Jesus Christ Is Risen Alleluia

Transcription

1 April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday 229 South 28th Avenue Wausau, WI Jesus Christ Is Risen Alleluia Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome Him as a friend, with trust - He is life! If, up till now, you have kept Him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk - you won t be disappointed. If following Him seems difficult, don t be afraid, trust Him, be confident that He is close to you, He is with you & He will give you the peace you are looking for & the strength to live as He would have you do. Pope Francis Mass Schedule Horario de Misas Weekends Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 8:00 am 10:00 am 12 noon: Español-Spanish Weekdays Monday: 8:00 am Tuesday: 12:05 pm Weds thru Sat: 8:00 am Confessions Saturday: 11:00 am - 12:00 noon or by Appointment Eucharistic Adoration & Benediction Wednesdays - after 8 am Mass until 5 pm (Benediction at 4:50 pm) 1st Fridays - Benediction after 8 am Mass 1st Saturdays - after 8 am Mass until 9:30 am Vespers - Evening Prayer of the Church Wednesdays - 5:00 pm Rosary Daily before Mass & Wednesdays at 4:30 pm Mon, Weds, Friday - with Prayer for Priests Baptism Preparation classes are required of parents and recommended for godparents. You must register one week prior to the class by calling Nancy at Next Baptism Class: Monday, May 14th - 6:30 pm at Parish Center

2 Liturgical Catechesis The Procession & Song The Altar & the Candles Before the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass begins there is an opening song. During the song the celebrant (priest), the deacon, the readers, and the altar servers form a ceremonial procession to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is the raised part of the church where the celebration takes place. The presider s chair, the ambo (or lectern), the altar, candles, and the tabernacle are placed there. The song and the procession foster the unity of those of us gathered and focuses our thoughts on the liturgical season we are celebrating, in this case Easter, and prepares our hearts to listen to the Word of God. Once the priest and deacon genuflect they go up to reverence the altar by kissing it. Altars were a part of nearly every ancient tribal tradition. Early altars were made of earth or unhewn stones and had no fixed shape or pattern. The first mention of an altar in the Old Testament occurs in Genesis chapter 8 when Noah builds an altar and offers burnt offerings to God. In the early Christian tradition, when the liturgy was held in homes, altars were portable, made of wood, and carried in and out by deacons. It was important that the unique Sacrifice of Christ would not be perceived as the same as the many animal sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem or those of the pagan which were offered on stone or metal altars. As paganism declined the use of stone and metal altars in Christian celebrations became common. As the persecution of Christians increased, they often honored martyrs by celebrating the Eucharist on their grave sites actually over their very tombs. Later, churches were built over the tombs of saints (St Peter s Basilica in the Vatican). The altar took on the appearance of a tomb, instead of the earlier table shape, with a hole in it to place the relic (bone) of a saint. This tradition is visible in many of the altars we see in churches today. Some churches have chosen to reflect the early tradition of the Church by building altars of wood that have the appearance of a table rather than the squarish tombshaped style found in most of the older churches. Our altar, as you can tell, follows the tomb-shaped tradition. There is even a relic of the saint in the mensa (top of the altar). Relics of the saints are still a common, though not required, feature in the construction of altars today. We are fortunate to have a relic of St Matthew. It is encased in a marble stone right under the place where the priest offers the sacrifice of the Eucharist. In the early Church altars were free standing and not against the wall of the apse. In ancient Rome the priest faced the congregation and the doors which were to the east. Later, the Eastern custom of having the apse and its altar face east became popular in the West as well. Then the altar tended to be built against the apse wall and the priest had his back to the congregation. Facing the people is a return to the Roman basilica custom and being a table around which clergy and people can gather. The altar takes a central place in the thanksgiving that the Eucharist offers. It is the common table of the assembly, a symbol of the Lord, and is holy and sacred to the assembly s action and sharing. The priest kisses the altar as a sign of reverence at the beginning and end of the Eucharistic liturgy. One of the most beautiful images of the altar I have come to embrace is to see it as the hand of God. We place our offerings, our lives, our burdens, all we have in the hand of God. God in his love for us transforms those gifts and burdens, brings healing, nourishment, and renewed life to all present through the gift of the Body