Dear Parish Family,

The Catholic Church has entered the “Ordinary Time” in our Liturgical calendar, but it is far from ordinary. We have been challenged these last few months, but Jesus reminds us to remember that he is always with us even during challenging times. In today’s readings, he tells us to take up our cross and follow and love him above all others. What better way to show our love but by attending Mass and receiving the body of Christ. It is wonderful to be able to see our parishioners returning to the Church for the celebration of the Holy Mass.

The Bishop was very clear that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass will remain in effect until further notice. It is not a sin, in any way to not attend Mass especially if you are elderly or have underlining conditions where it is necessary for you to keep the Stay at Home Orders. The decision regarding whether to attend Mass is left to the individual. If you or someone in your household is ill, especially with a fever or flu like symptoms please do not enter the Church.

1. We have reopened the Church in Phase 2.
2. There will be a limited number of parishioners that can attend Mass inside the Church.
3. Mass schedule will be:
   Saturday: 5:00pm (Vigil Mass)
   Sunday: 7:30am, 9:00am, 10:30am, 12:00pm, 1:30pm (Spanish)
4. The 9:00am and 1:30pm Masses will continue to be available for everyone to view on Facebook.
5. Please note that the restrooms will be closed until further notice and you will not be able to use them.

Dear Parish Family,

Welcome back!! Last weekend we reopened our Church for the first time since this pandemic closed our parishes back in March. It felt wonderful to see the parishioners back in Church. We continue to follow the guidelines set by the Governor of NJ and hope soon that we all can return to our churches to celebrate the action of the Eucharist, to hear the scriptures proclaimed and to offer our lives in bread and wine.

The Bishop was very clear that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass will remain in effect until further notice. It is not a sin, in any way to not attend Mass especially if you are elderly or have underlining conditions where it is necessary for you to keep the Stay at Home Orders. The decision regarding whether to attend Mass is left to the individual. If you or someone in your household is ill, especially with a fever or flu like symptoms please do not enter the Church.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.”—Psalm 116:17

Eucharist means thanksgiving. When we go to Mass we are offering God a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all that He has done for us and all that He continues to do. In a special way Eucharistic Adoration is also a prayer of thanksgiving. When you find it difficult to pray or do not know what to say to God why not count your blessings? Try to think about the ways God has blessed you today, in this week, in this year. Once you begin to recognize the many ways God is already blessing you, your heart will overflow with praise.

Adoration is an encounter with the living God, it is a moment when we allow Him to affirm the truth that He made us and He desires that we exist. He desires that we might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). The answer to every question which pours forth from the human heart is love. We come to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament to understand, to be healed, to be free. We come and we place our needs before Him, for ourselves and for those whom we love. Yet at base, what we are truly seeking to ‘know’ is that we are loved by God. He affirms this by simply remaining with us, with calling us to Himself. Jesus’ love is deep, pure, and strong. He not only created you, He desires you. Jesus thirsts for you. May we come to Adoration to express our deep love and thirst for Him.

Dear Parish Family,

Today we celebrate The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Feast of Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a Catholic liturgical solemnity celebrating the Real Presence of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the elements of the Eucharist. We have much to celebrate today as we are able to receive the Most Holy Body of Jesus in a public Mass inside our Church.

Beginning this weekend, June 13/14, we have received the directives from the State of NJ and the Diocese of Metuchen that we may return to public Masses. Thank be to God! We will also begin weekday Mass at 8:00 am. The Bishop was very clear that the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass will remain in effect until further notice. It is not a sin, in any way to not attend Mass especially if you are elderly or have underlining conditions where it is necessary for you to keep the Stay at Home Orders. The decision regarding whether to attend Mass is left to the individual. If you or someone in your household is ill, especially with a fever or flu like symptoms please do not enter the Church.

“We Love Because He First Loved Us.”—1John 4:19

In prayer we allow Jesus to love us. Our desire to love Jesus is in direct proportion to our recognition of His great personal love for us. This is why looking at God’s action in our lives, both in the past and presently, is so important. If God continually reminded the Israelites of old to remember His works, it was to fortify them in the truth that He loved them and would always provide for their needs. When we look at our own lives we too can see how time and again God has provided for us superabundantly. The more we recognize how much God has loved us, protected us, and guided us, the more we will grow in our love for Him since gratitude is the beginning of love. May we continually go to prayer to receive love so as to make a return of love.

Dear Parish Family,

Today we celebrate The Most Holy Trinity. The Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and life...the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them" (CCC 234). The three Persons of the Holy Trinity are distinct but not separate. Each has it’s own name because each is a distinct Person: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. While three persons, there is only one divine intellect and one divine will, which all three Persons share equally. This means what the Father knows, the Son and the Spirit know . What one Person wills, all three wills. The Holy Trinity is the greatest mystery of the Christian religion.

