April 8, 2018 2nd Sunday of Easter Divine Mercy Sunday 229 South 28th Avenue Wausau, WI 54401 715-842-3148 www.stmatthewwausau.org Jesus said to Saint Faustina: I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. 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. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. (Diary 699) Mass & Healing Service Today Confessions: 2:00-3:15 pm Sunday Mass: 3:30 pm Healing Service to Follow Mass 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 Kris at 715-675-6750. Next Baptism Class: Monday, May 14th - 6:30 pm at Parish Center
Liturgical Catechesis Genuflection and Prayerful Composure Trust Recently we discussed two gestures we perform as we enter church: we dip our fingers in holy water and sign ourselves with the cross the sign of our faith. After we enter church and before entering the pew we make another gesture: We genuflect. A genuflection is an action begun from a standing position in which the worshiper moves his or her right foot back a step, drops the right knee briefly to the floor, and then stands upright again. Often it is natural to bow at the same time. Going down on one s knee or knees is a sign of submission. Many ancient battle paintings in Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and China show prisoners on their knees before their captors a sign of submission and total reliance on the mercy of those who had captured them. Often this gesture was accompanied by pressing one s forehead to the ground in a sign of profound submission. (Muslims do this when they pray to Allah.) In the middle ages men would go down on one knee (or both knees) before their queen or king as they were knighted to fight for them and defend their honor. It is still a fairly common practice for a gentleman to go down on one knee before his girlfriend in order to ask for her hand in marriage. This, again, is a sign of submission and deference that says, I will honor and respect you, and I give myself over to you forever. Will you have me? Normally one genuflects before entering the pew on coming into church and after leaving the pew at the dismissal. The purpose of genuflection in church is for the worshiper to show deference to the all-powerful God who made us, present through the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the tabernacle, which is right behind the altar. The red sanctuary lamp (at Holy Name: to the right of the tabernacle) (at St. Matthew: hanging from the ceiling just over the sanctuary step), reminds us of His presence. You will notice that the priest genuflects three times during the Mass: after the consecration of the Host, after the consecration of the wine, and before he says, This is Jesus, the Bread of life, the Lamb of God. The next time you genuflect try to be conscious of what it is you are doing and why; and let Jesus know just how much you love and honor him. After entering your pew kneel down, if you are able, and compose yourself for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. How? Prayerfully give God thanks for the day and all he has done for you this past week, even for the difficulties you have encountered, and thank Him for calling you to participate in this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Then, offer your Mass up for a special intention if you like. You might want to offer up the Mass for a deceased member of the family, or a friend who is struggling, or your own family, or an illness you are dealing with by offering up the Mass like this, it helps to keep us focused on truly entering into and giving all we have to the Lord. May this Mass be the best you have ever participated in. When I was ordained to the priesthood I was told to celebrate each Mass as if it is your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass. I think we can all learn something from this each time we come to celebrate the gift of God s love to us. -- Fr Bob 2 Recently, I watched the two-minute trailer of a new movie and it really inspired me to thank God for the incredible gift and blessing of my father. It would have been easy to ponder my dad s humility, faithfulness and life of service for quite some time. However, in a matter of seconds, my focus turned to Our Heavenly Father and His never-ending love and mercy. How do we know that Our Father in Heaven loves us? God created us and knows each of us by name; He always desires what is best for us. Further, God shows us His unending care and compassion by giving up His Son to die the most painful and horrible death on the Cross so that our sins could be forgiven and we can be reunited