UPCOMING EVENTS AND MINISTRY UPDATES
This week...
Monday 4.14-
Whole Family Catechesis- 6 pm in the classrooms. Topic: "Holy Week: A Week Set Apart."
Tuesday 4.15-
TNT: Chrism Mass - 6 pm- 9 pm. See below for details. NO TNT on-site.
Wednesday 4.16-
"Catholic Cofee Break with Fr. Michael Denk" on YouTube @ 12 pm where we'll explore the readings for the upcoming weekend's Masses.
Tenebrae- 8 pm in the church.
Thursday 4.17-
Mass of the Lord's Supper- 7 pm with Adoration following Mass until midnight.
Friday 4.18- *Parish Office closed* NO Noon Mass.
Silent Prayer- 12 pm- 3 pm in the church
Good Friday Liturgy- 7 pm
Saturday 4.19-
Easter Basket Blessing- 1 pm
The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night - 9 pm Mass.
Sunday 4.20-
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord- 10 am Mass.
This week's 'Tuesday Night Teaching':
Chrism Mass
We will not have TNT onsite during Holy Week, but all faithful are invited to join the diocese for the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral.
The Chrism Mass, which [the Bishop] concelebrates with Priests from various regions of the diocese and during which he consecrates the sacred Chrism and blesses the other oils, is among the principal manifestations of the fullness of the Bishop's Priesthood and is considered to be a sign of the close bond of the Priests with him. For it is with the sacred Chrism consecrated by the Bishop that the newly baptized are anointed and those to be confirmed are signed. It is with the Oil of Catechumens that catechumens are prepared and disposed for Baptism. Finally it is with the Oil of the Sick that those who are ill are comforted in their infirmity.— The Order of Blessing the Oil of Catechumens and of the Sick and of Consecrating the Chrism (OBO), no. 1
Doors open at 6 pm and the Liturgy begins at 7 pm.
Next week's 'Tuesday Night Teaching':
Invitation to "Following Christ"
Begin this Easter season by renewing your commitment to follow Jesus as a disciple. Say with Mary Magdalene, "Rabbouni" (teacher) as we learn together how to live a life in His example. During the Discovering Christ course, we discussed how Jesus is seeking a relationship with you. Throughout Lent and during Holy Week, there have been many opportunities to encounter Jesus, in both the beauty of his love for us and the power and glory of his resurrection, and to commit our lives personally and communally to Him.
This second course addresses how to live a life of discipleship, to learn, or hear again, the practices that have been part of the Christian life from the beginning while being encouraged to begin integrating these practices and deepen your relationship.
This course is open to anyone who has seriously committed to Jesus being their Teacher and to being or becoming truly activated as His disciples. There will be an introduction session offered on April 22 @ 6:30 that will include a recap of the takeaways from Discovering Christ and an overview of what to expect from Following Christ. The course will begin on April 29th @ 6:30.
This second course addresses how to live a life of discipleship, to learn, or hear again, the practices that have been part of the Christian life from the beginning while being encouraged to begin integrating these practices and deepen your relationship.
This course is open to anyone who has seriously committed to Jesus being their Teacher and to being or becoming truly activated as His disciples. There will be an introduction session offered on April 22 @ 6:30 that will include a recap of the takeaways from Discovering Christ and an overview of what to expect from Following Christ. The course will begin on April 29th @ 6:30.
Holy Week
Adoration Sign-ups:
Building upon the opportunities offered each weekend for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament we will be offering special times of adoration on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week (4.14, 4.15, & 4.16) from 5 pm until 9 pm.
As Holy Week nears, so too does the time that our Church will be without the Presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle (from Holy Thursday through Holy Saturday). "Come and see," or better yet "come and be," with Him who sorrowed, suffered, and died out of love for you. There is no better way to set this week apart than by recognizing His Kingship on Palm Sunday and following Him into the chapel where He seeks to meet you personally.
Signups will be located in the Gathering Area.
Schedule of the Week's events:
Save the Date:
Following Christ
Following Christ is a 7 week course for those who’ve encountered Christ and have decided to commit their lives to discipleship but may not know how best to do that. Whether a seasoned disciple or someone for whom a relationship with Christ is new, Following Christ provides an opportunity to receive practical teaching on how to live as a disciple of Jesus. Better yet, you get a chance to live out the truth that you’re not alone. He’s provided you with other people, other disciples, with whom to share your journey. This is the perfect follow up to the “Discovering Christ” or “Alpha” courses. We will meet on seven consecutive Tuesday nights, beginning on April 29th and concluding on June 3rd from 6:30-8:30. How will you respond to his invitation to “Come, Follow Me”?
There will be an introduction session offered on April 22 @ 6:30 that will include a recap of the takeaways from Discovering Christ and an overview of what to expect from Following Christ. The course will begin on April 29th @ 6:30.
If you're ready to go further along this journey of discipleship, please register either with the form found in the bulletin or by clicking the link found here. I hope to see you there!
Note: Truly, I've heard folks, very devoted to their faith in God and "mature" in age, speak very passionately and surprisingly about what Jesus did in their lives to invite them into more through Following Christ. Likewise, some who were newer to the faith, felt surprised that the steps were so easy or that the goal was so attainable.
