Category: Fr. Abraham’s Weekly Column

5th Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday we had a day of Self Care Fair. It was a wonderful experience with representatives from 16 different organizations explaining their mission and giving away their flyers and other stuff. There were breakout sessions with various demonstrations and presentations on various aspects of being a better you in the library and the classrooms. Msgr. Joseph Kerrigan did a breakout session on Centering Prayer. What made this Self Care Fair very unique was that it was fully youth initiated and led by a total of 23 Teens – grades 8th to 12th from 4 parishes – St. Augustine, Kendall Park, Holy Family, New Brunswick, St. Joseph, Bound Brook, and our own St. Matthias. Thanks to our Deacon John Radvanski in a very special way for his supervising this event with the help of Sue Lenczewski, our SMYLE Coordinator. There were many other adults who served as Mentors and/or Professional Mental Health Advisors to whom we offer our gratitude. We wish to gratefully acknowledge the following organizations and agencies that participated: Catholic Charities, Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, NAMI NJ, Safe & Sound, Community Police Alliance of Somerset County, Franklin Township Stigma Free Council, Freedom From Fear, Operation Code Red, Mental Health First Aid -Empower Somerset, NJ Harm Reduction Coalition, Saint Peter’s University Hospital’s Community Health Services  (Nutrition), The Center For Therapy & Counseling Services, 988 Suicide Hotline,  Caring Contact, Franklin C.A.N. Franklin Cops and Autism Network, RWJ Barnabas Community Health from New Brunswick, and Zufall.

The presence of three Therapy Dogs brought extra cheer to all. There were generous donors (local vendors and individuals) who brought food and drinks to both the visitors and volunteers; they deserve our thanks in a special way. Deacon John Radvanski will be writing about this event in an upcoming issue with more information about and acknowledgment of all those involved/participated. It was truly a unique event for us, showing the holistic approach to our total well being. This event has given us an impetus to have more such events so that our mental, physical and emotional health will be brought into focus together with the spiritual health in the Church.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day today! And Happy St. Joseph’s Feast in two days! Lavish celebrations for these two feasts, especially for St. Patrick’s Day, are typical. But it is very important to reflect on the spiritual dimension of each feast.

On the feast of St. Patrick, the church focuses on the missionary nature of the life of St. Patrick who converted the Irish population to Catholicism in his 33 years of apostolate there. The Irish rightly brought his legacy to places they have settled. This is the right time to read the biography of St. Patrick and be inspired to witness to gospel values in our life.

The Feast of St. Joseph is a higher ranking Solemnity in the Liturgical calendar of the Church. Therefore the Mass celebrated on March 19 is very much like a Sunday Mass with Gloria, and all the readings. The solemnity in the church is certainly followed by the solemnity at the dinner table too! St. Joseph’s silence in the gospels is an indication of his interior disposition of openness to listening to God – something we all can benefit from.

Happy Feast of St. Patrick! Happy Feast of St. Joseph!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

4th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

Dear Friends,

This Sunday we hold the Self Care Fair in our cafeteria. We have been promoting this event together with the “Empty Bowls Franklin” that takes place at the Double Tree hotel today. In this context, I think it is very fitting that we ask an important question: Should the church be concerned only with the spiritual health of the parishioners? Traditionally the answer we hear may be ‘YES.’ But the answer from the Bible is ‘NO!’ The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are many other references to show how the Bible is interested not only in our soul-health but also in the health of our body and mind. Here are just a few:

Genesis.” 1:29 “And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit.

You shall have them for food.”

   3 John 1:2 “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well”.

   1 Timothy 5:23: “Do not go on drinking only water, but also use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”

 Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”.

  Jeremiah 30:17 “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’”

  Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”.

This inter-connectedness of mind, body and soul that the Bible teaches is corroborated by many researches. Look at some of their conclusions:

  1. Acidity is caused not only by diet errors, but more dominated because of stress.
  2. Hypertension is caused not only by too much consumption of salty foods, but mainly because of too much worries about future.
  3. Cholesterol is caused not only by fatty foods, but the excessive laziness or sedentary lifestyle is more responsible.
  4. Asthma not only because of the disruption of oxygen supply to lungs, but often sad feelings make lungs unstable.
  5. Diabetes not only because of too much consumption of glucose, but selfish & stubborn attitude disrupts the function of the pancreas.

