First reading:
“Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O LORD, have given me.” (Dt. 26:10a)
Psalm:
Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble. (Ps. 91)
Second reading:
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)
Gospel:
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. (Lk. 4:1-2)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Temptation is a part of our lives. Even Jesus wrestled with temptation. Our faith tells us that we are meant to live our lives in service of God’s kingdom. Yet, we often find ourselves pursuing our own desires rather than God’s. The Gospel clearly tells us that true power is found in the embrace of virtue—living lives of non-violence, mercy, and forgiveness. Yet, we still are not convinced and seek things that will hurt us and retaliate against those who harm us. When Jesus faced temptation, he found security in who he was, which firmly rooted him in his mission and gave him the determination to trust in God. We, too, must learn to find security in our identity as a son or daughter of God, to live out our mission rooted in that truth, and to be confident in God’s abiding presence.
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. (March 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. (March 18)
- Robotics: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6:00-8:00 p.m., St. James
- Fr. Bernard is Available: Fridays, 6:30 p.m., St. Francis
- Choir Practices: March 14 at 6:30 p.m., St. Francis; after Sunday Mass, St. James; and Tuesdays, at 10:00 a.m., Holy Cross
- Forty Days for Life: From March 6 through April 14, Ithaca
- Donations to T’burg Food Pantry: March 10, in front of statue of Mary, St. James
- Confirmation Candidates: Eighth and ninth graders, classes will resume March 10 at 4:00 p.m., St. James
- Day of Penance and Mercy in the Diocese: March 13, 2:00–4:00 and 6:00–8:00 p.m., St. Francis
- Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): Instruction will resume March 20 at 7:00 p.m., St. James
- Coffee Hour: April 7, after 9:00 a.m. Mass, St. James
Black, Native American, and Hispanic Collection:
This collection will be taken up this weekend. Originally mandated by the III Plenary Council in 1884, the 125-year-old national collection continues as the embodiment of the Church’s concern for evangelizing the Black, Native American, and Hispanic people of the United States. The funds are distributed as grants to dioceses throughout the United States, supporting and strengthening evangelization programs which otherwise would cease.
Rice Bowl:
Through Catholic Relief Services (CRS), our parish provides Rice Bowl boxes for people to use during Lent. Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl at the back of your church and, throughout Lent, add in your pocket change or other money. This is an easy way we can all give to those in need around the world and 25% of what we collect will stay in our local community. During the forty days of Lent, as companions on the journey, we will encounter our neighbor.
Choir Practice:
As the liturgical year moves closer to Ash Wednesday and ultimately the Tridium, there will be a group Tridium practice at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis on March 14. The Tuesday morning group has commenced at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Cross. This also provides an alternative practice time for any choir member who prefers not to be out at night. At St. James, feel free to stay and practice after Sunday Mass.
T’burg Food Pantry:
This weekend is our chance to donate food or money to the Trumansburg pantry. Just leave your donations on the table in front of the Mary statue at St. James. Also, we still need a couple more volunteers to help out at the Trumansburg Food Pantry, located in the Trumansburg United Methodist church. The food pantry counts on our parish to provide to people to help out during March and April. Please sign up on the lists provided in the St. James foyer. Thank you!
Fridays in Lent:
Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence. Abstinence means that people over the age of 14 are obliged to abstain from eating meat on Fridays.
Stations of the Cross:
There will be Stations of the Cross on Thursdays of Lent beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Holy Cross church followed by a communal soup supper. On Fridays of Lent, at 3:30 p.m. at St. James, the Stations will be followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the opportunity to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) is available on Fridays, 6:30–7:00 p.m., at St. Francis church or by appointment with a priest. March 13, the Wednesday after Ash Wednesday, will be a day of penance and mercy throughout the Diocese of Rochester. The celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation will take place in parishes throughout the diocese on that day, including at our parish center (St. Francis Solanus church) from 2:00–4:00 and 6:00–8:00 p.m. Please make note of this opportunity as the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a “graced opportunity for us to celebrate God’s forgiveness.” On Fridays of Lent, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be available at St. James after Benediction. Do you have questions about the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Visit http://forgiven.dor.org and click on “Commonly Asked Questions.”
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 be 18 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].
Easter Duty:
All the faithful, after they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, are bound by the obligation of receiving Communion at least once a year. The precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at some other time during the year (Church Law #920).
Daily Meditations:
The Center for Action and Contemplation offers daily mediations that have proved most helpful to thousands of people. Please go to https://cac.org or [email protected].
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’s 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.
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.
Ministry Schedule for St. Francis Solanus Church, Interlaken
Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.
March 9 (second weekend):
Lectors: Kathleen Rourke, Barbara Willers
EMs: Lee and Mary Davidson, Robin Hamula
March 16 (third weekend):
Lectors: Scott Hamula, Ann Buddle
EMs: Robin Hamula, Kathleen Rourke, Cathy DelSignore
Ministry Schedule for St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m.
March 10 (second Sunday):
Lectors: Mark Scibilia-Carver and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Lynne Stager, Beth Koeng, Mary Szymanski
March 17 (third Sunday):
Lectors: Donna Ryan and Nancy Olszewski
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Beth and Tom Duff, Debbie Short
Ministry Schedule for Holy Cross, Ovid
Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.
(information not available at this time)