Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time › connect › sites › default › files › July 5 2020 Fou… · Juan Diaz Flores, Custodian Silvia Nizama, Housekeeper St. Matthias Parish

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For all Parish emails, add @stmatthias.net

Pastor: Rev Abraham Orapankal, abraham

Parochial Vicar: Rev. Msgr. Joseph Curry, jcurry

Pastoral Staff

Deacon Russell Demkovitz, rdemkovitz

Ana V Kelly, Marketing & Development, akelly

Dolores R. Nann, Faith Formation, dnann

Mary Beth Oria, Business Administrator, moria

Deacon John Radvanski, deaconjohn

Joan Best Seamon, Music Ministry jseamon

Sr Marie Therese Sherwood, OSF, Social Concerns,

msherwood

Phyllis Stone, Liturgy/RCIA and Administrative Assistant to the Pastor, pstone

St. Matthias School (add @stmatthiasnj.org)

Elena Malinconico, Principal

Joseph Gidaro, Vice Principal, jgidaro

Parish Office Staff

Kelly Counts, Day Receptionist

Nathalie Godet, Formation/Parish Support Sec.

Leslie Guillen Evening Receptionist/Bulletin Editor

Amy Hanna, Parish Support Secretary

Joan Jones, Evening Receptionist

Vinnie Natale, Bookkeeper

Denise Sawicki, Accountant

Trish Stumper, Parish Support Secretary

Maintenance Staff

Julio Montero, Maintenance Supervisor

Mario Brown, Custodian

Conroy Davis, Custodian

Juan Diaz Flores, Custodian

Silvia Nizama, Housekeeper

St. Matthias Parish Office:

Open (8:30-4 Mon-Thurs; 8:30-1 Fri) 168 JFK Boulevard, Somerset, NJ 08873,

732-828-1400, fax: 732-828-0866,

www.stmatthias.net

Parish Office Building: use emails below . Our

office phone is now fully staffed during the

day.

Mass Schedule: Every Sunday on our YouTube

channel: (Private masses are also being cele-

brated)

St. Matthias School (SMS): 170 JFK Boulevard, Somerset, NJ 08873

732-828-1402; www.stmatthias.info

The Catholic Community of St. Matthias Sunday, Jul 5, 2020 –

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Weekend and Two Weekday

Masses (Tue/Thurs) now in

person (see below)

All Masses will be live-

streamed at:

www.youtube.com/c/

StMatthiasSomersetNJ and also

available on demand.

Registration is Now Open for St.

Matthias School. Call the

school office at 732-828-1402

to schedule a tour or learn

more information.

Volunteers Needed!

As we welcome people back into our church building, we find ourselves in

need of a greater number of volunteers. We especially need Hospitality

Ministers (to help guide people to the pews, to Communion, etc.), and

volunteers to help with Sanctuary Safety (e.g., wiping down the pews and

other surfaces after each Mass). Training will be provided. We need

many volunteers for both ministries and each one only takes a very short

amount of time to do. Please contact Phyllis Stone,

[email protected], with questions or to volunteer. THANK YOU!

Weekend & Weekday Mass with a Congregation

Are Mass schedule (with YOU present in the church) is now as follows:

Tuesday & Thursday 8AM Mass

Sat. 5:00PM Mass

Sunday 10:00AM & 1200PM Mass

If you are able to join us in person, please follow all safety guidelines, in-

cluding wearing a mask and staying at least 6 feet away from others. We

are able to accommodate up to 100 people at each mass (overflow for

the weekend masses will be in the cafeteria; if the cafeteria is full, addi-

tional overflow will be in your car via livestream.)

Weekday masses and a weekend mass (beginning at 5 pm Saturday) will

continue to be available on our YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/c/

stmatthiassomersetnj.

This Week at St. Matthias From the Pastor & the Pastoral Staff

668

Page 2 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

Bulletin Article Requests: Please email proposed bulletin articles to

[email protected] by 6 pm, Wednesday, 10 days

before the intended issue (earlier for holiday weekends).

Happy July 4th! Yes, we commemorate the fact

that in 1776, the Continental Congress, represent-

ing the 13 colonies, approved the Declaration of

Independence. But that was only the first step on

the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. Many

other steps followed - trials, tribulations, discussions,

debates, violence, tragedies, hunger, sickness,

deaths - to make the contents of that document a reality for us

to enjoy that freedom given to us by those who went before us.

Where are we today? We see how that freedom is abused and

how our “pursuit of happiness” is hindered in the midst of the pre-

sent political, racial, economic and religious polarization even as

we are in the throes of the continuing pandemic. We need to

revisit the most famous words from the Declaration and make a

self-examination to see how we can make a difference in our

world by living the spirit of this great document:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator

with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,

Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these

rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving

their just powers from the consent of the governed, That

whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive

of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abol-

ish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation

on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as

to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and

Happiness.