and Blood of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. You will also notice the use of candles in the liturgy. The use of lights as an adjunct to worship goes back to the beginning of the Church, and even farther. Among the Jews and in many pagan rites the use of lights had long been looked upon as appropriate in connection with public homage to their God or gods. In the Old Testament God commanded that a lamp filled with the purest Oil of Olives should always burn in the Tabernacle of the Testimony without the Veil. While the lamps on the other six branches of the menorah were lit only at night, the central one was never allowed to go out. This is how it came by its name of "Perpetual Lamp". For the Jews, the Perpetual Lamp symbolized God's Promise that He would always abide with His People Israel; thus the lamp flame stood for the Radiance of the Divine Presence. The candle in the red sanctuary lamp in our church burns all the time to remind us of the Lord s presence: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the tabernacle. Early Christians probably used candles simply to dispel darkness, when the sacred mysteries were celebrated before dawn, as was the custom, or in the gloom of the catacombs. In the early church candles were lit at the tombs of the dead, especially martyrs. With Emperor Constantine, many candles added to splendor of the liturgy. The beautiful symbolism of the use of candles was soon recognized by the writers of the early Church: Light is pure; it penetrates darkness; it moves with incredible velocity; it nourishes life; it illumines all that comes under its influence. Therefore, it is a fitting symbol of God, the All Pure, the Omnipresent, the Vivifier of all things, the Source of all grace and enlightenment. It represents also our Blessed Savior and His mission. He was the Light of the world, [John 8:12, NAB] to enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. [Luke 1:79, NAB; Matthew 4:16, NAB.] Fr Bob 2

3 Divine Mercy Novena & Feast Day The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given to Saint Faustina by Jesus with His instructions to recite it as a novena, especially on the nine days before the Feast of Mercy, Divine Mercy Sunday. Jesus promised: By this Novena (of Chaplets) I will grant every possible grace to souls. (796: Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska) Our Lord said to St Faustina: Encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (Diary: 687, 1541, 1731) Jesus also told St Faustina: On that day (Divine Mercy Sunday), the very depths of My tender mercy are opened. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. (Diary: 699) Next Sunday, April 8th Coffee & Donuts Sunday After the 8 & 10 am Masses, join us in the Angelorum for fellowship, coffee, and delicious donuts! The Family Life Committee thanks you for any freewill donations you are able to make to help support this event. La Crosse Diocesan Council of Catholic Women All catholic women are invited to their Biennial Convention Be the bearer of hope, joy, and mercy. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Rev. Msgr. Joseph Diermeier Saturday, April 21st at St Anne's Church (Cost: $35) Registration 7:30-8:15 am with Mass at 8:30 am - Day concludes at 2:30 pm Continental Breakfast Luncheon Raffle Drawings Confessions Available Opening Session Business Meeting Keynote Speaker Final Blessing St Anthony Spirituality Center - Marathon St Anthony s is located 8 miles outside of Wausau on 40 beautiful acres of wooded land. If you are interested in attending one of the following retreats, contact St Anthony s at , or them at info@sarcenter.com and to register for an upcoming event go to April 14: Coping with Compassion Fatigue - A Workshop for Caregivers : Elizabeth Lewis (Cost: $65) April 26-29: Domestic Church Couples Retreat Learn to Love your Spouse More : ($360 per couple) April 27-29: Medieval Women Mystics : Fr Jim Bartelme (Cost: $185) Share Sunday Next Weekend, April 7th & 8th Before Mass, please place your donations in one of the large blue Share Sunday Buckets that can be found in the transition space in church. The buckets will be carried forward in the Offertory procession. God Bless you for helping your neighbor!! The Circle of Joy thanks you for your generosity in helping them to help those in need!! Confirmation Retreat - March 17th On May 5th, Join us on the Walk to Mary 10 Spots are Still Available on the Bus Life is a Journey - We walk because life is a journey of discovery & revelation, not a destination. Along the way, we tire, toil & triumph. We empty ourselves out, making room for the Holy Spirit to expand within us. When we arrive, tired & exhausted, we encounter the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help as a refreshing oasis along life's journey, offering respite for all who are weary & thirsty. St Matthew Parish has scheduled a bus trip to participate in the Walk to Mary. The bus will take us to the Shrine of St Joseph in DePere, WI where our walking pilgrimage will start & continue till we reach the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, WI. If you can t walk the entire distance, shorter