February 21, 2021: 1st Sunday in Lent
Dear Parishioners:
I am sure it seems strange, but I want to wish everyone a “happy,” peaceful spiritually fruitful Lenten Season. Usually we do not think of Lent as happy time, but the season does not need to be gloomy or tough on us. Lent is a wonderful time to recognize Jesus’ great sacrifice for us and it gives us six weeks to “enter” into the season; a time to share in his sacrifice and his suffering so that we can ultimately share in the glorious celebration of Easter. Preparing for Easter really begins at the start of Lent and it can be a happy time.
Last year, our Lent was seemingly shorten because of the pandemic. We had begun our Lenten journey, but it felt like it ended when the church restrictions began. Live streamed or Zoom Masses and services were just not the same. Many of us certainly felt like something was missing. Fortunately, this year the churches will be opened and we will be able to celebrate the season. I suggest that we really do it right this year in order to make up for the previously abbreviated Lent.
Remember that the pillars of our season focus on fasting, praying and almsgiving (charity). While we so often think of what we are going to “give up,” the tradition of suffering in a small way to share the cross of Christ, this certainly can be very effective, as we use days of abstinence and fasting as days to reflect on Jesus suffering. Since Jesus died on a Friday, that is why we abstain from meat on Fridays because our “inconvenience” of not eating meat reminds us of the Good Friday suffering that Jesus went through for our salvation. At the same time, however, increased prayer in order to grow in holiness and to be spiritually prepared for the Easter mysteries is one of our goals as a Church. Increasing our almsgiving, our charity toward others is another way for us to think about others who are needier than we are and sacrifice a bit by putting them ahead of ourselves, the way Jesus did for our salvation.
The first reading for the Ash Wednesday liturgy from the Prophet Joel, reminds us of the purpose of the season: to “return to the Lord with your whole heart.” Fasting, praying and looking to help the needy are all wonderful ways to celebrate the season, coupled with our own sacrifices of “giving something up” or “doing more of something good” are perfect ways to spend the season. At the same time, that same reading says, “let the priest, the ministers of the Lord, weep, saying, ‘Spare, O Lord, your people.’” Certainly these will be my prayers for our Parish: that the Lord will spare you all from anything that leads you away from the Lord, and, asking that He will help you to make a great time of fasting and prayer dedicated to our preparation.
After missing so much of Lent last years, let’s really do Lent “right” this year. Know that I will be praying for everyone to have a successful and grace-filled season.
Happy Lent everyone!
Blessings,
Rev. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
February 14, 2021: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners:
At the Masses this Saturday night and Sunday, the priest celebrating the Mass will be blessing married couples and their wedding rings if they have them on. Ordinarily, we would be celebrating World Marriage Sunday this weekend as a way of blessing Christian marriage and renewing the grace that married couples received on the day of their wedding. Unfortunately, we will not have this celebrations like we had in the past, which have always been great fun. Instead, we will simply be blessing our faithful Christian married couples.
We always do this on the weekend closest to St. Valentine’s Day and coincidentally, this year St Valentine’s Day falls on Sunday. There is not much known about the saint, but what we do know reinforces why he is the patron saint of Christian love. Legend has it that Valentine was a priest in the city of Rome during the Roman Empire. He probably lived in the middle of the third century, when Christians were being persecuted terribly. As a priest, Valentine would often times help Christian couples who wanted to be married. The problem was that it was illegal to be a Christian in the Roman Empire, therefore, they were not permitted to get married and it was also illegal simply to help Christian. Valentine thought this was unjust as Christian men and women who were in love should be able to marry, so he would secretly celebrate matrimony with Christians.
It was also illegal for Roman soldiers to be married because the emperor, Claudius, and prior emperors believed it was a distraction from their military service. Valentine would also celebrate soldiers’ weddings, too, but when the authorities, especially Emperor Claudius found out, he was severely punished and, and ultimately, executed. The color red has always been associated with St Valentine because it is the color of Martyrs, especially because of the blood that had been spilled by their martyrdom. This is probably why see so many red hearts on St. Valentine’s Day, as it is a symbol of hearts in love with each other. Because of Saint Valentine’s willingness to celebrate Christian love, even though it was illegal at the time, over the ensuing years he has become the patron saint of couples in love universally. So, Happy St. Valentine’s Day, everyone!
