First reading:
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. (Dn. 7:14b)
Psalm:
The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty. (Ps. 93)
Second reading:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” (Rv. 1:8)
Gospel:
“For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (Jn. 18:37b)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
We live in interesting times. Life is constantly changing. While this can be exciting on one hand, change also presents challenges. We live in an age of relativism where people can pick and choose the truths that suit them and build their own system of beliefs. While humans certainly have the freedom to choose, losing sight of long-standing universal truths is not such a healthy course. Jesus Christ our King is our universal truth! He is the God who is nonnegotiable, our non-option! In Christ, we know what truth is. He alone points us to God, our true selves, our proper relationships with one another, and the world in which we live. Christ directs us to the poor and vulnerable and teaches us what God’s kingdom is meant to be. Christ is the king who serves others. He gets dirty. He ascends the throne of the cross. We are called to do the same.
Catholic Quotes—Words to Inspire the Faithful:
© Liturgical Publications Inc.
Upcoming Events:
- AA Meetings: St. Francis Solanus church, Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m.
- Food Pantries: There is a food pantry at the Ovid Federated church on Mondays at 10:00 a.m. The food truck is available to everyone every other Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. (November 27). A food pantry is at the Interlaken Reformed church on Fridays, 3:00–6:00 p.m. The Trumansburg food pantry is at the Methodist church every other Monday 1:00–2:00 p.m. and 5:30–6:00 p.m. (December 3).
- Robotics: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 6:00–8:00 p.m. in the church hall (basement) of St. James the Apostle
- The Friday evening time for confessions or meeting with Fr. Bernard will resume at a later date
- Lectors’ Meeting: All lector meetings will be rescheduled at a later date
- RICA Classes: at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays in St. James the Apostle are postponed for now
- Holiday Bazaar: Jacksonville Community United Methodist church on November 24 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
- Final Guitar Group Practice for Advent Concert: November 27 at 7:00 p.m. in St. James church
- TAC Advent Concert: December 2 at 4:00 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, Trumansburg
- Praying Your Way through Advent: December 4 at Notre Dame Retreat House, Canandaigua
- Share the Warmth Distribution: Friendly volunteers are needed at Immaculate Conceptoion School in Ithaca for two hour shifts on December 3–7 and 10–14, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
- Gifts for Angel Trees: Due December 9 at Holy Cross and St. Francis
- Ceremony of Remembrance: on December 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of the Transfiguration, Pittsford, N.Y.
Volunteering to Share the Warmth:
’Tis the season for donating coats, gloves, mittens, hats, scarves and boots to the annual “Share the Warmth” drive. You’ll find collection bins around the area in grocery and other stores, including in the St. James the Apostle parking lot. Catholic Charities will be distributing these items for free during the first two weeks of December. Friendly volunteers are needed at Immaculate Conception School, W. Buffalo St. in Ithaca, to wait on customers and help them find the items they need. Two hour shifts are available, December 3–7 and 10–14, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. It’s a great way to start Advent! If interested in volunteering or need more information, contact Shay: [email protected] or 607-272-5062 ext.14.
Angel Tree Tags:
The angel trees are available at both St. Francis and Holy Cross churches. If you take a child’s tag, the gifts must be returned no later than Sunday, December 9. All presents will be picked up Monday morning, December 10. Please do not wrap the gifts as parents need to see what has been given for their children, but you do need to include the tag information where it can easily be seen. Wrapping paper, ribbon, or bows would be appreciated. Distribution of the gifts is scheduled for Wednesday, December 12. If you have helped in the past you will be contacted for your assistance again. First time volunteers should contact Gerry Frank at 607 869 5009.
An Appeal from Catholic Ministries:
As of November 13, seventy people in our parish have responded with a gift or pledge to the diocese’s Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA). Their contributions or pledges come to $12,287, which, while generous, is not quite 41% of our goal of $29,979. If you have not yet responded, please consider your financial participation as the CMA provides funding for important programs, services, and ministries that strengthen our whole Church. CMA has produced an extraordinary video in connection with this year’s appeal. It is posted to the diocesan website (www.dor.org). For those who have already contributed, thank you and please continue to pray for the success of our efforts.
On-line Giving:
Parishioners can sign up to support the parish financially online with a few easy steps:
- visit marymotherofmercy.com
- click “Giving”
- click the OnLine Giving We Share logo, toward the bottom of the page
- click Offertory “Make a Donation”
- click “Recurring donations”
- next will appear a page titled “Create a new repeating donation for Offertory”
- respond to the sections on that page requesting information to set up your account.
Once you have added your account information, donations will automatically deduct from your account. If you have any questions, please contact the parish office at 607 294 0064.