routes & a shuttle bus are available. More information about the Walk to Mary may be found on their website: Cost: $25 for an Adult to walk with reduced rates for children $20 for the round trip coach bus We will leave St Matthew Parking lot at 4:45 am & arrive back at St Matthew around 9:00 pm. We will stay for the 5:15 pm Mass with Bishop Ricken at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help and stop for Supper on the way back. Reserve your spot now as only 10 seats remain on the bus! To Register, call Janet at: or Rosalba: Our candidates for Confirmation had their retreat on March 17th. Though they were a little hesitant at the beginning, by the end of the day there were new friendships made, the bonds between them were strengthened and most importantly, the work of the Holy Spirit was truly evident! A big thank you goes to my leaders: Noel Furger, Ashley Hockers, Erin Knight, and Janet Nichols. Without them the retreat would not have been as successful as it was. May God bless and Mary keep our candidates as they continue their journey towards Heaven. ~ Joy Orozco 3

4 This Week at Saint Matthew Mass Intentions April 2-8, 2018 Tuesday, April 3 Parish Council Meeting - Rectory: 6:00 pm Wednesday, April 4 TMIY That Man Is You, Session 25 - Parish Center: 6:00-7:30 am St Matthew Youth Choir Practice - Holy Name Church: 5:00-6:00 pm Religious Education Class - Holy Name School: 6:15-7:30 pm Thursday, April 5 Jubilee House Free Community Meal - School Cafeteria: 4:30-6:00 pm Healing Fire of the Spirit - Church, Emily s Room: 7:00 pm Saturday, April 7 First Communion Retreat - St Matthew School: 8:00 am - 12:30 pm Family Adoration - Church: 9:00-10:00 am Little Flowers Girls Club - Parish Center, Patio Room: 10:30-12 noon Share Sunday Weekend Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8 Share Sunday Weekend Coffee & Donuts in the Angelorum after 8 & 10 am Masses Confessions: 2:00-3:15 pm Mass Followed by Healing Service: 3:30 pm Dead Theologians Society - Church of Resurrection: 6:30-8 pm Financial Stewardship Minimum budgeted amount needed weekly....$9, Stewardship last weekend will be noted in the bulletin next week. Thank you for generously supporting St Matthew Parish Target: $67,415 Diocesan Annual Appeal Have you gotten your tax return yet? Now is the time to fill out a pledge card, if you haven t already and be included with those who have already done so. Please do what you can as part of our St Matthew family. Any amount over our target of $67,415, will be returned to the parish to be used where needed. Thank you and may God s love and mercy shine through you. Happy Easter! Celebration of Sacraments Marriage - Arrangements for marriage must be made six (6) months in advance with the Pastor, Fr Bob.* Anointing of the Sick - To receive this Sacrament when seriously ill or before a scheduled surgery, call Dorothy at * Hospital Visits - Let the hospital know when you are admitted, if you would like to have Fr Bob or Fr Peter visit you.* Visits to the Homebound - To arrange for visits to your home, assisted living facility, or nursing home call Dorothy at * Intercessory Prayer - Our prayer group is always ready to be of help when prayer is needed. Call Bonnie at * * You may also call the Parish Center at Office (Oficina) Parish Center S. 28th Avenue Behind the school - atrás de la escuela. Hours/Horas: Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 4 pm Phone: Friday: 8 am - 12 noon Parish Staff Pastor - Rev. Robert Thorn Associate Pastor - Rev. Peter Kieffer Deacon - Rev. Mr. Tom Tierney Pastoral Care - Dorothy Giallombardo Secretary - Ann Graveen Finance Secretary - Barb Splinter Plant Manager - Jason Seliger DRE & Hispanic RE - Joy Orozco Director Youth Ministry - Janet Nichols Bulletin Editor - Rosemary Beever rosemarybr@stmatthewwausau.org Deadline Next Bulletin: 3 pm Monday 4 Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun Scripture Readings This Week Monday, April 2 Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16/Mt 28:8-15 Tuesday, April 3 Acts 2:36-41/Ps 33/Jn 20:11-18 Wednesday, April 4 Acts 3:1-10/Ps 105/Lk 24:13-35 Thursday, April 5 Acts 3:11-26/Ps 8/Lk 24:35-48 Friday, April 6 Acts 4:1-12/Ps 118/Jn 21:1-14 Saturday, April 7 Acts 4:13-21/Ps 118/Mk 16:9-15 Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8-2nd Sunday of Easter Acts 4:32-35/Ps 118/1 Jn 5:1-6/Jn 20:19-31 Lectors Servers Saturday April 7 4:30 pm Norm Howe J Alexejun Eucharistic Ministers D Baxter J Alexejun G Piaszak P McDonald M Bourguignon C BUSH* C VIRCKS* Ushers and Greeters Don Baur Mary Baur Mike Baxter Bobbi Jo Zimick Alexis Barber Musicians Nancy Losinski Ellen Schumann 8:00 am - Alan Malm 12:05 pm - Richard Piaszak 8:00 am - Sister Mary Fidelia 8:00 am - Juanita Kraimer 8:00 am - Christian Klein 8:00 am - Fr. Leo Lessard 4:30 pm - Josephine Jo Bauer 8:00 am - Lorraine Splinter (St. Matthew Staff) 10:00 am - Betty Adams (St. Patrick Circle) 12 noon - Living & Deceased St Matthew Parishioners 3:30 pm - Poor Souls in Purgatory Children s Liturgy of the Word Liturgical Ministers M Mosure E Drake Sunday April 8 8:00 am Theresa Stubbe Peggy Bant J Low S Low G Koy J Koy P Bant G DEDERICH* J ZERNICKE* Dave Mosure Joy Mosure Steve Ostrowski Annette Southworth Joel Stubbe Sunday April 8 10:00 am C Ortscheid M Kunze K Lobner L Sanders B Sanders K Miilu(P) J Witzeling P SLIWICKI* K SLIWICKI* J Reeves T Brzezinski Kevin Ellenbecker A Schmitt B Ellenbecker O Reeves Sara Schmitt Gordon Crow Kelly Ziegelbauer

