Welcome to the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy!

“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:

June 24, 2022
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Dear Parish households,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In his day, Jesus was popular. Messengers would go out to towns and villages announcing that he would be passing through. When Jesus arrived the town folk come together to welcome Jesus in anticipation of experiencing his graciousness, his teaching, and his healing powers. We learn in this week’s gospel that some were so impressed with Jesus that they desired to follow him, that is, to be in his company, to promote what he was promoting – a kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Jesus welcomed people to be his follower and join him.

Through this week’s gospel, Luke 9:51-62, we celebrate our excitement for Jesus, for his teaching and for the example of his life. We take delight that we are his followers. We trust what he taught, and that it has shaped our way of thinking and acting. His teachings and example for centuries has been judged as “The Way” as if his way is superior to all other ways of thinking and acting. Let us continually praise God for the blessing of the enlightenment we have received through Jesus, his Son, our Lord, and of being his follower.

With love for you all,
Fr. Bernard, OFM Cap.

P.S.

• The week of June 26th, The Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy is celebrating a Week of Appreciation for parish volunteers who give of their time and energy for the benefit of our parish. We express our gratitude to parishioners who are on Councils (Parish and Finance); Committees (Buildings and Grounds and Cemetery); volunteers in our religion education; those involved in Liturgical ministries (church decorators; sacristans; ushers/greeters, musicians, song leaders/choir, altar servers, lectors, and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist); weekend collection counters; and many more. The parish is grateful to you all. We rejoice in your presence and help. We ask God to bless you many times over. Throughout the week dinners have been planned – RSVP is due today, Friday, June 24, 2022.
• Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day – the third commandment of God.
• This weekend’s bulletin is available here.
• Thank you for visiting the parish web site where there are many helpful links here and on our weekly bulletin page. We are also increasing our activity on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Visiting and “liking” the parish’s posts on these social media platforms helps us to engage and reach new parishioners.

Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture

June 26, 2022 ~ Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

And to another he said, “Follow me.” In every moment of every day, in every circumstance and experience, God is calling us. We can easily get distracted and not hear it or simply ignore it, pretending it wasn’t even heard. When we do hear it and favorably respond, there are some conditions that must be met. Jesus makes it clear that once we say yes to his invitation, we must stay focused and forge ahead. We cannot keep looking behind or worry about unfinished business. There are some tasks, and discipleship is one, that require our full devotion.

There are many “masters” vying for our attention. We need something or someone to give us direction. Human nature requires it. Our motives and actions reveal what has our allegiance. It is tempting to give ourselves to masters that lure us with intriguing promises. When given the choice between a “master” that promises worldly success, abundant wealth, status, privilege, and security versus a “master” that asks for self-sacrifice, hardship, suffering, ridicule, and death, to whom do we go? While the promise of immediate pleasure is enticing, there is always a catch. For all that secular masters can promise, they always keep us looking behind, checking on ourselves, second guessing choices, calculating options, and being slaves to excessive worry. Our guard can never come down. Only one master really promises life: Jesus Christ. Hearing his call, we either trust him or we don’t.

Saying yes to following Christ does come with a risk. But it also comes with the brightness of future hopes and dreams. There is no need to keep looking behind. Sins are forgiven and regrets serve no effective purpose. God is not there. He’s moved beyond all that stuff. God is in the today and the tomorrow and what he can continually do with our daily affirmation to follow Him. All we need to do is be obedient. St. Gianna Molla is credited with saying, “The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down.” Begin with prayer. We will not only hear God’s call but find the courage to trust that He will guide us where we need to be. God uses us in the most ordinary of ways through the simple daily expression of our lives.
©LPi

Welcome to the summer editions of the Family Zone, which will provide you with a bit of faith, a bit of fun, a whole lot of FAMILY!! We will focus on the saints, sacred art, silence, scripture, and LOTS of family time! Please share widely! Below are just some of the items available in the latest issue of the Family Zone. Go visit the Family Zone web page to see so much more including links to this Sunday’s readings.

