THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF SAINT MATTHEW & OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP The Week of January 1, 2017 - SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 5:00 pm (A) Marija Tarasz Kiewiez 5:00 pm (H) Susan Franco & Gloria G. Franco SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2017 8:30 am (A) Blaha Family 10:00 am (H) Natalie Biagi 10:30am (A) Donal O Brien 12 Noon (H) John Chinnery MONDAY, JANUARY 2 8:00 am (A) Katherine Le Blanc 9:00 am (H) TUESDAY, JANUARY 3 8:00 am (A) Blaha Family 9:00 am (H) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 8:00 am (A) Katherine Le Blanc 9:00 am (H) THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 8:00 am (A) 9:00 am (H) Elizabeth Keaney FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 8:00 am (A) 9:00 am (H) Michael Dominelli SATURDAY, JANUARY 7 8:00 am (A) 9:00 am (H) Olive Jean Rudd 5:00 pm (A) Sabina Giarnella 5:00 pm (H) Mary E. Millus SUNDAY, JANUARY 8 8:00 am (H) Frances & Stephen Quartuccio 8:30 am (A) 9:00 am (H) Elizabeth Provenzano 10:30 am (A) Rene & Yverose Verna 12 Noon (H) Bob Kennedy Key: (A) = Ardsley (H) = Hastings Sunday Nm 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21 Monday 1 Jn 2:22-28; Jn 1:19-28 Tuesday 1 Jn 2:29 3:6; Jn 1:29-34 Wednesday 1 Jn 3:7-10; Jn 1:35-42 Thursday 1 Jn 3:11-21; Jn 1:43-51 First Friday 1 Jn 5:5-13; Mk 1:7-11 or Lk 3:23-28 or 3:28, 31-34, 36, 38 First Saturday 1 Jn 5:14-21; Jn 2:1-11 WEEKLY COLLECTIONS - Thank You! ST. MATTHEW & OLPH 2016 2015 Collection: $28,904 Christmas (to date): $32,073 Christmas 2015 Total: $35,479 Christmas Flowers (to date): $4,448 Christmas Flower 2015 Total: $2,412 Banns of Marriage II - Peter Kowal & Gina Piashera If you would like to bring the gifts up during the offertory procession, please see an Usher before Mass begins.
JANUARY 1, 2017: SOLEMNITY OF MARY, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD First Reading: Numbers 6:22-27 The Lord told Aaron to bestow his blessings on the Israelites. God wanted them to know that by invoking his name they would be blessed by him. Second Reading: Galatians 4:4-7 Paul describes how through Jesus birth, we have been delivered from the laws that exiled Gentiles from God s community. Through Jesus, the Gentiles became God s adopted sons and would receive the same blessings that the Jewish converts had been promised. Gospel: Luke 2:16-21 The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see Jesus and immediately understood all that they had been told about him. They praised God for what they had seen, and Jesus was given the name that the angel had chosen for him. A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUNDAY READINGS HIS WORD TODAY by Rev. William J. Reilly Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God January 1, 2017 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child. All who heard of it were astonished at the report Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. Does it surprise me that the first to come and encounter Christ were lowly shepherds? They were certainly not the persons I would expect to greet a newborn baby. Obviously, they accepted the good news and then reported it to others. We who know the Bethlehem story so well, might not have even bothered to go to the cave where Christ was born. We might, like the shepherds, have just returned to the night watch guarding themselves and their flocks. Obviously their story moved others as well. At the same time Mary both treasured and reflected, sometimes the scriptures say pondered or weighed what she knew, saw and heard. How she felt may best be known by the mother of a newborn. It might be fitting to sit quietly like Mary and reflect upon the events. Christmas comes and goes so fast that we might overlook the great outpouring of the Father in giving us a needed Savior, and the role model of Mary treasuring and reflecting. May we treasure the coming of the Lord.
