Saint Raphael. For Rita Matzinger, teaching PSR is not just a. Rita Matzinger: Wife, Mother, PSR Teacher and Faithful Steward of God s Gifts

Transcription

1 February 2013 Saint Raphael M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R Rita Matzinger: Wife, Mother, PSR Teacher and Faithful Steward of God s Gifts For Rita Matzinger, teaching PSR is not just a routine duty. Indeed, it is a living, powerful experience that makes Catholicism come alive. My PSR students once made cards for children whose mother died, Rita says. The widower was so touched! He gave the cards to one of their daughters, who kept it under her pillow. Making the cards taught my students to relate to those who are suffering, and they learned a lot from it. In addition to the traditional subjects, this was something we taught the kids that was living and real. Rita has taught PSR for the last 12 years, teaching first grade PSR for 10 years, and fourth grade PSR for two. Each year, she rediscovers the joy of giving with her students. From time to time, the The Matzinger family with their dog, Louie. (From left) Greg, Mark, Rita, and Michael. classes perform service projects, such as gathering donations of toiletries for the women s shelter. Recently, the students packed 500 lunch bags for distribution to the homeless. In a simple way, teaching PSR keeps me on track with my faith, Rita says. By being involved with it, I stay aware. Being a PSR teacher, however, is just one of the many ways that Rita lives out the stewardship vision in her daily life. Every weekend, she and her husband Greg faithfully bring their boys, Michael, 19, and Mark, 16, to Mass. They also strive to live in union with the liturgical year by attending devotional services at our parish, such as the Stations of the Cross. Being part of our parish family is a truly significant part of their lives. continued on page 5

2 This Issue: Lenten Practices: Penance and Abstinence A Few Thoughts on Lent 2013 Closer to Jesus through Mary Legion of Mary Valentine s Day The Feast of a Christian Martyr Lenten Fish Fries Bring Parish Together Lenten Practices: Penance and Abstinence For many Catholics, the practice of fasting and abstinence during Lent is as much a part of our faith as is our sacred liturgy. Catholics know that when Lent arrives, it s time to say goodbye to meat on Fridays and hello to fish sticks and bean burritos. It s almost as if our Lenten obligations were hardwired into our biological clock at the moment we were baptized. If there is one thing that Catholics definitely understand, it s adhering to the laws of tradition. Indeed, the tradition of fasting and abstaining from meat during Lent draws its lineage from the early days of the faith. But why, exactly, do we fast and abstain from meat during Lent? And what are the Church s guidelines for this tradition? In November 1966, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral statement on penance and abstinence. The statement outlines the scriptural significance behind fasting and abstinence, and directs the faithful on when it is encouraged and appropriate to do so. According to the statement, there are four main points the Bishops want to make about the tradition of personal and communal penance. First, all humans are sinners and in need of salvation. Second, personal and communal penance are integral to our conversion - to our turning back to God. Third, the Church seeks to follow the example of Christ Himself in prayer and fasting. And finally, Advent, Lent and the vigils of certain feasts are the primary penitential seasons of the Church. The statement makes clear that repentance is necessary for the forgiveness of our sins. Fasting and abstinence - two forms of penance - help us to examine the unhealthy attachments that turn us away from God, help us identify the gifts we receive from Him, and invite our own self-denial for the benefit of the less fortunate among us. During Lent, Catholics must both fast and abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, which falls on Feb. 13 this year, and Good Friday, falling this year on March 29. Additionally, abstinence from meat on each of the Fridays during Lent is required. Lent is the penitential preparation for the Easter mysteries, which have a central place in Christian faith. It is a time to renew our relationships with God, ourselves, and others. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help us to do that. But Lent isn t just about what we aren t allowed to do. The Church encourages almsgiving to alleviate the pain and suffering of others by special solicitude for the sick, the poor, the underprivileged, the imprisoned, the bedridden, the discouraged, the stranger, the lonely, and persons of other color, nationalities, or backgrounds than our own. This Lent, as the Church prepares to commemorate Christ s passion, death and resurrection, take on a few Lenten practices of your own. In addition to abstaining from meat on Fridays, find a way to share the love of Christ with others through gifts of time, talent and treasure. The life of a disciple, as outlined in the Gospels, requires a renewed heart and a penitent soul. Seek to understand this Lent, in some small way, the implications of our Lord s example of self-giving love. 2