Today’s Self Care Fair organized by our Youth Ministry/SMYLE – in collaboration with St. Augustine’s Kendall Park, Holy Family, New Brunswick, and St. Joseph, Bound Brook – is truly an effort to be holistic in our faith formation. The God of the Bible wants our growth in all life dimensions: physical or biological, mental or psychological, moral and social. The disciplines of medicine, psychology, even organizational development. Luke 2:52 captures in the life of Christ this holistic concept: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men”  It is this holistic growth that we are promoting here in our parish through various events and activities. I invite us all to participate and be more holistic in our thinking and living.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

3rd Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

March 8 is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration to honor the achievements and contributions of women, while challenging the discrimination and oppression they continue to face. Pope Francis said: “On International Women’s Day, I think of all women: I thank them for their commitment to building a more humane society, through their ability to grasp reality with a creative eye and a tender heart.” We salute all the women for their invaluable contributions to enrich our families and communities, and pray for them in a special way.

This Sunday during the 10 am Mass, we have a Rite called ‘Scrutiny’ for the ‘Catechumen’ doing the RCIA. Are these strange terms for us? I think we will all remember that RCIA stands for the “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults,” though a couple of years ago, the US Bishops decided that RCIA should be more appropriately named OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults). ‘Catechumen’ is the term used for an unbaptized person who is attending this preparation in RCIA, and ‘Candidate’ is the term used for a baptized person who did not receive Eucharist or Confirmation. This year we are privileged to have a number of people in the RCIA, preparing to receive one or more of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) at the Easter Vigil. They are: Jason Olmedo-Hernandez, Phyllis Carbone, Gigi Fortuna-Clase, Beverly Gilliam, Norvin Gilliam, Maxwell Lumax, Claudia Roque, Chelsea Lopez, Amanda Fortuna Clase, Josh Lumax and Alexis Lumax.

So, what is this rite called ‘scrutiny’? The official Book of the RCIA explains: “It is meant to uncover, and then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good.  For the scrutinies are celebrated in order to deliver the elect from the power of sin and Satan, to protect them against temptation, and to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.” (no.141) Essentially, it is composed of prayers of intercession and the laying on of hands so that the Holy Spirit may be invoked that they are freed from the spirit of evil. Doing the first scrutiny at Mass gives the whole congregation an opportunity to pray for and support those preparing for the Easter sacraments and to make the point that conversion is not only a personal matter but a communal commitment.

More importantly, this Rite of Scrutiny is also an opportunity for the rest of us, to self-examine and see the need for healing in our weakness, detect the sinful habits in our lives and to nourish the good within us so that we can bear good fruits for Christ. Lent is the time to learn from our mistakes of overindulgence in food, drink, drugs, gambling, promiscuity, or any other addiction that may keep us from coming to the living waters of a right relationship with God.  We all have our short list, don’t we?  And we all know, honest to God, what it is we need to leave behind before we come to the Living Water and the Bread of Heaven – as the Samaritan woman shows us in the gospel of John.

Let’s continue to live a happy and holy Lent!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

2nd Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today’s noon Mass is our celebration of the Annual Black History Month Mass here at St. Matthias. I am very happy to welcome the presider Fr. Alphonsus Kariuki, Pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Dunellen, Concelebrant Fr. Gilles Njobam from Our Lady of Piscataway in Perth Amboy, and Deacon Rick Fortune from the Cathedral of St. Francis. We are also happy to welcome the Cameroonian Catholics who will be the song leaders for this Mass.  We know that Black History Month is an annual celebration to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society – from activists, civil rights pioneers, and religious leaders.

The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has a Subcommittee for African American Affairs which is the official voice of the African American Catholic community. This Subcommittee assists the U.S. Catholic bishops individually and collectively to attend to the needs and aspirations of African American Catholics regarding issues of pastoral ministry, evangelization, social justice, worship, development of leaders and other areas of concern. Bishop Joseph N. Perry, the Chairman of this Subcommittee, published a Lenten Reflection in which he wrote:

       We tread these forty days because we want to love God better, know ourselves better and love our neighbor better. Church is a group experience for Christians. We come together as a group because God created us to live in community and because Jesus modeled community as the way to God with his own twelve apostles and any number of other disciples, men and women, who were connected with his ministry. We know that if we try to journey alone, we will likely get lost.

        None of us is perfect. None of us knows the way all of the time. We all fail. We all need help. So, we come to listen to the Word of God and nourish ourselves with his Eucharist and share our strengths and challenges, our joys and sorrows for our own good and the good of all.
During Lent we discover out of the spiritual treasure troves of Church the fonts of God’s mercy and the richness of our fellowship with one another through the rituals of Eucharist, reconciliation, scriptural prophecy and life promised us in His resurrection.

