Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sunday, September 13, 2020 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

PARISH STAFF Father Abuchi F. Nwosu ...... Pastor [email protected] Father Peter Oddo ...... Weekend Assistant Anthony Barile Deacon Al Kucinski Deacon Edward Muller Dan Salvatore ...... Coordinator of Religious Education

Caroline Mazzola ...... Secretary Ann Johnson ...... Secretary

PARISH OFFICE 203 Newton-Swartswood Road • Swartswood, NJ 07860 WEEKEND MASSES

Hours ...... 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Saturday ...... 5:00 pm Phone ...... 973-383-3566 Sunday ...... 7:30, 9:00 & 11:00 am Fax ...... 973-383-3831 Email ...... [email protected] Web ...... www.olmcswartswood.org DAILY MASSES Monday-Saturday ...... 8:30 am (except Wednesday)

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OFFICE Wednesday ...... 7:00 pm Hours ...... 9:00 am - 1:00 pm First Friday Mass ...... 2:00 pm @Homestead Nursing Home Phone ...... 973-579-2355 Email ...... [email protected] Holy Days ...... 8:30 am & 7:00 pm

OLMC JOY CLUB (Just Older Youth) EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Patricia Cholasta ...... 973-534-7733 Monday ...... 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

YOUTH MINISTER SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Aneesha Begraft ...... [email protected] Saturday ...... 4:15 - 4:45 pm

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, Council 9920 SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM, MARRIAGE & Vincent Kornmeyer ...... Grand Knight ANOINTING OF THE SICK [email protected] Please contact the office to arrange.

September 13, 2020 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING Ann Bott, Walter Brock Jr., Bradley Burchfield, Ellen Burroughs, Ted Cassera, Colon, Olivia Compton, Fr. Saturday, September 12 Angelus Croce, Stephanie Cuomo, Ingrid Diaz, Kara Deserto, 1 COR 10:14-22 / LK 6:43-49 Ray Doyle, Barbara Ingallinera, Eva Kieger, Ava Kljajic, 8:30 am Intentions of Frank Roehrig by Parish Staff Kochanski, Bruce Konar, Joshua Koontz, Alex 5:00 pm Joan Hall by Parish Staff Krucinski, John Kucinski, Kden LeoGrande, Pete Mahler, Maria Mallozzi, Mary Jo Manno, Deacon Charles Mathias,

Sunday, September 13 Susanne Martone, Greyson Christopher Mueller, Deacon Ed SIR 27:30—28:7 / ROM 14:7-9 / MT 18:21-35 Muller, Mary Ellen Nienstedt, Stephen Osborn, Jason Parker, Harry Pasternak Sr., Lorraine Paxton, Laura Pierce, Peter F. 7:30 am Intentions of Helen Oravec Reynolds, Tammy Rivers, Charles Schult, William Schult, by Ron & Ann Johnson Carol Rock, Colleen Romano, Olga Romeo, Linda Ross, Rose 9:00 am Phyllis Palisi-Reynolds by Marybeth Ganning Marie Sciascia, Carole Salvatore, John Samsock, Greg 11:00 am Joe Zukowski, Sr. by Joe Zukowski, Jr. Schmiditty, Marianne Skrocki, Debbie Smith, Stephanie, Andrew Sorce, Richie Sorce, Kenneth Spellman, Dale Monday, September 14 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Swoboda, Connie Van Hoven, & Vince Ventresca, Fred Holy Cross Worman, Brooke Zaleski NM 21:4B-9 / PHIL 2:6-11 / JN 3:13-17

8:30 am Dana Ferrari by Pupo Family A GOOD STEWARD

Tuesday, September 15 - Memorial of Our Lady of Sunday Sorrows 1 COR 12:12-14, 27-31A / JN 19:25-27 September 6 $ 2,500.00 8:30 am Intentions of Fran Sorce by OLMC Joy Club Online Giving $ 465.00

Wednesday, – Memorial of Cornelius, & , , Thank you for your generosity! 1 COR 12:31-13:13 / LK 7:31-35 7:00 pm For Blessings of God to OLMC Benefactors *This weekend’s 2nd collection is for Diocesan by Parish Staff Assessment

Thursday, September 17 1 COR 15:1-11 / LK 7:36-50 This Week the Sanctuary Lamp 8:30 pm Karen Weisser Burns for the Intentions of by Deacon Ed & Mary Lou Muller Richard Sorge

