image.pngimage.pngHere is your weekly update. There are also attachments for this week.
Let us keep in our thoughts and prayers all the people in California affected by the fires. There has been so much devastation and loss. The Dioceses of Syracuse has requested the Parish take a collect for those in need in California in the next few weekend Masses
While this goes out as a newsletter of what is going on in the Parish and other events in other Parishes in the area there is so much regarding our faith.
Jubilee 2025-Pilgrims of Hope
image.pngThis year our Church celebrates the Jubilee Year 2025. This year’s theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Please stay tune for events in our area as well as in the Diocese
Conversation Series
We are happy to announce a brand-new Conversation Series. We will meet once a month on the first Monday of the month in the Cow Palace
Monday February 3rd @ 6pm
Hope you can join us for this new and exciting spiritual, education opportunity open to all
Parish Giving-
The Parish is pleased to introduce “Enhancing Stewardship through Electronic Funds Transfer. It is convenient no more searching for a checkbook or Sunday morning stops at the ATM. To excess simply Log on the parish website www.sacredheart-saintmary.og and click on the Parish Giving Log and follow the easy registration instructions. It is Secure.
Stewardship-
Operating expenses for the Parish on a weekly basis are $6,900.00 Collection.
Stewardship for January 12, 2024
Ordinary $6496.00
NOTRE DAME SCHOOLS
14TH Annual Raffle $100,000.00
Additional cash prizes and more-Tickets are $100
On sale at Notre Dame Jr/Sr. High School and Chanatry's Market in Utica
www.NorteDameUtica.org 315 724-5118 ext 26
Drawing Sunday May 4, 2025 @ 12PM
image.pngHope Appeal 2025
The Assessment for the Parish is $32,143.00
Currently received as of 1/8/25 we have collected $28,057.02
image.pngAs always, I like to share the deep traditions and meaning of our Church. What a great way to learn as a family and learn more about this great Faith of ours.
Our church uses different colors throughout the Liturgical year. Currently the color is green for ordinary time with the priest, deacon and alter in the color green, So why do is green used in Ordinary time. Here is a short reason why.
Why is the color green used for ordinary time?
Prayer involves all of our senses. It involves being alive to touches of God’s grace everywhere around and within us. Color in a church is more than decoration. In public worship, it has a role similar to music, art and architecture of a church — to teach, to inspire, to help gather our thoughts.
Green is used as a liturgical color during the weeks known as Ordinary Time. Generally, this period of time occurs from the end of the Christmas season until the beginning of Lent, and from the end of the Easter season until the beginning of Advent. Far from being a filler between other liturgical seasons, Ordinary Time has its own meaning, signified by its own color.
At its etymological root, the word “ordinary” has a rich meaning, far beyond the usual understanding of humdrum, commonplace or everyday. The word has its source in a Sanskrit, or Indo-European, word, which entered into Latin as the verb orior, meaning to rise up, to be stirred up and to grow. The word for “east” in Latin, oriens, conveys the same rich meaning: It indicates the rising of the sun. Hence, Ordinary Time is, for Catholics, the opportunity to allow the Lord to stir up our faith, to allow our spirits to rise and to grow in our spiritual life.
The color green brings this meaning to the fore, since it is a color that evokes life and growth
Events at other Parishes in our area
Please remember we are all a Catholic Community and need to support each other.
Mary Mother of Our Savior Parish
Healing Mass in Honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
February 11th @ 5:30 @ Lourdes
Mary, Mother of our Savior Parish invites all teens in the Greater Utica Area to join us for Youth Ministry Nights:
Who: Teens in grades 7 thru 12 from the Greater Utica Area
Where: Mary Mother Of Our Savior Parish, Seton Center, 2 Barton Ave, Utica (look for the welcome flag)
When: Monday evenings 6:30PM-8:00PM
(following the school calendar)-Start back on January 6th
www.motherofoursavior.org
Our Youth Ministry Nights (YMN) consist of games and snacks, followed by a short faith message. Then the teens form small groups to talk about that topic in a safe, honest, authentic way with their peers. This is a highlight of the night, to hear from peers about the faith, to share doubts and questions and to be lifted up and encouraged in their faith in God, all guided by an adult core team member. Then we go to the chapel for a short prayer service and end with an awesome dinner! We also make sure to include social nights once a month. Social Nights may include: Movie Nights, Camp Fires, Holiday Parties, Trips/Teen Outings like GetAir, Retreats, Service Opportunities and more...