Live the Eucharist:
This summer we’ll explore great ways your family can be the Hands and Feet of Jesus out in the World!Since 4th of July is coming up, why not direct your family’s service experiences toward our active and retired military? There is a link to a USO page that provides some suggestions for your family. In addition, spend some time in prayer. Pray in gratitude for the freedoms we have and pray for those, around the world, whose freedoms are in danger.

Statue of Bishop John Carroll on the campus of Georgetown University

Learn:
Is there some Catholic trivia you may not know? With With Independence Day approaching, it is interesting to hear about Catholic figures during the Revolutionary War.

John Carroll was the first U.S. Bishop and was appointed in 1789. He founded Georgetown University and worked alongside many of the founding fathers of our country. His cousin, Charles Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence and donated land to begin Johns Hopkins University. Daniel Carroll, John’s younger brother, signed both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. The Carroll family did much to introduce Catholicism to America.

Imagine:
Exodus 3:1-6 tells another story of Moses that many people remember about the important Old Testament Hero. Read it here and then make a drawing of what you imagine in the scene as you hear the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. Do you think God still talks to people like he spoke to Moses? How do you think God might talk to you one day?

Pray:
Gather together to pray the beautiful prayer below from the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as part of your Fourth of July family festivities. The Family Zone provides a link to the Shrine and additional prayers for our country.

A Prayer for Faithful Citizenship

Gracious and loving God, let your Spirit be with us today.
Hear our prayers and increase in us the will to follow your Son Jesus.
Help us to draw on the resources of our faith as we use the opportunities of our democracy to shape a society more respectful of the life, dignity, and rights of the human person, especially the poor and vulnerable.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
Amen.

Play:
Enjoy fun, family time together! Try some old-fashioned races this Holiday! Egg and Spoon, Sack races and three legged races are always fun! Or you could try a grinning match! This old time game involves making the silliest faces and getting others to laugh! No using your hands in the grinning match! See more details on the Family Zone web page.

Quiet Yourself:
Step outside and spend some time just listening to God’s creation. What do you hear? What do you like most about what you hear? Take at least 5 minutes of screen free, nature loving silent time each day this week!

Wonder:
This summer we are wondering about God’s CREATION!! Let’s wonder about God’s amazing creation of spiders! They may be scary to some, but they have incredible skills!

• How do spiders create such intricate webs?
• Spider silk, used to build webs, is stronger by weight, than steel! Why were spiders given such an amazing material? What can we learn from spider webs?
• Spiders can use their silk to make modes of travel through the air or under the water! What other creatures can design their own transportation?
• Why do spiders have so many legs?
• Should I be afraid of spiders?

What do you wonder about spiders???

Go visit the Family Zone web page where you will find more about the above and other items of interest for you and your family. There is an article about celebrating Sts. Peter and Paul, patrons of Rome, with an interesting video about their influence on Rome and the beautiful buildings that bear their name. Also, there is a family friendly smoothie recipe, sure to be a crowd hit, and then a maze game you can play with the large smoothie straws when you are done. There is also a look at a famous painting about Moses being found in the river. Read Exodus 2 and compare the Bible story with the painting and discuss the questions provided.

The Family Zone, produced by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, is an online newsletter designed to help you prepare for full and active participation in the liturgy as well as formation within your families. It 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.

“It is in knowing and in loving the Jesus of the Eucharist that you will have the means to understand life, to find security, to be a people with roots. It is Christ who sustains and supports us in the many trials, struggles, challenges, transitions and happenings of our human existence,” wrote our Bishop wrote in his pastoral letter on the Eucharist. “Join us in sharing the light of Christ!”

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.

Also 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.

Mass Intentions at St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, Holy Cross in Ovid, and St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken for the week of June 25 – July 3, 2021:

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 any one of our three 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