5 2018 Little Flowers Girls Club Come and meet Sister Agnes on Saturday, April 7th All school age girls are invited to this Little Flowers Girls Club meeting! Sister Agnes is from the Poor Clare order. She will be talking to the girls about Our Blessed Mary of the Incarnation. Our meeting includes planting special seeds, not only from the talk but in another way. We will meet at 10:30 am in the Parish Center Patio Room. Our club meeting ends at noon. For more information or RSVP please call Hope to see you!! Eucharistic Adoration in the Area Pax Christi Adoration Chapel - Marathon Tuesday: 9 am - 11 pm Wednesday: 9 am thru Thursday: 10 pm Friday: 9 am - 6 pm Sunday: noon - 10 pm St Therese - Rothschild Prayers and Condolences Our prayers and sympathy go to the family and friends of: Betty Tierney She died on March 16th and is the mother of Deacon Tom (Kris) Tierney and Jim (Vicky) Tierney Jerry Kufalk He died on March 24th and is the husband of Lois Kufalk Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen. Attention Parishioners Treasure Sale Meeting: April 3rd at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center After the 2017 Treasure Sale, some of our longtime volunteers said they are unable to Chair their Departments for It s time to decide if there will be a 2018 Treasure Sale. In order to do this we need Chair persons for a few Departments. The truth is, if we do not get volunteers to Chair these departments, we will be unable to have this major fund-raiser for St Matthew Parish. We need your help! Please contact Kathy Miilu at or KJM0608@yahoo.com as soon as possible. Thank you! St Matthew Altar Server Sledding Party Thank you Deacon Tom and Kris for hosting the sledding/bonfire party. Our Altar Servers had a blast sledding through the woods, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows! Praise God for the warm night and great kids! Tuesday: after 8 am Mass until Friday: 8 am To enter after 6 pm, ring the main entrance doorbell. To volunteer, call May you feel Christ s Love in your Heart and be filled with His Peace and Joy this Easter season and always! Fr Bob, Fr Peter and the Parish Staff wish you all a very Blessed and Happy Easter! May God Bless You! Diaconate Discernment Retreat Saturday, April 7th Are you a man at least 35 years of age who feels a yearning to give yourself more radically to the service of God and the Church - preaching the Gospel, serving those in need, assisting at the altar? If you think God may be calling you to be a deacon, talk to your pastor about attending the Diaconate Discernment Retreat at St Anthony s Retreat Center on April 7, Then call the Office for Ministries & Social Concerns at A new deacon formation class begins the fall of For more information, visit Helping Hands News Dear Parishioners, Below is a thank you from one of our recipients, for items that are sorted, packed and shipped to their community in Jamaica. Helping Hands wants to THANK all of you who make this possible. Greetings One and All at Helping Hands (HH), Wausau WI, Hope all is well with all the amazing volunteers and Mr Tom Roovers at HH. Greetings from Hopewell, we Hope you Well! (smile) Also greetings from the Towns of Richmond, and Highgate St Mary. We would like to take this time to Express our Gratitude to all the servants of the Lord at Helping Hands, Wausau WI. Yes, You all DID IT AGAIN! Yes indeed, all the hard work and efforts of the HH volunteers has been well received and has brought smiles to many a appreciative people in need. I personally feel that, apart from the shipped items to the poor and the needy, that, that whole foundation of love and kindness to our fellow man is the Best of the Best! Here we can clearly witness, and see, and understand, LOVE, in its full effect! Yes, all the volunteers at HH have given their time, their energy, their LOVE... Volunteers! We here in Hopewell have received the well needed items from you all at HH. We loved the kids books, the basketballs and other sport balls and soccer balls, the hygenic items, and all the other items too numerous to list that Helping Hands have gone through all the trouble to send to us, complete strangers in another land! Most of us in this village have grown all our lives with the church at the center of the community. We are now witnessing the power of Our Lord and the Goodwill of His servants. We have to proclaim to Helping Hands these words: THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AT HELPING HANDS! From St. Mary Jamaica. Helping Hands and its amazing volunteers are very cool (smile) and please do keep up your Godly works! We send our Love to you all. Till next time, I am yours sincerely, Christopher Williams On behalf of the gracious people of Hopewell and St Mary Jamaica. May the Good Lord continually guide and protect each and every one of you!