Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sunday, January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

PARISH STAFF Father Abuchi F. Nwosu ...... Pastor [email protected] Father Peter Oddo ...... Weekend Assistant Deacon Anthony Barile Deacon Al Kucinski Deacon Edward Muller (retired) 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 Phone ...... 973-579-2355 @Homestead Nursing Home Email ...... [email protected] Holy Days ...... 8:30 am & 7:00 pm

YOUTH MINISTER Aneesha Begraft ...... [email protected] EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Monday ...... 9:00 am - 12:00 pm DEACON AL KUCINSKI CONTACT INFORMATION (973)383-4158 ...... [email protected]

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday ...... 4:15 - 4:45 pm KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, Council 9920 Vincent Kornmeyer ...... Grand Knight SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM, MARRIAGE & [email protected] ANOINTING OF THE SICK

Please contact the office to arrange.

January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING: Saturday, January 30 Barnet, Ted Cassera, Canterbury Family, Fr. Angelus HEB 11:1-2, 8-19 / MK 4:35-41 Croce, Stephanie Cuomo, Emma Finnegan, 8:30 am Healing of Dan & April Impink Henry Kochanski, John Kucinski, Fr. Peter by Connie Van Hoven Oddo, Jennifer & Bella, Larry Domonkos, 5:00 pm Intentions of Fr. Abuchi Susanne Martone, Deacon Ed Muller, George by Born Again Catholic Shammas, Stephanie, Charles Sullivan,

Constance VanHoven, Brooke Zaleski Sunday, January 31 DT 18:15-20 / 1 COR 7:32-35 / MK 1:21-28 7:30 am Marco Mancini by Parish Staff A GOOD STEWARD 9:00 am Intentions of James Stadelman By Ron & Ann Johnson 11:00 am Steve DeAngelis by K of C Council 9920 Sunday

Monday, February 1 January 24 $ 1,772.00 HEB 11:32-40 / MK 5:1-20 Online Giving $ 395.00 8:30 am Joan G. Nisch by Parish Staff

Tuesday, February 2 – Feast of the Presentation of Thank you for your generosity! the Lord MAL 3:1-4 / HEB 2:14-18 / LK 2:22-40 or 2:22-32 8:30 am In Memory of Edward Muller, Sr. by Deacon Ed & Mary Lou Muller

This Week the Sanctuary Lamp Wednesday, February 3 HEB 12:4-7, 11-15 / MK 6:1-6 Burns In Honor of 7:00 pm Karen Marie Green by Tom & Darlene Scarince Fr. John Paul Ezeonyido

Thursday, February 4 HEB 12:18-19, 21-24 / MK 6:7-13 8:30 am Steve DeAngelis by Eleanor Long WOMEN AND MEN OF THE ARMED FORCES

Friday, – Memorial of Agatha, We ask God the Father, through the intercession of St. and the , to protect all the men and women in HEB 13:1-8 / MK 6:14-29 our Armed Forces. May they be brought back safely to those 8:30 am Intentions of Patricia Brady whom they love: Major Brandon Bennett, NJ Army National by Ron & Ann Johnson Guard (Federal); Larisa Furs, US Navy; Capt. Jason Gieniewski, US Army; Pvt. Daniel Michael Mobilio, Army; Captain Richi M. Pazdzierski, US Army; Captain Jane Petrick, Saturday, February 6 – Memorial of Saint Army; Lt. Daniel T. Pevarnik, Jr., National Guard; Pvt. Chance and Companions, Phillips, Army; Captain Cheryl Ryan, US Army; Seaman HEB 13:15-17, 20-21 / MK 6:30-34 Recruit Tyler Joseph Salonia; Ethan Swartz; Michael Valeich, 8:30 am Intentions of Rose Grabinski Staff Sergeant; Pvt. Kyle Titus, US Army; Pvt. Zachary by Ron & Ann Johnson Wharton, Robert Williams, Airm an 5:00 pm Vito Candella by Lombardo Family

Sunday, February 7 JB 7:1-4, 6-7 / 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23 / MK 1:29-39 7:30 am Deceased Members of Muller & Weisser Families by Deacon Ed & Mary Lou Muller 9:00 am Intentions of Lee Swiatek By Ron & Ann Johnson 11:00 am Cathy Powell by Eleanor Long

January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord – February 2 Scriptural Novena to The image of St. Joseph gazing By lovingly at Jesus in his arms can Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, S.T.D., S.S.L., D.D. provide a model for our prayer.

