First reading:
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. (Is. 60:1)
Psalm:
Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. (Ps. 72)
Second reading:
The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Eph. 3:6)
Gospel:
They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Mt. 2:11b)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when everything came together and became abundantly clear? You may have been confused about something, in the dark, at a point of doubt, or unclear as to how to act. You may have questioned someone’s motivation and found yourself coming to the wrong conclusion. Then out of nowhere, the insight came and reality dawned. You experienced an epiphany of sorts! Today, we celebrate Christ’s manifestation to all of the nations of the world. Has it dawned on you yet that Jesus Christ is the answer humanity has been seeking? Jesus is truly the beginning and end of all things and the key to understanding God’s presence in every human heart. Once this real Epiphany dawns on us, we can never see God, ourselves, or one another in any other way. The Divine Light illumines everything and connects the dots.
Catholic Quotes—Words to Inspire the Faithful:
© Liturgical Publications Inc.
Events:
- Food Pantries:
- Ovid Federated church: Mondays, 10:00 a.m. Food truck is every other Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. (January 7)
- 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 (January 6) [NOTE: time change in T’burg]
- Confirmation Candidates Classes: 4:00 p.m., Sundays, St. James
- Trumansburg Robotics: 5:00–8:00 p.m. on Mondays and 3:00–6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, St. James
- Family Hope Center: 12:00–4:00 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, Holy Cross rectory
- Choir Rehearsal: 6:30 p.m., Thursdays, St. Francis
- Bernard is Available: 6:30 p.m., Fridays, St. Francis
- Sweet Sunday Social: After Mass, January 5, St. James
- Daily Mass Schedule Changes: 8:30 a.m., beginning January 7, St. Francis
- Buildings and Grounds Committee Meetings: January 8
- Parish Council Meeting: 7:00 p.m., January 9, St. Francis
- Food Pantry Donations: January 12, St. James
- Talking Circles on Race and Racism: 6:00 p.m.; January 16, 23, and 30; Immaculate Conception church
- Religious Education Monthly Gathering: after 9:00 a.m. Mass, January 19, St. James
- March For Life: 12:45 p.m., January 24, Immaculate Conception church, Ithaca
- Catholicism Classes: will resume on Wednesday, March 4, St. Francis
Daily Mass Change:
Tuesdays through Fridays the daily Mass is now at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis Solanus church, Interlaken. The Communion Service remains at 9:00 a.m. on Mondays at St. James.
Sweet Sunday:
There will be a “Sweet Sunday” social after Mass this Sunday, January 5, at St. James. We hope all can join in!
Buildings and Grounds Meetings:
The buildings and grounds committees of each church will meet this Wednesday, January 8. The St. Francis Solanus committee will meet at 9:15 a.m., the Holy Cross committee will meet at 10:30 a.m., and the St. James the Apostle committee will meet at 1:00 p.m.
Parish Council Meeting:
The parish council meets this Thursday, January 9, at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Francis Solanus church annex, Interlaken.
Food Donations at St. James:
Next Sunday, and every second Sunday of the month, please bring non-perishable food items to St. James church. You may place the items in front of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Monetary gifts are also welcome.
Catholicism Class:
The adult faith formation program by Bishop Robert Barron called “Catholicism” will resume on Wednesday, March 4, and will continue throughout the Season of Lent on Wednesdays at St. Francis.
Church Calendars for 2020:
In the foyers of the churches there are church calendars for the new year of 2020. The lower portion of the calendar contains helpful information regarding the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy, e.g.: the mailing address, phone number, email address, and website plus the weekend Mass schedule. Please be sure to pick up a calendar for your home.
Financial Support for the Parish:
There are several ways to financially support the parish.
- Boxes of offertory envelopes: These continue to be available for those who prefer to use offertory envelopes. For those who requested them, check your local church for the box with your name on it.
- Writing a check: If you support the parish with a check, there is no need to use boxes of offertory envelopes. You will still receive your tax information in the new year.
- On-line giving: You can safely contribute online through the WeShare Program by visiting com and click “Giving.” Once on the giving page, click on the line “online giving link” which will lead you to the WeShare page for our parish. Under offertory you will see a box: “Make a Donation.” Click on that box and choose either “Recurring” or “One Time Donation” and then follow the directions to enter your donation. Please continue to use your WeShare account to support of your parish.
If you have questions please contact the parish office at 607-294-0064.
Card Ministry:
The Witness Committee is seeking one or two individuals who would be willing to join the group in writing and sending cards, notes, or letters to the homebound and hospitalized members of our parish. If you are interested you would be assigned one month in which you will agree to send a note or card to the names on the list. There are currently eighteen individuals on the parish homebound list. Please contact Marilynn Frank at [email protected] or 607 869 5009 if you have questions or would like to participate in this important ministry.
Sunday Collection Counters:
The parish is in need of people to count our weekend collections. Volunteers work with another volunteer once a month for about two–three hours. If you can do this ministry, it will be a great help to the parish. Please contact Fr. Bernard to volunteer.
Help for Victims:
Victims of abuse should always report to the civil authorities. To report a case of possible sexual abuse and to receive help and guidance from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, victims are encouraged to contact the victims’ assistance coordinator: Deborah A. Housel, phone (585) 328-3228, ext. 1555. Toll-free 1-800-388-7177, ext. 1555. E-mail: [email protected]
Ithaca Loves Life:
The local “March for Life” will take place in Ithaca on Friday, January 24, beginning at 12:45 p.m. from the steps of Immaculate Conception Church. Save the date and join us!
Family Hope Center:
The Family Hope Center out of Geneva will be using the rectory at Holy Cross, Ovid, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 noon through 4:00 p.m. The Family Hope Center offers hope to families by providing pregnancy and parenting education, support for relationships, and needed baby supplies. The Center emphasizes, with compassion and grace, the value of each family member and desires to empower the community, including those looking at a pregnancy decision, to make life-affirming choices through a transformational encounter with Jesus. Through their free and confidential support services, the center’s staff can assist people with exploring options, or just listen if you need to talk with someone as you move forward in life’s journey.
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.
Snow Days:
A reminder that if during the week a “snow day” for the local schools has been declared there will be no morning Mass or communion service that day.
Habitat House for Sale:
There is a Habitat for Humanity home available for sale in Trumansburg. The home has three bedrooms and one bath and is located at 19 Salo Drive on .36 acres. Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties provides an affordable home ownership opportunity by offering a “hand up, not a hand out” and evaluate applications based on need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner. The total gross household income should be at least $28,000. Other details about partnering with Habituate in owning your own home are available on their website: https://tchabitat.com/homeownership. Applications for the Salo Drive home will be accepted until November 30. If interested in the home call 607-844-3529 or email Liz Warner at [email protected]. We want to help you purchase your own home!
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.
Ministry Schedule for St. Francis Solanus Church, Interlaken
January 4, at 5:00 p.m. (first weekend):
Lectors: Karl Messmer, Scott Hamula
EMs: Kathleen Rourke, Millie Messmer, Robin Hamula
January 11, at 5:00 p.m. (second weekend):
Lectors: Kathleen Rourke, Barbara Willers
EMs: Lee and Mary Davidson, Robin Hamula
Ministry Schedule for St. James the Apostle, Trumansburg
January 5, at 9:00 a.m. (first Sunday):
Lectors: Lynne Stager and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Mark Scibilia-Carver, Beth Koeng
January 12, at 9:00 a.m. (second Sunday):
Lectors: Mark Scibilia-Carver and Barbara Willers
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: Lynne Stager, Beth Koeng, Mary Szymanski
Ministry Schedule for Holy Cross, Ovid
Not available at this time