Please keep in your prayers the ill of our parish especially: Peter Rasulo, Christopher Liva, Richard Dosin Sr., Mary Michna, John Trevor Dabenigno, John Kelly, Kristin Harkin, Susan Sullivan Manuele, Ambrosio Maldonado, Aurea Cabanillas, Rita Stitham Gavin, William Bates, Guy Trepanier, Louis Cillo & Beatrice Smith. And for those who have died marked by the sign of faith, especially: If you know of any parishioners who are ill and would like to be visited by a priest, please contact the rectory at 914-478- 2822. Names will be left on the sick list for 4 weeks. Please feel free to call the rectory to add names of immediate family members at any time. We are very grateful to those in the military who have dedicated themselves to protect our liberty and freedom. Please keep our troops in your prayers, especially: Brian Dunne-Navy, Christopher Gaulin-Army, George Moore-Navy, Nicholas Sestito-Marine, Donald Wemer Jr. - Marine, Michael Germain-Navy, Brandon King - Army. CHRISTMAS FLOWER ENVELOPES & CHRISTMAS OFFERING ENVELOPES If you have not yet made your contribution towards the Christmas Flowers in memory of a loved one, please use the Christmas Flower Envelope that you received in your monthly envelope packet. There are also extra Christmas Flower Envelopes on the tables in the rear of the churches. The Christmas Flower Envelope and the Christmas Offering Envelope can still be dropped into any collection on any weekend. Circle of Love Prayer Group meets the 1st & 2nd Monday of the month to say the scripture rosary at the Atria Senior Living Residence at 1017 Saw Mill River Rd at 7:30pm. All are invited to come share in God's love. Questions or prayer requests call Lourdes 914-693- 2959. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Prayer Group will resume their meetings in the month of January. THE ROSARY: The Rosary will be recited after the 8:00am Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ardsley on the FIRST SATURDAY of each month. Everyone is welcome to attend. COFFEE HOUR: The St. Stanislaus Kostka coffee hour takes place every Sunday after the 9:00am Family Mass. They meet in the basement of the rectory. All parishioners are welcome. Candle Dedications for the Week: What is Flocknote? St. Matthew Blessed Mother Candle: Special Intentions req. by Mom & Dad Flocknote is an online communications system that has the capability to send email newsletters, text messages, and social media updates. Get important updates from St. Matthew & Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in a timely and convenient way. This tool we're using lets you choose what info you would like to receive - via email or text message - Signing up is easy and you can update your notification settings or unsubscribe at any time. If you have not registered at FLOCKNOTE what are you waiting for? You can sign up online at www.flocknote.com or send STMOLPH via text to 84576
THANK YOU to all who contributed to our Jesus Stockings. 107 well filled socks were collected to be distributed among the homeless by Midnight Run this past weekend. CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY We are looking for volunteers for a prison ministry in our parish. If we have enough, CLASS SCHEDULE: There are NO CLASSES on Sunday, January 1 Classes Resume On: Tuesday, January 3 from 3:30pm - 5:00pm Wednesday, January 4 from 3:00pm - 4:30pm Wednesday, January 4 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm Sunday, January 8 from 10:00am - 11:15am Fr. Paul Tolve, the Chaplin at Westchester County Jail, will come to speak to us. In the meantime, we cannot collect winter clothes but we can still collect paper back editions of the New American Bible in English or Spanish. If you wish to make a donation toward purchasing bibles, you may place it in an envelope mark it prison bibles and drop it in any collection. You do not have to visit the prison to do ministry to prisoners. If interested, please contact the rectory.
Saint Matthew & OLPH Parish (Normally $9.99 per month, free for all St. Matthew & OLPH Parishioners!) RFQDQG Featured Programs: Reborn Lectio - Eucharist Lectio - Prayer Lectio - Peter Symbolon - Knowing & Living the Faith The Bible & the Virgin Mary Desire of the Everlasting Hills Beloved - On Marriage Opening the Word Catholicism The Footprints of God 33 Days to Morning Glory Consoling the Heart of Jesus The One Thing is Three You Did It to Me Y Disciple - Small Group Discipleship Movies: John Paul II The Jeweler s Shop The Reluctant Saint Padre Pio - Miracle Man Mother Teresa Saint Peter The Story of the Nativity Saint Rita Cosmic Origins Ocean of Mercy Clare & Francis THE ANGELS THIRD VISIT AT LOURDES The third apparition occurred either at the end of the summer or the beginning of the fall of 1916, once again at Loca do Cabeço. According to Sister Lucia's account, it took place as follows: "As soon as we arrived there, we began to say the angel's prayer on our knees, with our faces to the ground. 'My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee...' I do not know how many times we had said this prayer when we saw an unknown light shining over our heads. We rose to see what was happening, and we saw the angel bearing a chalice in his left hand. Drops of blood fell into the chalice from a Host suspended over it. Leaving the chalice and the Host suspended in the air, the angel prostrated himself beside us and said the following prayer three times: "'Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly and offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the insults, sacrileges, and indifference with which He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg Thee for the conversion of poor sinners.' "After this, rising up, he again took the chalice and the Host in his hand; he gave the Host to me and the contents of the chalice to Jacinta and Francisco to drink, saying: 'Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, who is horribly insulted by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.' " He again prostrated himself on the ground and repeated with us the same prayer three more times. 'Most Holy Trinity...' Then he disappeared." After this vision the children remained a long time prostrated and repeating the angel s prayer. The apparitions of the angel had an annihilating effect on the children in that they so communicated to them something supernatural that it fatigued them. In Lucia s words, It seemed to deprive us even of the use of our bodily senses for a long period of time. At the same time, they felt a great peace and happiness, their souls as if immersed in God. Please join your fellow parishioners for the 8:00am Mass followed by the rosary and meditations on the mysteries of the rosary on Saturday, January 7th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.