The last few words from that Declaration, “…to effect their safety

and happiness” is something that we are immediately con-

cerned with as we are cautiously re-opening our church back to

public worship. Last week you read the letter from our Task Force

giving us all the details as we welcomed our parishioners back –

even though in limited numbers which is now 100 as per the Gov-

ernor’s latest order. It was so wonderful for us priests, deacons

and other ministers to see and welcome so many of you in the

church. We are planning to resume all the sacramental celebra-

tions, especially First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Anoth-

er important event to plan is a Memorial Mass for all those who

departed in the past months, for the sake of the grieving family

and friends who need a sense of healing and closure. Details will

be communicated in the coming weeks.

The work that “The St. Matthias Pastoral Council Task Force for

the Restoration of Mass with a Congregation” did is incredible.

The entire Task Force - Joe Percoco, Phyllis Stone, Tom Phalen,

Ann Richards, Liz Kiesche, MaryBeth Vetter Purcell, Msgr. Joe Cur-

ry, and Bill Grippo - deserves our heartfelt gratitude. I personally

am grateful to God for them and for the many wonderful volun-

teers who have been helping us in this matter. Their work is not

over as we are returning to normalcy slowly and cautiously, mak-

ing sure of everyone’s safety and happiness.

We are in this together. Happy Independence Day!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

Pastor

Sunday, Jul 5, 2020 Mass Online @ youtube.com/c/

StMatthiasSomersetNJ

10:00AM Mass in the church (100 people max; overflow in

the cafeteria)

12:00PM Mass in the church (100 people max; overflow in

the cafeteria)

Monday, Jul 6, 2020

6:30PM Dee’s Small Grp. Mtg. via ZOOM

Tuesday, Jul 7, 2020

8:00AM Daily Mass in Church (100 people max; overflow,

in the cafeteria)

Wednesday, Jul 8, 2020

7:00PM SMDP Mtg. de Porres Rm

Thursday, Jul 9, 2020

8:00AM Daily Mass in Church (100 people max; overflow,

in the cafeteria)

1:00PM “Matthias Matters” - on Facebook and later on

YouTube. Send questions to [email protected]

Friday, Jul 10, 2020

No Events Scheduled

Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 5:00PM Mass online

5:00PM Mass in Church(100 people max; overflow,

in the cafeteria)

Sunday, Jul 12, 2020 Mass online @youtube.com/c/

StMatthiasSomersetNJ

10:00AM Mass in the church (100 people max; overflow in

the cafeteria)

11:15AM Praying of the Rosary (ends at 11:45AM)

Church

12:00PM Mass in the church (100 people max; overflow in

the cafeteria)

6:00PM Junior High Youth Group online

7:00PM High School Youth Group online

View Our Online Parish Calendar:

for the most up-to-date schedule of events/times — www.stmatthias.net/connect/calendar

Read Our Bulletin Online Each Week: www.stmatthias.net/connect/bulletin

Visit our “UPLIFT” Facebook Group

Go to: www.stmatthias.net/connect/node/3644

Listen to Our Music Ministers

Enjoy listening to music sung by our music ministers from

their home, by visiting: www.youtube.com/channel/UCwhok3XnxutxyCq5E1LLJGA

Parish Office is open (8:30-4 Mon-Thurs; 8:30-1 Fri)

We encourage you to reach us via email or by phone.

If you need to come to the Parish Office, please follow

all safety guidelines including social distancing and

wearing a mask.

School Office is open (9 AM-1 PM Mon-Thurs;

Friday- closed (or by appointment).

Page 3 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

668

Monday: Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22; Ps 145:2-3, 4-

5, 6-7, 8-9; Mt 9:18-26

Tuesday: Hos 8:4-7, 11-13; Ps 115:3-4, 5-6, 7ab-8,

9-10; Mt 9:32-38

Wednesday: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Ps 105:2-3, 4-5,

6-7; Mt 10:1-7

Thursday: Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9; Ps 80:2ac and 3b, 15

-16; Mt 10:7-15

Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14 and

17; Mt 10:16-23

Saturday: Is 6:1-8; Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5; Mt 10:24-

33

Sunday: Is 55:10-11; Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14; Rom

8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23 or Mt 13:1-9

Readings for the Week

Pray for those who are sick... If you or a family member are sick, please email Kelly Counts at [email protected] to add the name to this list. Names will be listed

in the bulletin for 6 weeks. Please let us know if this time period needs to be extended. We want to know how you are doing and want

to offer you the support of our prayers.

Pray for those who have died...

Kimberly Hancoviz—wife of Jacob -”His mercy endures forever.” Chronicles

Elbren, Sr. & Natalia Agdeppo

Rosemary Albaugh

Lourdes Banaag

Genevieve Bonk

Clement Bottone

Dylan Braunstein

Timothy Brennan

Marie Brody

Baby Isla-Rose Callahan

Tara Capatosto

Ellen Catalina

Frank Catalina

Daria Cergnul

Merna Chambers

Darrie Christmas

Charles Connellly

Lisa DeFeo

Mary Ellen Delaney

Nancy Diaz

Vanessa DiRocco

Mary Dolan

Dorothy Domenici

Jaclyn, Ariana & Thomas

Donlon

Anthony Driz & Family

Mary Eads

Briana Edwards

Jim G.

Emma Gergely

Rose Gessner

Mary Gidaro

Jeanne Gita

John Gross

Michael Haagerty

Emma A. Himey

Merla Isabelo

Pamela Kannaire

Michael Kirugi

Milicent Kraft

Herman Krueger

Taylor LaCort

Alexander LiCausi

The Litrakis Family

Monique Marie Mageot

Patrick Mahoney

Michelina Malafonte

Lourdes Maniego

Elizabeth Miller

Marius Moran

Ursula Morgenberger

Dave Moynihan

Julianne Opydike

Pace

Elsa Pesigan

Jim Pettit

Samantha Renaud

Angie & David Rind

Maria Schwenzer Sr. Jessy, OSF

Sr. Mary Amata Shina, OSF

Sr. Rosaria Shina, OSF

Dorothy Smith

Encarnacion (Gina) So

Dennis Stuewe

Roseann Szani

Juan Ulerio

Denise Urquhart

Luzminda Villarica

Mona Wilson

Mark T. Worthington

Edward Yeager

Everyone who is ill with Covid-19

...and for all who are

homebound, elderly, in nursing

care, or living with chronic illness

Mass Intentions for the Week*

*The Mass intentions will be fulfilled by Fr. Abraham and Fr. Joe as they celebrate private masses for these intentions, when we don’t

have a public mass scheduled. Everyone is welcome to join us in spirit as we pray for these intentions.

Saturday, Jul 4 5:00PM William Oberlander, by Vinnie

Sunday, Jul 5 8:00AM Msgr. Joseph Penna, by The Penna Family

10:00AM Floyd Krebs, Jr., by The Steltenkamp Family

12:00PM Louis Taraborelli, by Lisa DeCenzo

5:30PM Intention of Parishioners

Monday, Jul 6 8:00AM Sr. Maria Dereola, Feast Day Blessings, by OSF

Community

Tuesday, Jul 7 8:00AM Concepcion Prodon-Calaunan, by Purita Aligaen

Wednesday, Jul 8 8:00AM Birthday Blessings for Mary Gidaro, by son, Joseph

Gidaro

Thursday, Jul 9 8:00AM Nicandro Ventura, by Menchie

Friday, Jul 10 8:00AM James Mulcahy, by Barb Garabrant & family

Saturday, Jul 11 5:00PM Joseph Gidaro, by Mary, Doreen & Joseph

Sunday, Jul 12 8:00AM Rose Jeffers, by The Seiwert Family

10:00AM Bill Murphy, by St. Matthias Handbell Choir

12:00PM Intention of Parishioners

5:30PM Marty Engelhardt, by The Enright Family

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Smile with Your Family

Father William, the old priest, made it a practice to visit

the parish school one day a week. He walked into the 4th

grade class, where the children were studying the states,

and asked them how many states they could name. They

came up with about 40 names. Father William jokingly

told them: “When I was your age, I knew the names of all

the states. How come you don’t?” One smart boy raised

his hand and said, 'Yes Father, but in those days there

were only 13 states.” ☺

Mark Twain: "It is by the goodness of God that in our

country we have those three unspeakably precious

things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and

the prudence never to practice either of them." ☺

Alvin: My great-grandfather fought with Napoleon, my

grandfather fought with the French and my father fought

with the Americans.

Alex: Your relatives couldn’t get along with anyone,

could they? ☺

Q: What did one flag say to the other flag?

A: Nothing. It just waved! ☺

Marriage Tune-Up

Independence is an important step on the

journey to adulthood, but marriage also

requires dependence. I depend on you to keep your word,

to be there when I'm feeling hurt, to watch the kids so I

can have a break. How do you depend on one another?

Parenting Tune-Up "...although you have hidden these things from

the wise and the learned, you have revealed

them to little ones." (Mt 11:25) What have you

recently learned from your child?

Sunday Reflections

Disturbing Statistics on Stress

A few years ago, The Comprehensive

Care Corporation of Tampa, Florida pub-

lished a booklet about stress in our mod-

ern world. The facts are disturbing. (1)

One out of four (that’s 25% of Americans) suffers from mild

to moderate depression, anxiety, loneliness and other pain-

ful symptoms which are attributed mainly to stress. (2) Four

out of five adult family members see a need for less stress in

their daily lives. (3) Approximately half of all diseases can

be linked to stress-related origins, including ulcers, colitis,

bronchial asthma, high blood pressure and some forms of

cancer. (4) Unmanaged stress is a leading factor in homi-

cides, suicides, child abuse, spouse abuse and other ag-

gravated assaults. (5) The problem of stress is taking a tre-

mendous toll economically, also. Americans are now

spending 64.9 billion dollars a year trying to deal with the

issue of stress.

That is why Jesus shared the “Good News” with us a long

time ago when He said: “Come to me all of you who labor

and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Mt 11: 28).

What should we do to experience the rest that Jesus prom-

ises? We need to unload our burdens on the Lord. This is the

main purpose of our personal and family prayers and one

of the functions of Divine Worship in the Church. During our

daily prayers in the evening we ask God’s forgiveness for

the sins and failures of day and receive the consoling as-

surance that we are reconciled with God and our fellow

human beings. During the Holy Mass in our parish church,

we place our stress-filled lives on the altar and allow Jesus

to cool down the overheated radiators of our hectic

lives. We also unload the burdens of our sins and worries

on the altar and offer them and ourselves to God during the

Holy Mass.

