May 19, 2013
To Be Clothed with Power
Come Holy Spirit!
Jesus told his disciples “to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke
24:49). The Lord was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom He would send at Pentecost. The
disciples and the Blessed Virgin Mary obeyed Jesus and they stayed in the city, locked themselves in a room,
waited and prayed. On Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit descended like “tongues of fire” on each of them
and they were filled with different gifts. Some were able to speak in strange tongues, some began to preach
and some were given the gift of healing. All of these gifts were given for the purpose of bringing people to
Jesus Christ and building up His Church. And it worked. There were 5,000 converts that first day!
The Holy Spirit has decreed that the Body of Christ should manifest both unity and diversity. We are all one
body in Christ, and this is why we care very much what happens to our brothers and sisters around us and
around the world. But we are also conscious that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people. Some
people are great teachers, some healers, some have the gift of preaching and evangelization, some of being
good mothers and fathers, builders, farmers, youth directors, musicians, etc.
It is wise to evaluate the gifts that God has given to you and the ones that He has not given to you. We should
always admire the gifts that God has given to others and commend them for using those gifts for God, but we
should not allow this to make us angry, jealous or ungrateful for our own gifts. This comparing ourselves to
others can lead to pride. Pride is always about comparing ourselves to others and desiring in a disordered way
to be (or to be seen) as superior to others. If every person were equally intelligent, equally musical, equally
rich, equally athletic, equally popular, etc., then pride would not exist.
St. Francis said, “Who you are before God is who you are, and nothing more.” St. Teresa of Avila wrote:
“Humility is the true appreciation of one’s gifts.” We are all one in Jesus Christ; all part of the human race,
made in God’s image and likeness. But we are also different and that is the way God has designed it. Let’s
thank the Lord today for the gifts that He has given to us, and for the gifts which He has not! Remember the
Providence of God. In Heaven, the greatest person will not be the person who received the most gifts but the
one who most used the gifts they received. We have all been clothed with power from on high. Let’s use our
gifts well!
Come Holy Spirit!
Fr. Brett Brannen
Pastor
Knights of Columbus Picnic!
Weekly Collection
Weekly Offertory – May 12, 2013
Electronic Giving this week:
$6707.93
$635.00
Pray for our Sick
May 19 from 4:00 pm - 7:30 pm. All parish men (and their sons /
grandsons / nephews) are invited to join us for hot dogs, hamburgers
and fixings! Please RSVP with the church (912-681-6726) or
Brother Joseph Jennings at jtjennings@gmail.com or 912.225.4141)
Please sign up for our Knights of Columbus
Chalice Program. Take the chalice home and
pray for priestly vocations with your family. The
John and Amanda Locke family took the
chalice at the 10:30 am Mass today. A family is
needed to take the chalice next week.
For those in the Military
New Church Signs
Nicholas Stenftenagel, Sean Sullivan, Brian Sullivan, Matthew
Robbins, Clint Mixon, Lance Rewis, Chris Mock, Anthony Mullen,
Kevin Tyler, Jeremiah Jones, Trevor Alderman, Sean Limbach, and
Sarah Sullivan.
Very soon, you will see construction begin on
two brick, monument style signs which will
say “St. Matthew Catholic Church.” The signs
will be located on the corners of Gentilly and
N. Edgewood, and Gentilly and John Paul
Ave. This is the next project in our master
landscaping plan and it will make our church
much more noticeable while driving down
Gentilly. The brick will match our church
exactly and the signs will be lit up at night and
landscaped beautifully.
This Week at St. Matthew’s
Date:
Activities
Mass Intention:
Readings
May 19
Sun.