The “spiritual treasure troves” that Bishop Perry mentioned above are what we offer here at St. Matthias. Besides the Holy Mass, we have devotions like the Stations of the Cross, Novenas, Adorations, Rosary, First Friday devotion/Holy Hour, etc. Our Lenten journey has a personal and communal dimension. Personally, we walk this journey by having personal practices, personal devotions and personal resolutions that will help us grow in holiness. But, it takes on an added meaning and benefit when we join the parish community and journey together. I am truly happy that many of our parishioners participate in the various devotions we have and reap rich spiritual benefits. Wouldn’t it be great if many more would do that?

Happy Lent!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

1st Sunday of Lent

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

It was so gratifying to see hundreds of people receiving ashes during the four services in our church and to see hundreds more at the drive-thru ash ministry in our parking lot. That is an excellent sign of the human longing to turn to God. The reception of ashes is the first step to follow God’s ways. But, any attempt to build a spiritual life that neglects the pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is building on sand. That’s why the gospel for Ash Wednesday is worth reflecting over again. Please read Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. Jesus is teaching us: Prayer purifies our intentions and relates all we do to God. Fasting detaches us from our comfort and ourselves. Almsgiving reflects our brotherhood with the poor of Jesus’ family and reminds us that our true wealth is not in things but in the love of God. We all need to do a reality check on our spiritual lives to make sure that we are committed to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

In this context, a challenging question for all of us is: how do we make Lent a spiritual success so that we can be more happy? For making any project or goal a success, we all need some motivation. For Lent, the motivation is the awareness that we can be better persons, that we can go beyond our present unhappy state of mind and experience true peace and joy if only we are willing to make some changes in our lives. Keeping this motivation in mind, here are 10 suggestions or ideas to make Lent a successful holy season:

1.  Read the Bible…. (a chapter a day?)
2. Attend Mass Daily (or watch it on our YouTube channel before going to bed)…
3. Go to Eucharistic Adoration. … (6-8 pm on Mondays in our church)
4. Complete a Work of Mercy. … (visiting a critically ill person, bringing food for that family)
5.  Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet… (can be done easily in car)
6.  Put Together a List of People to Pray for. … (especially those you know personally)
7. Make a Mini-Pilgrimage….(visit a nearby church or shrine like the Blue Army)
8. Do Spiritual Reading daily …. ((life of a saint or writings of Pope Francis)
9. Make simple sacrifices (give up an item of food, drinks, practice patience)
10. Pray the Stations of the Cross (privately or at 7 pm in our church on Lenten Fridays)

Here’s a prayer we can pray: Lord, you know how much I need you and depend on you. You know my weakness and my faults. I put all my confidence in your love and mercy in my daily actions. I hope to learn to trust more in your power, your promise, and your grace. Lord, I wish to start this season of Lent with a sincere desire to grow in love, loving you more, loving my family and friends more, especially reaching out to those who I am not so fond of. Therefore Lord, help me learn to change what needs to change in my life. Give me the grace to begin this Lent with great enthusiasm and love, practicing a Lenten program of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Help me live it with joy, knowing that I am living it in your presence to please you and to live in true fellowship with those around me. Amen.

Have a happy and holy Lent.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Today is World Marriage Day. This annual observance is to honor husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. As I congratulate all the married men and women on this special day, I thank them sincerely for their faithfulness and sacrifice in living out their married life. Marriage is hard, and we live in a world that encourages comfort and happiness above pain and sacrifice. Yet, at the heart of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony, there is a vocational call to a very different way of life. Our “yes” to the sacrament of marriage is not something that only happens on our wedding day. Ongoing marriage formation reminds us that our “yes” to this vocation is something that we give daily, and God will continue to give us what we need to grow closer to one another and to him. Therefore ongoing support and spiritual formation for married couples is a must. Last year, I had invited 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 at this link: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/marriage-retreat

This year I am suggesting that you read some good articles related to married life. There are many wonderful resources online, but I suggest one website in particular that has interesting reflections like: Then and now: What your vows really mean, How to unconditionally love your spouse, Understanding the inner lives of husbands, Is busyness affecting your marriage?, Redefining your marriage after the nest empties out. You can access these from https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/building-spiritual-intimacy-in-your-marriage

LENT is upon us! Mardi Gras is this Monday, followed by Fat Tuesday leading to Ash Wednesday. This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day are both on February 14! Does that change the rules of fasting and abstinence? No. In fact, our Bishop Checchio has already informed the whole Diocese: “This year, be aware that Ash Wednesday falls on February 14 (also Valentine’s Day).  The obligation to fast does remain in effect, so it is suggested that those who are planning a special dinner make that their one main meal of the day.”

