Saint Matthew's Church A Roman Catholic Community

Saint Matthew's Church
A Roman Catholic Community

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Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM
Sunday at 8:30 and 10:30 AM
Full Schedule of Services
Weekly Bulletins
Ministry Schedule

Pastor's Weekly Message

Our Gospel reading for this 24th Sunday in ordinary time brings us to the center of Mark's Gospel. Mk 8: 27-35, our reading for this Sunday, is in the very middle of Mark's Gospel, the first Gospel written to try to explain Jesus, his life and his mission to the world. Is it a coincidence or is it by design that the center of Mark's Gospel asks the question: Who do people say that I am?...Who do you say that I am?

If we are to continue to follow Jesus, Mark seems to be saying, now is the time to confront our understanding of Jesus. We have seen some of the signs and we have heard some of his teaching, now is the time to decide who Jesus is for us. When Jesus asks this question of his disciples they respond by telling him who others say he is, John the Baptist,...Elijah, ...one of the prophets. In other words God is working in Jesus as God has worked in the world in previous people and different times. But Peter knows better. Peter replies to Jesus' question: You are the Christ. But as we know the story does not end there. Mark tells us that Jesus began to take this opportunity to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. Peter rebukes Jesus for this misunderstanding about how God works! God would never allow the Messiah to suffer, according to Peter. But Jesus knows better.

Jesus says to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do...Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever wishes to lose his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.

The Messiah will never be what or who we expect. Jesus had to show his disciples and continues to show and teach us that the Messiah is the suffering servant among us (see the first reading for this Sunday). The world continues to want the Messiah to come among us in power, with bombast and great show. But Jesus continues to show up among us in the suffering and the broken, in the poor and the outcast, in the empty and forgotten, in the dying and the rising just like the prophet Isaiah promised over 3,000 years ago. I wonder if we will ever be prepared for that kind of a Messiah?

Fr. Chris .

Seasonal Messages

2018 Saint Matthew's Feast Day Picnic

Saint Matthew's Annual Feast Day Picnic will be held on Sunday, September 16, 2018. Please see the Parish Events page for more information.

2018/2019 Generations of Faith Registration

Registration is now open for the 2018/2019 Generations of Faith sessions. Please see the Generations of Faith page for more information. If you are interested in registering for a specific sacrament, please see the Sacraments page for more information.