While little is known definitively Our local church of about the life of St. Joseph, much Paterson is happy to can be imagined from the fact that announce that our Bishop he was the foster father of Jesus. Emeritus -Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli has For example, as a loving father, he likely held the published a Scriptural infant Jesus in his arms. Novena in Honor of St. This particular image is a perfect model for us with Joseph. Along with the novena prayers, the bishop regard to contemplative prayer. offers biblical reflections on St. Joseph for each day.

The author of the 19th-century book The Life and It is written with deep devotion and respect for Jesus' Glories of St. Joseph reflects on this image. earthly father, these nine biblical reflections and prayers will help you to grow in your knowledge and St enjoyed for a brief hour a love of St. Joseph. You, your family, and the Church blissful ecstasy while reclining on the Bosom of the across the world will be blessed by praying to the Savior but how many times did not the Savior Himself take His repose on that of Joseph and sleep sweetly in holy, humble, just, and trustworthy St. Joseph. He his arms? Every kind of divine and human light has the power to assist and protect us as he did most inclosed in the Heart of the Savior must in a sense have perfectly for Mary and their Son. This Scriptural been infused into the soul of Joseph when He thus Novena can be easily used in private and public lovingly reposed in his embrace … we must place the devotions. incomparable Joseph at the head of all the greatest Our Holy Father- Francis declared 2021 as the contemplatives since he lived in a continual state of year of St. Joseph. Our parish will order these books contemplation in its most exalted form. to make some copies available. The books will be According to the Catechism of the , available in February. This will guide us for prayers “Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of and Novena before the Feast of St. Joseph on March the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on 19. Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery.” (CCC 2724) Men’s Evening of Lenten Recollection Contemplation might best be summarized by the With a Father's Heart: An Evening of Reflection phrase, “I look at him and he looks at me,” a description of prayer that “a certain peasant of Ars … on St. Joseph is an opportunity for men from used to say while praying before the tabernacle” (CCC around the diocese to enter deeper into Lent on 2715). Friday, February 26, from 7pm – 9pm. Doesn’t that phrase perfectly summarize the life of St. Together, we grow in faith, journey closer to God, Joseph, who so often looked at Jesus while he gazed and strengthen our family bonds. back at him? Conditions at the time of the event will determine if If we want to ascend the heights of the contemplative it's to be live or virtual. life, look to St. Joseph as a supreme example! If live, the night will include a Lenten meal of Quote of the Week: “ took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He delicious bread and hearty soup. said, ‘Now, master, let your servant go in peace Sign up according to your word, because my eyes have seen your visit: https://insidethewalls.org/lentenreflection salvation.’”—Luke 2:28-30

January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Memoril of Saint Paul Miki and Companions,

Martyrs – February 6 , , is Memorial of Saint Blaise familiar to Americans as the city On February 3, 2021, the on which the second Memorial of Saint Blaise, bishop atomic bomb was and martyr, priests and deacons dropped, may impart the blessing of throats immediately killing over 37,000 people. Three and a over the people in a general way, as half centuries before, 26 were in the blessing at the conclusion of crucified on a hill, now known as the Holy Mountain, Mass or other liturgical overlooking Nagasaki. Among them were priests, celebrations, without crossed brothers, and laymen, , Jesuits, and candles and without the faithful coming forward members of the ; there were individually. Individual blessing of throats is catechists, doctors, simple artisans, and servants, old suspended this year. Since not all parishioners will men and innocent children—all united in a common be here on February 3, we will offer general blessing faith and love for Jesus and His Church. on this Sunday, January 31.