with Him. In fact, the central theme of the entire Bible is the Father s merciful love for us! In this regard, throughout the Catholic Church worldwide, the Sunday after Easter - April 8th - is called Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast is based upon what we already know and believe from the Scriptures as well as messages that Jesus gave to St Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, about God s mercy and how much we need it. Jesus Himself requested that the first Sunday after Easter celebrate His Divine Mercy. The image shown in the banner above, revealed to St Faustina, portrays the Risen Christ bringing mercy to the whole world and fulfills Jesus request that the image contain the signature, Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus told St Faustina: Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. (Diary of St Faustina, 300) This Sunday is an opportune time to reflect on how God s mercy can overcome our misery, which is a result of our sin. Jesus said, My mercy is greater than your sins, and those of the entire world. I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come then with trust to draw graces from this fountain. (1485) This fountain of mercy is most especially received in the Sacrament of Reconciliation where we experience forgiveness and healing in a tangible way. Jesus said, When you go to confession, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul Immerse yourself entirely in My mercy with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. (1602) Open your soul in confession to Me, and I will fill it with My light. (1725) What does it mean to trust Jesus? We are to trust in Our Lord s goodness that He will help us through difficulties and trials in our lives. The word trust is significant as it is a key aspect of the Divine Mercy message from Jesus. Trust is not blind, wishful thinking but hope based upon the Person who died for us so that we can live forever in Heaven and who gives Himself totally to us in the Holy Eucharist. Jesus is the Person we can trust completely but even this trust requires God s grace and our continual response to it. The Psalm after the First Reading for Divine Mercy Sunday puts words around what it means to trust Him. I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and He has been my Savior. (Psalm 118:13-15) In the Gospel we hear Jesus say three times, Peace be with you. We can experience this very peace when we learn how to trust Jesus and let Him guide us in our daily lives, above all when we are hard pressed and falling. St John records the account of Thomas putting his finger in the wound in Christ s side so that we would believe that Jesus is indeed alive risen from the dead! And he wrote it so that with trust we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief [we] may have life in His name. (John 20:31) By Ann Lankford, Director, Office for Catechesis and Evangelization
Saints of Yesterday..... Inspiring Youth Today Dead Theologians Society Meeting Tonight Sunday, April 8th High school aged youth are invited to join us at the Church of the Resurrection from 6:30-8:00 pm Holy Family Prayer Program The Knights of Columbus s Sacred Heart Council 4628, which serves the parishes of St Agnes, St Mark and St Therese are blessed to be hosting a Holy Family Prayer Program on April 17 at 6:00 pm at St Agnes Church in Weston. This program focuses on the Holy Family and our own families. The theme of this prayer program is that we are called to love and serve one another and to see the gifts and talents of our family members as gifts from God that can enrich us all. We will be praying to God to restore our families in love, and teach us to be more forgiving, and to nurture the unique gifts of others. After the Program there will be time for individual reflection in front of the Holy Family portrait that will be in front of the church. Please join us in this special event praying for our families. Holy Family Prayer Books and Prayer Cards will be provided. Healing Service After the 3:30 pm Mass Today 2-3:15 pm: Adoration and Confessions 3:30 pm: Mass with Healing Service immediately after Father will lead everyone in prayers for healing. He will then, very briefly, pray over everyone individually. After that, Prayer Teams will be available to pray for specific needs or requests. We have received many reports of spiritual, emotional, and physical healings the Lord has blessed His people with. * Please note there will not be a Healing Mass & Service in May. 