Mary’s Corner

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Greetings St. Matthew friends, family, and members,

Today is traditionally known as “Fat Tuesday” or Mardi Gras. From The Britannica (the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica), “the French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.” The actual season of celebration is called Carnival, and in New Orleans, “citywide revelry and elaborate parades both day and night are celebrated. Beads of green, gold, and purple (representing power, faith, and justice) are commonly distributed, and the eating of king cake is an iconic part of the celebration.”

Carnival is a traditional Roman Catholic observance of using up all of the meat (carnem levare) before a season of fasting and other ascetic practices. An ascetic practice is one of strict self-denial, serving as a form of personal and spiritual discipline. First-century Christians modeled this behavior, following the example of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days, as told in Matthew 4:1-11. The idea is to use up the “extravagant” food around the house to keep it from going bad during the season of Lent. As the celebration of excess ends, the season of reflection and sacrifice begins.

Lent is a time for preparation—a time to shift our focus away from the extravagances of life and instead focus on making ourselves ready for the events of Easter. You cannot get to the resurrection without going through those torturous days in the garden, in the upper room, at Calvary, and in the tomb. God, made flesh in the body of Jesus of Nazareth, battled sin and death for us because we are the beloved children of the Creator. This is a profoundly humbling time for me.

On Wednesday evening, I will stand at the front of the church, make the sign of the cross on your forehead with ashes and olive oil, and tell you that you are loved and forgiven. I am only able to do this because I am also loved and forgiven. It is not me that does the loving or the forgiving—it is the grace of God, poured out on us all, that draws us deeper into relationship.

I am not the best at giving things up for Lent. I always begin the season with a promise that I will give up something that isn’t good for me (candy, scotch, fried food, etc.), yet I have never made it the entire forty days. However, God has given me the strength to add something that is good for me (a Lenten study, walking one mile every day for forty days, writing in a journal, etc.).

There are many ways to observe Lent, and none of them involve looking at our neighbors in judgment or condemnation. Lent is the time to turn our eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And let the things of earth grow dim in the light of His glory and grace.

I hope you will join me in adding something to your life that is good—something holy and sacred. I’d love to hear what you choose and how it impacts your life—please share your experience with me!

My love to all,
Mary

Kids’ News – “Fishing for People: Answering Jesus’ Call”

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This week, we hear a story about Jesus calling His first disciples. As He walked along the shore, He saw two sets of brothers—Simon and Andrew, and James and John—fishing in the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called out to them, saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Without hesitation, they dropped everything and followed Him.

Jesus didn’t give them a long explanation. He didn’t tell them exactly what they would be doing or where they were going. But the brothers trusted Him. They knew that following Jesus meant something special, even if they didn’t understand it all right away.

Later, these brothers and others became Jesus’ closest friends and disciples. They traveled with Him, listened to His teachings, and learned how to share God’s love with others. Jesus was showing them that being a disciple isn’t just about knowing things—it’s about trusting, listening, and stepping out in faith.

We are all called to “fish for people” just like the disciples. That doesn’t mean we need fishing nets. Instead, it means we should look for ways to invite others into God’s love—by being kind, making friends, and sharing what we learn about Jesus. Wherever we go, we can be a light for others, just as the disciples were.

We hope to see you in church on Sunday so we can meet more of Jesus’ friends.

What We Learned

Jesus calls each of us to follow Him, just as He called the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They left everything behind, trusting Him even though they didn’t know what the future would hold. That same trust is what faith is all about—believing in God’s plan even when we don’t have all the answers.

Jesus’ invitation to be “fishers of people” reminds us that we are meant to share His love with others. We don’t need a fishing boat or nets to do this. Instead, we can be fishers of people by showing kindness, making new friends, and inviting others to learn more about Jesus. Every time we act with love, we help bring others closer to God’s kingdom.

We hope to see you in church on Sunday so we can meet more of Jesus’ friends.

Blessings,
Miss Vickie and Miss Sue

Friday’s Word – “There’s a Problem Here”

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It was a hot summer day.

A few women of the church and I were sitting around a table, folding bulletins.

Janice walked in and said she felt like she was going to pass out crossing the hot parking lot.

“Oh, that feels so funny,” said Nita, “looking down on your body like that.”

We stopped folding.

We knew there must be a story. Nita said:

Well, I passed out once. My husband and I were in a hot New Orleans eatery in the days before air conditioning.

I passed right out—fell out of the booth onto the floor. Then I was above myself, looking down on myself.

I saw people rush over to help me.

But I could see only the upper part of my body. My lower body was under the table. I was really worried.

All I could think about was, ‘I hope my skirt is pulled down.’

Then I got my breath, and I returned to my body.

After that, Nita thought “passing out” meant leaving the body.

She had never heard of out-of-body experiences.

Nita was able to see herself—and to think from a place outside her brain.

Take this seriously.

This is a common event.

Events like this—if we are truly reasonable—force us to consider the reality of the soul.

The Nita watching the body on the ground was the real Nita.

If she had died, the real Nita would have left her body behind and continued with her life. The body is not us. We are eternal.

We talked about this in class last Sunday. If you would like a Thursday evening Discovering God class, let me know.

Come. Grow in hope.

Worship is at 11:00.