While this Sunday is the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary time, it is the last we will see the green of Ordinary Time for a while. Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and it begins our Lenten season. Please read the Lenten regulations that are published in the bulletin. These regulations are similar to what we have printed in the past. This Ash Wednesday, will be different than in the past. As I mentioned last week, the ashes will be blessed and the formula, “Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” will be said just once. Then, those who are receiving ashes, will come forward and the ashes will be simply sprinkled on the top of each person’s head and no words will be spoken. This is different than in the past, as no ashes will be placed on anyone’s forehead. This Ash Wednesday restriction comes directly from the Vatican, so throughout the world this is how ashes will be distributed in the Catholic Church.
I look forward to this year’s holy season of Lent and celebrating it with you all. Last year, our Lenten Season was abbreviated because of the outbreak of the virus, but hopefully this year it will be celebrated uninterrupted straight through until Easter Sunday. Lent is such an important season because it helps us to refocus on the wonderful saving work that Our Lord has done for us and the great sacrifice he has made for us. We highlight all this during Lent as we prepare for Easter Sunday and that is one reason we make our “Lenten sacrifices.” These sacrifices are usually in the form of “giving something up,” praying more and being more charitable which will help the poor.
I know many of you are beginning to come back to the church and it is wonderful to see. None of our church restrictions has been lifted, so remember that we need to continue to socially distance, wear our masks when we are in the church building and follow the protocol for moving within the church. You all have been so wonderful in following the restrictions, so thank you.
Have a wonderful St Valentine’s Day and an even more wonderful Lenten Season.
Blessings,
Fr. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
February 7, 2021: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners:
Last week, one of our very dedicated CCD teachers sent me an email with a question. One of her students said that he had watched Mass on the live stream but that during the Mass he, “heard another language.” The teacher believed that it was Latin that he heard, but asked me to explain why we use “another language” during Mass. Some of you may have the same question, so included is the question and my response just in case you, too, are curious
Question:
Hi Father Marc,
I was posed a question from one of my students in CCD regarding the use of another language (Latin) in the Mass. He explained to me that when he watched the Mass on his computer, he heard “another language.” His mother told him it was Latin, but didn’t know why it is said in Latin. I guess he is referring to the “Agnus Dei.” At times, I questioned it in my own mind, but never thought to ask. I tried looking it up, but no answer. Can you help me to help this little boy know “why?” I am grateful he is curious enough to ask. Have a great day!
My response:
Dear CCD Teacher:
Thanks for the note and the question and I hope this finds you and your students well!
That is such a good question. Remember that the Mass was in Latin in the Roman Catholic (aka Latin Rite) Church until it switched to the vernacular after the 2nd Vatican council (1962-1965). For centuries the Mass and all liturgies (baptisms, weddings, etc.) were in Latin because it was the universal language of the Church. Masses were in Latin in China, South America, North America, Europe and all throughout the world because it was the common language for all worshippers. There was great value to this at the time because regardless of where a Catholic attended Mass, he/she would understand what was going on and be able to respond.
When the Mass was changed to the local language of the people, the Church (and the documents of Vatican II) encouraged liturgies to maintain some of the Latin, which we do. That is why sometimes we have the choir sing certain pieces in Latin and we have some responses in that language. The “Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy)” and the “Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)” are perfect examples of maintaining some of the language and realize that the translation from Latin is the exact same response as we say in English. So we are not “saying” anything different; we are just saying it in a different language.
Now, just one slight difference is that the “Kyrie Eleison” which translates into “Lord, have mercy,” is what we sometimes say in the Penitential Rite, as we “call to mind our sins.” This is Greek, not Latin. We probably do this because Greek was one of the original languages that Mass was celebrated in, among a couple other reasons. Therefore, “another language” is probably Latin, but there might be some Greek, too.