Masses
8 am
10:30 am
Baccalaureate
4 – 7:30 pm – K
of C Picnic
8 am – Pro Populo
10:30 am –+Donald Lee
Ricketts
Acts 2:1-11;
Ps 104:1,
24, 29-31,
34; 1 Cor
12:3b-7, 1213 or Rom
8:8-17; Jn
20:19-23 or
Jn 14:1516, 23b-26
Sir 1:1-10;
Ps 93:1-2,
5; Mk 9:1429
Sir 2:1-11;
Ps 37:3-4,
18-19, 2728, 39-40;
Mk 9:30-37
Sir 4:11-19;
Ps 119:165,
168, 171172, 174175; Mk
10:38-45
Sir 5:1-8;
Ps 1:1-4, 6;
Mk 9:41-50
Sir 6:5-17;
Ps 119:12,
16, 18, 27,
34-35; Mk
10:1-12
Sir 17:1-15;
Ps 103:1318; Mk
10:13-16
Welcome to Seminarian Chris Hassell:
Chris Hassell is a seminarian for our diocese who has just completed
his second year of philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in
Maryland. He still has five years, four years of studies and one
pastoral year, before he will be ordained a priest. He has been
assigned to work at St. Matthew’s for the first part of the summer
and he will then move to Savannah and be assigned with Fr. B to
Blessed Sacrament Church for the last part of the summer. Please
welcome Chris warmly when he arrives on May 27th and get to know
him quickly. He will leave on June 12th!
May 20
Mon.
May 21
Tues.
May 22
Wed.
12:10 pm Mass
7 pm K of C
meeting
12:10 pm Mass
6 pm
Confirmation
Practice
12:10 pm Mass
+Danilo Ronquillo
Pastor’s Wish List
Our thanks to John Beblowski who has finished installing the
cabinets and chair railing in our conference room. The last items
needed to finish this space are conference room chairs. We need
16 chairs. Nine of those have already been covered via donations.
If you are interested in donating the cost of one of the remaining
seven chairs, please contact the parish office. The cost of each
chair is $150.
Parish Council Nominations
Nominations are being sought for Parish Council. Any adult,
eighteen (18) years old and older shall be eligible to vote, and
serve as a voting member on the Parish council. However,
only one member of any household may serve as a voting
member of the council at any time. Nomination forms are
available in the narthex.
K of C Chalice Program for
Priestly Vocations
Karl Collins, Helen and Jack Daily, Claire Krissinger, Mel Fortin,
Russ Trio, Mary Ann Paul, Liz Sullivan, Charlotte Schlossel,
Peggy Garvin, Walt Mitchell, Puncho Bicoy, Kai Owens, Micky
Salazar, Kathy Norton, Chantel Considine, Madelynne Girardeau,
Bob Brannen, Rebecca Rose, Linda Rangel and Margie Rouse. If
someone needs to be added to the list for Communion Ministry to the
Homebound, please contact Dr. James Stephens at 489-7025.
Fr. Brannen Away
Fr. B will be away for the next seven days. He will be in Miami from
Monday to Friday preaching a retreat for the priests of that
Archdiocese. He will then fly to Denver to witness the wedding vows
of Caitlyn Mulcahy (our former FOCUS missionary) and Jacob Pride
( a former FOCUS missionary and former seminarian!) He will fly
back late Sunday evening, May 26th.
please be generous in this Collection. CCC
is how the Good News gets around to you.
May 23
Thurs.
12:10 pm Mass
Bapt. Anniv. – Kaylin Berry
May 24
Fri.
12:10 pm Mass
Bapt. Anniv – Peter Mallary
and John Tolliver
May 25
Sat.
4 pm Confessions
5 pm Spanish
Mass
Bapt Anniv. – Jack
O’Malley,
Catherine
Stambuk
and
Viki
Gleissner
Reception for Fr. Brannen
You are invited to join us in the Fr. Robert
Girardeau Parish Center on June 2 after the
10:30 am Mass for a farewell reception for Fr.
Brannen. Please bring a finger food to share.
The parish will provide tea and lemonade. A
basket will be available for cards.
VBS Registration Today!
VBS – June 10-14, 2013, for ages Pre-K – 5th
grade. Registration after both Masses today,
May 19th!
