ROMP – Page 22 – Church of Presentation

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Women’s Cornerstone

Daily Rosary | Divine Mercy Chaplet | Eucharistic Adoration | Stations of the Cross

Men’s Cornerstone

Parish Picnic

Bereavement Ministry

Parish Picnic

Parish Picnic

Red Sample

Parish Picnic

Ed. Ginter
Spring Concert | Christmas Concert | Presentation MTV |
Piano Men

Parish Picnic

Funeral Mass | John Tais | A Celebration of Life in Christ | November 30, 2020

A Celebration of Life in Christ

John Tais

November 30, 2020 | 10 A.M.

Church of the Presentation

Funeral Mass | Miles Romain | A Celebration of Life in Christ | November 13, 2020

A Celebration of Life in Christ

Miles Romain

November 13, 2020

Church of the Presentation

Statement of the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey on the State’s Reproductive Freedom Act

Oct. 5, 2020

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death. For that reason, we, the Bishops of each of the dioceses in New Jersey, join in voicing the strongest possible opposition to the “Reproductive Freedom Act.”

Without minimizing other serious threats to human life and dignity evident in contemporary American society, the Catholic Church consistently maintains that “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed.” (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, “Introductory Letter,” 2020).

When informed of the text of the USCCB document early in 2020, Pope Francis observed that the right to life of the unborn “is the most fundamental right. This is not first a religious issue; it is a human rights issue.” (Pope Francis to American Catholic Bishops, USCCB Region IX, January 16, 2020).”

As the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, we urge all Catholics and people of good will to reject this proposed legislative initiative in our state and to contact your State legislators to vigorously express opposition to its passage.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop, Archdiocese of Newark

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M. Bishop, Diocese of Trenton

Most Reverend Dennis J. Sullivan Bishop, Diocese of Camden

Most Reverend Kevin J. Sweeney Bishop, Diocese of Paterson

Most Reverend James F. Checchio Bishop, Diocese of Metuchen

Most Reverend Kurt Burnette Bishop, Eparchy of Passaic

Most Reverend Yousif Habash, Bishop of Our Lady of Deliverance of Syriac Catholic Diocese

Funeral Mass | Rev. Msgr. Thomas Ivory | A Celebration of Life in Christ

A Celebration of Life in Christ

September 24, 2020
10:30 AM

Church of the Presentation

Funeral Mass | Martin McGonigle | A Celebration of Life in Christ

A Celebration of Life in Christ

Martin McGonigle

September 24, 2020

Church of the Presentation

Video Sample 1

Week Two | The Ninth Day

(Excerpts from Fr. Ed Ciuba’s
“Creation at the Crossroads”)
_______

Poverty takes on new dimensions as unsustainably high use of natural resources leads to plunder and degradation of the natural environment. While all nations and all people are impacted, the poor suffer more than others, especially when their farms, forests, and subsistence-level livelihood stand in the way of what is called modern economic “progress.” The gravest environmental effects are suffered by the poorest people. For example, the depletion of fishing resources due to over-fishing especially hurts small fishing communities that can’t compete with large-scale corporate fishing operations. Water pollution, especially in Africa affects the poor who cannot obtain fresh water easily or afford to buy bottled water. Rises in sea level mainly affect impoverished populations who do not have the resources to re-locate when their homes are threatened. The premature deaths of many poor people result from conflicts that arise when resources are not available. Agencies such as Catholic Relief Services that provide emergency relief and long-term development are working to ensure that the poorest and the most vulnerable are able to share in the basic needs of life. However, such assistance is limited and falls far short of the many needs throughout the world.

Pope Francis stresses the plight of the poor in his encyclical because Jesus teaches us to care for the poor and because poverty is a major issue throughout the world. The poor are often removed from centers of power and affluence. They need the Church to speak on their behalf, and they need empowerment so they can meet their needs and protect their families. In the developed world there is a lack of awareness of the problems that especially affect the poor and marginalized. Recent statistics indicate that almost three billion people of the world’s population live on less than $2.50 per day. Even in the United States, one third of the population lives in households with perilously low incomes, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Jesus spoke often of the needs of the poor, but in economic discussions in our times the problems of poor people are brought up almost as an afterthought, or some kind of “collateral damage.” This geographical and intellectual distancing from the real-life experience of poverty leads in more prosperous people to a numbing of conscience and can invite a one-sided analysis that neglects major parts of society.