For information please reach out to Brittany Wilcox: bwilcox@syrdio.org
Utica Newman Catholic
Christian Fellowship
For registered College Students/Utica Area
For questions Contact Campus Minister, Pat Gillick @
Uticanewmandoutreach@syrdio.org
Free Pizza and Wing Dinner after every 4pm Sunday Evening Mass
Our Lady of the Rosary Campus
Totus Tuus /Diocese of Syracuse
Mary, Mother of our Savior
July 20-25, 2025
This is a summer Catholic youth program. It is dedicated to share the Gospel and promote the Catholic faith thought evangelization, discipleship, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship
Teen Program -7th -12 grade Evenings Sunday July 20-Thru July 24 7pm-9pm $25 per youth
Children Program Day Program 1st grade-6th grade Monday July 21- July 25th 9am-3pm $55 per child maximum of $110 per family
Questions?
Bwilcox@syrdio.org or mmoosfaithformation@syrdio.org
Food for thought
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image.pngStudents making First Communion-it will be on May 4th @ the 11am Mass
I am working with Fr. Mark regarding a date for First Reconciliation. It will be on a Sunday during class time-
The Blessing Cup meal has been scheduled for April 19th in the school cafeteria from 12-3pm
image.pngSacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday 3:15PM prior to Mass
Weekdays 12:15 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Friday.
There will be no Mass on Thursday
Let's remember that as Catholics, the importance of attending Sunday Mass. At Mass we stand at mystically at the foot of the cross and witness for ourselves the same self-sacrifice of Jesus, in an unbloody manner. Mass is a celebration of this sacrifice. It is the active participation of all that come together in the place of worship
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3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalms: 19:8, 9,10, 15
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 12-30 or 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 14, 27
Gospel: Luke 1:14-4, 14-21
While these are wonderful reflections, please remember that they are not to be a substitute for the wonderful sermons of Father or Deacon Kirk at Mass.
As always, I try to find wonderful reflections for this week’s Gospel reading. I let the Holy Spirit guide me.
This week I found 3 reflections that complement each other
image.pngA reading from the gospel according to Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21:
1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us,
2 just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
3 I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4 so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
15 He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
16 He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood up to read
17 and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
19 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
20 Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
21 He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Reflection: The mission of Jesus
To follow Jesus means to take His mission as our own and to do what He had done. It doesn’t mean however that we need to be crucified like Him. To follow means to stay behind Him and allow Him to lead us. Although He is divine, He is also human like each one of us. His practical mission is something ordinary people can do. Bringing good news to the poor, proclaiming liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, giving freedom to the oppressed and proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord are doable missions of anyone.
Reflection 2
Jesus was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as he returned to His native town of Nazareth and as He preached in their synagogue. There He announced the good news of His mission and in a brief moment, all spoke highly of Him and were amazed at His gracious words.
We too can receive the power of the Holy Spirit. All we have to do is open our heart and empty ourselves of sin to make room for the Holy Spirit.
The mission of Jesus is quoted directly from Isaiah 61:1-2. However, He stopped at the “proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Then He rolled up the scroll and sat down. In the original verse of Isaiah, there was the continuation “and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,” Then Jesus added, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us read again the two passages: Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61:1-2 and see the difference. Indeed, Jesus proclaimed a year of favor and it is fulfilled in our hearing but the second part “the day of vengeance…” will have to wait until His Second Coming. The implication is that we still have time to experience the favor of God, that we are still acceptable to Him. However, during His second coming, judgment will be done upon all and there will be no more excuses.
The physical and spiritual problems of poverty, captivity, blindness and oppression still exist in our world today. Let us ask ourselves, what have we done to solve these problems? Perhaps, we are the sources of these problems or maybe by doing nothing, we have become accomplices in the perpetuation of these problems. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to empower us as we look for solutions to these evils in our society.
As we enter the New Year, we rejoice at the acceptance and favor God is bestowing upon us. We thank Him for the restoration of our freedom, our sight and the joy of being saved from poverty. As His followers, the mission of Jesus is also our mission. Let us start rolling our sleeves and begin the New Year by proclaiming the Good News everywhere. The best way to do it is to live it and let others see the Good News in our life.
3rd Reflection: Gracious Words
Good News: The scripture passage is fulfilled in YOUR hearing.
Jesus returns to Nazareth, His native town. Surely, He does not forget His own people. He knew many of them heard about the miracles He performed in Capernaum and other neighboring towns. They waited for His return expecting that He will also do mighty deeds for their eyes to see. Alas, they were disappointed because Jesus did not perform many miracles there not only because of their lack of faith but also because they rejected Him. Jesus Himself observed that no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Early in His ministry, Jesus made clear His mission namely:
a) Bring glad tidings to the poor;
b) Proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind;
c) Freedom to the oppressed;
d) Proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
These are “gracious words that came from the mouth” of Jesus. It is His intention to give grace to the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed and to unite back the people to His Father.