From the Diocese:
Bishop Malesic Pens First Pastoral Letter,
"A Flourishing Apostolic Church."
The letter, “A Flourishing, Apostolic Church,” is housed on the diocese website and Bishop Malesic also recorded a video message regarding the letter. The letter has been uploaded onto the church's website as well: stmatthiaschurch.org/pastoral-letter. It is available in a downloadable PDF, along with a glossary and a discussion guide; all are available in both English and Spanish. All materials are available at dioceseofcleveland.org/pastoral-letter. I've also included the document and the glossary below. It is the sincere hope of Bishop Malesic and Fr. Michael that everyone read the document.
Fr. Michael's article from last weekend:
My Dear Parishioners,
Holy Week is upon us. Do everything that you can to make it holy!
I’d like to begin with the most important events and then let you know about the rest of our opportunities for Holy Week.
Did you know that the Easter Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday is one Liturgy? I know if you regularly come to this, you know how beautiful it all is. If you haven’t celebrated the Triduum, I would like to encourage you to come these three evenings as they are the central, most important, most solemn liturgies we have all year. We get to relive the passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord.
St. Augustine encourages us: "Consider now with attention these three most sacred days of the Lord's Crucifixion, rest in the grave and Resurrection. Of these three, that of which the Cross is the symbol is the business of our present life: those things which are symbolized by his rest in the grave and his Resurrection we hold by faith and hope" (Letter 55, 14, 24)
Holy Thursday begins at 7 p.m. and commemorates the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the Eucharist. There is a special ritual of the Washing of the Feet, which reminds us of Christ’s washing the feet of the Apostles at the Last Supper. I, as your priest, wash your feet and you have the chance to wash others if you so choose.
Good Friday is a unique service that commemorates the Passion and death of Jesus. This is the only other day the Church requires fasting (the other being Ash Wednesday). During the service, there is a vivid proclamation of the passion and veneration of the cross - where you can individually come to the cross and bow, touch, or kiss the cross as a sign of reverence.
Holy Saturday is also a “Day of Silence and Prayer” as we recount the time Jesus spent dead in the tomb, and then it ends with the most important liturgy of the year. The Easter Vigil begins after dusk at 9 p.m. this year. We start with a fire outside and everyone receives a candle which is lit from that fire and the entire Church is filled with candlelight. It is at this liturgy that we hear seven readings from the Old Testament, a reading from the Apostles, and then the Gospel. It is a sweeping history of salvation beginning with creation, the fall, the prophets, the early Church, and the Gospel. The entire season of Lent we have been going through the prayer book “40 Days and 40 Promises” to prepare ourselves for this moment when we renew our baptismal promises together. You will be captivated the entire time in how God has acted and worked in our lives from the beginning of creation until the present moment. It is a lengthy liturgy that lasts about two hours and is a very profound experience.
Now for some other ways to help make this week holy for you!
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will have opportunities to sign up for Eucharistic Adoration from 5-9 p.m. If you would like to sign up for a slot, sheets are in the Gathering Area.
Tuesday is the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral at 7p.m. During this Mass, the Bishop consecrates all of the holy oils that we use throughout the year. The Oil of Catechumens is used to anoint those preparing for baptism (including children and those being initiated into our faith), the Oil of the Sick is what I use to anoint you whenever you are seriously ill, and the Sacred Chrism used in Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. Every Priest in the Diocese comes together as well, to renew the promises that we made on our ordination day.
Wednesday, we will have Tenebrae (a Latin word for darkness) at 8 pm. In this service, candles are gradually extinguished, and a loud noise is heard symbolizing the earthquake that followed Christ’s death.
Good Friday, the Church will be open for silent prayer from noon until 3 p.m. These hours mark the time Jesus hung on the cross. Traditionally in your homes, it is a time to turn off all of the lights (turn off your phone and other electronic devices), maybe even close the curtains, and spend time remembering Jesus’ love for you in the crucifixion, and unite yourself with the suffering of Christ.
Last week, we had a couple of beautiful opportunities to enter more deeply into the Lenten Season. On Friday, ladies from Amherst came to present Mary’s Way of the Cross. This past Monday, we had a beautiful pray-and-paint experience. Together, we meditated on Palm Sunday and painted pictures of the cross with palm leaves and the crown of thorns.
Make holy week holy as much as you can!
May you know my love for you and The Father’s love for you through my priesthood,
Fr. Michael
The New Evangelization: Podcasts, Social Media, and More
Check out this past week's Catholic Coffee Break episode below!
Like and subscribe to our channel! Evangelization is as easy as sharing the link!
Be a part of the show by emailing your comments, questions, and reactions to ccb@stmatthiaschurch.org.
This past 6 months we, through the podcast, have begun a partnership with All Saints Federal Credit Union. Find out more about them here. Great people and a great mission, "People Helping People." Please check out some of the deals that they've developed for parishioners of St. Matthias the Apostle and listeners to the CCB:
- Any new member to All Saints FCU will receive a $25.00 Gas Card when they open an account and mention St. Matthias or the Catholic Coffee Break. [Until 2025]
- Any new or existing member of the credit union will receive a .25% credit rate discount on an approved New or Used Vehicle loan when they mention St. Matthias or Catholic Coffee Break.