Friday, September 18 1 COR 15:12-20 / LK 8:1-3 WOMEN AND MEN OF THE ARMED FORCES 8:30 am Steve DeAngelis We ask God the Father, through the intercession of St. by Deacon Ed & Mary Lou Muller Michael the , to protect all the men and women in our Armed Forces. May they be brought back safely to those Saturday, September 19 whom they love: Major Brandon Bennett, NJ Army National 1 COR 15:35-37, 42-49 / LK 8:4-15 8:30 am Intentions of Delaney Family Guard (Federal); Larisa Furs, US Navy; Capt. Jason by Parish Staff Gieniewski, US Army; Pvt. Michael Mobilio, Army; Captain Richi M. Pazdzierski, US Army; Captain Jane Petrick, 5:00 pm Rosemarie Hyland by Parish Staff Army; Lt. Daniel T. Pevarnik, Jr., National Guard; Pvt. Chance Phillips, Army; Captain Cheryl Ryan, US Army; Seaman Sunday, September 20 Recruit Tyler Joseph Salonia; Ethan Swartz; Michael Valeich, IS 55:6-9 / PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A / MT 20:1-16A Staff Sergeant; Pvt. Kyle Titus, US Army; Pvt. Zachary 7:30 am Scholastica Ndeche by Barbara Froetscher Wharton, Robert Williams, Airman 9:00 am Doug Ernst by Parish Staff 11:00 am August Silbernagel by Deacon Tony & Beth Barile

September 13, 2020 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope and The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Cyprian, Bishop, martyrs celebrates two historical events: the St. Cornelius discovery of the True Cross by Pope Cornelius (251-253) was the successor Helena, the mother of the Emperor to . During his reign a Constantine, in 320 under the temple of Venus in Jerusalem, and the controversy arose concerning the manner of dedication in 335 of the basilica and shrine built on Calvary reinstating those who had fallen from the by Constantine, which mark the site of the Crucifixion. faith under the duress of persecution. The The basilica, named the Martyrium, and the shrine, named Novatians accused the Pope of too great the Calvarium, were destroyed by the Persians in 614. The indulgence and separated themselves from Church of the Holy sepulcher which now stands on the site the Church. With the help of St. Lucina, Cornelius was built by the crusaders in 1149. transferred the remains of the princes of the apostles to However the feast, more than anything else, is a places of greater honor. On account of his successful celebration and commemoration of God's greatest work: his preaching the pagans banished him to Centumcellae, salvific death on the Cross and His Resurrection, through where he died. St. Cyprian sent him a letter of which death was defeated and the doors to Heaven opened. condolence. At the time of Pope Cornelius there were at The entrance antiphon for the Feast of the Exaltation of the forty-six , seven , seven sub Holy Cross is: "We should glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus deacons, forty-two , fifty-two clerics and more Christ, for he is our salvation, our life and our resurrection: than five hundred widows who were supported by the through him we are saved and made free." Church (according to Cornelius' letter to Bishop Fabian PARISH PARKING LOT & SECURITY CAMERAS of ). Patron: against ear ache; against epilepsy; My dear parishioners, your contribution and generosity made fever; cattle; domestic animals. the parking lot project a reality. We are still raising funds for the parking lot and security cameras for our safety. The camera VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV installation will cost over $2,500.00. With another twenty seven thousand we would reach the goal to the cost of the newly paved parking lot. St. Cyprian Honestly, I have NO idea how much to ask you for, but a gift Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus, illustrious as a of $______is something you'd be able to consider? You can also pagan rhetorician in Carthage, embraced the make a pledge to be paid in installments. Envelopes are provided true faith in the year 246 and was soon for your convenience at all doors of the church. Please fill out thereafter consecrated and bishop of the amount of your contribution or if you want to make monthly that city (248). He was an energetic shepherd installments over a 12 month period. of souls and a prolific writer. He defended the Together we can build our parish and I thank you for your tremendous support all this while. unity of the Church against schismatic movements in Total received to date: $ 59,585.00 Africa and Italy, and greatly influenced the shaping of Unpaid pledges: $ 1,275.00 Church discipline relative to reinstating Christians who Total: $ 61,035.00 had apostatized. He fled during the Decian persecution but guided the Church by means of letters. During the SACRAMENTAL NEEDS Valerian persecution (258) he was beheaded. He suffered Sacrament of Anointing: Please call the parish priest as soon martyrdom in the presence of his flock, after giving the as there is any serious illness. executioner twenty-five pieces of gold. St. says of Ministry to the Sick: Please call the parish office for a priest him: "It is superfluous to speak of his greatness, for his visit to the physically handicapped, aged, hospitalized, sick and works are more luminous than the sun." Cyprian ranks as shut in. an important Church Father, one whose writings are Sacrament of Reconciliation: The Sacrament of Reconciliation universally respected and often read in the Divine Office. is celebrated individually every Saturday afternoon at 4:15pm or His principal works are: On the Unity of the Church; On by individual appointment with Fr. Abuchi at any time. Apostates; a collection of Letters; The Lord's Prayer; On Baptisms: Parents may contact the parish before or after their child's birth. The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated every the Value of Patience. Patron: Algeria; North Africa. Sunday at the 11 am Mass or after. We also accommodate other days. You will be invited to attend a Pre-Baptismal session either Sponsor Certificates: Letters of recommendation for before or after the birth of your child. sponsors of the Sacraments can be issued only to active Sacramental Marriage ~ The couple should contact the office registered members of the parish who are receiving the several months before the desired date for the marriage to insure Sacraments on a regular basis. proper preparation for this Sacrament. Those who are civilly married may also contact the priest to help them convalidate their marriage in the Church.