“If I Keep My Bow Always Stretched,

It Will Break!”

Once, St. Anthony the hermit

was relaxing with his disciples

outside his hut when a hunter

came by. The hunter was surprised and mildly shocked to

see the saint taking it easy. This was not his idea of what a

monk should be doing, and he rebuked the saint. But An-

thony said, "Bend your bow and shoot an arrow." The

hunter did so. "Bend it again and shoot another," said An-

thony. The hunter did so-- again and again. At last the

hunter said, ”Father Anthony, if I keep my bow always

stretched, it will break." "So it is with a monk," replied Antho-

ny. "If we push ourselves beyond measure, we will break; it

is right from time to time to relax our efforts." Jesus gives us

the same message in today’s Gospel.

Jesus’ claim: "My burden is light" does not mean that the

burden is easy to carry, but that it is laid on us in love. This

burden is meant to be carried in love, and love makes

even the heaviest burden light. When we remember the

love of God, when we know that our burden is to love, both

directly and by loving others, the God Who loves us, then

the burden becomes easy. Jesus is returning to the simplic-

ity of God's original Covenant and Law, giving people what

they need to guide them on their path easily. By following

Jesus, a man will find peace, rest, and refreshment. Alt-

hough we are not overburdened by the Jewish laws, we

are burdened by many other things: business, concerns

about jobs, marriage, money, health, children, security, old

age and a thousand other things. Jesus' concern for our

burdens is as real as his concern for the law-burdened

Jews of his day. "Come to me, all you that are weary and

are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest" (11:

28). Jesus still gives us rest! Is Jesus calling on those who

are carrying heavy loads to come and add a yoke to their

burden? Doesn’t that sound like adding affliction to the af-

flicted? No; Jesus is asking us to cast away our burdens

and take on his yoke. This is because, unlike the burdens

we bear, his yoke is easy and his burden light. The yoke of

Jesus is the love of God. By telling us: "Take my yoke . . .

and you will find rest" (11:29), Christ is asking us to do things

the Christian way. When we center in God, when we follow

God’s commandments, we have no heavy burdens.

668 Page 5 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

Sunday Reflections Worriers or Warriors?

Author Stephanie Stokes Oliver in her book, Daily

Cornbread, asks whether we are worriers or warri-

ors. Chronic worriers let their anxiety and fear inter-

fere with living their life to the fullest. They manifest

their worry in physical symptoms like headaches

and knotted muscles. Worriers seem unable to

take control of their situation and make a positive

change for themselves.

Warriors, on the other hand,

find healthy ways to deal with

their fears. They don't auto-

matically shut down and go

into crisis mode. They trust

that God will sustain them.

Warriors take positive action

to change a negative situa-

tion. (Stephanie Stokes Oliver, New York: Double-

day, 1999). Astronaut Jim Lovell is a warrior. In a

news conference, he was asked about Apollo 13.

He was in command of that spacecraft when it

experienced an explosion on its way to the moon.

With their oxygen almost gone, their electrical sys-

tem out, their spaceship plunging toward lunar

orbit, it appeared Lovell and his crew would be

marooned hundreds of thousands of miles from

Earth. Lovell was asked, "Were you worried?" Such

as obvious question drew snickers. But then Lovell

gave a surprising answer. "No, not really." he said.

"You see, worry is a useless emotion. I was too busy

fixing the problem to worry about it. As long as I

had one card left to play, I played it." [Second

Thoughts--One Hundred Upbeat Messages for Beat

-up Americans by Mort Crim (Health Communica-

tion, Inc., Deerfield Beach, Florida, 1997), p. 154].

Jim Lovell is a warrior.

Pope Francis’ Words of

Encouragement

Weep not for what you have lost,

fight for what you have.

Weep not for what is dead,

fight for what was born in you.

Weep not for the one who abandoned you,

fight for who is with you.

Weep not for those who hate you,

fight for those who want you.

Weep not for your past,

fight for your present struggle.

Weep not for your suffering,

fight for your happiness.

With things that are happening to us, we begin

to learn that nothing is impossible to solve, just

move forward.

The Sweetest Sound

There is a story that Hebrew families tell their children to help

them understand the fourth commandment. The fourth com-

mandment reads, "Six days you shall labor but on the seventh you

shall rest." The story is called, "The Sweetest Sound." The main

character in the story is King Ruben. It goes something like

this. The king asked his royal subjects, "What is the sweetest melo-

dy of all?" Early the next morning they gathered all sorts of musi-

cians. The sound awoke the king and all morning he listened to

their tunes. But, after listening to all of them he could not tell

which was the sweetest sound. Finally, one subject suggested

they all play together. It was so noisy the king couldn't

think. About that moment a woman, dressed in her Sunday best,

pushed to the front of the crowd and stepped forward. "O, king,"

she said, "I have the answer to your question." The king was sur-

prised since she had no instrument. "Why didn't you come earli-

er?" he asked. She replied, "I had to wait until the setting of the

sun." The musicians were still playing and the king told them all to

stop. The woman then took two candles and placed them on

the king's balcony rail. She lit them just as the sun continued to

set. The flames glowed in the evening darkness. She then lifted

her voice and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of

the universe, who sanctified us with the commandments and

commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights." She then said, "He

who has an ear, let him hear." Everyone was completely still.