Anthony Rainey & Sarah O’Malley
May 25, 2013
Jacob Pride and Caitlin Mulcahy
May 25, 2013
Call to Holiness Summer
Vocations Camp for Girls
Sunday, June 23 – Wednesday, June 26,
2013. For rising 7th graders through youth 18
years of age. Girls thrive at this lively summer
camp that helps develop healthy friendships
and a Catholic identity. Participants will go to
daily Mass, participate in prayer and
Eucharistic Adoration, and have fun with
sports, games, arts and crafts, skits, and
music. Activities are complemented by the
joyful spirituality of religious sisters, who will
give talks about growing closer to Jesus,
being a beautiful daughter of God, and what
it means to have a vocation. They will teach
the girls to emulate Mary as the “super
model” who changed the world by saying
“yes” to God.
On behalf of our students, parents and
parishioners, we would like to thank our CCD
teachers and aides for the time and effort
they put in to make our program successful!
Your many hours of hard work, study and
lesson planning are appreciated. Have a
great summer!
Wednesday, June 26 – Saturday, June 29,
2013. Rising 7th graders through youth 18
years of age. This dynamic summer camp is
for boys who want to play hard and pray
hard! Awesome outdoor activities combined
with a strong Catholic spirituality make for a
healthy and holy experience. Activities
include tug-o-war, slip n’ slides, mud pits,
capture the flag, and earth ball. Spiritual
activities include Holy Mass, the Rosary,
inspiring talks, music, and personal
prayer.The camp is run by the seminarians
of our diocese, and the emphasis is on
listening to God’s voice and courageously
following wherever He leads.
To register, or for more information,
visit www.savannahpriest.com.
Catholic Communications
Knights of Columbus
Today our parish will take up the Collection
for the Catholic Communication Campaign
(CCC). This Collection communicates the
Good News through Catholic social media
activities and enriches our faith through
podcasts, television, radio, and print media.
Half of all proceeds remain in our diocese, so
Parish Life
Please pray for our engaged couples:
Vocatio Dei Summer Vocations
Camp for Boys
Thank you!
Jacob Almeter, Avery Hanna, and Kevin
O’Keefe
Please DONATE items for the
Saint Matthews Garage Sale
Furniture – Clothing – Miscellaneous Items
Call Howard Taylor at 912-225-4174 or
Steve Price at 912-687-6291 for pick up.
Please pray for the men who will be
ordained priests for our Diocese on June 1:
Kyle Rehm & Lacey Dickey
June 8 2013
Michael Early & Mandy Kadlec
June 28, 2013
Thomas Krause & Laura Healy
September 14, 2013
Joseph Hermann & Allyson Rhodes
October 4, 2014
Confirmation 2013
Congratulations to those who were
confirmed last week: Jonathan Balthazar,
Michael Chambers, Ruby Flores, Linda
Gonzalez, Natalia Gonzalez, Lilliana
Guzman, Jordan Keffer, Lorenzo Leonardo,
Meredith Nobles, Nnedi Okafor, Brett
Thomas, and Tara Thompson.
BAA Update:
St. Matthew’s is getting closer to meeting our
goal for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal! So far,
$36.362 have been given or pledged towards
our target of $41,722. This represents 87%
of our target yet this is coming from only 121
of our 390 families. If you have already sent
a donation to help Bp. Hartmayer run our
diocese, thank you very much! If you have
not, please do this as soon as you can. Feel
free to give a one time gift of any amount you
are able, even if it is only $10. The people of
St. Matthew’s have always been most
generous both to the parish and to the
diocese!
Plan Ahead:
May 19 – Pentecost
May 19 – 2nd Collection – Catholic
Communications Campaign
May 19 – Baccalaureate – 10:30 am Mass
May 19 – Last Sunday of Religious Education
May 19 – K of C Picnic, 4-7:30 pm
May 27 – Memorial Day – Office closed
June 2 – Reception for Fr. Brannen 11:30 am
June 10 -14 – VBS 9 am - noon