Fr. Marc
In another week and a half we will be starting the Lenten Season a penitential season. Ash Wednesday is on February 17th. Please check the bulletin and announcements about the schedule for Ash Wednesday. We will have one Mass at 8:15 and two services with only ashes distributed. This year, because of the pandemic, we will be doing things a bit differently and I want you all to be informed of it. For the distribution of ashes, the Vatican has given directives on how they are to be distributed in all Catholic churches throughout the world. As we usually do, we will bless the ashes at the beginning of the Mass or service. Before the ashes are distributed, the formula will be said just once (“Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return” and then those who are receiving ashes will come forward as if they were receiving Holy Communion. The assisting minister or I will not say the formula for each person, but will instead only sprinkle ashes on the head of each person. Obviously this will be contactless distribution of ashes. The method of sprinkling the ashes as we will do it is much more popular in Europe and other nations than here in the United States. After the distribution of ashes, people will return to their pews for the rest of the Mass or service.
Obviously, this will be a bit different this year, but it is the best way to go about it and I appreciate both your flexibility and your understanding.
The Lenten regulations are also in this week’s bulletin, as it is a reminder of what both days of abstinence and days of fasting means, as well as who is bound by the regulations. Please be sure to read them. At the same time for any serious reason, if someone who falls into the group of regulation needs to be dispensed from fasting or abstinence, the law of the Church (Canon Law) requires that that person contact his or her pastor for a dispensation. Therefore, if you believe that you need to be dispensed from a particular Lenten regulation, please call the parish to speak with me.
Next, as far as Palm Sunday and Holy Week go, we are still waiting for directives from both the Archdiocese of Newark as well as, possibly, the Vatican. I will keep everyone informed about what we are doing as I find out.
Finally, a few weeks ago you probably received a letter from Cardinal Tobin about the Annual Appeal and inviting you to contribute to this most worthy campaign that Proclaims the Gospel, Passes on the Faith, and Helps those who are Marginalized in our Society. Since Lent is a time of both sacrifice and almsgiving (charity), I would ask you to consider making your Annual Appeal contribution during the Lenten Season. In particular, as the Cardinal mentioned in his letter, Commitment Sunday will be March 6th and 7th, and all parishioners are asked to drop off their Annual Appeal envelope in the basket during that weekend. If you didn’t receive an envelope or can’t find yours, we have them in the church as well as the Parish office.
In the meantime, I pray that you all stay well and healthy. I look forward to seeing you all, especially during the holy season of Lent. Please don’t forget to continue to sign up for Masses as well as Ash Wednesday services.
In Christ,
Fr. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
January 31, 2021: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners:
I am so happy to be celebrating Catholic Schools Week this Sunday, as it gives us an opportunity to not only celebrate the blessing of Catholic Schools and their importance in our culture, but in particular, we can celebrate our very own Catholic school and our school really is worth celebrating!
St. Cassian School would not be the success that it is if it were not for so many people, especially our principal, Mrs. Maria Llanes, who has done such a wonderful job since she began about seven years ago, but especially has done a miraculous job this year in not only preparing the school with live stream cameras in every classroom, rotating schedules, nightly sanitizing, building upkeep and so many other things just this year in order to keep the school running in the midst of the pandemic. I did not even mention everything else she has done to make our school so great and qualified to be awarded the National Blue Ribbon award a few years ago. Thank you so much, Mrs. Llanes!
Included in making the school so great are all the staff and faculty of St. Cassian School. Our teachers are so dedicated and enormously sacrificial in teaching our schoolchildren not just the core subjects, but the arts and religion. You will never find a greater faculty staff and part of that teaching staff is Ms. Amanda Bordogna, our fifth and sixth grade teacher who was nominated and won the Archdiocesan Teacher of the Year (see more at https://www.rcan.org/qa-2020-teacher-year-amanda-bordogna). Congratulations to Ms. Bordogna and all the teaching staff, as I believe all of our teachers are fine enough to win the award.