September 13, 2020 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Anger is a natural human passion, we must be aware of its presence and potential for danger.”

September 11, 2001, nineteen years ago this week, a handful of Islamic extremists hijacked the airplanes that struck the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon—that date, September 11—a day that will live in infamy; seared into the American consciousness like Pearl Harbor Day on December 7. Then as a seminarian in the college, I could not believe what I was seeing on the television.

"After the initial shock, after the sadness, after the helplessness, the feeling that persisted for many was anger. We wanted justice. We wanted retaliation. Someone should pay, and pay dearly, for this evil and murderous act. Right? Whatever your politics, it is understandable that such an attack on American soil would provoke a national response. And so, airline travel was much more carefully screened, especially for those who fit the profile of suspected terrorists. Our military was fanned out in several theatres of conflict, trying to use force to bring our enemies to justice, and to secure the sense of national security that was shattered on 9-11. Our political leaders voiced the rhetoric of moral strength, of stubborn resolve, of limitless resources that would be used to restore the world to the way it was before September 11. And, for many, if not most, Americans, this response seemed appropriate."

Till this day we are still angry. "We can still see the planes, mobile incendiary bombs, flying into the World Trade Center towers; we can still see the bodies of many in the towers who hurled themselves into the void to flee incineration; we can still see those two great towers, symbols of the economic power of the United States, collapsing in on themselves like houses of cards. 9/11 -- they are the numbers which have changed our lives, because trust and openness have vanished as travel has become a series of obstacles to be overcome -- not an experience to be pleasantly anticipated." In fact, it is difficult to capture what this anniversary means to us as Americans, as New Yorkers, as Catholic Christians. The things we feel are almost beyond words. We are still, in many ways, groping in the dark, struggling to find a way to deal with what happened, and how much our lives and our world have changed. It completely changed how we want sense of justice for all the radical Islamist. Now almost a generation later, the masterminds of the attack have been killed, many radical Islamists have been killed but the world still feels unsafe, both at home and abroad. For many, the scars of 9-11 just won’t heal. Just as for some, the scars of wars fought many years earlier has not healed.

Yet, this day, as we come before the altar of God with our prayers and petitions, our grief and our anger, we hear these words from the book of Sirach: “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.” Sirach reflects on how difficult it is for people to forgive others even as they ask the Lord to forgive them. He observes that people are inclined to "hug tight" or "cherish" wrath and anger. The question is how do you and I deal with our personal anger when we have been unjustly wronged? How do we deal with the awareness that injustice does not always get punished, at least not to our satisfaction? The readings today from Sirach and Saint Matthew give us some pointers on this subject. First, although anger is a natural human passion, we must be aware of its presence and potential for danger. The scripture even counsels us to “Be angry, but sin not. But do not allow the sun to go down on your anger, and thus make room for the devil” (Ephesians 4:26), confirming that there will be times when it is appropriate to be angry, but warning us that our anger and wrath may also become sinful if it gets too imbedded into our spirit." Sometimes we deliberately keep anger alive within our spirits, nursing it to greater and greater strength like a nursing mother, holding her child to her bosom.

When we are tempted to hold on to our anger, or to retaliate against those who have wronged us, we should remember how we have received so much more grace from God than we will ever give to another person. In the gospel, Jesus says it again: “Forgive your brother,” he says, “from your heart.” That is, to forgive and never to keep track. But how? I wish I knew. I wish there were a mystical way to click on a forgiveness switch in the

September 13, 2020 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

human heart. I wish I knew how to love all my enemies and pray for all my persecutors and “forgive my neighbor’s injustice” – even this most heinous injustice of all. I think perhaps that forgiveness – like conversion – is a journey. The human heart isn’t necessarily converted overnight. C.S. Lewis put it beautifully, “To be a Christian,” he wrote, “is to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven it in us.” The readings counsels us about dangers of anger as well as the healing effects of human forgiveness. The ability of letting go is the most effective way of dealing with anger, forgiveness and healing ourselves. --Fr. Abuchi

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Three things are necessary to everyone: truth of faith which brings understanding, love of Christ which brings compassion and endurance of hope which brings perseverance.” --Saint