3 A Letter From Our Pastor My Dear Friends in Christ, A Few Thoughts on Lent 2013 St.Raphael Before Jesus began His public ministry, He spent 40 days in the desert. He prayed, fasted, confronted temptation, and prepared for His journey to the cross. During the season of Lent, we try to imitate Jesus in self-denial. We turn to God s Word and centuries of spiritual practices and devotions so that we can learn how to set aside what distracts and harms us. We also learn how to open our lives to deep conversion to the Lord. Our focus is on Easter so that we may be ready to enter into the lasting joy of life with the Risen Christ. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls on Feb. 13 this year. For many of us, we anticipate this important day with trepidation, for we know it signals the beginning of our 40-day journey of self-sacrifice. But Lent does not have to be dreadful, especially if you approach it in the right way. The idea is to help us get spiritually prepared to celebrate Easter. And, so, as we prepare ourselves spiritually, let us remember the three main practices on which our Lenten journeys are centered: Prayer. Prayer is our turning to God. Lent is a wonderful time to go beyond Sunday Mass and deepen our spiritual lives. You might consider the following prayer opportunities: celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, attend daily Mass, practice Morning Prayer, take part in a spiritual retreat, pray the Stations of the Cross, pray the Rosary, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, or do some extra spiritual reading. Fasting. We fast and abstain from meat on certain days. We also fast by the common practice of giving something up for Lent. This sacrifice teaches us that we don t need these things to be happy. We can do without them and depend, as Jesus teaches us, on God alone for our happiness. It also teaches us spiritual self-discipline so that we will be prepared for the greater sacrifices we will be called on to make in our lives. Fasting also allows us to express solidarity with the poor in this world. Almsgiving. Being mindful of the poor is not an option for Christians. Jesus tells us that when we feed the hungry or clothe the naked we are encountering Him. Almsgiving is our taking extra steps to make sure that you are being generous with your time, talent and treasure. Some acts of almsgiving could include: donating clothes to the St. Vincent de Paul Society or food to the local food bank, visiting the homebound or lonely, praying for those imprisoned, or simply being more welcoming to all those you meet. When you think about it, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are closely aligned with our three ways of entering into stewardship as a way of life. Our everyday commitment to share our time, talent, and treasure are directly related to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. So as we begin our Lenten journey, may we all keep that spirit of conversion alive by fulfilling our stewardship commitments throughout the year. May God bless you and keep you, Fr. Tim Gareau, Pastor 3

4 Through her Yes at the message of an angel, the Virgin Mary received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world (Lumen Gentium #53). Since then she has been calling us to her Son. The mission of Legion of Mary is to bring people to Jesus, through Mary, explained St. Raphael s Legion of Mary President, Marilyn Crisafi. We do this through works recommended by our Pastor, Fr. Tim. The Legion of Mary is an international association of Catholics founded by Frank Duff in Dublin, Ireland, 91 years ago on Sept. 7, Its object is the glory of God through the holiness of its members... in Mary s and the Church s work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ. The Legion at St. Raphael s began when a group of women started meeting weekly to pray the rosary for their friend Peg; sick with a rare form of cancer. After Fr. Steve Breck joined us after Mass to pray the rosary a second week in a row, he said, Why not start a Legion of Mary? says Marilyn. The rest is history. Each praesidium chooses its name based on apparitions of Our Blessed Mother. On Sept. 7, 2010, the Our Lady of Guadalupe praesidium had its first meeting in the Humility of Mary room to begin serving the parish and the community with a handful of members and Father Steve as the group s spiritual director. Closer to Jesus Legion o The praesidium has since grown to six active members and eight auxiliary members. The active members attend the meeting and perform an hour of service each week. The auxiliary members pray the Tessera, (pamphlet of Legion prayers) every day for the success of the Legion work. At the weekly meetings, Tuesdays mornings in the former convent, we set up our altar to Mary, Fr. Steve leads us in opening prayers from the Tessera, we pray the Rosary and read from our official handbook, Legio Mariae, Marilyn says. Thereafter, our secretary reads the minutes, the VP takes attendance, the treasurer gives a financial report and each member reports on her works done that week. The hours are tallied in an annual report to the Bishop and to the regional group called the Comitium. Last year, the praesidium performed 347 hours of work, up from 28 its inaugural year. Regular works of St. Raphael s praesidium range from sending Miraculous Medals and holy cards to the family of each newly baptized child at St. Raphael to assisting the wheelchair-bound residents at a local nursing home to its activity center for monthly Mass. They send cards of encouragement to the eighth grade confirmandi and the parish RCIA candidates. One of our favorite activities, since most of our members have school-aged children, is to go into the classrooms in October and May to make rosaries. Marilyn added. The teachers and students Two new members are inducted into the Legion of Mary January 10, 2012 Founding members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Praesidium at St. Raphael gather with Spiritual Director Fr. Steve Breck 4