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 715-443-2236, or email them at info@sarcenter.com and to register for an upcoming event go to www.sarcenter.com 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) The 150th anniversary book Feed My Lambs is available for purchase for $35 at the Parish Center. Feed my Lambs is a Pictorial History of the Parishes of the Diocese of La Crosse. Discover the Catholic Faith of the people of West Central Wisconsin through the stories shared by its many parish communities in this first ever coffee table book with pull-outs! Hardcover 464 pages Eucharistic Adoration in the Area Pax Christi Adoration Chapel - Marathon Sunday: 12 noon - 11 pm Tuesday: 9 am - 11 pm Wednesday: 9 am thru Thursday: 8 pm Friday: 9 am - 3 pm St Therese - Rothschild Tuesday: after 8 am Mass until Friday: 8 am To enter after 6 pm, ring the main entrance doorbell. To volunteer, call 715-359-8352. 3 Attention - Treasure Sale Meeting Rescheduled Please come to the meeting in the school cafeteria on Monday, April 9th at 6:30 pm After the 2017 Treasure Sale, some of our longtime volunteers are unable to Chair their Departments for 2018. 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 715-845-2259 or email KJM0608@yahoo.com as soon as possible. Thank you! Casa Hogar Clothing, First Aid & More Drive - Help Us Fill 22 Suitcases April 14th: 8 am - 12:30 pm (drop off at Holy Name school building) Before the 2018 Mission Team leaves for Casa Hogar, they are hosting a drive to gather items needed by the children at Casa Hogar & the many children & families that are helped through Fr Hirsch s outreach programs in Peru. The items needed are: Boys/Girls Clothing: Ages 5-17 new or very lightly used modest: no girls tank tops, no short hemlines & no short shorts Shoes: (dress & everyday shoes) boys/girls sizes 11-5.5 women s sizes 6-8 men s sizes 6-9.5 School shoes: white athletic shoes (boys/girls-ked leather style best for girls) girls: black Mary Jane style boys: black tie shoes Sports Equipment School Supplies: pencils/pens, pencil sharpeners, tape, glue, notebooks, scissors, markers, crayons, construction paper. First aid supplies: all types, esp. Neosporin. Items must be sealed & medicine can t be expired. Personal Items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, brushes, combs, deodorant, bobby pins, pony tail holders, headbands & electric hair clippers. Household Items: Twin bed sheets, light-medium weight comforters, silverware, plastic or lightweight dishes, plastic glasses, large plastic pitchers, wash cloths (kitchen & bath), towels (kitchen & bath), plastic clothes pins. Nutella and Peanut Butter: very hard to get in Peru & the children love it. Toys/Gifts for Special Occasions Monetary Donations are also needed to purchase items that Casa absolutely needs but weren t donated. All money leftover when we leave will be given to Casa Hogar. Please call Noel at 715-842-4543 if you have any questions, to set up a time to drop off donations other than the day of the drive, or if you would like to make a donation to Casa Hogar. Thank you for your Donations! 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: http://walktomary.com 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: 715-842-3148 or Rosalba: 920-841-0924
This Week at Saint Matthew Mass Intentions April 9-15, 2018 Monday, April 9th Treasure Sale Meeting - School Cafeteria: 6:30 pm Tuesday, April 10th Family Life Committee Meeting - Parish Center Patio Room: 6 pm Jubilee House Meeting - Parish Center Library: 6-7 pm Wednesday, April 11th TMIY That Man Is You, Session 26 (last one) - Parish Center: 6-7:30 am St Matthew Youth Choir Practice - Holy Name Church: 5-6 pm Religious Education Class - Holy Name School: 6:15-7:30 pm Thursday, April 12th Jubilee House Free Community Meal - School Cafeteria: 4:30-6:00 pm Financial Stewardship Minimum budgeted amount needed weekly.....$9,612.00 March 25th Collection.$8,158.37 Holy Thursday Collection... $1,156.00 Good Friday Collection.........$1,478.50 Easter Collection.... $8,902.00 Easter Collection.....$9,376.61 Thank you for generously supporting St Matthew Parish Diocesan Annual Appeal 2017-2018 Target: $67,415 Only three (3) months to finalize your pledge payments. Time sure does fly! There are those who haven t as yet made a pledge. Not too late! Approximately half of our parish census (parishioners) have made a pledge this year. If you are in the number that have not, you can still send your pledge in to the diocese and help us in getting a rebate. Whatever our return will be, will go toward parish necessities. Thank you! God is love and mercy. P.S. Lose your pledge card? Call Ann at the Parish Center, 715 842-3148, and she will either send you one or help you over the phone. 