Brother Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki Knights of Columbus preached to the people gathered for the execution: Announcements “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from The Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only Mt. Carmel Council # 9920 is having reason for my being killed is that I have taught the their annual 50/50 Raffle to raise funds for the Joseph doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine A. Lacovara Memorial Scholarship Award. Tickets of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I will be $5.00 each or $20.00 for five tickets. A believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I member of the Knights will be in the back of the know you believe me and I want to say to you all Church after each Mass. once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my COVID-19 Vaccine Registration fellow men as a fruitful rain.” Go to https://covidvaccine.nj.gov Covid-19 vaccines are on the way to hospitals and When returned to Japan in the 1860s, clinics across new Jersey. You can reserve your spot at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after to get a vaccine now by pre-registration here. We’ll ask establishing themselves they found that thousands of some questions to determine when you are eligible to Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had receive a vaccination. secretly preserved the faith. Beatified in 1627, the Filling out this form should take about 15 minutes and martyrs of Japan were finally canonized in 1862. the information you enter will be kept private with the Reflection State of New Jersey. Reserve your spot.

Today, a new era has come for the Church in Japan. Although the number of Catholics is not large, Quote of the Week: the Church is respected and has total religious “Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. freedom. The spread of Christianity in the Far East is He said, ‘Now, master, let your servant go in peace slow and difficult. Faith such as that of the 26 according to your word, because my eyes have seen martyrs is needed today as much as in 1597. your salvation.’”—Luke 2:28-30

January 31, 2021 Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“ An authority with stunning power of words. And He continues to offer comfort to the anxious, calm to the distressed, hope to those in despair. ”

January 3st, will mark the 106th birthday of a man whose own conversion became one of the most famous in the 20th century: Thomas Merton. He grew up in Douglaston, Queens, studied at Columbia and Oxford, loved jazz and cigarettes and beautiful girls, and then fell head over heels in love with Christ. He became a Catholic, then a few years later, a Trappist monk. Christ called out to the raging demons within Merton’s heart, “Quiet!” With his life totally changed he embraced a life of silence in a monastery in Kentucky and gave his life completely to God. That is how God works.

In today's gospel, Jesus transformed a possessed man's life with the power of His words "Quiet." It is the very first day of public ministry for Jesus, according to the gospel of Mark. And He went, where you might expect a ministry to begin, to a place of worship—the local synagogue at Capernaum. It was a Sabbath day. "The faithful religious folk of that town gathered, as they did each Sabbath, in obedience to God’s command. But it is during the midst of that very worship service that Jesus is confronted by a man possessed with an unclean spirit. What is he doing in the synagogue during a Sabbath worship service? If Jesus had encountered this man on the streets, or at a bar, or in a brothel, we might not be so surprised. But in a place of worship? Now that is an unexpected place to wage battle with the forces of darkness, isn’t it?"

"For first-century Israelites, a person with an unclean spirit was totally beyond help. Probably many of those afflicted with such spirits would be classified today as suffering from various mental illnesses. Can you imagine the fear it would cause in that century when a person lost control during an epileptic seizure, or during a psychotic episode? Without the understanding and medicine and professional care such persons receive today, you can predict the way these poor souls were treated by their frightened neighbors in Jesus’ day! Lacking the medical and psychological advances of our day, first-century Israelites diagnosed such unexplained anomalies as the influence of a devil, a possession by a demonic power." With only a word, "quiet", Jesus trumped the darkness that seized the man, and restored him to the person God had created him to be all along. God never intended the darkness to win.

The healing by Jesus has two moral lessons. It is, of course, about good conquering evil. But it also involves a conversion of heart and mind and spirit. It is the healing of a troubled soul. At the very outset of His public ministry, Christ gave peace. Even now, He continues to offer comfort to the anxious, calm to the distressed, hope to those in despair. How many today need that message? The world is starving for it. The country needs it especially now people are so angry and very divided. Even in this heated political climate and things not going the way we have always wanted, hoped or expected, He wants us to be quiet. Sadly, we also live in a time when we are suffering from the effects of the raging pandemic, when people are suffering from demons they might not even be able to name. Depression. Anxiety. Worry. Sometimes, the demons might even be other people. But in the face of all these countless problems, this gospel offers simple reassurance. Whatever demons might be afflicting you, Jesus can call them out. Christ’s first word to that troubled man in the gospel is His word to all of us, no matter what troubles are possessing us: Quiet. Do not let force and power of darkness take control of you. Let God fully into your life and do not let fears or uncertainties prevail. Trust in Him and be quiet. In fact, the psalmist put it so beautifully: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). --Fr. Abuchi