5 through Mary f Mary enjoy the activity and we love to bring Jesus to the children through the rosary! Before the close of each meeting, Father leads the group in the Cataena ( Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising... ) and gives a holy pep talk called an allocutio. The treasurer passes the secret bag to collect money for Legion works, new business is discussed and the concluding prayers are recited. We go out to perform another hour of Legion work because we love Jesus. We pray and work for the families of newborns, the children, the infirm and the most vulnerable. And we do this because The seventh, and most recent member is inducted on December 18, 2012 we love serving Him through his most humble and pure Mother, our Mother, Mary. Marilyn concluded. To get involved in the Legion of Mary, call the parish office at St.Raphael Legion of Mary members helps St. Raphael second-graders make rosaries in October , Marilyn at mndc777@gmail.com, or join them Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Tobit room. Rita Matzinger continued from front cover Both my husband and I are from families of eight, says Rita. His parents have belonged to St. Raphael Parish and mine to St. Columbkille, which is where Greg and I married 23 years ago. I really appreciate Fr. Tim, as well as our director of PSR, Terri Telepak. Fr. Tim is a great leader, with a real business sense, though religious, that has helped along the growth of our parish campus. Terri is absolutely amazing, and she meets with the PSR teachers three times per year. She broadens our horizons and lets us know what is going on in the church. I also really like the suburb that our parish is located in, as well as our parishioners. The whole area is very exciting. It has a lot of great young people, as well as the steady, older, traditional Catholics. Over time, Greg and Rita look forward to being an integral part of our parish as it flourishes into the community God desires it to be. I would like to do even more for our parish, especially along with my husband, Rita says. We like contributing financially to our parish and we have been giving money towards the construction of the new church. I love our parish, and it is so easy to give back. My PSR students once made cards for children whose mother died. The widower was so touched! He gave the cards to one of their daughters, who kept it under her pillow. Making the cards taught my students to relate to those who are suffering, and they learned a lot from it. Rita Matzinger 5

6 Valentine s Day The Feast of a Christian Martyr Candy, flowers, romantic dinners, and excuses for wooing are the common traditions we associate with the once pagan holiday known as Valentine s Day. Dangling cupids, candy message hearts, and faux long-stemmed roses clutter every card store, waiting for last-minute purchase. The question is how did this over-commercialized holiday really begin? There are a few stories surrounding the history of Feb. 14 and St. Valentine himself, all dating back to the Roman Empire. The 14th day of February was a day set aside to honor the goddess Juno, queen of the Roman gods and goddesses. The following day, Feb. 15, began the feast of Lupercalia a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. As part of the festival traditions, there was a name drawing among the young people. The names of young Roman women were written on slips of paper and placed into a jar. Each young man would draw a young woman s name from the jar, and the two would be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing lasted an entire year, and often, the couple would fall in love and later marry. At the time, Emperor Claudius II was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns, and he was having a difficult time recruiting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that soldiers were reluctant to join because they did not want to leave their loves or families. With this in mind, Claudius decreed all marriages and engagements cancelled in Rome. During this time, St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, and he and St. Marius secretly married young couples. For this, St. Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who sentenced him to be beaten and then executed by beheading. He suffered this martyrdom on Feb. 14, around the year 270 AD. Before his death, it is said that St. Valentine left a note for the jailer s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it From Your Valentine. Although the truth behind the St. Valentine s legend is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and, most importantly, romantic figure. It is no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France. Over time, Feb. 14 became a time for lovers to exchange sweet messages, making St. Valentine the patron saint of lovers. The date was often commemorated with the sending of poems and simple gifts. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that Feb. 14 was the beginning of the avian mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February Valentine s Day should be a day for romance. 6

