start for the first time or continue with a St. Matthias Small Faith Sharing Group this Lent on Zoom! We have approximately 20 groups that meet on various days/times of the week.

If you are new to this experience and would like join a group or start a group of your own, please click here to sign up. Continuing members do not need to sign up — simply connect with your group facilitator. Facilitators will be contacting group members who were part of their group this past Fall or last Lent. Each group likely will be meeting on Zoom on the same date/time. Groups will begin the week of February 27.

New members, please sign-up early! Most groups will be using the “Around the Lenten Circle: Small Group Sessions for Lent 2022” by Ann Naffziger.  It is an e-resource.

Questions? Please contact Dee Nann at the parish office at 732-828-1400.

Please take the time to watch our two videos from past participants:

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

This year is the 60th Anniversary of the founding of our St. Matthias Parish. You must have already heard this from the pulpit/bulletin announcements. The actual date of the founding is June 8, 1962. A committee, chaired by Anne Marie Francis of our Parish Pastoral Council, has been formed and they are looking at various ideas, focusing on what is practical in these challenging pandemic times.

In the meanwhile, I wish to remind us that this anniversary of our parish can be an excellent opportunity for us to rededicate our efforts to grow more familiar with the Word of God. How do we do that? One easy way is to better utilize the excellent plan we already have in place: the Bible sharing in small groups that we began during 2019 Lent, which continued during the Fall and Lent seasons every year since. We had 27 groups who had an amazing time of learning God’s Word while experiencing true bonding with group members. It brought a renewed interest and familiarity with God’s Word for them. They brought a new energy to our parish life. Even when the pandemic forced us to go online, some 16 groups continued meeting via zoom.

Thank you to Dee Nann, our Faith Formation Director, and her dedicated team who have been organizing these small groups, with the steadfast interest and help from the Facilitators. As we will soon enter Lent 2022, I wish to invite the rest of the parish to prayerfully consider joining a small group.

This pandemic has required us to remain isolated from our brothers and sisters in faith. Pope Francis had encouraged the whole Church to accept the challenge called “Connected in Christ” by joining a small group. Each group decides if this connection should be remotely, socially distanced at the parish or at a parishioner’s home. This is a great way to connect with other parish members. Here’s what one participant said:

“Our own parishioners and others have so many wonderful experiences of Bible sharing in small groups. We are a lively group. I was deeply impressed by the quality of the members’ responses which I find highly spiritual and thought provoking We had such a profound spiritual experience which made everyone eager and looking forward for our next session. We now feel we have a much closer tie with the parish community, with each other and most specially a greater love for our God.”

Here’s another testimony: “Truly an amazing program; it helped me so much to deal with my daily challenges with a peace that I got from these group sharing. Thank you for bringing this to our parish.”

This weekend you will hear testimonies from four of our parishioners – Nick Grippo, Gondee Tibay, Joe and Eileen Mancuso, and Sean Smith – who will share their experience in small groups. After listening to them, I hope and pray that you will be inspired to give 90 minutes once a week just for six weeks of Lent to become familiar with God’s Word in the happy company of a small group of God’s people. Please see page 7 for registration info.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal gave a pulpit invitation to us to join the special Mass this Sunday as we celebrate the Catholic School Week nationally. She spoke beautifully about St. Matthias School that is an integral part of our parish. The success of St. Matthias School impacts St. Matthias parish. I am truly grateful to all of our parishioners, all of the school parents, faculty, staff, all other supporters and well-wishers for helping our school become truly a sanctuary of “Faith, Caring and Excellence” – as the school motto reminds us.

I’m sure you are aware of the “synod on synodality,” a worldwide gathering of bishops and other leaders called by Pope Francis. Synodality literally means walking together. Pope Francis invited the Catholic Church to embark on a journey of listening and discernment to develop a deeper understanding of its mission and look toward the future. This Synod, entitled “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission”, began in October 2021 and will conclude October 2023. Even though the Church is structured in a vertical hierarchical way, Francis said this synod is meant to “listen to the questions, concerns and hopes of every church, people and nation.”

The word ‘synodal’ refers to the involvement and participation of all the People of God in the life and mission of the Church. The goal of this journeying together is not to create a new pastoral plan with objectives. Rather, the goal is to be present with one another, to listen and learn with each other, and to grow closer to the Lord and His Church. Pope Francis has said: “Let us ask: in the church, are we good at listening? How good is the hearing of the heart? Do we allow people to express themselves, to walk in faith even though they have had difficulties in life, and to be part of the life of the community without being hindered, rejected or judged?”

Some fear that it will change the structure of the church and make it more democratic like some of the Protestant churches. That is an unfounded fear. The hope is that now on, everyone will have a voice to tell his or her own personal story as well as bring ideas and suggestions for the common good, and the bishops in their dioceses and pastors in their parishes will listen to these and will make the final decisions on these. Thus, we become more of a listening church.