"What is that?" asked the king." He could not hear a sound. The

woman then replied, "What you hear is the sound of rest, the

sweetest melody of all."

Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and

I will give you rest." This is also the sweetest sound any of us can

hear. Jesus is interested in lifting off our backs the burdens that

suck the life out of us, so that he can place around our necks his

own yoke that brings to us and to others through us, new life, new

energy, and new joy. We are called, not only to find peace, re-

freshment and rest for ourselves, but also to live the kind of life

through which others, too, may find God's peace, God's refresh-

ing grace, and the joy of placing their lives in God's hands.

Some Quotes on Freedom

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent

we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

--George Washington

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in

a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

--Nelson Mandela

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the

death your right to say it." --Voltaire

Sunday Reflections

We Continue to Live-Stream Our Masses 5 pm Saturdays (orafterwards on demand)

If you are unable to physically join us for Mass in the

church, please know that we will continue to

livestream our Masses on our YouTube Channel:

www.youtube.com/c/

StMatthiasSomersetNJ

Celebrating Our Faith: Liturgy

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Page 6 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

St. Matthias Music Ministry Riddles

— It’s Puzzling?

Here are some “titles” of favorite hymns

or songs that we sing at St. Matthias.

What do we usually call them?

Amidst All Eras

Immediately let us express gratitude to

Our Creator

Musically proclaim a recently developed

religious organization

Sense the flavor and observe

Jesus you have arrived on the beach

Don’t worry

On the pinions of our national mascot

The dinner of Jesus

Got any new ones for us? Send them to

[email protected].

Look for the answers at the bottom of

page 8.

Are You Planning to Come to Mass

this Week? If not, why not?

We want to hear from YOU!

Please help us understand your feelings

and concerns about returning to Mass, by

completing this very short

survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/

e/1FAIpQLSesD7emv3zkeBiiJSTTpsv5mujtvoFM4Z1wDak-UzE0zOXK7Q/

viewform

The survey is sponsored by our Pastoral Council's "Restoration of Mass" Task

Force. Don't miss these important opportunities to share your opinion!

Be Freed from Unnecessary Burdens

Life's greatest burden is not having too much to do, nor having too much to

care. Some of the happiest folk are the busiest and those who care the

most. Rather, the greatest burden we have is our constant engagement

with the trivial and the unimportant, with the temporary and the passing and

with the ultimately uncontrollable and unpredictable. The issue in life is not

whether we shall be burdened, but with what we shall be burdened. The

question is not “Shall we be yoked?” but “To what and with whom shall we

be yoked?” Jesus has no interest in unburdening us from our exaggerated

self-esteem and from other modern infatuations (which are themselves debili-

tating burdens), in order to leave us with nothing to carry, no work to do. In-

stead, Jesus is interested in lifting off our backs the burdens that drain us and

suck the life out of us, so that he can place around our necks his own yoke,

his burden, that brings to us and to others through us, new life, new energy,

new joy. God's incomparable, compassionate forgiveness is a gift that releas-

es us into life with God as responsible human beings who want to grow deep-

er in love and joyful obedience.

We are called not only to find peace, refreshment and rest for ourselves, but

also to live the kind of life through which others, too, may find God's peace,

God's refreshing grace, and the joy of placing their lives in God's hands.

A Blow to Intellectual Pride

“…hiding from the learned and wise, and

revealing them to the simple” (Mt 11:25)

Jesus is condemning intellectual pride. He

knows that ordinary people with large,

sensitive hearts can accept the “Good

News” he preaches, while proud intellectu-

als cannot. Even the learned rabbis of Je-

sus’ time recognized that the simplest peo-

ple were often nearer to God than the

wisest. They composed stories to show

that ordinary people often practiced

great love and compassion, for instance,

the story of the man who lent his tools to

someone in need, or the woman who

helped her neighbors. Jesus says that such

people will inherit Heaven rather than the

learned and the wise who pride them-

selves on their intellectual achievements

but do not love.

Except from Pope Francis’ Angelus Reflection on King David (June 24, 2020)

...David’s story begins on the hills surrounding Bethlehem, where he grazes the flock of his father, Jesse. He is still a boy, the

last of many brothers. So much so that when the prophet Samuel, acting on God’s order, goes in search of the new king,

it almost seems that his father has forgotten about his youngest son (see 1 Sam 16:1-13). He worked in the open air: we

can think of him as a friend of the wind, of the sounds of nature, of the sun’s rays. He has only one companion to comfort

his soul: his harp; and during those long days spent in solitude, he loves to play and to sing to his God. He also played with

the slingshot. (cont’d on next page)

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Page 7 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

Poet’s Corner:

Spiritual Direction Prayers/Poems by Pat Leposa

Simple Pleasures

This morning

A Hummingbird

Of muted colors

Stopped by to visit.

Landed on my

Frosted glass

Stayed for a second,

Flew away.

The tiniest of the

Bird kingdom

Awakens my senses..