As we receive ashes on our forehead, let it be a visible symbol of our acknowledgement of our mortality and our dependence on a God who offers us His merciful love always. May the weeks following Ash Wednesday help us to learn how to live the way of Jesus. That’s why I am inviting us all to consciously choose some of the opportunities that our parish is offering: Faith sharing in our LIVE LENT! small groups (the six sessions are on the Eucharistic themes), Stations of the Cross on Fridays of Lent at 7 pm in church, attending Monday evening adoration, etc. It is also very important that we decide on some spiritual practice on a personal level too.

Happy Lent!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Glad to be back: My home trip was a very happy experience, especially because I had not taken my home vacation for a year and a half. Though it was short (18 days in India), I was kept very busy with Memorial celebration of my father’s death anniversary, the wedding of my nephew, feast of the parish, gathering of the extended Orapankal families, visiting, praying with and bringing Holy Communion to my sick aunts and uncles, and spending time with my 91-year old mother. Obviously, it was not a typical vacation to relax or have a quiet time. I am very grateful to Fr. Lancelot for willingly shouldering the parish responsibilities in my absence, taking care of all the pastoral needs in an admirable way, especially the number of funerals and sick calls. Thanks to the parish staff who cooperated with him in serving the parish community.

Catholic Schools Week: Last Sunday we had the opening Mass for the weeklong celebration of National Catholic Schools Week. It was well organized with students of diverse backgrounds participating in the entrance procession, readings, handing out the thank you’s after the Mass, etc. Thanks to Mary Lynch, our Principal, who has been coordinating various activities and events during this past week with the help of the faculty and staff and thus promoting the mission of our Catholic School. Our Bishop Checchio wrote a letter to the parents and guardians on this occasion in which he reminded them:
“As parents, you play a primary, vital role in the success of our children. Your support, encouragement, and commitment to the values of Catholic education contribute greatly to the formation of well-rounded individuals who carry the light of Christ into the world. I am deeply grateful for your partnership in this sacred mission.”
I too wish to echo the same as I thank the parents for choosing St. Matthias School to give the children the best of both worlds: Catholic formation and academic excellence.

2024 Pro-Life Award: This year, in light of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, our Bishop had asked us pastors and pro-life ministries to nominate parishioners who have been laboring in the field and working in the parishes and local communities to promote the sanctity of life from the moment of conception until the moment of natural death. Accordingly, we had nominated our parishioner Eileen King for this award and we, as a parish, can be very proud that she was chosen to be one of the 2024 pro-life honorees from across the Diocese of Metuchen. This award was presented to her on Sunday, January 21, at our Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the name of the parish community, I congratulate Eileen King for this honor. We are grateful to God for her faith-filled service to life, which is truly a reflection of God’s unconditional love and mercy. This honor is also an invitation to us all to get more involved in life matters, especially by joining the Pro-Life Ministry in our parish. Please contact Fran Johnson at tfxj@msn.com if interested. Whether it be walking with moms in need, walking with the elderly, tending to the sick and dying, working with those with disabilities, or with those who struggle with addiction, efforts to build a culture of life and love are needed now more than ever in the world.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

A Message From Our Bishop

Brothers,

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated this year on Friday, February 2, and that means we are also getting close to the annual World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Primarily, of course, we commemorate Simeon’s proclamation of Our Lord as the light to the nations and the glory of Israel. But this Feast is also when we take some time in our parishes and schools to call attention to the men and women in consecrated life who consistently make their light shine in our diocese through their vowed commitment of making Jesus Christ the center of their lives.

It would be appreciated if you would recognize the consecrated persons serving in your parish, school, or nearby institutions, either sometime around February 2 or in your parish at the weekend Masses of February 3/4. Does your parish have any native sons or daughters in Religious Life? Consider honoring them. Does your parish have a history with a particular religious community who served in the past? Perhaps remember them or invite them to a Mass. Resources to help you promote this special day are available on the USCCB website https://www.usccb.org/events/2024/world-day-prayer-consecrated-life. As always, you may also contact Sister Anna Nguyen, SCC, our diocesan Delegate for Religious, at anguyen@diometuchen.org for
additional resources.

While I am grateful for all you do for our people, know in particular of my appreciation and prayers for all your efforts in fostering vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. Following our presbyteral convocation and meeting with our parish vocation teams, we are already seeing fruits.
Certainly, it is an honor and sign of a healthy parish when a young man and woman hears God’s call with the help of their parish and responds with a generous “yes”. We need them too!