What is your experience of the environment in which people who are poor live? How do you think their plight is relevant in your life and faith?

Putting Faith Into Practice

Around the country, groups in many poor communities are coming together to fight pollution in their neighborhoods. Research whether there are such groups in your area, and arrange a meeting with them. Identify ways that your parish can work to support their efforts.

~ The Lord Is My Shepherd ~

Sung by The Smiths

Week Two | The Eighth Day

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
for the Lord has a dispute
with the inhabitants of the land:
There is no truth or mercy,
and no knowledge of God in the land.
Swearing, lying, and killing,
and stealing and adultery
break out,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land dries up,
and everyone who lives in it withers
with the beasts of the field
and the birds of the sky;
even the fish of the sea disappear.

Let us pray:

Gracious and loving Creator God,

you have reminded us once again

of our call to protect the earth.

Each of us is different, having different personal gifts, through sharing the same Spirit.

Teach us to keep our minds and hearts open to the promptings of your Spirit, that we may learn how to use our gifts, each in our own way and together.

Show us how we can be effective caretakers of this good earth.

May we do what we can to make this a healthier and better world for those who will come after us.

We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Excerpts from Fr. Ed Ciuba’s
“Creation at the Crossroads”)
_______

Climate change disproportionately affects the poor. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming. Their subsistence is largely dependent on natural reserves and eco-systemic services such as agriculture, fishing, and forestry. They have no other resources to fall back on. Their access to social services and other protections is limited. For example, when climate change impacts their livelihood of farming, fishing, or hunting, they are forced to leave their homes and migrate elsewhere. Of all of the effects of climate change, the plight of displaced people is particularly alarming. They are not recognized by officialdom as refugees but as migrants. As we have witnessed in the political upheaval in the Middle East, refugees suffer the loss of a livelihood they are left behind without enjoying any legal protection. Once again, these are instances of “systemic change” in which, beginning with drought, flooding, or very often with war, the lives of innocent, poor people are impacted dramatically. This environmental inequality creates a strange economic phenomenon. Poor countries are often financially indebted to rich countries because of environmental crises caused by those same affluent nations.

While personal responsibility is an important step toward reversing climate change, political, economic, and structural transformations are needed if the reform is to be sufficient and sustainable. As citizens and beneficiaries of planet Earth, we are in this together. Pope Francis, quoting the encyclical Centesimus Annus by Pope St. John Paul II, goes on to say, “Every effort to protect and improve our world entails profound changes in ‘lifestyles, models of production and improve our world entails profound changes structures of power which today govern societies'”. Some people argue that Pope Francis should stay out of climate change debates and “leave it to the scientists.” But Francis and the Church know that protecting creation is first and foremost a religious and moral issue. The pope speaks not as a scientist but as a global pastoral leader. He does not point fingers at anyone but tries to awaken minds, hearts, and consciences of all people of good will to enter into a much-needed dialogue about the fate of our common home.

The poor and vulnerable are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. How is climate change affecting the poor and vulnerable now?

Putting Faith Into Practice

The carbon footprint is a very powerful tool to understand the impact of personal behavior on global warming. Calculate your or your family’s carbon footprint, which is the amount of carbon dioxide your activities create: https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/. Jot down what steps you and your family can take to reduce your carbon footprint.

~ All You Works of God ~

Music by Marty Haugen

Sung by Pat Magliano

Week One | The Seventh Day

Canticle of Daniel

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.

You heavens, bless the Lord.

All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.

Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.

You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.

All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

(Excerpts from Fr. Ed Ciuba’s
“Creation at the Crossroads”)
_______

Global climate change is a very good example of how all created reality on the earth is inter-connected. The earth is a complex of living systems, or a system of systems. Global climate change threatens the interdependence of all systems of life. Overwhelming scientific evidence drives home one central point: the fate of the earth and the fate of humans are one. What makes this an issue of major concern is that climate change poses the greatest threat to life on the earth that we have ever faced. Unless we confront this issue and deal with it soon, it will impact not only us but future generations as well.

In the scriptural passage taken from the prophecy of Hosea, the scene is a legal proceeding taking place at the city gate. The people of Israel are summoned before the judge and indicted with a listing of violations of the covenant. The verdict is “guilty” as charged. When the covenant is broken, the object of the covenant, the land, is no longer secure and fertile. The land returns to being a desert, its past unredeemed condition. the indictment of the people Israel impacts even the earth and its creature: “the beasts of the field, the birds of the, and even the fish of the sea perish.”

These words are not unlike those of Pope Francis: “Carbon dioxide pollution increases the acidification of the oceans and compromises the marine food chain. If present trends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us” (Laudato Si’, 24).

GLOBAL INEQUALITY

“The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: … For example, the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas” (Laudato Si’, 48).

Think and reflect how and why the issue of global climate change is a moral issue.

Putting Faith Into Practice

In a journal or notebook, joy down what steps you might take in conserving energy at home.

~ Amazing Grace ~
A Christian Hymn (New Britain)

Text by John Newton

Sung by Joseph McDonald

Week One | Sixth Day

Gracious, loving Creator God,

thank you for the gift of water that gives us life,

quenches our thirst, and sustains our farmlands and gardens.

You bless us with streams, rivers, and oceans

to feed us, refresh us, and enthrall us with the bounty of aquatic life.

Give us the wisdom to appreciate that water is a precious gift.

Pardon us for our failures in not using the gift of water properly.

May we retain and act on what we have learned…
and pass it on to future generations.

We ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

“A World to Care For”

(Excerpts from Fr. Ed Ciuba’s
“Creation at the Crossroads”)
_______

Water is the natural resource most frequently referred to in the Bible – more than 500 times. The semi-arid environment of the biblical world is a partial explanation for this frequency. However, the connection between water and life is a theme that threads its way through both the Old and New Testaments and in religious literature all over the world… Isaiah 35:1-8, speaks of the regenerating and life-giving aspects of water in the desert. The streams bursting forth in the desert and the burning sands transformed into pools of water are symbols of new beginnings. Such signs will accompany those on the “highway called the holy way”. The abundance of flowers, the new strength received by the weak and feeble, the healing of the blind and the deaf, the thirsty ground springing into new watery life are all indicators of a new age. To those who are forlorn, discouraged, and looking forward to a “new creation,” these signs foreshadow the presence once again of the Creator God, the source of life.

The world’s major religions all reverence water for its cleansing and life-sustaining qualities. In the gospel story (Jn 4:1-42), the well, the water jar, and the woman herself who, like her neighbors, must draw from the well every day in order to live, all symbolize the indispensable role of water. In the Catholic tradition, water is significant as a sign or symbol, especially in the sacrament of baptism. At the Easter Vigil, water is blessed in larger quantities and used throughout the year for holy water fonts and for the celebration of baptism. At the Easter vigil, adults who have been prepared for entry into the Christian community are often baptized by immersion and welcomed by the entire parish community. The waters of baptism, followed by the sacraments of confirmation and the Eucharist, are the ritual signs of transformation into the new life in Christ. The words and gestures of this rite of acceptance give full meaning to the words of Jesus, “Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give shall become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (J 4:14-15).

Pope Francis, in speaking of the material universe as an expression of God’s love and boundless affection for us, describes water as a “caress of God”. We are called through awareness, education, and commitment to protect this precious and limited resource. May we pass on this expression of God’s love to future generations.

How do water shortages affect the poor and vulnerable?

Begin a campaign in your parish or communities to support such organizations to provide access to clean water and sanitation for our brothers and sisters who have no access to them.