First Reading:
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him. (Dt. 18)
Psalm:
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Ps. 95)
Second Reading:
An unmarried woman or a virgin is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. (1 Cor. 7:34)
Gospel:
The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. (Mk. 1:22)
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. The English translation of Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
©LPi
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Most of us are not trail blazers. Throughout history though, there have been many folks who tirelessly and persistently pursued the promptings of their hearts without giving any care to what others thought or trends dictated. Jesus is one of them. St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Francis of Assisi are examples of others. The rest of us are people who take a more measured look at things, want to test the waters, and take our time choosing what path or person to follow. We need credible witnesses of faith. We need the Moses people in our lives to show us by word and deed who God is and what integrity and a purpose-driven life looks like. They are the pointers to truth, who even though they struggle themselves, seem to embody an unspoken timeless wisdom that just sounds and feels right. Jesus taught with this same type of authority and caught the attention of the greatest of skeptics. They were astonished. Even though we need our human prophets we can also be somewhat prophetic ourselves by putting integrity and conviction behind our embrace of the Gospel. Perhaps much to our surprise, we all have the power to be a credible witness. Are you willing to give it a try?
Catholic Quotes—Words to Inspire the Faithful:
© Liturgical Publications Inc.
Events:
- Food Pantries:
- Ovid Federated church: Mondays, 10:00 a.m.
- Food truck: Every other Tuesday (February 2), 4:00 p.m., South Seneca high school parking lot
- Interlaken Reformed church: Fridays, 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.,
- Trumansburg Food Pantry: Every other Monday (February 1) 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 5:15–6:00 p.m., Methodist church
- Family Hope Center: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00–4:00 p.m., Holy Cross
- AA Meetings:
- Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m., St. Francis Solanus, Interlaken
- Thursdays, Noon, St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
- Fr. Bernard is Available: Fridays, 6:30–7:30 p.m., St. Francis Solanus (Fr. Bernard will not be available the Fridays in February.)
- Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy’s Sunday Mass can be viewed at our parish website: marymotherofmercy.com
Funeral:
Eugene Carroll age 87 died on January 16, 2021. A funeral Mass was celebrated at Holy Cross Church, Ovid on January 21 with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Please Note:
Fr. Bernard will be away from January 27 to March 2, 2021. Fr. Richard Crawley, OFM Cap. and Fr. Roland Daigle, OFM Cap. will be covering the schedule of weekday and weekend Masses. They will also fill in whenever called upon. The Friday evening schedule for confessions/dialogue will be cancelled during that time.
2020/2021 Catholic Ministries Appeal:
As of January 21, ninety-six (96) parish families have contributed to the CMA. We thank those who have given generously and ask all who have not yet given to prayerfully consider doing so. The CMA helps our Church and our parish in so many ways. Please consider all the ways that God has blessed you and your family and think how the Church has brought goodness into your lives. Join our appeal and give back what you can so that we remain strong and able to do God’s great work. Our parishioners have contributed $22,341 which represents 74.52% of our given goal of $29,979.
Blessing of Throats:
On the feast day of St. Blaise, February 3, it is the custom in the church to bless throats with crossed candles with the following prayer, “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This year, because of the pandemic, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Divine Worship issued the following directive: the priest/deacon will give the blessing to all assembled by extending hands, without crossed candles, over the people while saying the prayer of blessing. The blessing will take place at the parish daily 8:30 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, February 3.
The Word Among Us:
The season of Lent begins on February 17 Booklets containing daily meditations and daily Mass Sacred Scripture readings for February 17 – April 4, 2021 are available in the foyers of the church. Please take one for yourself and your family and please bring a booklet to one who is homebound. A free will offering may be offered for the booklet.
Offertory Collection:
During this time of the pandemic, offertory collections cannot be taken up. When parishioners attend Mass, please place your offertory in the new collection stand at the entrances of the church. The new stand replaces the baskets at the entrances and offers security to your offering.
Public Policy Advocacy Weekend – February 13/14:
NOURISH NEW YORK is a New York State initiative that provides funding to Food Banks to purchase New York State produced farm products. This accomplishes two goals: it offers market support to farmers, the fishing community, and food processors who have been impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic, while getting high-quality food to individuals and families across the state through the regional Food Banks to local parish and community food pantries. The initiative provided $35 million in funding from May 1 to December 31, 2020. 4,152 farms have provided over 17 million pounds of high-quality New York produced food to New Yorkers in-need.
