First reading:
“God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father.” (Acts 2:32-33a)
Psalm:
Lord, you will show us the path of life. (Ps. 16)
or
Alleluia
Second reading:
He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you. (1 Pt. 1:20)
Gospel:
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” (Lk. 24:34)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Is God a real Being for you or simply an idea to be entertained? Often, we reduce God to a set of ideas, theories, and principles and neglect to see Him as the One who takes joy in helping us understand all of the events and mysteries of life. God delights in journeying with us and is the only One who can fill us with joy and make our hearts burn with excitement and jubilation. He is the One who assists us in recognizing the truth that is before us and interpreting not only the jewels of Sacred Scripture but the events of history. If we recognize God, we can also see that He inspires us to see the divine meaning of our own lives as well. Sometimes it takes us a little time. After all, even Jesus’s closest friends had to walk with him for a while on the road to Emmaus before their eyes were opened in the breaking of bread.
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)
- Bishop’s Sunday Mass: 11:00 a.m., live stream from Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Fr. Bernard is Available: 6:30 p.m., Fridays, St. Francis Solanus
Staying in Touch with Parishioners:
During the past three weeks a letter, an Easter bulletin, and the bulletin for the Second Sunday of Easter have been communicated to parishioners either by postal service or email. These communiqués have necessitated making corrections in our parish census records. With the third communiqué last weekend, not one email address needed correction and thirty new emails were recorded in the parish’s census. The postal mailing went from 92 to 62. For the past two weeks, parishioners with no email address on their parish census form were telephoned inquiring if they had email (several parish households, where it was suspected or it was made known they had no email, were not phoned). The parish is presently communicating with 213 households by email. In the postal mailing for the Second Sunday of Easter, a hand written request was made on some of the letters petitioning for an email address for the household.
At the March 12 Parish Council meeting, the Worship Committee’s “People in the Pews Subcommittee” expressed the desire and plan to update our parish census, especially for updating the electronic communications, e.g. email. One blessing from the COVID-19, and the encouragement for social distancing and the suspension of social and educational events in the parish, was the updating of the parish census. The parish has: 239 households that are registered and active, 49 households registered and inactive, and 162 households not registered and inactive (that is, Catholics living in the territory of the parish with no affiliation with our parish). Combining all three groups, the parish has 450 households in our parish census.
It is known that the parish has several people attending Mass who are not registered. So this is my plea: if you attend Mass and are not registered, please fill out a parish census form as soon as possible. The forms are located in the foyers of each of our churches and also from the parish website. If a household has an email address not recorded on their parish census form, please do send the parish an email ([email protected]) containing your email address. Thank you.
Church Continues:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to require us to maintain social distancing from one another, please be aware of the following:
- 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.
- Bernard is at the parish office daily and at all times he is only a phone call away (607-294-0064).
- 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, https://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.
Easter Duty:
Because of the inability to attend Sunday Mass due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Easter duty can be fulfilled by receiving Holy Communion at some time during the year. Church law allows for this. The canon reads: “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).
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.
Free Online Access to Prayers and Readings:
Magnificat, a monthly subscription booklet, is temporarily offering the online access FREE so that anyone with a computer or smartphone can have those texts for each day at home. To access the English version: www.magnificat.com/free; for the Spanish version: www.magnificat.com/gratis.
2019–2020 Catholic Ministries Appeal:
Thank you to everyone who has responded with a pledge to the Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA). As of March 31, one hundred and eight parish families 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.
Needing Assistance:
During this 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 phone 2-1-1.
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].
Summer Courses Online:
St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry is offering a free audit of any one of their upcoming online summer courses. Visit stbernards.edu/course-catalogue for more information.
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.
