The driver of the first car walked back and asked, “What were you doing?”
The man in the second car shot back, “Why did you stop so suddenly without warning?” “I had to,” said the first driver, “I just pulled into my garage.”

It is not wise to depend on and trust someone whom we only know superficially, if at all. Unaware of a person’s true intention and direction, if we blindly follow, we will often be unhappy with where we end up.
Download this entire Faith Connection here…

Saturday 5 PM

Sunday 8 AM 9:30 AM, 11 AM

There will be no Sunday 5 PM Mass.

The regular Mass schedule will resume Saturday, September 8.

Thanks to all of you who have purchased tickets in past years and we hope you can continue to support the raffle again this year.  For those of you who haven’t participated, please consider buying a ticket.  Our goal is for each family to purchase at least 1.  The price is $50 per ticket and like last year, when you purchase two tickets at the same time you get a free ticket – a free chance to win!

While the prizes and ticket prices are the same as last year, there is one important change to announce. The fundraising committee learned that there is a Federal Law that prohibits sending raffle tickets in the mail.  In addition to that, we are not allowed to state in a letter what the prizes are or how much the tickets cost.

In the past, we mailed the information and tickets to parishioners and friends homes.  Since we can’t do that this year, we are distributing the letters and tickets to parishioners at the end of Mass.  Please take one home with you.  Please note that there is no change for the way to buy tickets.  You can still mail your payment and ticket stubs back to the parish office, or drop them off in the gathering space.  For non-parishioners, we will be mailing a post card asking them to contact the parish for more information.

The attached form can also be used to order your tickets: 2012 Car Raffle

As usual, we will still be selling tickets on Dover Chester Road and after all weekend Masses.   We are also in need of volunteers to help with selling tickets. 

The Drawing will take place after the 11:00 Mass on Sunday, July 8^th.  More information is available by calling 973-584-1101, ext. 305 or emailing fundraising@stmatthewsrandolph.org.

Although winners need not be present, we hope to see you at the drawing, and would love to see you behind the wheel of your new car.

 Thank you in advance for your participation!

The schedule will be as follows:

• July:        The Penitential Rite
• August:   The Gloria
• Sept:       The Creed
• Oct:         The Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
• Nov:        The parts of the Eucharistic Prayer

 We hope to have the opportunity for a study session for all liturgical ministers in the fall as well. Hopefully, as a parish community, we will embrace this change with a sense of enthusiasm and openness.

 AT THE “CONFITEOR” OF THE NEW LITURGY

At the Confiteor, there is the gesture of striking the breast. This is a sign of repentance, of humility, like the parable of the Pharisee and publican in Gospel: But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk 18:13)

The words express our repentance verbally. Striking the breast expresses our repentance physically, in body language.

There is an ancient tradition called penthose in Greek, or compunctio in Latin: a profound attitude of repentance for our sins, and not only for our own, but also for those of the whole world. St. Benedict says: “We know that our prayers will not be heard on account of many words, but because of purity of heart, compunction, and tears” (RB 20:3). In another place, he says: During Lent, “let us guard ourselves from every vice, and dedicate ourselves to prayer with tears, to reading, to compunction of heart and to fasting” (RB 49:4). The gesture of striking the breast made carefully and with full awareness, can communicate to ourselves and to others more than mere words can say, that we recognize our sinfulness and publicly declare our sorrow for our sins.

AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT

 As we might have noticed by now, as we have begun to review some of the new prayer forms for English speaking Catholics in the new Roman Missal we have replaced “And also with you” to the presider’s  invitation to pray with the words “And with your spirit”.

Why in the world is this change taking place? It might seem at first hearing somewhat excessively “clerical”.

The reason for this subtle change is as follows:

 The phrase “And with your spirit”   is based on the Scriptures in the Book of Ruth and the Book of Revelation. Many of the liturgical changes to come  attempt to place our liturgical prayer more in conformity with the Word of God.

1. As we address the priest in response, we are recognizing that we are acting in the spiritual realm and this phrase refers to the spiritual aspect of the person.
2. To respond “And with your spirit” places the onus on the priest to recognize it is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables him to lead the congregation in prayer. It is not his own human ability or education that empowers him to be leader of prayer.
3. The words focus on the “spiritual” relationship between the people and the priest” and expresses the sacredness of the moment.

Additional information is avaiable on the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.