“We do not want … a Church that moves with the world.
We want a Church that will move the world.” ~G. K. Chesterton
A Letter from Our Pastor:
January 14, 2022
Dear Parish households,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The “Wedding at Cana” (John 2, 1-11) is the gospel for this Sunday. Not only was Jesus and his mother, Mary, invited to the wedding but also his disciples. So, from the gospels we can surmise that at this time Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Philip were in attendance also. These men believed John the Baptist who told them Jesus was the “Lamb of God” (Servant of God) and that God the Holy Spirit abides with him. They experienced Jesus as a teacher, a rabbi, and were inclined to believe he was the promised Messiah. Furthermore, the disciple Philip brought a man named Nathaniel to Jesus and after his conversation with Jesus, Nathaniel joyfully concluded Jesus was the Son of God, the King of Israel. To this Jesus was surprised and found it humorous that Nathaniel would conclude that based on their conversation. He tells Nathaniel and the other disciples they will see and experience far greater revelations and events. The wedding at Cana was one of the first of those greater revelations and events.
It was Jesus’s mother, Mary, who became aware that the wine was running out. She approached Jesus and told him to do something to save the groom from embarrassment. Jesus had six ceremonial water jars, each holding twenty to thirty gallons filled with water and to draw some out and take it to the headwaiter. The headwaiter tasted wine, good wine. The water was converted into wine. The disciples of Jesus were surprised, and awe struck, so much so that the gospel tells us they began to have more faith in Jesus. This was the first of Jesus’s far greater revelations and events he promised them they would experience through him.
We have learned that Jesus is the Servant of God (The Lamb of God), that he is the manifestation of God the Holy Spirit, he is the Teacher, the Messiah (healer), Son of God and King of Israel. We are his disciples. He promises us to expect good things from him, things beyond our imagination, wonderful, miraculous happenings just like he promised those who were his first disciples.
With love for you all,
Fr. Bernard, OFM Cap.
P.S.
- Please share this information with other members of your home. Thank you.
- This weekend’s bulletin is available here.
- The Parish Council has made it a priority to improve our electronic communications. Thank you for visiting the parish web site where there are many helpful links here and on our weekly bulletin page. We are increasing activity on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Visiting and “liking” our pages on these social media platforms helps us to engage and reach new parishioners.
Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture
January 16, 2022 ~ Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
God delights in you. How do you feel when you hear that? Delight usually comes with an exuberant flow of joy that seemingly arises from one’s toes with the expression of great glee. Reflecting upon the deep measure of joy God has in us can be a source of joy for ourselves. Delight is infectious. A very young brother and sister were playing on the beach when the all too familiar ice cream truck made its daily rounds. The boy shook with excitement and delight as he took his sister’s hand and exclaimed, “The ice cream man is here, isn’t it great!” As they ran off toward the truck, one could hear the girl reply, “Yeah, I can’t wait!” The experience of a child’s delight in something so simple as ice cream, lifts our spirits from our burdens and transports us to the lighter, more innocent side of life.
Life is not meant to be a burden. Believe it or not, God actually wants us to be happy! In fact, the wedding feast at Cana shows us that God even puts His blessing on our happiness. It is okay to celebrate the wonder of ourselves and others. Life is good. It is always interesting to note that Jesus saves the good wine until last. You would think it would be the other way around. The superb quality of Jesus’ wine points to the superior quality of life we find in Christ. It is not a life of burdens but a life of wonder and delight! In Christ, we are lifted from the superficial and mundane to a life of purpose, hope, and love.
God is with us through the long haul, through the challenges and sorrows as well as the successes and accomplishments. In spite of the fact that we often wander from the path, God’s celebratory delight in us remains. As spouses are asked to remain faithful to each other through whatever life brings, God remains faithful too. This promise remains through this life and into the next. All we have to do is take the advice of Jesus’ mother to heart when she says, “Listen to him.” This wisdom saves us from foolishly giving in to the illusion that we can make better wine than Jesus.
©LPI
The Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, continues to discover and develop new ways to reach out to families in these unprecedented times. The Family Zone is an online newsletter (go here for the latest issue) designed to help you prepare for full and active participation in the liturgy as well as formation within your families.
Do Not Be Afraid:
It’s hard not to be afraid sometimes in a world that is constantly uncertain. The Bible tells us not to be afraid 365 times; most think it is not coincidental that it is one time for every day of the year! And still, anxiety can be a powerful thing for many of us whether children or adults. In the coming two weeks you will hear again a Gospel message of “Do Not Be Afraid.” Let those words linger with you and spend some time in reflection about where your fears lie. As parents, addressing our own anxiety and helping our children to address theirs can be incredibly important. How can God help you face what you fear? What can you give over to prayer? This issue helps us all to examine the power of fear and anxiety in our lives and come up with some strategies about how to address it through a lens of faith and family.
Live the Eucharist: Join us as we prepare for the Eucharistic Revival in the United States!
Engaging in the Works of Mercy are practical ways that we can live out our faith. Through the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy, we can help many who are suffering in our world. Here is a link to a lesson that will help your family learn more about how to become the hands of feet of Christ in your home and out in the world!
Pope Francis recently shared a teaching on the Eucharist and posed the question: “When we go to Sunday Mass, how do we live it? Are we recognizing the needs of others and seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus? Live the Eucharist this week by opening your eyes to someone in need; it may just be Jesus helping you to understand the mission our baptism calls us to!
