First reading:
“The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness.” (1 Sm. 26:23a)
Psalm:
The Lord is kind and merciful. (Ps. 103)
Second reading:
The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:47)
Gospel:
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Lk. 6:37)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
“Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.” We do not like hearing these words, but they are at the heart of Jesus’s teaching. When we are hurt, we want to get defensive and fight back. We prefer engaging in battle with something that is negative and evil rather than returning a heart of love. It is easy to love those who will love us back and much harder to love those who may not. But there is no credit to be found in simply surrounding ourselves with friends. Jesus wants to push us out of our comfort zones. We still find ourselves judging others and condemning them when the order of the Gospel is forgiveness and mercy. Why are we so unwilling to let go of the control? Perhaps the answer is found in a failure to love and an absence of faith.
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 5)
- 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 4)
- Robotics: Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 6:00-8:00 p.m., St. James
- James Choir Rehearsals: Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., St. James
- Weekend Backpack Program Collections: weekends, February 9–24
- Coffee Hour: March 3, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass, St. James
- Ash Wednesday: March 6
- 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., Aquinas Institute
- 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
Visiting Priest:
Fr. John Mellitt, OFM Cap., is visiting and helping out in the parish during the month of February while Fr. Bernard is away. Please thank Fr. John for his time with us this month.
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: 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. The final collection of items is this weekend, February 23 and 24.
Coffee Hour:
There will be a coffee hour on March 3, following the 9:00 a.m. Mass at St. James. This is sponsored by the local Knights of Columbus.
Ash Wednesday:
Ash Wednesday is celebrated on March 6 this year. It is a day of fast and abstinence which means those who are between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast (i.e. two small meals are not to equal one full meal) and all those over the age of 14 are obliged to abstain from eating meat. Ashes will be distributed at St. James the Apostle church at the 9:00 a.m. Mass and there will be with a distribution of ashes service at Holy Cross church at 6:00 p.m.
Lent Stations of the Cross:
The Stations of the Cross devotion will be held twice every week during Lent. One will be at Holy Cross on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. followed by a soup supper. The other will be held at St. James the Apostle on Fridays at 3:30 p.m. followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament (the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available after Benediction).
Helping Others:
When Jesus fed the multitudes, he needed people to help distribute the loaves and fishes. The same is true in Trumansburg. 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. The Food Pantry counts on our parish to provide assistance for this important ministry during these two months so please come and help out. 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. Please sign up on the list provided in the St. James foyer. Don’t forget to leave your phone number if you would like a reminder call.
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. Throughout the Diocese of Rochester, March 13, the Wednesday after Ash Wednesday, will be celebrated as a day of penance and mercy. 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.”
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.
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,” invites participants to reflect on Mary’s role in the Church, in history, and in an individual’s personal life. The speakers are Karlo Broussard and Sr. Anne Catherine Burleigh, OP, and registration is now open. Please visit the website at Rochestercwc.org/2019 for conference details.
Forty Days for Life:
Beginning on March 6, our community will take part in “40 Days for Life,” a groundbreaking and coordinated international mobilization. We pray that, with God’s help, this will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our community. From March 6 to April 14 there will be a peaceful campaign of prayer and fasting 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]
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.
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 fill in as substitutes. 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. If we could 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].
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.
Ministry Schedule for St. Francis Solanus Church, Interlaken
Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 p.m.
February 23 (fourth weekend):
Lectors: Gerry and Millie Messmer
EMs: Cathy DelSignore, Mary Davidson
March 2 (first weekend):
Lectors: Karl Messmer, Scott Hamula
EMs: Kathleen Rourke, Millie Messmer, Robin Hamula
Ministry Schedule for St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m.
February 24 (fourth Sunday):
Lectors: Beth Duff and Tim Davis
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Tom Duff, Tim O’Boyle
March 3 (first Sunday):
Lectors: Lynne Stager and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Mark Scibilia-Carver, Beth Koeng
Ministry Schedule for Holy Cross, Ovid
Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m.
(information not available at this time)