Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ February 10, 2019

First reading:
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!” (Is. 6:8)

Psalm:
In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord. (Ps. 138)

Second reading:
Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1 Cor .15:11)

Gospel:
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. (Lk. 5:10b-11)

Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Have you ever felt a compelling urge to respond to a situation and then found yourself questioning whether you should do so? Fear often takes hold of us, and we find ourselves making excuses for why it is better to just mind our own business. There is a voice within each of us that is saying, “Follow me.” What does this prompting mean? The purpose of discipleship is not to secure our own station in life and enhance our comfort zone. Discipleship is about taking risks and venturing forth into the unknown, tending to the needs of others and being prophetic voices of change. We will not drink deeply of life until we listen to the voice of God within. When God asks, “Whom shall I send?” will you reply, “Here I am—send me!”?

Catholic Quotes—Words to Inspire the Faithful:

© Liturgical Publications Inc.

Events:

• AA Meetings:
  • Tuesdays, 8:00 p.m., St. Francis Solanus, Interlaken
  • Thursdays, noon, St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
• Food Pantries:
  • Ovid Federated church: Mondays, 10:00 a.m. Food Truck is every other Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. (February 19)
  • Interlaken Reformed church: Fridays, 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
  • Trumansburg Food Pantry: Methodist church every other Monday, 1:00–2:00 p.m. and 5:30-6:00 p.m. (February 18)
• Robotics: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6:00-8:00 p.m., St. James
• James Choir Rehearsals: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., St. James
• Public Policy Weekend: February 9–10
• Weekend Backpack Program Collections: weekends, February 9–24
• Communion Service: On Mondays at 9:00 a.m. will resume February 11, St. James
• Discernment Weekend: February 22–24, St. Michael’s Friary
• Coffee Hour: March 3, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass, St. James
• Forty Days for Life: From March 6 through April 14, Ithaca
• Bernard: Being available on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. will resume March 8, St. Francis
• Catholic Women’s Conference: March 9, from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., at Aquinas Institute
• Confirmation Candidates: Eighth and ninth graders, classes will resume March 10 at 4:00 p.m., St. James
• Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): Instruction will resume March 20 at 7:00 p.m., St. James

Visiting Priest:
Fr. John Mellitt, OFM Cap., will be visiting and helping out in the parish during the month of February while Fr. Bernard is away. Please welcome Fr. John to our parish.

Friday Evenings:
During the month of February, Fr. Bernard will be out of town and therefore not available on Friday evenings in Interlaken to speak with people or provide the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Those wishing to celebrate the sacrament or simply to talk with a priest, may make an appointment with Fr. Richard or Fr. John by contacting them personally or by leaving a message on the phone at the parish office (607-294-0064).

Weekend Backpack Project:
The parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy, is participating in the Weekend Backpack Program. This program was designed to assist lower income families by providing food for elementary students within our parish community. Food items donated must be single serving size. Examples could include: canned fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, packets of hot chocolate, packets of cheese and crackers, and pudding, cereal, canned milk, or juice. There will also be money collection jars in all three churches. If you wish to write a check, please make it payable to Mary, Mother of Mercy, and write “Backpack Program” on the memo line. Collection of items occur on weekends in February, beginning February 9 and ending February 24.

Parish Finances:
The parish finance council met on January 25, and, in the review of the sixth month finance report, (July 1–December 31, 2018) it was noted that our parish ordinary income, i.e. weekend collections, are not meeting our ordinary expenses, creating a deficit over the sixth month period of $1,405. This deficit would have been higher, if not for the fact that our ordinary expenses were down $7,663.76 from the previous year’s sixth month reporting. Also noted was that our ordinary income was $11,635.62 less than the previous year’s ordinary income. It is suspected that, because our weekend Mass attendance is down from the previous year, possibly due to the Mass schedule changes, our collections are down as well. On another level, church collections are down nationally because of the scandals the Church is dealing with at this time. Whatever the reason why our collections are down, we need to alert parishioners to the situation. Please continue to invite parishioners who are not attending weekly Mass to return to the celebration of God’s word, the celebration of the memorial of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the celebration of our union with Jesus and one another in the sacrament of Holy Communion. It would also be helpful if parishioners could increase their weekly offering according to their means. Thank you for your kind consideration of this matter.

Choir Rehearsals:
Parish choir rehearsals have commenced on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in St. James the Apostle church. Anyone from 15 years old to 115 years young is welcome! If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Joanie Gelatt at 607 220–9579.

Catholic Women’s Conference:
The Rochester Catholic Women’s Conference will be held at the Aquinas Institute on Saturday, March 9, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. This year’s theme, “Full of Grace,” will invite participants to reflect on Mary’s role in the Church, in history, and in an individual’s personal life. The speakers will be Karlo Broussard and Sr. Anne Catherine Burleigh, OP, and registration is now open. Please visit the website at Rochestercwc.org/2019 for conference details and more information.

Forty Days for Life:
From March 6 through April 14, 40 Days for Life, a peaceful campaign of prayer and fasting, will take place in Ithaca, across from Planned Parenthood, 620 W. Seneca St, in the public right-of-way, daily from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. We hope you will consider an hour or two of prayer vigil per week with your family, a friend, or church group. Come and pray together! For more information, contact Mary Anne Tissot at 315 246-7479 or via e-mail at [email protected]

More Counters Needed:
We currently have four two-person teams counting the offertory collections at St. James the Apostle. The counting is done after the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Sundays or Tuesdays. It would be good to have a one or two additional parishioners to be substitutes for when one or more of our regular counters is either ill or otherwise unavailable. You need to be eighteen years old or older to be a counter. The commitment involves one hour of training and then counting four or five times per year. If you are interested, please contact either Ron Singer at 607-387-6577 or at [email protected] or Father Bernard Maloney at [email protected].

Ministers of Hospitality Needed:
St. James the Apostle is in need of additional volunteers to serve as ministers of hospitality/ ushers. It currently has two two-person teams and one substitute. It would be best to increase the ministry by at least four additional people. That would give the church four two-person teams and would allow each team to usher just once a month. We currently do not have any women involved in this ministry and would welcome their involvement. You do have to be18 years old or older (men or women) to be an usher. If anyone is interested, please contact Ron Singer at 607-387-6577 or at [email protected] or Father Bernard Maloney at [email protected].

Volunteers Needed in March and April:
Every two months the churches of Trumansburg and Jacksonville take turns providing volunteers for the Trumansburg Food Pantry located in the Trumansburg United Methodist church. March and April are the months for Mary Mother of Mercy/St. James to provide volunteers. Please consider helping by signing up on the list provided in the St. James foyer. There are various times and tasks available from which you can choose and the dates are March 4 and 18, and April 1, 15, and 29. Don’t forget to leave your phone number if you would like a reminder call. Thank you.

Equal Rights for Farmworkers:
You can be a voice for justice today! In the words of the New York State Catholic Conference, “There is no legitimate reason for treating farmworkers inequitably.” Today you can support justice for farmworkers by signing our diocese-wide petition to our state elected officials in favor of the “Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices Act.” This bill would give tens of thousands of farmworkers in our state equal labor rights. Put your faith into action. Stand with them and take the time to sign the petition this weekend, February 9–10, which is Public Policy Weekend.

Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Have questions about the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Has it been a while since you last celebrated this sacrament? There is nothing to fear. Visit http://forgiven.dor.org and click on “Commonly Asked Questions” to ease your worries.

Help Clothe our Neighbors in Need:
Catholic Charities’ free clothing closet is seeking volunteers to sign up for weekly shifts, any day Tuesday through Friday, from 1:00 until 3:30 p.m. Volunteers sort and stock donated items, and serve as clerks, although there is no charge for the items. This is an opportunity to show care and friendliness to people who struggle with poverty and loneliness, who need clothes for job interviews and school, or just to keep warm. If you are interested, please contact Michaela at [email protected] or call 607-272-5062 ext. 17.

On-Line Giving:
Parishioners can easily sign-up online to support the parish financially.
1) You have already started by visiting the parish website
2) click “Giving” in bar across top of page
3) click “online giving link” in blue or the “Online Giving By WeShare” logo (toward the bottom of the page)
4) click “Make a Donation” in the Offertory box
5) click “Recurring donations”
6) a page will appear titled “Create a new repeating donation for Offertory”
7) respond to the sections on that page requesting information to set up your personal account.

Once you have added your account information, donations will be automatically deducted as per your instructions. If you have questions, please contact the parish office at 607 294 0064.

Prayers from the Sisters of St. Joseph:
The Sisters of St. Joseph have a prayer ministry and Sr. Dolores Bachman and Sr. Anne Marie Burns will be praying for our parish throughout 2019. Let us keep the sisters in our prayers as well.

Support Group:
Many people who have suddenly lost a family member, friend, classmate or colleague find that sharing openly with fellow survivors about what they have lived through can help with the healing process. The Seneca County Suicide Prevention Coalition hosts twice-monthly support groups which meet in Waterloo and Ovid for convenience of the entire community. These groups are held on the first- and third- Monday of every month; and provide people who are survivors of loss or survivors of suicide the opportunity to talk in an open and inclusive environment, free of judgment or stigma. The Waterloo Public Library plays host on the first Monday of every month and the Ovid session takes place on the third Monday at the Ovid Federated Church. Both sessions run from 6:30 until 8:00 p.m. For more information see www.facebook.com/SenecaSuicidePrevention or contact Mary Joslyn at [email protected].

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.

Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.

February 9 (second weekend):
Lectors: Kathleen Rourke, Barbara Willers
EMs: Lee and Mary Davidson, Robin Hamula

February 16 (third weekend):
Lectors: Scott Hamula, Ann Buddle
EMs: Robin Hamula, Kathleen Rourke, Cathy DelSignore

Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m.

February 10 (second Sunday):
Lectors: Mark Scibilia-Carver and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Lynne Stager, Beth Koeng, Mary Szymanski

February 17 (third Sunday):
Lectors: Donna Ryan and Nancy Olszewski
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Beth and Tom Duff, Debbie Short