With renewed best wishes, I remain

Yours in Christ,

Most Reverend James. F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

A Message From a Member of Our Pastoral Staff

I don’t know if it’s my age … but it seems that time is flying by! We are just a few weeks away from the Christmas season and in less than a month, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday. This year it falls on Valentine’s Day… a day of fasting and abstention. Of course, Ash Wednesday is the start of the forty days of Lent and this leads us up to Holy Week and to the glorious feast of Christ’s resurrection, Easter Sunday.

Right now, however, we are in the few weeks of ordinary time. A little bit of a breather between the two major feasts of Christmas and Easter. In today’s Gospel, we hear Christ calling a few of the apostles to come and follow Me. He calls them to leave their fishing nets and to become fishers of Men. My sisters and brothers, we are all called to be Disciples of Christ. When we are baptized, we are automatically called to be Disciples of Christ …To leave “our nets” behind and to be fishers of men.

Sometimes we tend to forget that not only priests, religious, and Deacons receive the call from Jesus to follow Him. We are all called. Each one’s answer to that call is obviously different. Twenty-five years ago, I answered God’s call to the Diaconate and will be ordained twenty years this June. Sometimes we aren’t tuned in to when God is calling us. There’s a little story of a man whose house was going to be flooded. The rescuers came in a rowboat to rescue him. He refused to get in saying God will save him. The water rose higher to the top floor. Again the rescuers came with a boat. Again, he refused saying God will save Him. Finally, they came by helicopter when he was on his roof. Again, he refused… giving the same answer. He perished in the flood. When he got to heaven, he asked God “Why didn’t you save me? God answered, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter and you didn’t listen!”

Lent is a perfect time to spend some time asking God what are you calling me in my life right now. Remember that the call could be a whisper of a feeling. For me, Lent is a time for me to sit down with the Lord and see if there is somewhere different that the Lord is calling me. It does not matter at what stage in life you are, we must listen to the possibility that God may be calling us to something new and exciting in our lives. As we get closer to Lent think about what you may do… I say do rather than give up something. I feel doing this is putting Lent in a positive rather than a negative spiritual journey. More time in prayer with the Lord is a great way to enhance your Lenten journey. Perhaps it’s time to join a Lenten small faith group. Whatever you do make this Lent the best you can and you will feel the joy of Christ’s resurrection on Easter more fully.

Peace of Christ,

Deacon Russ

 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Greetings from my home in Kerala, India. I’m enjoying visiting my family, relatives and friends.  I am also enjoying the hot weather – there are only two seasons here: hot and hotter. ☺

This year the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday falls on January 15th, his actual birthday. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister and a passionate preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and example as well as a martyr for justice. King led the civil rights movement during the mid-1950s until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

The theme for MLK Day 2024 is “Shifting the cultural climate through the study and practice of Kingian Nonviolence.” A testament to the revolutionary power of nonviolence, Gandhi’s success of non-violence in India directly influenced Martin Luther King, Jr., who argued that the Gandhian philosophy was “the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.”

MLK Day invites us to reflect on the necessity of respecting all people – no matter who they are or how different they are. It is good to point out that the prayer intention of Pope Francis for the month of January is an invitation to all Christians to embrace the diversity of charisms in the Church as a richness. He wrote: “Let us pray that the Spirit help us recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian communities, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions within the Catholic Church.”

The timing of this intention is significant because we celebrate the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18th through the 25th. In the short video that the Vatican has released (you can google it and watch it), the Pope urged Christians to unite our prayers to his “for the gift of diversity in the Church,” since diversity is an opportunity to “rejoice”. He noted that diversity and unity were already present in the early Christian communities, and that the tension brought about by diversity had to be resolved on a higher level, resorting to dialog and prayerful listening to the Holy Spirit: “To move forward on the journey of faith, we also need ecumenical dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other confessions and Christian communities. This is not something confusing or disturbing, but is a gift God gives to the Christian community so it might grow as one body, the Body of Christ.” Pope Francis offered the example of the diversity of rites within the Eastern Churches that are in communion with Rome: “They have their own traditions, their own characteristic liturgical rites, yet they maintain the unity of the faith. They strengthen it, not divide it.”

The Catholic Church is not a church of uniformity, as some mistakenly think, but a church of unity in diversity. Our community of St. Matthias is a microcosm of that reality. We are a diverse community, united in our faith in Jesus Christ. The Feast of Epiphany we celebrated last Sunday was a visible sign of unity in diversity. Let us proudly continue our rich and biblical tradition that we proclaim at every weekend Mass: “All are welcome here at St. Matthias.”

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal