Parish Staff Rev. Anthony J. Davis, Pastor ……………………… tdavis@columbuscatholic.org

Mrs. Bridget Marcek, Parish Secretary ……….. stmatthiascolumbus@sbcglobal.net

Mrs. Gwendolyn Rehm, Music Director ………. grehm1@cdeducation.org

Ms. Winnie Durbin, Office Assistant

Church School 1582 Ferris Rd. 1566 Ferris Rd.

Columbus, OH 43224 Columbus, OH 43224 (614) 267-3406 (614) 268-3030

4th

Sunday of Lent March 22, 2020

St. Ma�hias Church | 1582 Ferris | Columbus, OH 43224

PASTORAL POST A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John. As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him... Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam” —which means Sent. So he went and washed, and came back able to see. His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is, “but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.” So they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see.” And they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know.” They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” Now the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and gained his sight until they summoned the parents of the one who had gained his sight… So a second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise! We know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner.” He replied, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see.” So they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” They ridiculed him and said, “You are that man’s disciple; we are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this one is from”… Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord, Jesus Christ.

Hours: Tues—Thurs 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Parish Office: (614) 267-3406

School: (614) 268-3030

www.stmatthiascolumbus.com

*Private Masses are a part of the Catholic tradition, especially before Vatican II. Mass intentions will be honored because the spiritu-al benefits of the Mass are not dependent on

attendance.

Tuesday, March 24

Virginia Stack

Wednesday, March 25

Linh Nguyen

Thursday, March 26

Stanley & Dorothy Wilkins

Friday, March 27

Roy Jordan

Saturday, March 28

People of Our Parish

Sunday, March 29

Elizabeth Wrigley

Joe Viola

+Marcia Koch

Tues-Fri 8:30 AM

Saturday 5:00 PM

Sunday 9:00 AM

11:00 AM

1:30 PM (Haitian)

3:00 PM (Nigerian)*

7:15 PM (Brazilian)

* 3rd Sunday of the month only

Reconciliation: First Saturday of the Month

3:45 PM-4:45 PM

On behalf of St. Matthias staff, please

stay safe! Let us use this time to

reflect, grow in patience, and look

forward to spring time.

St. Matthias, pray for us.

Parish Office

Mass Intentions

Mass Times

4th

Sunday of Lent March 22, 2020

St. Ma�hias Church | 1582 Ferris | Columbus, OH 43224

LENTEN RECONCILIATION OPEN

On Sunday, March 22 at 5pm, a few priests will tentatively be available to hear one-on-one confessions. NOTE: This is subject to state and local guidelines. This is a time for private prayer. Socializing in the building before or after is not permit-

ted.

WEEKLY COLLECTION

We understand that this may be a chal-lenging financial time for our parishioners. If you are able, please consider mailing your weekly offering to the parish office, making a monthly donation through online banking, or setting aside your con-tribution each week and offering it when Masses resume. Collection counters do not need to report to the parish office on

their counting day.

FISH FRIES CANCELLED

All Lenten fish fries for 2020 are can-celled. The coordinators are planning to have one final celebration for 2020 at a

later date.

EVENTS SUSPENDED

Because of the limit on group gatherings we are cancelling all events in the St. Julie Room and Gym through at least Easter Sunday (April 12). If you have an event scheduled, the Parish Office will be con-tacting you to make arrangements. We

will work with individuals to reschedule.

NO VISITORS AT PARISH OFFICE

During this time, we ask that visitors come to the office by appointment only. Parish office employees are still working and responding to email and phone messages, but our hours are var-

ied.

FUNERALS

Funerals are permissible during the next month, but are limited to the presider and family only. Contact the Parish Office

if you need to schedule a funeral.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

Anointing will be limited to last rites only. If you have an emergency and last rites

are needed, please call the Parish Office.

PACKING LUNCHES POSTPONED

We will not be packing lunches for the

homeless until further notice.

Who Do We Blame? 4th Sunday in Lent (Year A)

March 22, 2020 Fr. Tony Davis

Anytime something goes wrong, our first reaction is to ask ourselves,

‘who can I blame?’ The focus hardly ever is on ourselves and on what

we can do to help the situation. Blaming feels like we are solving a

problem, but in reality, we are just creating new ones. We are jump-

ing to conclusions, projecting our own unmet needs onto others, and

ignoring the deeper mysteries of life. In short, blaming does not

work. It merely perpetuates a never-ending cycle.

In today’s Gospel, upon seeing the man born blind, Jesus’ disciples

immediately asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that

he was born blind?” Like us, the disciples wanted someone to blame

to give them peace of mind. Surely someone was at fault! Later on in

the Gospel, the Pharisees wanted to blame Jesus by labeling him a

sinner. On top of that, they also wanted to blame Jesus for healing on

the Sabbath, a day of no work. As we can see, blaming is all over the

place in this Gospel. It truly is a never-ending cycle!