7 St.Raphael Lenten Fish Fries Bring Parish Together Lenten fish fries are an annual tradition for many Catholic parishes around the country. They provide parishioners with the opportunity to spend time together while observing the Lenten tradition of abstaining from eating meat on Fridays. Parishes have done fish fries for who knows how long, and that s what we wanted to do for St. Raphael, says Liz Sfeir, who runs the kitchen for the fish fries with her husband, David. We put it together as a community event and wanted to make ours special. We use fresh lake perch, we hand bread it, cut fresh lemons and make the cole slaw from scratch. We wanted to put on a truly special event for St. Raphael. Everything is fresh and everything is homemade. We keep it simple, but what we do, we do well. Liz and David helped start the fish fries here at St. Raphael several years ago. Liz is a professional caterer and David is a medical doctor, and the fish served at the fish fries is prepared using David s own breading recipe. Now the couple is in charge of the kitchen duties for these events, which includes ordering all of the food, pricing the meals, tracking the inventory and performing all of the prep work. The couple also recruits volunteers to help in the kitchen. It was developed five years ago to bring people into Raphael s new Parish Activity Center, Liz says. We are happy that it has been a very successful event in bringing both parishioners and the public together. These fish fries will be held in the St. Raphael Parish Activity Center from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each Friday during Lent, except Good Friday. The cost is $12 We use fresh lake perch, we hand bread it, cut fresh lemons and make the cole slaw from scratch. We wanted to put on a truly special event for St. Raphael. Everything is fresh and everything is homemade. Liz Sfeir for adults, which includes an entree of either fried or baked Lake Erie perch, french fries, cole slaw, bread roll, dessert and a drink. When people arrive at the Fish Fry, they are seated by a host or hostess, and are greeted at their table by their table servers. The table servers then take the food order to the kitchen and return with the cooked meals. These are just some of the ways that volunteers serve our parish through the annual fish fries. Our volunteers come because our parish is very active and very welcoming, and I think people like being involved in an activity that is designed to welcome people to our parish, says Anne Straitiff, the table server team leader. They think it is going to be fun, and it s an opportunity to meet new people and welcome people to our parish. People come because, frankly, it's a fabulous fish fry. We hear over and over again that this is one of the best fish fries that they ve been to, because the fish is delicious. Whether you are a customer or a volunteer, our annual Lenten Fish Fry is a great way to get closer to the St. Raphael parish family. It really is a wonderful parish event, Anne says. It s a great opportunity to meet new people, especially if someone is new to the parish, or even if they ve been in the parish for a long time. It s a very familyfriendly way to get to know our parish a little better and meet people they ve never met before. It really is a great outreach opportunity. For more information about the Fish Fry or to volunteer, please call Mark Cunningham at

8 St.Raphael C H U R C H 525 Dover Center Road Bay Village, OH NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID Cleveland, OH Permit No. 703 Liturgy Schedule Help Us Fill Our Pews Every gift moves us closer to building our new worship space. Capital Campaign - Phase II Total Goal: $7,100,000 Pledges as of December 31: $5,329,097 Percentage Raised: 75% Saturday Vigil: 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. Weekday Mass: M, T, W, F, 7:45 a.m. M, T, Th, F, 9:15 a.m. Saturday, 8:30 a.m. Confessions: Saturdays 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration: Friday 10:00 a.m. - Saturday 4:00 p.m.