First reading:
“Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!” (Jer. 20:13)
Psalm:
Lord, in your great love, answer me. (Ps. 69)
Second reading:
But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many. (Rom. 5:12-15)
Gospel:
“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” (Mt. 10:32)
Live the Liturgy—Inspiration for the Week:
Jesus knows that the challenges a disciple of the Gospel will face in the world are real. He tells all of us point blank, “Do not be afraid.” There are many things we can fear as we attempt to live the Gospel: unpopularity, being rebuked, rejection, anger, being challenged, having to defend ourselves, standing alone, insecurity, failure, and even death. Many folks know that their faith calls them to live life more deliberately and radically but are cowards when it comes to putting it into practice. We easily justify sticking with the “acceptable” norms with which we are accustomed. These only serve to keep us stuck and mired in mediocrity. The Gospel—given flesh by the very presence of Christ—seeks to stretch, challenge, and change us. We do not have to fear anything, even death. Sometimes, living with our fears brings us a sadly disordered sense of comfort. Maybe what we really fear above all else is change.
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 (June 23) at 3:00 p.m. in the parking lot at South Seneca high school
- 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 (June 29)
- 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
- Parish Churches: Opened daily for private visiting and prayer
Father’s Day:
We wish all the fathers of our parish a “Happy Day.” Enjoy all the greetings of appreciation for the love and service you have given to your family. Your love and service is an inspiration to us all. God bless and reward you many times over.
Weekend Mass Schedule:
Beginning this weekend, a 4:00 p.m. Mass at St. James the Apostle has been temporarily added to the weekend Mass schedule. Our weekend Mass schedule for Saturday is:
- 4:00 p.m. at St. James the Apostle church in Trumansburg and
- 5:00 p.m. at St. Francis Solanus church in Interlaken.
The Sunday Mass schedule is:
- 9:00 a.m. at St. James and
- 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross church in Ovid.
Weekend Mass Limitations:
The recent civic directives state that churches may have a capacity of 25% of each church’s total occupancy. Therefore, the number of attendees permitted is:
- 60 people in Holy Cross church in Ovid,
- 41 people in St. James the Apostle church in Trumansburg, and
- 26 people in St. Francis Solanus church in Interlaken.
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.
Directives for Gathering for Mass:
- There is to be no social congregating before or after Mass. This includes congregating in the church, vestibule, narthex, on the steps of the church, or in the church parking lot.
- People are required to wear a cloth covering their nose and mouth. If you forget your facemask, the church will provide one.
- People need to sanitize their hands at the entrance of the church before entering the building.
- People are to sit six feet away from others in all directions (families of the same household may sit together).
- All hymnals, prayer cards, and other paper resources are removed from the pews.
- Cry rooms and other ancillary areas in the church are closed and locked.
- Holy water fonts are empty.
- The “Book of Intentions” has been removed.
- Congregational singing is not allowed and there will be no choirs.
- A musician and a cantor are allowed.
- Altar servers are not allowed.
- One lector is allowed.
- There will be no offertory collection. Parishioners may place their monetary contributions in a collection box provided at the entrance of the church. (Parishioners are encouraged to give online at https://marymotherofmercy.com/giving.)
- The priest celebrant and other ministers do not wear masks during the celebration of Mass, with the exception of during distribution of Holy Communion. Priest celebrant and other ministers never wear gloves at any point during Mass.
- The priest presider is to proceed from the sacristy directly to the altar.
- The offertory procession is omitted.
- Holding of hands during the Lord’s Prayer, not part of the Roman Rite, is strictly forbidden.
- The invitation to exchange a sign of peace is omitted.
- The priest sanitizes his hands before the distribution of Holy Communion and wears a mask while distributing the Eucharist.
- There will be only one station for the distribution of Holy Communion.
- For the reception of Holy Communion, you may lower your mask is to receive.
- It is strongly encouraged to receive Communion in the hand (the earliest and longest tradition in the Church’s 2,000 year history).
- Maintain six feet distance from one another when approaching to receive Holy Communion.
- Those preferring Holy Communion on the tongue are to come last to receive and the priest will sanitize his hands before distributing Holy Communion to the next person receiving on the tongue.
- The reception of the Precious Blood is not offered.
- The priest’s recessional is from the altar directly into the sacristy.
For updated and additional information, please visit the diocese’s web page related to the Covid-19 response.
Disinfecting Volunteers Needed:
Each church is to be sanitized before and after Mass. It is not cleaning the church but rather spraying the church with a sanitizing chemical. We are in need of volunteers for this task in each church. If interested in helping, please phone the parish office at 607-294-0064. Thank you.
Volunteers Needed at St. James:
With the present Mass schedule that now allows us to use each of our three churches, the parish needs people to help with various tasks as we resume operations. Please let Father know, at 607-294-0064, if you can help with any of the following:
- To be an usher/minister of hospitality for Mass either on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. or on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
- To help count the collection(s) every third Sunday.
- To be the counter (at St. James only) who can run the Tompkins Trust remote deposit software every Sunday for about 30 minutes to process incoming checks.
To All Parish Households:
In recent weeks, households have become more aware of themselves as domestic churches. To help support the church at home, the Diocese of Rochester’s Office of Evangelization and Catechesis provides families with weekly gospel reflections, catechesis, ideas for family time, parent support, and more. Each week a newsletter titled Family Zone is posted on the diocesan Facebook page. The newsletter may also be obtained by searching on the web for the Family Zone newsletter/evangelization and catechesis or by clicking on the link on our parish’s web page. The newsletter is proving to be a great resource and it has something that appeals to people of all ages. Even if you are living alone, you will find it of great interest, both stimulating and inspirational. Simply check it out and see for yourself.
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].
If You Need Assistance:
During this pandemic of COVID-19 the town of Ulysses is working with Tompkins County to coordinate access to the community resources that are available for people, from food assistance to mental health. Simply phone 2-1-1 to connect with a wide range of resources.
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.
