“We do not want … a Church that moves with the world.
We want a Church that will move the world.” ~G. K. Chesterton
A Message from Our Pastor:
October 15, 2021
St. Teresa of Avila, Virgin, Doctor of the Church
Dear Parish households,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday gospel for October 17, 2021 expresses Jesus’s desire that his followers be “great.” In fact, he challenges them to be great and teaches them how to be great. He teaches: “anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all.” (Mark 10:43). After teaching this he speaks about himself as one who made himself a servant and ready to sacrifice his life in service to others.
The apostles and disciples experienced Jesus as their servant. They witnessed the service he gave to all those he encountered. People immediately recognized him as “great.” They fled to him knowing he would be of service to them. They rejoiced in his greatness. We see God in the person of Jesus, therefore, Jesus reveals God is a servant. Therefore, when we approach God in prayer, we are to first recognize that fact, have confidence in that fact, and rejoice in that fact. God is our servant. God is great.
We are the followers of Jesus, that is, we are imitators of Jesus. Like him we are servants. We are husbands serving their wives, wives serving their husbands, parents serving their children, and children serving their parents and siblings. When this happens, we live with great people, rejoicing in their greatness.
Jesus challenges us to be ambitious, to aspire to greatness. Follow him, making yourself the servant of all.
With love for you all,
Fr. Bernard, OFM Cap
Pastor
P.S.
- All Saints Day is November 1st. It is a Monday. This year it is not a holy day of obligation. On all Saints Day there will be one Mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken.
- All Soul’s Day is November 2nd. It is the day the Church commemorates all the faithful departed. It is the custom that the names of one’s beloved deceased be submitted to be remembered and prayed for on that day and throughout the month of November. Envelopes are available in the churches to record the names of those to be remembered and prayed for and those envelopes will remain on the altar for the month of November. On that day, at the 8:30 a.m. Mass, the names of all those whose burial took place through the ministry of the Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy during the past year will be announced, and a candle will be lit in remembrance of them.
- Collection for the support of our two parish cemeteries will be taken up on the weekend of November 7th. In preparation for that collection envelopes have been placed in the churches.
- Please share this letter with other members of your home. Thank you.
- This weekend’s bulletin is available here.
Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture
October 17, 2021 ~ Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“What do you wish me to do for you?” Whether we realize it, this is a question God is always asking. It’s an important question because the answer we provide will reveal a great deal about where our hearts lie. Our requests of God can often appear very noble and altruistic. They consist of requests for healing for someone in need of prayers, successful resolution of a personal conflict, assistance in overcoming a disease and myriad other desires for both ourselves and others. We are especially concerned about those we love and can easily find ourselves bringing their struggles to God for a hearing in our prayer.
Is that really all that prayer is about? The woman in today’s Gospel, having been put in her place by Jesus, was only looking out for the wellbeing of her sons. She was doing what mothers do, protecting and securing the livelihood of her children. But she was sadly mistaken, her request was not granted. We all make this same misguided mistake from time to time. The goal of prayer is not to convince God of the worthiness of our agenda or to gain a hearing. Sometimes we believe that the more we multiply our prayers or discover the right combination of supplications that we will receive more of God’s attention. That’s not how it works. Even though God desires to hear, know, and be an intimate part of what is on our minds, it goes much deeper.
What we need from God is a relationship. It’s a relationship that guides and immerses us in the very stuff of life and in the direction of the Gospel. This relationship sees God’s kingdom and agenda, not our own, as what is most important. It builds the strength of character necessary to bring God’s Gospel into a world that may not receive it with open arms. It may cause us discomfort and suffering. We are asked to heroically journey with God through suffering, hardship, ridicule, and even death! Ultimately, our desire from God must become our desire for God. It is only when this happens that the powerful words “thy will be done” will be found with sincerity and humility on our lips. Whatever God wishes becomes what we wish as we see this glorious union of wills. Our humble lives will then become powerful witnesses, and what happens to us in God’s eternal kingdom the result of his mercy. We become true servants and find ourselves discovering God’s definition of success. That definition has nothing at all to do with status, income, or privilege.
©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 latest issue of their newsletter, Family Zone, is now available. The Family Zone is designed to help you prepare for full and active participation in the liturgy as well as formation within your families.
Hear My Prayer:
In the next two weeks, our Gospel passages will carry two themes that we will bring to life in this issue of The Family Zone. First, we hear Bartimaeus crying out to God and in the following week, we are reminded to love God with all our heart and our entire being. Prayer comes to mind when we hear these two themes. As is true with any relationship, God desires good communication with us and prayer is that vehicle. There are many prayer styles and it is always great to do some research and find the style that fits you best so that you can enhance and strengthen your family’s prayer life. October is also the month of the Rosary, so it is a great time to learn that devotional prayer as a family, especially if you’ve never done it before!
Enjoy exploring!
Journeying with St. Joseph:
By tradition, St. Joseph is the patron Saint against doubt and hesitation. This comes from his certainty about taking Mary into his home and fleeing to Egypt. He trusted that God was leading him in the right direction and he followed. In many ways, as patron against doubt and hesitation, St. Joseph is also a patron of prayer. How can we be like St. Joseph and not only ask God to answer us, but to listen to the answer and follow in trust?
We have a rich history of relying on St. Joseph’s intercessions in our diocese. Make sure you check out the diocese’s St. Joseph webpage or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/dioceseofrochester. Throughout the year we will be adding additional resources for the Year of St. Joseph and the Year of the Family!
The Family Zone: 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! There are ideas for family field trips, fun, and exploring. There is also a section on prayer where ideas are shared for personal prayer, family prayer, and learning more about the ACT of prayer as a discipleship skill! Ordinary Time doesn’t have to be boring: Transform yourself!
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.
Our Church’s Responses to COVID-19
You are all invited to come home to Mass!
New York State has lifted Coronavirus restrictions and so church buildings in our parish will no longer be divided into “Distancing and No Distancing Sections” and the churches can now be filled to full capacity. People who have not been vaccinated, however, are asked to continue to wear masks. There will be a return to having altar servers, lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and offertory collections. There will be a return to singing. Churches will not have to be sanitized after services. What will be maintained is the reception of Holy Communion 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.
“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.” 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: immmercy@dor.org 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 October 16–October 24, 2021:
| Saturday, October 16 | St. Francis, 4:00 p.m. | Parishioners and benefactors |
| Sunday, October 17 | St. James, 9:00 a.m. |
Liz Jenner from Kathy and Chuck Healy |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. | Kaili Collins from Eileen Collins |
|
| Monday, October 18 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Tuesday, October 19 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Wednesday, October 20 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Thursday, October 21 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Friday, October 22 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Saturday, October 23 | St. Francis, 4:00 p.m. |
Special intention |
| Sunday, October 24 | St. James, 9:00 a.m. | Roger Mills from Robert (Russ) Wedemeyer |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. | Parishioners and benefactors |
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.
A donation has been made to the parish churches for a sanctuary lamp to be lit for the following intentions:
| St. Francis Solanus | Sept. 11–18 | Helen Stare and George Frantz |
| St. James the Apostle | Sept. 11–18 | Barbara Lister |
| Holy Cross | Sept. 18–25 | For all in need of prayer |
Prayer to Mary, Mother of Mercy
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude, and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel now your help and protection. Be ready to help us when we pray, and bring back to us the answers to our prayers. Make it your continual concern to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever. Amen.