A key part of the Synod are “listening sessions” to be held in all Catholic communities throughout the world. Our diocesan sessions in deaneries were originally scheduled for late January but have been postponed. But the Diocese will be having a “Virtual Synod Facilitator Training” on Thursday, February 3, 2022, from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome to join that by registering at: https://www.diometuchen.org/facilitator-training

In addition to these diocesan deanery sessions, I am proposing to have our own parish listening session here at St. Matthias, probably sometime in early
March. Keep an eye out in coming weeks for the exact date. But if many of you can attend the Facilitator training on February 3, it will be helpful for our
own parish listening session. Have a look at the Synod Preparation materials and other important resources on the diocesan website at: https://www.diometuchen.org/synod2023

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Saint Valentine’s Day Young Adult Dance – February 12, 2022

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

The Catholic Club of NJ group, promoting the gift of life, invites young adults (ages 21-40) to a Saint Valentine’s Day dance Saturday, February 12th, 2022 from 7pm-11pm. Bring your Valentine or find your Valentine and join us for an evening of great food, live music, and fun! Classy dress attire requested. St Matthias Catholic Church. 168 John F Kennedy Blvd, Somerset, NJ 08873. Please email catholicclubnj@gmail.com with questions. Register here!

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

A warm welcome back to Msgr Seamus Brennan, after his short trip to Ireland, which became longer than expected. 🙂

We are witnessing two events of great importance this week. First is the 49th March for Life that took place on Friday, January 21 in Washington D.C. The theme for this year’s March for Life is “Equality Begins in the Womb.” It is to remind us all, as a nation, that we need to restore equal rights to our most defenseless citizens in the womb.

The right to life is a human right. Our defense of that right is a joyful witness to the beauty and dignity of every human person. The March for Life is an inspiring, peaceful, vibrant, and joy-filled rally of women, men, young people, and children from all across the country. Every year, tens of thousands of prolifers converge on the National Mall and march on Capitol Hill on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling which legalized abortion in all 50 states. It’s the largest annual human rights demonstration in the world. But this is not just a protest…but a gathering to celebrate life. Catholic teaching is clear: we envision a world where every life is celebrated, valued, and protected- born or unborn, young or old, baby or elderly, healthy or sick, rich or poor.

The second event is the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” which began last Tuesday and concludes this Tuesday. The theme this year, is what you have read in last Sunday’s bulletin: “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (Matthew 2:2), as chosen by the Middle East Council of Churches in Beirut, Lebanon. The Magi are a symbol of the world’s diversity – different religions and cultures – that comes to pay homage to the Christchild. Pope Francis said that in a similar way, Christians of diverse backgrounds and traditions “are pilgrims on our way to full unity,” who come closer to our goal when keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus.

We know that Jesus prayed for unity: “Father, may they all be one.” (John 17:21). But this unity is not realized as an organizational unity. Instead, it is possible to have a unity based on loving service, the fundamental mark of Christianity. Such a unity is possible if we accept what St. Paul asked us to do: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3). This is a call for churches to work together so that young people can build a good future according to God’s heart, a future in which all human beings can experience life, peace, justice, and love. Here’s a short prayer we all can pray:

“Lord God, we thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to
gather all peoples into the one communion of love and life
through your Holy Spirit. Help us to be one in the spirit of love
as we serve others, especially the poorest, the weakest and
those marginalized. Unite us in the common mission that
Jesus has given us. Amen.”

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

Martin Luther King Day is observed every year on the third Monday of January. This year it falls on this Monday, January 17. Dr. King became minister of the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954 and was the most prominent leader in the American civil rights movement until his assassination in 1968. We are thankful for the path that he forged, together with countless others, for bringing about racial equality and ending racial segregation in the United States.

From what we have witnessed in recent years, it is obvious that we are experiencing deep divisions and polarizations on this issue and on other social justice matters. We need to ask the same questions that Dr. King asked: How will we struggle against the injustices in our society? What means will we use? Inspired by his Christian convictions and his admiration for Gandhi’s nonviolent activism that led to India’s freedom in 1947, Dr. King opted for civil rights through nonviolence and civil disobedience. He wanted to overcome hate with the wisdom of the Gospel of Jesus who taught loving our enemies. He kept reminding his audiences to seek reconciliation and not to fall easy prey to the temptation to violent reprisals. In 1958, Rev. King wrote: “Along the way of life, someone must have the sense enough and the morality enough to cut off the chain of hate. This can only be done by projecting the ethics of love to the center of our lives.”

As Catholics, we have been doing a lot of self-examination in becoming aware of racism that denies respect, equality and human dignity to people of color both in the church and in the society. In November 2018 the Catholic bishops of the United States released a Pastoral Letter Against Racism called, Open Wide Our Hearts. Our Bishops acknowledged the truth: “Racism still profoundly affects our culture, and it has no place in the Christian heart. This evil causes great harm to its victims, and it corrupts the souls of those who harbor racist or prejudicial thoughts. The persistence of the evil of racism is why we are writing this letter now.”

Yes, the letter is a powerful initiative but more needs to be done, and soon, to bring that awareness to us Catholics on the national, diocesan and parish levels. I’m very happy that our parish of St. Matthias has taken some significant steps to address racism and other social justice issues by having events and retreats as well as launching the Social Justice Initiative by our Pastoral Council and the Racial Justice Initiative by our St. Martin De Porres Society.

I invite us all to read the Bishops’ letter ‘Open Wide Our Hearts’ as well as get new resources from usccb.org/racism. May the legacy of Dr. King remind us that God’s plan for us is to live in peace with all, by loving and respecting everyone without any discrimination.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Final Night to View Our Nativity & Christmas Trees on Display

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

St. Matthias celebrated the Christmas Season by illuminating our church and school property with beautiful, personalized, 6-foot, freshly-cut Christmas trees, decorated with white lights.  Tonight is the last night the Nativity and trees will be lit this Christmas season. All are welcome to visit the trees and read the plaques from 6:00 PM until midnight.

To find a specific tree, visit https://www.stmatthias.net/treedirectory/.