Our office staff and support staff, the “face” of our school are wonderfully cheerful and competent in dealing with teachers, parents, staff and especially students. They “fly under the radar” oftentimes, but are truly essential for the success of the school. I would be remiss if I did not brag about our maintenance staff who not only keep the building sanitized and safe, but incredibly immaculate! Thank you Ms. Olivia, Mr. Cosmo and Mr. Shawn.
Finally, the school would a school without students and their parents who sacrifice in order to have them come here. Our students continue to learn and thrive even during these tough times. They have been adjusting to the rotating schedules and both the in-person and remote learning, but it is always best to see them in person, whether it is in the classroom, in the playground or in a “Google Meets” Mass or gathering.
Our principal, our students, faculty and staff members are only able to do all this, especially during these days, because of God’s goodness and His grace, therefore, we praise God always, but especially during this Catholic Schools Week. The theme of the week is: Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service. We see all these in our little parish school of St. Cassian and it is no wonder that our school is so full and thriving!
Please excuse me for bragging about the School so much, but know that I brag just as much about the parish and all you parishioners just as much to anyone who will listen!
Please stay well everyone and I am enjoying seeing you coming back to church little by little. I hope to see you all again soon.
Blessings,
Rev. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
Please be aware that we will be able to distribute Ashes on Ash Wednesday, but there are restrictions that must be followed. I will include them next week in the bulletin and in our announcements.
January 24, 2021: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dear Parishioners:
I write this to you with the hope that everyone is doing well. I wish I could say that life is returning to normal, but, unfortunately, that seems like it might be a little while for that. We all keep doing the best we can, I’m sure.
This past weekend, we kicked off our Annual Appeal Campaign. If you attended Mass in person, you saw the video and heard me say a few words about the Appeal. If you were on the livestream, you would have seen it, too. I want to use this as an opportunity to goes over a few things regarding the Appeal.
Our goal is $82,300 and this number is based on our ordinary revenue from 2019. We are encouraged by the Archdiocese to reach our goal this year by June 30, 2021 and if we do, we will have we will have a 2% reduction in our assessments for the next year. We already pay 18% in assessments, so the reduction would certainly be helpful. And on top of that, once we reach our goal, all the money collected will return to the Parish!
If you heard my very brief homily and mention of the Appeal, then you heard me speak of how sharing in the Appeal is sharing in the work of the Archdiocese, but more importantly, sharing in the work of Jesus who asks us to take care of the hungry, naked, the prisoner and the needy. The Appeal gives us a vehicle as a Parish to share in this work of Christ. As the Cardinal stated in his message, all the monies collected go directly to the ministry that provides help for those in need.
Also, the purpose of the Appeal is to proclaim the Gospel, pass on the Faith and help those on the margins of society. While the pandemic has crippled many of us: parishes, businesses, individuals, etc., it was been especially difficult for those who were already needy. This Annual Appeal targets them in a special way. Please consider you gift to this most worthy campaign.
As registered Parishioners, you should have received an initial letter from Cardinal Tobin, asking your help in the Appeal. If you need an Appeal envelope, we have plenty in the back of the church and I ask you to please take one. Our official “in-pew” Commitment Sunday will be on March 6/7 when we will ask everyone to drop off their Appeal envelopes, but if you would like to drop your gift off earlier, feel free to put the designated envelope in the basket at any time (that is what I did last week). Please know how much I appreciate your kindness and generosity with this important Christian mission.
On a separate note, with the upcoming Lenten Season approaching on Ash Wednesday on February 17, we will be doing some things a bit differently because of the restrictions. This includes distribution of ashes and palms on Palm Sunday. We will do everything in accord with our directives from the USCCB. I will keep everyone informed of the procedures as I receive them.
In the meantime, please stay safe and resilient as we, hopefully, begin to see the end of this crisis, especially with the vaccine becoming more available. It is so encouraging to see some of you safely returning to Mass. There is no substitute for the Eucharist!
Please be well and assured of my prayers for you all, the wonderful Parishioners of St. Cassian.
Blessings,
Fr. Marc A. Vicari,
Pastor
