“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:
May 14, 2021
St. Matthias, Apostle Day
Dear Parish households,
God raised the Lord to life, alleluia.
Through his power he will also raise us up, alleluia.
The disciples of Jesus have the same mission as Jesus. Disciples invite everyone to be members of the Kingdom of God. The kingdom is dedicated to discovering and proclaiming truth, to having compassion for everyone, to work for justice, and promote concord and harmony among all. It is God through his word, and especially through Jesus, that one is lead toward achieving these goals. As lofty as the mission is, Jesus was fully aware that there would be opposition. The opposition could lead to rejection, persecution, and even death as he himself personally experienced.
St. John’s Gospel (Jn17:11b-19), the gospel for this the Seventh Sunday of Easter, makes us aware that Jesus knew the difficulties his disciples would encounter as he sends them out into the world. Before his death Jesus prayed for his disciples. Jesus petitioned our heavenly Father that the disciples know and rejoice in God’s love for them. Jesus prayed that our heavenly Father would protect and guard them as he protected and guarded them. He prayed that because they were not of this world, they be kept safe because they remain in the world, and are at least potentially, subject to its influence. He prayed that the Father consecrate them in His word, His truth, because they would be taking his place in the world.
In Jesus’s prayer, we know he was praying for us. We are the disciples the followers of Jesus. We are Christians. As Jesus was God’s agent, we too are commissioned to be the agents of God. We are promoters of the Kingdom of God. With this awareness we can appreciate Jesus praying for us, his disciples. We need his prayer to accomplish the great mission entrusted to us.
With love for you all,
Fr. Bernard, OFM Cap.
P.S.
- Please share this letter with other members of your home. Thank you.
- This weekend’s bulletin is available here.
- Each weekend the Parish Sunday Mass is video taped and can be viewed through this link on Sunday or anytime during the week.
Click HERE for Sunday Mass
The Mass for the Sevemth Sunday of Easter is available for viewing through this link.
Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture
May 16, 2021 ~ Seventh Sunday of Easter
God remains where love remains. When a believer realizes without doubt that God is love, it is a powerful moment. Being able to place our resurrection trust in this fundamental truth allows us to experience God’s presence in all of our experiences: the good and the bad, positive and negative, life enriching and destructive events we encounter. It is no wonder that St. Paul so accurately tells us that it is love that endures all things and lasts. How can God not endure or ever fade away? Because he is God, Jesus also guarded and protected his disciples as the endearing shepherd who always had their best interest at heart.
If we become too immersed in the world, we lose touch with these deeper realities. We can become so preoccupied with preserving what we have created or think that we need, forgetting that it is not building our city that really matters, but God’s. Jesus clearly did not belong to the world and, by virtue of his resurrection, he tries to get us to understand that we do not either. The truth brings us to other worldly, more divine places and takes our eyes off of the concerns that often captivate our fears and storm our senses.
Life can easily erode our faith. Think of your life over the last couple of weeks. What challenged your faith and distracted your divine glance? Even being overly stimulated with technology and social media can erode our sense of confidence and cause us to forget who we really are. We need to distance ourselves from the world in order to experience the joy that Christ offers. The world will never like the word of God. It is too challenging and too perplexing. The world mistakenly believes that it can survive on its own. It is a mistaken judgment that may cost people a lot in the end. It is all so very simple: God remains when we love one another. If in all the business of our lives and all that each day brings, the good and the bad, we follow the call and path of love, we will walk with God. There is nothing to fear and anxiety finds no home.
©LPI
For Families
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 weekly newsletter, Family Zone, is now available.
“And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.” Next weekend is the Feast of Pentecost and we have just celebrated the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord; it is a great time to explore who the HOLY SPIRIT is, and prepare our thoughts to fully engage in this feast centering around the descent of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, upon the Apostles. Can you imagine what the Apostles must have felt in that moment described in scripture? In the early church, that same Spirit called followers to share with one another and to show others what it meant to be a follower of Christ. They gained new followers to the church because of the witness they were to others. May we all be encouraged to pray for the Holy Spirit to intercede in our world today and strengthen and guide us as Catholic Christians!
The Flight into Egypt by Rembrandt
According to legend, burying a statue of St. Joseph in the front yard of a house you are selling, will help the sale go quickly. There are many thoughts on this – you should bury the statue facing the house that you are trying to sell, or may you bury it upside down facing the street, or near the for-sale sign. The Church does not endorse the superstition that goes with the tradition, but does endorse praying for St. Joseph’s intercession. As the patron of realtors, St. Joseph is our “go-to” for prayers when moving and selling. This comes from the Holy Family’s experience of moving homes when fleeing for safety to Egypt after the birth of Jesus and again when returning to Nazareth; the Holy Family were refugees. Joseph experienced the need to move his family and possessions, and for that reason, we pray to him when we undertake the same task. A prayer to St. Joseph that is often associated with burying the statue, but which is a good one anytime is:
“O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.”
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 Newsletter prepares you for NEXT Weekend’s Mass. You will find the readings as well as an expansion of those themes to prepare for full and active participation in the liturgy and formation within your families 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
In response to information provided by the diocese, along with guidelines provided by local and state government and health officials concerning COVID-19, daily Masses have resumed in St. Francis church, Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. Weekend Masses have also resumed, with an added 4:00 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass at St. James the Apostle church. All Masses have limited occupancy, based on civil and church guidelines. For those who cannot attend in person, the parish Mass is taped and linked above.
The diocese provides a variety of virtual events for “prayer, worship, and faith sharing.” For updated and additional information, including information on the vaccines, please visit the diocese’s web page related to the Covid-19 response.
From the Bishop’s 2020 Christmas message: “Indeed, this past year has been quite challenging and difficult as we continue to deal with the pandemic crisis and other serious concerns. How much we all need the joy of Christmas!”
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 parish office is located at the Parish Center: 3660 Orchard St., Interlaken, 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. Please join us in faith and in prayer at any of our three churches which are open each day for private devotions.
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.
Joining Fr. Bernard Maloney in residence at St. Fidelis Friary in Interlaken and part of our faith community:
- Rev. Richard Crawley, OFM Cap., chaplain at Cayuga Correctional Facility, Moravia, N.Y.;
- Rev. Roland Daigle, OFM Cap.; 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 May 15–May 23, 2021:
| Saturday, May 15 | St. James, 4:00 p.m. Limited assembly (54) |
Stephen Rorick from Gerry Todi |
| St. Francis, 5:00 p.m. Limited assembly (35) |
Parishioners and benefactors | |
| Sunday, May 16 | St. James, 9:00 a.m. Limited assembly (54) |
Virginia Ryan from her children |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. Limited assembly (80) |
Special intention | |
| Monday, May 17 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Tuesday, May 18 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Wednesday, May 19 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Thursday, May 20 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Friday, May 21 | St. Francis, 8:30 a.m. | Special intention |
| Saturday, May 22 | St. James, 4:00 p.m. Limited assembly (54) |
Fr. George Heyman from Kathleen Rourke |
| St. Francis, 5:00 p.m. Limited assembly (35) |
Parishioners and benefactors | |
| Sunday, May 23 | St. James, 9:00 a.m. Limited assembly (54) |
Carol Northrup from Sonny and Mary Camobreco |
| Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. Limited assembly (80) |
Kaili Collins from Bob, Barbara, and Emily Conrad |
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.
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.
World Communications Day is May 16, 2021