Treaty – Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons:
January 22, 2020 marked the day when the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons came into force. This accord was approved by 122 members of the U.N. General Assembly in 2017 and has just recently been ratified by the legislature of the 50th member country, so it will now become international law. The treaty declares that the countries ratifying it must “never under any circumstance develop, test, produce, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” The United States did not participate in the ratification of the treaty.
Trumansburg Food Pantry Volunteers:
The next Trumansburg pantry is February 1. If you would like to help out, please feel free to signup. All are welcome as more hands make light work. The parish is responsible for providing volunteers for two more dates: February 1 and 15. Thank you and God Bless.
Faith Formation:
A great help to parents and families is “The Family Zone” newsletter. It offers a listing of activities and opportunities for further learning one’s faith. The newsletter can easily be shared to encourage the promotion of parents as primary catechist. The newsletter is easy to follow, offers several topics in various formats, it is fun and most of all it is educational. The newsletter is for all in the family, young and elderly. Try it out. https://oec.dor.org/evangelization/the-family-zone-newsletter.
Respect Life:
All are welcome to come and pray every Friday morning from 8:30–11:00 a.m. at Planned Parenthood, 620 W. Seneca St., Ithaca, and be available to offer life-affirming options to women considering abortions. For more information contact Carolann Darling at 607–351–6668.
The Bishop’s Reminder:
Due to the prevalence of the Coronavirus, the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is suspended until further notice. Those who are at a higher risk of COVID-19 and those concerned for their health are urged not to come to church for Mass. Those who feel in any way sick should not enter any parish building or church.
Donating to Your Parish:
Online giving by WeShare is safe, simple and convenient. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Visit the parish website’s giving page: https://marymotherofmercy.com/giving.
- Follow the directions under the “Donate Online” section.
- Set up your donation or payment.
That’s it! Your account will be created and you can put away your checkbook. If you experience any problems, please email Eileen at [email protected].
Year of St. Joseph:
On December 8, 2020, His Holiness, Pope Francis, declared a Year of St. Joseph, until December 8, 2021. This announcement comes on the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s December 8, 1870 proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis made this declaration to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal. During this period, the faithful will have the opportunity to obtain, with the help of St. Joseph, comfort and relief from the serious human and social tribulations that besiege the contemporary world today.
Snow Days:
A reminder that during the week, if a “snow day” has been declared for local schools, there will be no 8:30 a.m. morning Mass.
Churches Will Be Closed on Weekdays:
Due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases, our parish churches of Holy Cross, Ovid and St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg will be open only for the weekend Masses. St. Francis Solanus Church, Interlaken, the Church and Parish Office, will remain open.
COVID-19 Rental Assistance Program:
This program is designed to provide up to three months of rent relief to eligible households who have experienced a loss of income related to the public health crisis. To learn more or apply, visit ithacanhs.org/rentalassistance or phone 607–277–4500. Assistance is available to renters in four counties including Seneca, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins.
~Please take time this week to pray the rosary for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. ~
Prayer Intentions:
Since we presently cannot have the prayer request books in our churches, do know that the prayer requests of fellow parishioners are still being listed on the parish website (see PRAYERS in top bar). If you would like to add a request, please email the parish at [email protected] or phone the parish office at 607–294–0064 and it will be added to the list.
Prayers from the Sisters of St. Joseph:
The Sisters of St. Joseph have a prayer ministry for the Diocese of Rochester. They have informed our parish that Sisters Anne Marie Burns and Dolores Bachman will be praying for our parish and parishioners throughout 2021. Let us keep in our prayers the two sisters praying for us and for all the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester.
Pregnancy Care Center of the Finger Lakes:
The Pregnancy Care Center of the Finger Lakes is located at 551 Exchange St. in Geneva with an office in Ovid at 7231 Main St. “If you regret your abortion, you are not alone. Let us help you learn to forgive yourself.” For more information phone 315 789 0708, text: 315-945-1019, or e-mail [email protected].
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.
Diocese of Rochester Request:
Victims of sexual abuse should always report to the civil authorities. To receive help and guidance from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, contact our Victim Assistance Coordinator: Deborah Housel, 585–328–3228, ext. 1555. Toll-free 1–800–388–7177 ext. 1555 or by email to [email protected].
