SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER | MAY 17, 2020 Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I pray everyone is doing well and staying healthy. Isn’t it wonderful to see the Lord’s creation coming into full bloom and the hope of summer right around the corner? And with summer comes some exciting news for our parish —  Bishop Scharfenberger has asked if our Mater Christi family will host three seminarians

and, of course, my answer was “YES!” 

Stephen Yusko will be joining us again. Stephen came home from his studies in Rome just before Italy shutdown because of the virus. Since the end of March, Stephen has been staying with us and helping with the recording of our Masses for YouTube. God willing, Stephen will be ordained a deacon this Fall.

Joseph Tuan Pham, who has been at our parish since coming to America in September 2018, will complete his time with us before he goes to St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore in August. Joseph has been a wonderful addition to our parish family these past couple of years and we are so happy he will remain with us. 

Peter Phu Lai hails from Vietnam and has been in the United States for a few years now. Peter is in First Pre-Theology studying at Maria College & St. Isaac Jogues Pre Seminary in Albany. We are happy to have Peter with us for the summer.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support this past Saturday of Martel’s Restaurant at Capital Hills and our Food Pantry.  It was a huge success! The specials ran out at 175 meals and off the menu meals almost ran out too. We were able to raise $250 for our Food Pantry. Thank you so much for your generous support!

As we look forward to our way of life opening back up, here at the parish we will be forming a committee to examine the steps we need to take to safely open church so we can avail ourselves of the Sacraments once again.  Life will not be the same as it was before COVID-19, but we will be stronger and more creative in how we do things. Our physical church building seats 450/500 people, but with social distancing we will be lucky to fit 100 people in the pews. But, with warmer weather, comes access to a much larger space — the field next to the rectory. Do not be surprised if Mass is celebrated in the great cathedral of nature where more faithful can gather while social distancing and families can gather on blankets on the grass. It's just a thought, but one we should be looking at. And when it rains, we go into the gym with chairs every six feet apart. These are just some thoughts, but thoughts taking into mind reaching as many of you as possible while keeping each and everyone of you safe.  Stay tuned in the future weeks!

Until next week, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

God Bless, Fr. James

Parish of Mater Christi 40 Hopewell Street, Albany, NY 12208

Phone: (518) 489-3204 | Email: materchristialbany@gmail.com

WEEKLY BULLETIN

WE REMAIN in compliance with directives issued by Governor Cuomo and Bishop Scharfenberger, all regularly scheduled public Masses in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, including weddings, baptisms, and funerals, are canceled until further notice. All Mater Christi parish events are also canceled until further notice. The parish office is closed and staff are working from home. We are still going through phone numbers and cal l ing ever yone in the par ish! P lease feel free to contact us at (518) 489-3204 or materchristialbany@gmail.com.

STAY CONNECTED Please follow us on the following social media platforms to stay connected and receive updated information about what’s happening at the parish:

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Email Correspondence: If you have not been receiving electronic messages from us, we strongly encourage you to please share a household email address with our office to allow for more timely and cost effective communication of parish news and information in the future. Send a message to: materchristialbany@gmail.com including your full name and street address and ask us to add your email address to our database.

SACRIFICIAL OFFERING Weekend of May 10, 2020

Number of Donations:ONLINE 63

ENVELOPES 86

TOTAL 149

Regular Offertory:ENVELOPES $9,186.00

LOOSE —

ONLINE $3,762.00

TOTAL $12,948.00

AVERAGE WEEKLY EXPENSES $15,800.00

DIFFERENCE ($2,852.00)

OTHER COLLECTIONSASCENSION $157.00

CATHOLIC RELIEF $2.00

EASTER $27.00

EASTERN EUROPE $80.00

EVANGELIST $66.00

FOOD PANTRY $2,482.00

GOOD FRIDAY/HOLY LAND $5.00

READINGS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 17, 2020SUN 5/17 Acts 8:5-8, 14-17/Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 [1]/1 Pt 3:15-18/Jn

14:15-21

MON 5/18 Acts 16:11-15/Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b [cf. 4a]/Jn 15:26—16:4a

TUE 5/19 Acts 16:22-34/Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8 [7c]/Jn 16:5-11

WED 5/20 Acts 17:15, 22—18:1/Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14/Jn 16:12-15

THR 5/21 Acts 18:1-8/Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 [cf. 2b]/Jn 16:16-20

ASCENSION Acts 1:1-11/Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 [6]/Eph 1:17-23/Mt 28:16-20

FRI 5/22 Acts 18:9-18/Ps 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 [8a]/Jn 16:20-23

SAT 5/23 Acts 18:23-28/Ps 47:2-3, 8-9, 10 [8a]/Jn 16:23b-28

SUN 5/24 ASCENSION: Acts 1:1-11/Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 [6]/Eph 1:17-23/Mt 28:16-20

7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 1:12-14/Ps 27:1, 4, 7-8 [13]/1 Pt 4:13-16/ Jn 17:1-11a

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020 | 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

LIVE THE LITURGY Inspiration for the week Do you understand the true spiritual meaning of hope? Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. It is found when we place our trust in Christ’s promises and rely not on our own strength, but on the help of the Holy Spirit. Hope, when seen in this way, doesn’t set its sights purely on the things of this world but on the promises of God to come. Hope always is linked with faith and love. Often our hope can become too self-focused and something that is only about me and things that matter to me. Christ’s resurrection reminds us that it is not ultimately for this purpose. What is the reason for your hope? Our Easter season provides the opportunity for us to again assess whether it is the kingdom of heaven and life eternal or something else.

OBSERVANCES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 17, 2020 Sunday: 6th Sunday of Easter

Monday: St. John I, Pope and Martyr

Wednesday: St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest

Thursday: The Ascension of the Lord (holy day of obligation in some U.S. dioceses); St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

Friday: St. Rita of Cascia, Religious

Next Sunday: The Ascension of the Lord; 7th Sunday of Easter; World Communications Day

WEEKLY PRAYER

MISSION STATEMENT

The Parish of Mater Christi is a faith community, unified by belief in

Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, and rooted in the discipleship of our Blessed Mother. United by our common baptism in the tradition of

the Roman Catholic Church, we celebrate the Eucharist and seek to work and pray for the deepening of

faith in Jesus Christ through Worship, Evangelization, and

Service.

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2020 | 6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

FIRST READING Then they laid hands on them

and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:17)

PSALMLet all the eaeth cry out to God with joy.

(Ps 66) or Alleluia.

SECOND READINGFor Christ also suffered for sins once,

the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to

God. (1 Pt 3:18a)

GOSPEL“I will not leave you orphans; I will come

to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me,

because I live and you will live.” (Jn 14:18-19)

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass ©2001, 1998, 1970 CCD. The English translation of Psalm Responses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the

Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.

GOSPEL MEDITATION Encourage Deeper Understanding of ScriptureWe hope for many things: passing an exam, finding our true love, securing sustainable work, or surviving an illness. We often seek to have God be a part of what we hope for and desire, almost trying to convince Him that our agenda is what is ultimately important. While our particular hopes may appear to be what needs to be achieved in order for us to be happy, they really are not. Our lesser, more personal hopes can distract us from true hope.

When God became a human being, a powerful message was sent: all that is authentically human is found in the divine. As the human Jesus lived and died in order to show us that he truly is the universal Christ, we have to keep our sight focused on our eternal truth and destiny and who we truly are. We have to be careful when we allow our earthly concerns to distract us. True hope is found when we place our trust in Christ’s promises and don’t rely on our own strength. True hope focuses on striving toward the fulfillment of God’s promises and not simply on achieving what we think we need in this life. Hope always travels with two friends — faith and love. In this trio of virtues, we find the very presence of God born in every human being. These are God’s greatest gifts, and they lead us to the fullness of His presence.

As with faith and love, we cannot see hope with just our human eyes. We don’t carry this virtue within us to use solely for our own personal agenda. Hope is not something that simply comes with the human package. As with faith and love, hope is a gift that is given to us to draw us closer to our eternal truth. Faith, hope, and love are signs that there is something far greater going on in us and something greater to persevere in obtaining. The true divine gift of hope is what will endure any hardship we encounter, especially those that will come from authentically living the Gospel. With all that is happening in our lives, in our church, and in our world, what is the reason for our hope? Ask God for the fortitude to see His eternal gift as the reason we get up in the morning and do the things we do.

WORSHIP & MEDITATION

FOOD PANTRY I am feeling incredibly grateful this week. Donations continue to pour in from all sides, filling our pantry shelves and keeping our families fed. Thank you so much for your support. 

I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone of a few guidelines regarding food donations. If the seal or packaging on the food has been opened, we cannot give that food out. Similarly, if cans are significantly dented, they are unsafe and cannot be given to our guests. Lastly, canned items and grain-based items are the only items that are safe for consumption for multiple years after their expiration date. If you have items which are more than 6 months past their expiration date, and are not canned or grain-based, please do not donate them; we will simply have to throw them away. The same goes for open packages and dented cans - as per our food safety guidelines, we simply throw them away. Your cooperation with these guidelines will help us ensure that our families are getting safe, quality food, and make it easier for us to handle incoming donations in a timely manner. 

Thank you for all your support!

MASS INTENTIONS MONDAY, MAY 18 1ST ANNIVERSARY TIMOTHY SULLIVAN Req. by Michael & Jeanne Sullivan GEORGE PRESTON Req. by the McVeigh and Parente family

TUESDAY, MAY 19 DR. RAYMOND F. BIRCHER Req. by his family 12TH ANNIVERSARY PAUL R. CASEY Req. by his family WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 17TH ANNIVERSARY MICAHEL J. MULDERRY Req. by Barbara Mulderry FR. LLOYD RODRIGUES, SDB Req. by Parish Staff

THURSDAY, MAY 21 SUNDAY, MAY 24 PEOPLE OF THE PARISH JACK PELERSI Req. by the Pasquini family FRIDAY, MAY 22 MARY ANN TEBALDI MICHAEL COMPETELLO Req. by Marge & Jack Koreman Req. by the Hilton family MARILYN KILLELEA GEORGE M. PRESTON Req. by her husband, Ron Req. by Sandy, Charles, and Matthew SEVERA BANADALAN Req. by her family SATURDAY, MAY 23 MEMORIAL FUND MEMBERS JOHN RUTH Req. by Patricia Ruth & Janet Gargiulo FREDERICK FISCHER Req. by Lisa DiGregorio

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Just as this national emergency is having a negative economic impact on families and businesses, so it is on our parish offertory which is our principal source of revenue. By making online donations through WeShare, your contributions will go directly to the Parish. You can make a one-time donation or set up weekly or monthly recurring donations. Use this link: https://materchristi.weshareonline.org or go to our parish website and click on the “Give Online” box in the upper right corner. If you need assistance you can call LPI (WeShare) Donor Customer Service at: 800-950-9952 (press #3 and then press #2). You may also continue to donate by mailing in or dropping off your envelopes. Thank you.

Burns In Memory of Mary Zwink Roman Req. by Paulette Roman

Week of May 17-23

REST IN PEACE Please remember in your prayers the soul of Dolores Belfiore who passed away recently.