Jesus also said that these “gracious words” are fulfilled today in our hearing. They are fulfilled today, not tomorrow. They are accomplished in our hearing, meaning, as we listen.
Yet even as Jesus speaks, the people were raising their eyebrows and began to murmur. Where and how did an ordinary carpenter get His wisdom? Let Him show us His power! Jesus knew the people were sneering at Him so he told them the truth about their lack of honor for Him. So they got furious and tried to drive Him down the precipice.
Two Important Lessons from the Gospel Passage:
1. If we acknowledge that in some ways, we are poor, captive, blind, and oppressed, then the mission of Jesus is for us. We need Him to liberate us or to set us free from the effects of sin that separate us from our Father in Heaven. It is important therefore that we LISTEN to Him in order to fulfill His mission in our life.
2. The people during the time of Jesus are not much different from us. We too reject many messengers of God because of our biases and prejudices. More often than not, we tend to listen to a person we do not know than a person familiar to us like our kinsmen or relatives. It does not occur to us that anyone can be used by God to give us the Good News of salvation. In the words of Desiderata: “listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.”
This week’s Saints of the week:
The saints are models of human excellence, perfected by the life of Christ and the communication of his Spirit. They demonstrate in their lives how to really live and how to really die. They consistently point to the horizon of love which leads to the fulfillment of all human desire: eternal communion with the Holy Trinity
January 27th -Memorial of St Thomas Aquinas Priest and Doctor of the Church; January 31st Memorial of St. John Bosco-Priest
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Here is this week’s Gospel for children who are unable to attend our program. What a great way to share this Gospel with them.
Hometown Boy Makes Good!
Jesus is not accepted in his own hometown
Picture of Del Ennis (see below sermon)
Jumping up, they mobbed him and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he slipped away through the crowd and left them. Luke 4:29-30 (NIV)
I doubt if any of you have ever heard of Del Ennis. He was a professional baseball player—and a very good one too. He played in the Major Leagues, and during his fourteen-year career, he hit 288 home runs. Seven times during his career he hit 25 or more home runs in a season.
Del Ennis played for his hometown Philadelphia Phillies. You would think that being such a good player and being a hometown boy would make Del Ennis very popular with the Philadelphia fans, but for some reason, it didn't. During the eleven years that he played for the Phillies, the fans booed him every time he came up to bat. No matter what he did, it never seemed to be good enough. He never understood it. It didn't make sense.
Later in his career, Del Ennis moved to the St. Louis Cardinals. Although he still loved his hometown team, he was treated much better by the fans in St. Louis. Sometimes, it seems that even when a hometown boy makes good, he just can't please the hometown crowd.
The hometown of Jesus was Nazareth. It might surprise you to know that Jesus wasn't treated very well in his hometown either. One day, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth. After reading from the prophet Isaiah, he told the people in the synagogue that he was the one that Isaiah had written about. He was the one sent from God to preach the good news to the poor and heal the sick and give sight to the blind.
Everyone was quite impressed with the words of Jesus until some of them recognized that he was a hometown boy. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.
They demanded that Jesus perform some miracles such as the ones they had heard about that he had performed in other places. When Jesus refused to put on a show for the people, the crowd began to turn against him. They mobbed him and took him out to the edge of a hill on which the city was built. They planned to throw him off the edge of a cliff, but Jesus slipped away from them and escaped through the crowd.
That isn't very good treatment for a hometown boy, is it? It seems that no matter what Jesus did, he just couldn't seem to please the hometown crowd. I wonder...if you and I had lived in Nazareth during Jesus' day, would we have treated him any better, or would we have gone along with the crowd?
Dear Jesus, help us to be loyal and true, even when the crowd has turned against you. Amen.
Weekly Prayer
Prayer is a large part of our Faith. This week’s prayer is for those in need, especially those in both NC and California who need our prayers
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image.pngDiocese of Syracuse regarding the Jubilee. A Pilgrimage Diocesan Retreat will be held on March 31, April 1 & April 12 at 3 different sites in the Diocese for 2 hours and reflection each night
A Diocesan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy at Stockbridge MA in the Fall of 2023
Lynn M. Springer
Director of Faith Formation
Sacred Heart/St Mary’s
315 527 8399