Brightens up

A world full of

Loss, fear.

The pandemic is here.

In my field of vision

A majestic Sorghum tree

Stretches its lush greenery

To reach the cloudless sky,

Is pleasing to the eye.

Fresh, sugar sweet

Strawberries tickle my palate.

Aromatic Rosemary bushes

Permeate the air,

Fill my nostrils.

3 p.m. each day

A chorus of surround sound

Birds are music to my ears.

( how do they know the

time)?

Lightening bugs do their job,

Pinpoints of light

Brightening a world

Enveloped in darkness.

No touching, no hugs

The Pandemic Prevails.

For simple pleasures,

Mother Nature's gift

I am thankful.

Questions

1 Look around you, wherever you

may be. What are your simple

pleasures?

2 Spend time thanking the Giver of

all gifts.

Celebrating Our Faith: Liturgy Discovering God: Formation

Except from Pope Francis’ Angelus Reflection on King David

(cont’d from previous page)

David is, therefore, first of all a shepherd: a man who takes care of animals, who

defends them from oncoming danger, who provides for their sustenance. When by

God’s will David will have to care for his people, the things he will do will not be very

different. This is why the image of the shepherd frequently occurs in the Bible. Even

Jesus defined Himself as “the good shepherd”, whose behaviour is different than

that of the mercenary; He offers His life on behalf of the sheep, He guides them, He

knows each one by name (see Jn 10:11-18).

David had learned a lot from his previous job. So, when the prophet Nathan re-

proves him for his very serious sin (see 2 Sam 12:1-15), David understands right away

that he had been a bad shepherd, that he had despoiled another man of his only

sheep that he loved, that he was no longer a humble servant, but a man who was

crazy for power, a poacher who looted and preyed on others.

A second characteristic trait present in David’s vocation is his poet’s soul. From this

small observation, we can deduce that David was not a vulgar man, as is often the

case with individuals who are forced to live for long periods in isolation from society.

He is, instead, a sensitive person who loves music and singing. His harp would ac-

company him always: sometimes to raise a hymn of joy to God (see 2 Sam 6:16),

other times to express a lament, or to confess his own sin (see Ps 51:3).

The world that presented itself before his eyes was not a silent scene: as things un-

raveled before his gaze he observed a greater mystery. That is exactly where prayer

arises: from the conviction that life is not something that takes us by surprise, but a

stupefying mystery that inspires poetry, music, gratitude, praise, even lament and

supplication in us. When a person lacks that poetic dimension, let’s say, when poet-

ry is missing, his or her soul limps. Thus, tradition has it that David is the great artist be-

hind the composition of the Psalms. Many of them at the beginning bear an explicit

reference to the king of Israel, and to some of the more or less noble events of his life.

David, therefore, has a dream: that of being a good shepherd. Sometimes he will

live up that task, other times less so; what is important, however, in the context of

the history of salvation, is that he is a prophecy of another King, whom he merely

announces and prefigures.

Look at David, think about David. Holy and sinful, persecuted and persecutor, vic-

tim and murderer, which is a contradiction. David was all of this, together. And we

too have recorded events in our lives that are often opposed to each other; in the

drama of life, all people often sin because of inconsistency. There is one single gold-

en thread running through David’s life, that gave unity to everything that hap-

pened: his prayer. That is the voice that was never extinguished. David the saint

prays: David the sinner prays; David, persecuted, prays; David the persecutor prays.

Even David the murderer prays. This is the golden thread running through his life. A

man of prayer. That is the voice that is never silenced. Whether it assumed tones of

jubilation or lament, it is always the same prayer, it is only the melody that changes.

In so doing, David teaches us to let everything enter into dialogue with God: joy as

well as guilt, love as well as suffering, friendship as much as sickness. Everything can

become a word spoken to the “You” who always listens to us.

David, who knew solitude, was in reality never alone! In the end, this is the power of

prayer in all those who make space for it in their lives. Prayer gives you nobility, and

David is noble because he prays. But he is a murderer who prays; he repents and his

nobility returns thanks to prayer. Prayer gives us nobility. it is capable of securing

their relationship with God who is the true Companion on the journey of every man

and woman, in the midst of life’s thousand adversities, good or bad: but always

prayer. Thank you, Lord. I am afraid, Lord. Help me, Lord. Forgive me, Lord. David’s

trust is so great that, when he was persecuted and had to flee, he did not let any-

one defend him: “If my God humiliates me thus, He knows what He is doing”, be-

cause the nobility of prayer leaves us in God’s hands. Those hands wounded by

love: the only sure hands we have.

Page 8 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

668

Discovering God: Formation

2020-2021 GIFT

Registration

Online Now (for K-8 Religious Educa-

tion)

Please Complete as soon as possi-

ble.

We are happy to invite all parents/families

with children in K-8, who are not attending

a Catholic school, to register their children

for our wonderful religious education/

formation program for 2020-2021.

We have made appropriate adjustments

due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are

planning to have onsite sessions, but will

adapt if required by the State of New Jer-

sey or the Diocese.