Annual Bazaar in Jacksonville:
There will be a holiday bazaar at the Jacksonville Community United Methodist church on Trumansburg Road on November 24 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The bazaar includes a visit from Santa, lunch, and many unique vendors and handcrafted items.
Advent Concert:
The annual Advent Concert sponsored by the Trumansburg Area Churches (TAC) will take place on Sunday, December 2, at 4:00 p.m. in the Presbyterian church, 69 East Main St., Trumansburg. All are welcome. Members of our parish will be participating and the final practice for the parish’s guitar group will be on November 27 at 7:00 p.m. in St. James the Apostle church.
Ceremony of Remembrance:
For those who have experienced the death of a child, sibling, or grandchild of any age, you are invited to join a “Ceremony of Remembrance” on December 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Church of the Transfiguration, 50 West Bloomfield Road, Pittsford, N.Y. The ceremony will include each child’s name being read during a candle lighting, along with poetry and music. If you are interested in participating, please bring a framed photo (no larger than 8 x 10) by 6:15 pm on the night of the ceremony. Light refreshments will be served following the event. Please email by December 3 a picture of your child/person to be included in a slideshow and include the full name of child/person being honored and the number of people who will be attending. If you have questions or would like to RSVP contact [email protected] or call Elaine Deacon at (585) 889-2574.The ceremony is non-denominational and is held in conjunction with the Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting© and sponsored by Rochester Kids, Jeff Milano-Johnson Memorial Fund.
Praying Your Way through Advent:
Are you already caught up in the busyness of Christmas and missing out on Advent? Begin your new liturgical year by preparing yourself spiritually for the birth of Christ by attending “Praying our Way through Advent” with Sr. Carole Proia, SSJ, and Nancy Lynch who will offer Advent practices that will enhance this time of anticipation. The day of prayer will take place on Tuesday, December 4, at Notre Dame Retreat House (5151 Foster Rd., Canandaigua, NY 14424), beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 3:00 p.m. There is a $25.00 fee payable day of the retreat that includes the conference, lunch, time for confessions, and Mass. Register today by calling 585-394-5700 or email: [email protected].
Reflections During Advent:
Prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ this Advent with “Everyday Stewardship Advent Reflections.” Sign up to receive daily reflections and challenges from Tracy Earl Welliver, straight to your inbox. See the Liturgical Publications website for more details on this and other options for Advent: http://4lpi.com/
Daily Gospel Reflections:
If you are interested in daily reflections on the Gospel, you can sign up to receive “Word on Fire” via your e-mail’s inbox. Once you sign up at DailyCatholicGospel.com, you’ll receive a brief email each morning that will contain a link to that day’s Gospel passage, so you can read the Scripture yourself. Then that will be followed by a short reflection on the passage from Bishop Robert Barron. It’s short, simple, but extremely powerful, like getting a mini-homily each morning from Bishop Barron!
Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester:
The sisters have a prayer ministry and throughout 2018 Sister Anne Marie Burns will be praying for our parish and parishioners. Such an act of love offers us the opportunity to keep Sr. Anne Marie and the Sisters of St. Joseph in our prayers.
Pregnancy Care Center of the Finger Lakes:
Pregnancy Care Center of the Finger Lakes, located at 551 Exchange St. in Geneva, is offering a “Forgiven and Set Free” post abortive ten-week session beginning October 4 until December 13. There is no cost involved. “If you regret your abortion, you are not alone. Let us help you learn to forgive yourself. Pleased join us for this healing ministry program.” For more information phone 315 789 0708.
Cancer Services Program (CSP):
Cortland and Tompkins Counties offer free cancer screenings to those who are uninsured or have health insurance that does not cover these screenings. The screening services are provided in local health centers, doctors’ offices, and hospitals. For more information, contact CSP at 866 442 2262.
Toiletries and Hygiene Products:
There is a basket in the vestibule of St. James church for donations of toiletries. The request comes from Catholic Charities which is in need of items like shampoo, toothpaste, diapers etc. The items will be transferred to the Catholic Charities office in Ithaca.
Ministry Schedule for St. Francis Solanus Church, Interlaken
Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.
November 24, 2018 (fourth weekend):
Lectors: Kathleen Rourke (for Gerry Messmer) and Millie Messmer
EMs: Cathy DelSignore, Mary Davidson, Marie Roloson
December 1, 2018 (first weekend):
Lectors: Barbara Willers [for Marie Roloson], Scott Hamula
EMs: Kathleen Rourke, Millie Messmer, Robin Hamula
Ministry Schedule for St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m.
November 25 (fourth Sunday):
Lectors: Beth Duff and Tim Davis
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Tom Duff, Joan Hogan, Tim O’Boyle
December 2 (first Sunday):
Lectors: Lynne Stager and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Joan Hogan, Mark Scibilia-Carver