Pray: This prayer from St. Augustine will help you to overcome and face your fears with God at your side:
God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory.~Philippe de Champaigne, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Write: Share the Bible story of David and Goliath. It is a great story of overcoming fear with courage and trusting in God. (1 Samuel 17: 41-54)). Have a conversation about what you can learn from David! With younger children, share the story of David and Goliath in your own words. Ask them to write down things that scare them or make them nervous. Then, have a conversation about how you, your child and God can overcome these worries together!
Be Well: If you or a family member is facing a lot of anxiety, studies show that walks outdoors can be very calming. Take a walk during which you focus on your breathing, silence, and the serenity around you. Make a point to let your thoughts focus only on your walking, your breathing or your silent prayer. Allow yourself to put your worries on a shelf during this healing walk and invite God to come to you in the quiet.
All of this and much more on the Family Zone web page. Join in as we continue our journey in ordinary time!
Liturgy: The Family Zone newsletter prepares you for the readings that you will hear at the Sunday’s Mass for the coming two weeks. This will give you a chance to prepare your heart and mind for full and active participation in Mass! You will find the readings here as well as an expansion of those themes to prepare for full and active participation in the liturgy and formation within your families. There are stories for parents to read to their kids that will help them apply this week’s theme to other areas of life and connect the lines between our beliefs and daily life!
The Family Zone is an interactive newsletter that “takes parents directly to online sites they can use, themselves, to be the primary formators of their children’s faith.” To stay up to date with opportunities around the diocese, sign up for the Family Zone newsletter on their web page.
You are all invited!
“Certainly, our presence and encounter with the Eucharistic Lord should be a top priority among all other activities,” wrote our bishop in a recent Catholic Courier article. “Our love for Christ truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist and our profound union with Him in the reception of Holy Communion should rise above any obligation and increase our desire to be present at Holy Mass when there are no serious health concerns, which are determined by each person.”
With the Coronavirus restrictions in New York State lifted, our parish’s church buildings can now be filled to full capacity. People who have not been vaccinated are asked to continue to wear masks. The reception of Holy Communion will be under one form: the Sacred Host. The exchange of the sign of peace (which is always optional) is will be done without shaking hands and all holy water fonts are to remain empty.
Those who cannot attend Mass in person are encouraged to check out the diocese’s list of Masses that are available online. Additionally, the diocese provides a variety of virtual events for “prayer, worship, and faith sharing.” For updated and additional information, please visit the diocese’s web page related to the Covid-19 response.
“Now that the capacity in our churches has increased and advances have been made to address more effectively COVID-19 I once again encourage all who are physically able to return to the regular practice of attendance at Holy Mass,” wrote Bishop Matano.
We look forward to seeing you Mass at Holy Cross, St. Francis, and St. James!
Our Parish
Welcome to the web page for the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy. This parish has three churches:
- Holy Cross in Ovid, New York;
- St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken, New York; and
- St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, New York.
The title Mother of Mercy is thought to have been first given to Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Odo (d.942), Abbot of Cluny. It is a fitting title of Our Lady both because she brought forth for us Jesus, the Christ, the visible manifestation of the mercy of the invisible God, and because she is the spiritual mother of the faithful, full of grace and mercy. In recognizing Mary as a mother of mercy, it is easy to approach her in prayer with confidence and joy. Please join us in faith and in prayer at any of our three churches which are open each day for private devotions.
Pastor: Fr. Bernard Maloney, OFM Cap.
Pastoral year: Br. Francisco Serrano, OFM Cap.
The parish office is located at the Parish Center: 3660 Orchard St., Interlaken, New York.
To join the parish community or to celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, or marriage, please phone the parish office (607 294–0064) or email: [email protected] to make arrangements.
Father Bernard is available for confessions at St. Francis church in Interlaken every Friday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. (social distancing will be respected). You may also phone the parish office (607 294–0064) to make an appointment to receive the sacrament of reconciliation with a priest.
In residence at St. Fidelis Friary in Interlaken and part of our faith community:
- Fr. Richard Crawley, OFM Cap., chaplain at Cayuga Correctional Facility, Moravia, N.Y.; and
- Br. Antonine Lizama, OFM Cap.
Mass Intentions at St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, Holy Cross in Ovid, and St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken for the week of January 15—January 23, 2021:
| Saturday, January 15 |
St. Francis, 4:00 p.m. | Parishioners and benefactors |
| Sunday, January 16 |
St. James, 9:00 a.m. |
Raymond Ackley from Linda and Mark Scibilia-Carver |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. | Special intention | |
| Monday, January 17 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Tuesday, January 118 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Wednesday, January 19 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Thursday, January 20 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Friday, January 21 | St. Francis, 8:30 p.m. | Special intention |
| Saturday, January 22 |
St. Francis, 4:00 p.m. |
Parishioners and benefactors |
| Sunday, January 23 |
St. James, 9:00 a.m. | Special intention |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. | Special intention |
Those wishing to have someone remembered at a Mass on a particular day and time and place may phone the parish office (607-294-0064) expressing their request. You may also print out the Mass Intentions Request form, fill it out, and mail it to the parish office. All of the Mass intentions presently scheduled can be seen on the parish calendar.
Sanctuary Lamp Intentions: A donation may be made to the parish for a sanctuary lamp to be lit for your intention in one of our churches. Contact the parish office to make your request known.
Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen
