The Mission of Saint Matthew Catholic Church

is to announce the Good News of the Kingdom of God, celebrate the Sacraments, and foster a family-friendly environment that will serve the needs of the community in the name of Jesus the Lord.

The moral pathway for the followers of Jesus

The great British intellectual, G.K. Chesterton, once said “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” In other words, there are many people who call themselves Christian. After all, it is a fairly easy thing to become baptized either as a Catholic or in any other denomination. What is difficult is to live the Christian ideal. But just what is the Christian ideal? One sure place to find it is in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as given to us in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5 through 7.

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Christian spirituality has always revolvedAlmsgiving and the practice of tithing
around the three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Prayer’s purpose is to grow in intimacy with God through honest conversation, much as we would do with a friend. Fasting is a way of being in solidarity with those who go hungry each day, reminding us to appreciate the blessings that we have. But why give alms?

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Why does God give us freedom to choose?freedomToChoose

freedomToChoose

On a water safari in Africa, you can see how a mama hippo is surrounded by her babies which she keeps in a separate group in the river, away from a marauding male who might try to harm one of them. The mother sparrow brings worms to the nest to feed her young.

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Did not Jesus say that “the poor you will always have with you”? (Mt 26:11) Almsgiving is the act of giving money or food to those in greater need. Jesus’s statement is a reminder that life is inherently unfair; there will always be an imbalance in life’s riches. Thus, almsgiving is a pure act of generosity done more for the sake of the giver than of the receiver. We give because giving itself is a sacred act of holiness, regardless of the outcome or the benefit to the receiver. Tithing is the practice of giving alms in the amount of 10 percent – a “tenth” from the Old English word “tithe”. Melchizedek, both king and priest of the ancient city of Salem (Jerusalem), was revered by Abraham, who paid a tithe to him, a tenth of the bounty from the battle that he had just won (Gen. 14). Jews and Christians have continued the tradition of giving back to God one-tenth of our wages as a continual reminder that all we have has been gifted to us. As pastor, I encourage you to give 5% of your income to the parish on a regular, ongoing basis, perhaps through a direct deposit. This will ensure the life of our local church. The second 5% you can give to second collections for various needs, or favorite charities that you choose to support. Our life on earth is the greatest gift and even that will return to him one day. The practice of tithing helps keep us both humble and generous. - - - Fr. Jim

La limosna y la práctica del diezmo

La espiritualidad cristiana siempre ha girado en torno a los tres pilares de la oración, el ayuno y la limosna. El propósito de la oración es crecer en intimidad con Dios a través de una conversación honesta, tal como lo haríamos con un amigo. El ayuno es una forma de ser solidario con aquellos que pasan hambre cada día, recordándonos que debemos apreciar las bendiciones que tenemos. Pero ¿por qué dar limosna? ¿No dijo Jesús que “los pobres siempre los tendréis con vosotros”? (Mt 26:11) Dar limosna es el acto de dar dinero o alimentos a los más necesitados. La declaración de Jesús es un recordatorio de que la vida es intrínsecamente injusta; siempre habrá un desequilibrio en las riquezas de la vida. Por lo tanto, dar limosna es un acto puro de generosidad hecho más por el bien del que da que por el del que recibe. Damos porque dar en sí mismo es un acto sagrado de santidad, independientemente del resultado o el beneficio para el receptor. Diezmar es la práctica de dar limosna en la cantidad del 10 por ciento, un "décimo" de la palabra inglesa antigua "diezmo". Melquisedec, tanto rey como sacerdote de la antigua ciudad de Salem (Jerusalén), era reverenciado por Abraham, quien le pagaba un diezmo, la décima parte de la recompensa de la batalla que acababa de ganar (Gén. 14). Los judíos y los cristianos han continuado la tradición de devolver a Dios una décima parte de nuestro salario como un recordatorio continuo de que todo lo que tenemos nos ha sido regalado. Como párroco, lo animo a dar el 5% de sus ingresos a la parroquia de manera regular y continua, tal vez a través de un depósito directo. Esto asegurará la vida de nuestra iglesia local. El segundo 5% lo puede dar a las segundas colecciones para diversas necesidades o a las organizaciones benéficas favoritas que elija apoyar. Nuestra vida en la tierra es el regalo más grande e incluso eso le será devuelto algún día. La práctica del diezmo nos ayuda a mantenernos humildes y generosos. - - - p. Jim