The 2020-2021 registration form for our K-8

family-based parish program of religious

formation, G.I.F.T. [Growing In Faith To-

gether], is currently available to complete

online at www.stmatthias.net/connect/

GIFT

Please register your family/children in

grades K-8. This year we are planning to

offer 3 sessions each month: on Tuesday

and Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM with-

out a meal because of the COVID-19 pre-

cautions; and on Sunday afternoons at

1PM, again without a meal. You choose

which one of the three sessions to attend.

Other changes because of COVID likely

will also be in place. The fees for the pro-

gram are noted on the registration form.

Please register online and send in your

payment to the parish office as possible.

Please note: GIFT is required for all chil-

dren in grades 1-8 who are not attending

a Catholic school; it is optional for kinder-

garten students.

Attention 2nd

graders:

First Eucharist

Preparation

2020-2021

For all families in

GIFT and for those who are students

at St. Matthias School who have

(baptized) children who are in 2nd

grade [fall 2020] or older who desire

to receive the Sacraments of First

Reconciliation/First Eucharist, sacra-

mental preparation is required. Typi-

cally, classes are held for all children

and at least one parent on certain

Sunday mornings in the cafeteria

from 10:30AM -11:30AM. Because of

COVID 19, our scheduling and plans

may need to be revised. We will let

you know of any changes, but please

go ahead and register.

The sacramental preparation fee for

this program is $70. The 2020-2021

Registration forms for First Eucharist/

First Reconciliation are available

online at www.stmatthias.net/

connect/FirstEucharist

Questions? Please email Dee Nann at

[email protected], or call or email

Faith Formation Assistant, Nathalie

Godet at 732-828-1400 or ngo-

[email protected]

Participation in GIFT program is also

required, along with this family sacra-

mental preparation [for those not at-

tending St. Matthias School].

Attention 7th &

8th Graders:

Confirmation

Preparation 2020

-2021

Register for Confirmation

Preparation

as soon as possible.

Families who have a 7th or 8th

grader in either St. Matthias

School or the GIFT program and

desire to prepare for the sacra-

ment of Confirmation need to

complete the 2020-2021 Confir-

mation registration form online,

available at:

www.stmatthias.net/connect/

Confirmation

A parent meeting for 7th grade

parents is held in October.

Questions? Please email Dee

Nann at [email protected],

call, or contact Faith Formation

Assistant, Nathalie Godet at 732-

828-1400 or

[email protected]

Substitute Teachers

Needed for SMS

Saint Matthias School is looking to augment

the teacher substitute list for the 2020-2021

school year beginning this September. A

minimum of sixty college credits required for

all candidates. If you or someone you know

is available Monday through Friday from 7:45

to 2:45 please contact Joseph Gidaro jgida-

[email protected] or Diane Flanagan

[email protected] at the school.

St. Matthias School

Summer Office Hours

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: 9 AM TO 1 PM;

FRIDAY: CLOSED OR BY APPOINTMENT

If you would like to tour our the school or learn what a difference a faith-

filled, academically excellent school can make in the life of your child,

please call the school at 732-828-1402, or email Maria Kosty at

[email protected].

More information is available at www.stmatthias.info

Music Ministry Answers:

In Every Age

Now Thank We All Our God

Sing a New Church

Taste and See

Lord You Have Come to the Sea-

shore

Be Not Afraid

On Eagle’s Wings

The Supper of the Lord

668

Page 9 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

Sign up on the new user-friendly webpage:

https://www.parishgiving.org/index?e=0740DF6212A3A840460F81F43F516842EF35963AEE3BE292

(If you are reading this bulletin online, just hold down the CTRL key and click on the above link to be taken to the page.)

If you have any questions or difficulties, call Parish Giving at 866-307-7140 and they will happily stay on the phone with you

and verbally guide you as you enter the information online. Thank you!

Join Our PARISHIONERS who have registered for Parish Giving!

Being Good Stewards Stewardship Reflection Jul 5, 2020

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew

11:30)

When we think of being good stewards, we may think

that God is asking too much of us when He calls us to

generously share our time, talent, and treasure. Howev-

er, we must remember that we are not “owners” of any-

thing, we are merely “stewards” of the gifts God has

given us. All He is asking is that we give back a small por-

tion, in gratitude, of what He has already given to us.

Reflexiónes — 5 de julio de 2020

14º domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

"Porque mi yugo es suave, y mi carga ligera". - (MATEO 11:30)

Cuando pensamos en ser buenos administradores, podemos

pensar que Dios nos está pidiendo demasiado cuando nos

llama a compartir generosamente nuestro tiempo, talento y

tesoro. Sin embargo, debemos recordar que no somos

"dueños" de nada, somos simplemente "administradores" de los

dones que Dios nos ha dado. Todo lo que está pidiendo es

que le devolvamos una pequeña porción, en agradecimiento,

de lo que ya nos ha dado.

Discovering God: Formation

Are You between 8 and 100+ Years

Old?

If you answered “YES”, we need YOUR input!

Please take 3 minutes now to complete this short

survey. It will ask you to select the most im-

portant need our parish should address next. We

will use your responses to select a parish-wide

project. This will be coordinated by our Next Lev-

el youth, and will involve the entire parish com-

munity. The link for the survey is: http://bit.ly/

nextlevelparish Thank you!