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 715-432-5519.* 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 715-432-5519.* Intercessory Prayer - Our prayer group is always ready to be of help when prayer is needed. Call Bonnie at 715-675-9876.* * You may also call the Parish Center at 715-842-3148 Office (Oficina) Parish Center - 221 S. 28th Avenue Behind the school - atrás de la escuela. Hours/Horas: Monday - Thursday: 8 am - 4 pm Phone: 715-842-3148 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 9 - The Annunciation of the Lord Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Ps 40/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38 Tuesday, April 10 Acts 4:32-37/Ps 93/Jn 3:7-15 Wednesday, April 11 - St Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr Acts 5:17-26/Ps 34/Jn 3:16-21 Thursday, April 12 Acts 5:27-33/Ps 34/Jn 3:31-36 Friday, April 13 - St Martin I, Pope & Martyr Acts 5:34-42/Ps 27/Jn 6:1-15 Saturday, April 14 Acts 6:1-7/Ps 33/Jn 6:16-21 Sunday, April 15-3rd Sunday of Easter Acts 3:13-15, 17-19/Ps 4/1 Jn 2:1-5/Lk 24:35-48 Lectors Servers Saturday April 14 4:30 pm M Beattie E Schumann Eucharistic Ministers E Schumann F Heil L Heil J Pederson K Teeters G BYRNE* G PIASZAK* Ushers and Greeters Dave Burish Marie Burish Jay Rolefson A Lewis Need Server Musicians Nancy Losinski Lynn Meyer 12:05 pm - 4:30 pm - 10:00 am - 12 noon - Children s Liturgy of the Word Living & Deceased Butzen & Beever Families Intentions of J. Maszk Ann Conin Kelley George & Florence Koy Joseph Menting Anne Cronin Kelley Michael Mike Lach Gerard Skrzypchak James Jim Erickson Living & Deceased St Matthew Parishioners Liturgical Ministers J Huebsch K Huebsch Sunday April 15 8:00 am Mike Jilek Peggy Bant M Jilek P Bant J Peterson J Pritzl R Lawrence N KIPP* A SEUBERT* Ted Stencil Kathi Stencil Pat Ruesch Annette Southworth Carla MacDonald Lee Peek Pat Loy Sunday April 15 10:00 am B Britten P Loy V Tierney B Cveykus T Brzezinksi K TIERNEY(P)* E TIERNEY* B Charlier Sharon Charlier Dale Evert L Wittwer H Cveykus A Malbone Sara Schmitt Bernie Riehle Melissa Willemon
Today is 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. Congratulations to our newly initiated Catholics! Please give Nathan Barber and Brett Alsaker a warm welcome! At the Easter Vigil they received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist. Continue to remember them & their Godparents in your prayers. May God continue to pour out His blessings on both of You! Thank You from the Circle of Joy! The donations you made during this Share Sunday weekend are used to help those that are in need and are greatly appreciated. May God Bless You for Your Generosity! Mother s Day Basket Raffle Need something for Mother s Day? The Hispanic Youth Group is offering a raffle to win one of three Mother s day baskets! Basket A contains the following Gift Cards: $45 from Mandarin Fine Chinese Cusine $25 from Taqueria Tres Hermanos $25 from Kwik-Trip $10 from Old Navy a Dairy Queen frozen cake Basket C contains the following Gift Cards: $40 from El Tequlia $20 from 2510 two entrées from Becca $5 from Old Navy AND 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 Purchase a $2.00 ticket and a chance to win! Basket B contains the following Gift Cards: $50 from IHOP $20 from El Patron $10 from Old Navy Two entrees from Panda Express A haircut and color from Fantastic Sams a Dairy Queen frozen cake a bottle of Caribbean Rum with real dairy cream (must be 21 years or older to collect the Rum) a lovely set of hand crafted earrings Tickets will be sold after all Masses on the weekends of April 14th & 15th and April 28th & 29th. During the week you may come to the parish center to purchase your raffle ticket(s). Drawings will be in time for Mother s Day!! Proceeds from the raffle will provide financial assistance for those going on the bus trip Walk to Mary. Thank you for your support! Randy Krueger Nathan Barber Brett Alsaker Robert Wiessinger Deacon Tom and Father Bob 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) Magic Paper Box at St Matthew Parish St Matthew Parish invites all parishioners to bring their paper recyclables and put them in the Magic Paper Box container on the southeast side of the school. 5 Wedding Ring Lost................ Necklace Found A man s wedding ring was lost at St Matthew s Good Friday service. Please call 715-843-5530, if you have any information about the ring, Thank You!!! A necklace was found! Please contact the Parish Center.