Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday ~ April 19, 2020

First reading:
They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. (Acts 2:46b-47a)

Psalm:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love is everlasting. (Ps. 118)
or Alleluia

Second reading:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pt. 1:3-9)

Gospel:
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (Jn. 20:19-31)

Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Have you ever experienced awe? Awe is commonly defined as a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. A moment of awe has the ability to lift us up out of ourselves and immerse us into something that causes us to wonder about ourselves, the meaning of life, and truth. Awe is an experience of connection that links us to something that is beyond the normal happenings of life. For us who believe that the resurrected Christ is present in all of life and the totality of the universe, being touched by awe can lead us to exclaim, “My Lord and my God!” Pondering the vastness of God’s presence also brings us to a profound sense of God’s mercy, which is the showering of His unconditional love on each of His daughters and sons. When we internalize this mystery, we may find ourselves standing in awe once again and feeling an intense sense of peace.

Catholic Quotes—Words to Inspire the Faithful:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Liturgical Publications Inc.


Events:

NOTE: All regularly scheduled public Masses and parish social and educational events are suspended until further notice.

  • Food Pantries:
    • Ovid Federated church: Mondays, 10:00 a.m. Food truck is every other Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. (April 28)
    • Interlaken Reformed church: 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., Fridays
    • Trumansburg Food Pantry: Methodist church 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 5:15-6:00 p.m., every other Monday (April 27)
  • Fr. Bernard is Available: 6:30 p.m., Fridays, St. Francis Solanus

Church Continues:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to require us to maintain social distancing from one another, please be aware of the following:

  • Fr. Bernard, Fr. Richard, and Bro. Antonine celebrate Mass daily at the friary praying for the well being of all and the ending of COVID-19.
  • Fr. Bernard is at the parish office daily and at all times he is only a phone call away (607-294-0064).
  • Fr. Bernard he is available every Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis Solanus church (social distancing will be respected).
  • Each of the churches is open daily for visits and private prayer.
  • The Sunday bulletin is published weekly and is found on the parish website and in the foyers of each church.
  • While public Masses are suspended, there is an encouragement to participate in Mass by viewing it on TV or live stream via the diocesan website: dor.org.
  • Our parish ordinary expenses average $10,500 per month. Without weekend collections we are not able to meet the parish ordinary expenses.
  • To financially support the parish during this difficult time please consider making donation via on-line giving by going to the giving page on our parish website, marymotherofmercy.com/giving, and follow the directions under the “Donate Online” section. You may also mail a check to the Parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy, P.O. Box 403, Interlaken, NY 14847.
  • Please alert others to our financial situation and encourage them to help through online giving or by check.

We are united in our prayers. Thank you.

No Mass but Churches are Open:
New York State, through the New York State Catholic Conference, reports that “churches can remain open for personal prayer but not congregant services.” Our parish churches will be open as follows: St. James the Apostle and Holy Cross will be open during the day and St. Francis Solanus church is always open, night and day.

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). In reference to this precept the Easter season is considered from the first Sunday of Lent until Trinity Sunday (this year June 7).

Scheduled Mass Intentions:
During this time of suspended public Masses, when a Mass intention has been scheduled for a particular day and time, that Mass intention will be remembered in a private Mass offered on the day scheduled. From your home, join in reflecting on the readings of that day. The Mass readings for each day are linked from the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Thanks from the Trumansburg Food Pantry:
During February and March the parishioners of St. James the Apostle are asked to provide volunteers for the Trumansburg Food Pantry. The pantry people on both sides of the tables were very appreciative of the response provided by St. James during these two months. Thanks to you, many people made light work of the distributions. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25: 40) Please continue your food or money donations to the Pantry on the second Sunday of each month as many people are having a hard time providing food for their families these days. Though we are not having Mass in the church, your donations may still be placed in front of the Blessed Mary statue at St. James. Thank you!

2019-2020 Catholic Ministries Appeal:
Thank you to everyone who has responded with a pledge to the Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA). As of March 19, one hundred and eight parish families had pledged $23,046, which is 76.87% of the parish goal of $29,979. What is primary is our parishioners’ participation. The CMA provides funding for important programs, services and ministries that strengthen our whole Church. If you have not made a pledge, please do so as soon as possible. If we do not reach our given goal, the parish is billed to make up the difference.

Community Services:
Need help finding help? During the pandemic of COVID-19, the town of Ulysses is working with Tompkins County to coordinate a wide range of available resources—from food assistance to mental health. To access that help dial 211 on your phone (or 1-877-211-8667) to get assistance from a live person, 24 hours a day/365 days a year. Callers will be referred to the service provider that best fits their situation. No question is too big or too small.

Donating to Your Parish:
Online Giving by WeShare is safe, simple and convenient. It’s as easy as 1,2,3:

  1. Visit the parish website’s giving page: https://marymotherofmercy.com/giving.
  2. Follow the directions under the “Donate Online” section.
  3. 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].

Update on Various Second Collections:
Given the COVID-19 situation, our donations schedule for second collections has been affected as follows:

  • The summer mission appeal for the Propagation of the Faith has been cancelled.
  • The Diocesan Mission Collection for the support of the Sisters of Mercy in Chile and the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brazil, originally scheduled for May 17, has been postponed to August 22–23.
  • Pope Francis has approved the proposal that the Good Friday collection for the Holy Land will be taken up during the weekend of September 13.

Please remember that even though we are not together in church, our charitable contributions are still needed to support the work of our Church.

Online Access to Prayers and Readings:
Magnificat magazine is a monthly subscription booklet that has the prayers and readings for all the Masses of the month, plus morning and evening prayer, brief writings by/about the saints, and more. They are temporarily offering online access for FREE so that anyone with a computer or smartphone can have those texts each day at home. To access the English version: www.magnificat.com/free; for the Spanish version: www.magnificat.com/gratis.

Getting to Know God Better:
What is the Lord calling you to do in terms of knowledge of Him? Is He calling you to study the teachings of the Church on a deeper level? St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry is offering a free audit of any one of their upcoming online summer courses and all classes are now accessible from your home computer via Zoom! Simply contact Matt Brown, director of admissions and financial aid, at [email protected] for more information or to register.

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 Sr. Anne Marie Burns will be praying for the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy, during 2020. In gratitude, let us pray for Sr. Anne Burns and all the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Employment Opportunity:
Could you use a little extra income? The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting thousands of people to collect important information for the 2020 census in their own communities. These are temporary, part-time, or full-time positions with flexible hours. The hourly wages are $17 an hour for an enumerator/lister and $18.50 for a census field supervisor. Mileage is reimbursed at $0.58 per mile. No experience or educational requirement is necessary. If you are interested or have questions go to https://2020census.gov/en/jobs. This is your chance to be a part of history!

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.

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© 2024 The Parish of Mary Mother of Mercy
3660 Orchard St., P.O. Box 403, Interlaken, NY 14847
607-294-0064

St. James the Apostle, 17 Whig St, Trumansburg, NY
Holy Cross, 7231 Main Street, Ovid, N.Y.
St. Francis Solanus, 3660 Orchard St., Interlaken, N.Y.
Diocese of Rochester
www.dor.org

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