St. Matthew the Evangelist Parish - Catholic Community of Billerica

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day, Saint Matthew friends! Today, we celebrate the dignity of work--and work for its protection amidst artificial intelligence and increased automation.
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To help, let's take a look at Pope Leo XIV's encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and what it says about preserving the dignity of work in the age of AI.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day!
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Today we pray for the dignity of all workers, especially those who are unemployed or work in unsafe conditions where they are exploited. May God bless us all with meaningful, fruitful work.
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09/06/2026

We live in an age of cancel culture: people sharing someone else's perceived faults in public with the goal of removing them from their position. Cancel culture isn't an attempt to bring someone to the truth; it's an attempt to remove them because they are considered an obstacle.
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As Jesus makes clear in today's Gospel, "cancel culture" is not the way of Christians. This doesn't mean there aren't times when we shouldn't go public with someone's wrongdoings. But this comes only after we have first spoken with them privately, and then within our Church.
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Why does Jesus insist on first bringing up someone's sin against you one-on-one? Because the goal isn't punishment or removal; it's reconciliation.

09/05/2026

It's World Beard Day! And what better way to celebrate than taking a look at what Sacred Scripture has to say about facial hair?
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In the Bible, beards are a sign of dignity and maturity. In fact, Jewish priests were instructed to let their facial hair grow.
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"They shall not shave their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor lacerate their bodies." -- Leviticus 21:5
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And the Psalms reference beards in connection with the priesthood and blessing.
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"Like precious ointment on the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robes." -- Psalm 133:2
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Shaving one's beard could be an expression of shame or lamentation. After the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon, Jeremiah noted the following:
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"Everyone has shaved his beard, torn his garments, and gashed himself..." -- Jeremiah 41:5
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The Bible doesn't explicitly say that Jesus had a beard, but it was the norm among Jewish men in the 1st century. Nonetheless, the New Testament shifts the focus away from external appearance to what's on the inside.
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"Your adornment should not be an external one...but rather the hidden character of the heart." -- 1 Peter 3:3-4
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So should Catholic men have beards today? It's increasingly more common. But while it can be a symbol of wisdom and maturity, one's character and virtue are truly what count.

09/05/2026

Whether you walk a little or a lot, we would love to have you join us! We look forward to seeing you!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th | 3:30–4:30 PM | Father McCormick Hall

Check out all the details at the link below!

Walking Together in Faith and Fellowship Tuesday afternoons | 3:30-4:30 PM | Fr. McCormick Hall

09/04/2026

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Check out everything going on at St. Matthew in this week's bulletin!

09/04/2026

September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.
And the Catholic Church in the United States has a lot to celebrate when it comes to our Hispanic community! About 36% of Catholics in the U.S. are Hispanic, a number that rises to a whopping 60% when we consider Catholics under the age of 18!
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Here at Saint Matthew, we are grateful for the contributions and presence of all of our parishioners with roots in the Spanish-speaking world, and we encourage you to start making plans to celebrate today!