Dear Parish Family,

At Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Parish as throughout our diocese, the Church will be without public Mass. Father Brighenti, Father Matt and Father Trigilio will be saying the Masses privately to fulfill the Mass Obligations. Daily a Mass will be celebrated by our priests so many will hopefully participate through live streaming. We are encouraged to make a Spiritual Communion opening our hearts so the Lord can commune with us. He is waiting; He is still stretching out his arms from the Cross!

Our Church doors will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily and on Saturday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm and Sunday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Praying in large groups, however, should be avoided. In all situations, participants should be encouraged to observe social distancing practices, recommending 6 feet of space between participants. The Church is open so that we can come on our own initiative on our own schedule to pray silently to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, to pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Stations of the Cross, etc.

Dear Parish Family,

It is hard to believe that it has been fifty days since Easter Sunday. Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and their followers, and the beginning of their Earthly ministry to make disciples of all nations. The authority that Christ gave his Apostles through the Holy Spirit extends through the bishops today. The Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church. In fact, St. Augustine said that the Holy Spirit was the soul of the Church. Just as the soul gives life to the body, so also the Spirit gives life to the Church. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit and ask for patience and guidance as we continue to navigate through this pandemic.

Dear Parish Family,

Today we celebrate The Feast of the Ascension, the elevation of Christ into Heaven by His own power in presence of His disciples. Jesus reminds the apostles that he will always be with them, through his Spirit. We can easily see that he says the same to us, especially during this difficult time. Being reassured of his abiding presence and love can only motivate us to continue to live in faith and hope, as he invites us to celebrate this presence with each other, even if we do it from a distance.

Dear Parish Family,

As we continue the Easter Season, we are reminded by the Lord that he is the way to the Father, he is the truth of the Father’s love, and he is the life made real for us. This is not just what we believe, it is also a reassurance during this time of COVID-19. We need assurance that all is well, despite the different and difficult situation we are experiencing. There has to be someone who offers us something different, a ray of hope at a time like this. It is Jesus who stands with us, reminding us that he is present in and through us. He invites us to reflect that presence in who we are and how we interact with one another. While this Easter Season has been most unusual for all of us, a time to reflect more deeply on the resurrection and its impact and effect in our lives. We will continue to live-stream the Mass every day at 8:00 am until we can all gather together in the Church for Mass.

Eucharistic Adoration is also available every day for you to come and pray silently, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Please remember that we are to follow social distancing while in the Church.

Dear Parish Family,

I hope that all of you are taking care of yourselves and your families and are all well. It is easy to become discouraged, frightened or even anxious about Covid-19. But Jesus reminds us that he is present to us and with us, We always have to look for what is positive and hopeful in all of this, or else we give in to the doom and gloom, Think of what Jesus offers us to help us, His presence in the Word reassures us of his presence in our lives. Since we cannot gather as a community in the church, consider reading and reflecting on the Word as a family. Connect to the live streaming of the 8:00 am & 12:00 pm (Spanish) Sunday Mass to help you. It always helps families in times of difficulty to pray together, in whatever way works for you. It is important for all of us to be connected to the Lord and to one another at this time. All of us are in this together, and together we will survive it. But we cannot do this without the connection to the Lord, who reminds us of his abiding presence and love.

Dear Parish Family,

I pray that you are you and your families are all well. As we are all now living in strange and unsettling times, we as community of the faithful and followers of Christ are truly called at this time to trust in the Lord. This is not easy with many falling ill, at home with no community events and especially not being able to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist. Beginning on May 2nd through May 10, we will begin the Novena to Our Lady in times of Pestilence with May Crowning on the last day. We all need to keep praying, to call on the Blessed Mother, Mary and all the saints for help, guidance and fortitude.

Join us each day for daily live stream Mass at 8:00 am by visiting our website or on our Facebook page. Eucharistic Adoration is also available every day for you to come and pray silently, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Please remember that we are to follow social distancing while in the Church.

What can we offer to Jesus when we come before Him in Eucharistic Adoration? Praise for who He is and thanksgiving for what He has done. We can also express repentance for our sins and can trustingly intercede on behalf of others. According to St. Teresa of Avila, prayer is “taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” When we come to the deep realization that God loves us, we will automatically feel prompted to show forth praise and thanksgiving. We will seek to avoid anything which could separate us from God and will seek to draw others to Him as well. In Adoration we come to God with all that we have and we are loved in return.