P.S. This survey should be completed by every

individual in your family who is at least 8 years

old!

Stewardship Totals for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 2019-Last Year's

Current Month Checks Parish Giving Weekly Total Weekly Total

June 7, 2020 $9,099.50 $13,249.63 $22,349.13 $27,115.79

June 14, 2020 $15,050.00 $13,149.63 $28,199.63 $26,898.79

June 21, 2020 $10,224.00 $13,064.63 $23,288.63 $30,307.79

June 28, 2020* $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $25,359.79

Month-to-date Total Monthly Total

$73,837.39 $109,682.16

Current Year-to-date Total Year-to-date Total

$1,294,636.18 $1,554,140.17

*Please Note: This bulletin was due at the printer before the June 28 weekend due to the 4th of July holiday. We will update the col-lection information in next week’s bulletin.

Youth Groups — Update

The Youth Groups will take a break

over the 4th of July weekend, and

will start back up next Sunday.

The schedule for this month will be:

Sundays — July 12, 19, and 26

Junior High Youth Group — 6 PM

High School Youth Group — 7 PM

All gatherings will be online. Please contact Fr. Joe for online

access: [email protected]

668 Page 10 www.stmatthias.net Jul 5, 2020

Parish Registration — Welcome new members! Please register by calling the Parish

Baptism — Baptismal Preparation Sessions are

held four times a year for registered parishioners.

Please contact the parish office before the baby is

born. The sacrament of Baptism is celebrated on

the second and fourth Sunday of each month,

except during Lent.

Marriage — Registered parishioners should

contact the parish office a year before the desired

wedding date.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults The RCIA process is an opportunity for instruction

and spiritual transformation for any adult seeking a

deeper understanding of the Catholic tradition or

full incorporation into the Catholic Church. If you

are interested in becoming a Catholic or

completing the Sacraments of Initiation-- Baptism/

Confirmation/Eucharist, please call the Parish Office.

Stewardship Stewardship is a way of life, a way of thanking God

for all our blessings by returning a portion of the

time, talent and treasure allotted to us. Whether it

is clothes for the poor, food for the hungry,

outreach to youth, in education, in worship, or

simply arms stretched out to someone who is

lonely, the Catholic Community of St. Matthias

encourages everyone to become stewards of the

gifts they have been given by God, returning a

portion in gratitude to God for the work of ministry

here at St. Matthias and beyond our local

community.

St. Matthias School is a PreK3

through 8th grade school rooted in

faith, inspired by love, and

dedicated to academic

excellence. Before and After School Care

Programs are available. Come visit! Contact 732-

828-1402 to schedule a tour.

Bulletin Article Requests

Please email proposed bulletin articles to

[email protected] by 6 pm, Wednesday, 10

days before the intended issue (earlier for holiday

weekends).

Parish Leadership

About St. Matthias (please contact the staff members on the cover for up-to-date information)

Parish Pastoral Council,

Co-Chairs:

Tom Phalen, thomase [email protected]

Nick Grippo [email protected]

Tom Aussem

Denise Brown

Anthony Ekhelar

Lorraine Farr

Gursam Felix

Anne Marie Francis

Liz Kiesche

Jeanne Kollmer

Claudine Langrin

Deborah Lesky

Joe Percoco

Marybeth Purcell

Wina Reyes-Bruce

Lisa Robinson

Ana Kelly, Ex-Officio

Fr. Abraham, Ex-Officio

Parish Finance Council:

Joe Porter, Chair financecouncil

@stmatthias.net

Joe Porter, Chair

Susan Klimcsak

Barry Dusault

Gwen Orlowski

Audrey Francis

Kester Hector

Denise Sawicki, Ex-Officio

Fr. Abraham, Ex-Officio

Trustees:

Isaac Peng

Marge Richards

ST. FRANCIS CENTER FOR RENEWAL

Star Struck Quilt 2020

Created and donated by Sharon Rehrig. Valued at $1000, this stunning masterpiece fits a King Size bed!

Tickets are available: $5 per ticket, 5 tickets for $20.

Draw for quilt will take place on August 29, 2020, at the 10th ANNUAL STAR STRUCK GALA.

Ticket holders do not have to be present at Gala to win. To purchase raffle tickets: Send check made out to St. Francis

Center for Renewal to:

St. Francis Center for Renewal, Attention JAN GOUGH

395 Bridle Path Road, Bethlehem PA, 18017

Please indicate on memo line of check: Star Struck Quilt Raffle. www.StFrancisCtr.org, 610.867.8890

“Matthias Matters”

Join Fr. Joe every Thursday afternoon

on our St. Matthias

Facebook (Uplift) group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/

StMattthiasUplift08873

Please email questions to: Matthi-

[email protected] by Wednesday.

Building Community:

Stay Connected!

Don’t Miss the Latest

News

Sign up to receive our e-

letter,

St. Matthias Family Connect (SMFC). Go to

www.stmatthias.net/connect/SMFC, view

Caring for Others:

Do You Need Help? Can You Offer Help?

Visit our parish website: www.stmatthias.net/connect/NeedHelpandOfferHelp

Connecting with Our Local Community