Jesus, in his divine wisdom, ends the cycle of blame. In response to

his disciples’ question, he boldly answered, “neither he nor his par-

ents sinned.” In other words, that is a bad question. It has a false

premise, namely that someone is guilty of causing his blindness. In re-

sponse, Jesus took the conversation in a totally different direction.

Instead of looking backward for a cause, he looked ahead for a reso-

lution. He concluded that the man was born blind “so that the works

of God might be made visible through him.”

Evil, disability, and suffering are not necessarily the direct result of

someone’s actions. It is what it is. For Jesus, these situations are not

so much for blame as for opportunity. They are opportunities for

creating a better future and making the works of God visible: over-

coming evil with good, graciously accommodating to someone’s disa-

bility, and easing the suffering of others.

When facing unfortunate situations, we should avoid asking who is to

blame since blame is a never-ending cycle.

True blindness is not a physical disability, but it is being stuck in the

cycle of blame and not even realizing it. For reflection, let us ask our-

selves the same question the Pharisees asked Jesus, “surely we are

not also blind, are we?”

Notices

Assumption Council #3727We Are Catholic Men Who Pray,

Work and Have Fun Together.Grand Knight Jim Hicks

614-946-3347Meetings at St. Matthias

10 a.m. 2nd Sunday of the Month

HEATING AND COOLINGRESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

Gas • Oil • Electric • Heat Pumps • Humidifiers www.favret.com 614-488-52111296 Dublin Rd.

Jeff Brader Josh Braderwww.UnionHomeMortgage.comUnion Home Mortgage Corp. NMLS 2229

COSMETIC AUTORESTORATION LLC

• Exterior & Interior Repairs• Auto Body Repairs• Insurance Claims

Steve Reither, Owner5435 Byers Circle West

SpecializedReconditioning & Detailing

Since 1992

Buy & Sell Pre-Owned Vehicles

Harry R. PaulinoAttorney-at-Law

614-939-4945Wills & Probate

1177 W. Fifth Ave.Columbus, OH 43212

614-294-4416“A Family Tradition Since 1937”

Famous Market 846-63401405 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.

Family Ristorante 848-44882025 Polaris Pkwy.

Compliments of

Cook’s IGA1225 Oakland Park

268-4411

Rutherford Funeral Homes & Crematories“There is a Difference”

Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home515 N. High St.614-885-4006

Funeral Pre-Planning Availablewww.rutherfordfuneralhome.com info@rutherfordfuneralhome.com

Rutherford Funeral Home2383 N. High St.614-299-1153

Creating Healing Experiences since 1855Schoedinger North Chapel

(614) 436-9220 • 5554 Karl Rd.www.schoedinger.com

2168Assumption Council #3727We Are Catholic Men Who Pray,

Work and Have Fun Together.Grand Knight Jim Hicks

614-946-3347Meetings at St. Matthias

10 a.m. 2nd Sunday of the Month

HEATING AND COOLINGRESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

Gas • Oil • Electric • Heat Pumps • Humidifiers www.favret.com 614-488-52111296 Dublin Rd.

Jeff Brader Josh Braderwww.UnionHomeMortgage.comUnion Home Mortgage Corp. NMLS 2229

“Promises Kept”

COSMETIC AUTORESTORATION LLC

• Exterior & Interior Repairs• Auto Body Repairs• Insurance Claims

Steve Reither, Owner5435 Byers Circle West

SpecializedReconditioning & Detailing

Since 1992

614-802-2590614-565-7041 (C)

Buy & Sell Pre-Owned Vehicles

Don’t be fooled by the name...I work on new as well as old!

Harry R. PaulinoAttorney-at-Law

614-939-4945Wills & Probate

www.teritas.com for coupons!475-21003905 CLEVELAND AVE.

Serving the North End Since 1959Sun.-Thur. 4-11 • Fri.-Sat. 4-12

1 Item Large Pizza for $12 (1 coupon/customer)

Celebrating 61 Years

1177 W. Fifth Ave.Columbus, OH 43212

614-294-4416“A Family Tradition Since 1937”

Famous Market 846-63401405 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.

Family Ristorante 848-44882025 Polaris Pkwy.

A Tradition of Caring. Close to Home.Kristin Miller & Debbie KelsikMarketing Directorscolumbusinfo@oakleafvillage.com5500 Karl Rd., Columbus

614-431-1739 614-431-0247 fax

Compliments of

Cook’s IGA1225 Oakland Park

268-4411

WengerTemperatureControl Inc.

614-443-2212

2005 Progress Ave.

JACK L. WOODSPLUMBING CO.Quality Plumbing Repairs

882-9700Senior Savings

OH Lic. #25971

Rutherford Funeral Homes & Crematories“There is a Difference”

Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home515 N. High St.614-885-4006

Funeral Pre-Planning Availablewww.rutherfordfuneralhome.com info@rutherfordfuneralhome.com

Rutherford Funeral Home2383 N. High St.614-299-1153

@

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Creating Healing Experiences since 1855Schoedinger North Chapel

(614) 436-9220 • 5554 Karl Rd.www.schoedinger.com

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