Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Merrimack NH September 8, 2019

Saturday, September 7th Vigil: Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

4:30PM: Joseph Blazonis req by his family

Sunday, September 8th Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

8:30AM: Carolyn Disco req by Barbara Miles 10:30AM: Eloi Lantiegne & Grace Sevard req by the family and for all parishioners

Monday, September 9th NO MASS

Tuesday, September 10th NO MASS

Wednesday, September 11th NO MASS

Thursday, September 12th NO MASS

Friday, September 13th NO MASS

Saturday, September 14th Vigil: Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

4:30PM: Melissa Warr ington req by Mur iel and for all parishioners

Sunday, September 15th Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

8:30AM: Joseph C. Stephanak req by his family 10:30AM: Karen Volpe req by Diane Schulz

FREE TO LOVE St. Paul must have understood today's Gospel very well. Like Jesus, he knew what being a disciple would cost. It landed him in prison. Yet he seems to have no regrets; he accepts that imprisonment as part of his discipleship. Also like Jesus, he is not afraid to ask others to take that discipleship seriously. And he is not ashamed to ask a favor: Would Philemon accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, back into his home? Not just as a slave, but as a member of his family. He shamelessly calls himself a prisoner for Christ five times in the short letter (three times in our reading). If that didn't tug Philemon's heart-strings, Paul also calls himself an old man. In the Gospel, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Paul takes that a step further; he reminds us to accept that cost freely. He could have ordered his friend to free the slave. Paul was an apostle, a leader in the early church. Instead of giving an order, he called on Phile-mon to respond freely to his request. Perhaps we can learn from that example. Like Paul, when Jesus commands us to love one anoth-er, he leaves us free to accept that challenge. Remem-ber, he always says, "Love one another, as I have loved you" (John 13:34). Jesus was never compelled to cure anyone or forgive their sins. No one ordered him to feed the hungry with loaves and fishes or raise Lazarus from the dead. Yet how often do we go to church because we were told we have to? Do we volunteer for the picnic only because the pastor twists our arm? Or do we love Jesus so much that we volunteer to help without being asked? Do we love Jesus enough to invite others to fol-low him? We can live life just doing what we have to. Or when Jesus offers us a new motive--love for God because God loves us--we can choose to follow him freely. In John's Gospel, there is no Agony in the Garden. He shows us that Jesus chose to obey his Father and will-ingly took up the cross. Let us ask the Spirit to fill us with the freedom to love. Tom Schmidt, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co.

PLEASE NOTE:

If you have booked a Mass and would like for you or your family to bring up the gifts at that Mass, please let one of the ushers know before Mass begins.

Weekend of September 1st: $4559.00

Catholic University of America: $1335.00

Thank You!!

120 CLUB WINNERS

Week #5: Rose Hurd & Carol Nichols

Congratulations!!

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time September 8, 2019

On Sunday afternoon, September 22nd at 2:00 pm we will have a communal celebra-tion of the Sacrament of the Sick and you are all invited to attend. Who should be anointed…

∗ Any person of any age who is suffering from physical, mental or emotional illness may be anointed.

∗ Any person dealing with fears, isolation and physical limitations of older age may come for the healing and comforting touch of Christ in this sacrament.

∗ Any person who is scheduled to undergo surgery in the near future.

∗ All healthy Catholics who want to thank God for the gift of their good health and want to pray for those who are celebrating this sacrament.

A light reception will follow!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS UPCOMING FAITH FORMATION DATES

September 8th: Children’s Liturgy of the Word @ 10:30 Mass in Church Children’s Liturgy of the Word will resume on September 8th . For all children who would like to join us to hear a child’s version of the gospel. Children will be dismissed during the Liturgy of the Word and homily.

September 18th: Reconciliation Parent Meeting @ 7:00 pm in the Par ish Meeting Room For parents of children in grades 2 and above who have not received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and have attended at least 1 year of Faith Formation classes.

September 25th: Parent meeting for parents of students par ticipating in the At Home Program. It will take place in the Parish Meeting Room at 6:30 pm. You may pick up your materials and information regarding the program at that time.

Classes Begin: Edge (Gr 6-8) begins on Sunday, September 8th at 6:15 pm in Church hall Lifeteen (High School) begins on Sunday, September 15th at 6:15 pm in Church hall Faith Formation Classes (Gr 1-5) begin on Wednesday, October 2nd at 4:15 or 5:45 pm

If you have not registered your child(ren) yet for Faith Formation classes, please do so as soon as possible. You may go on our website www.olmnh.org or you may also call the parish office at 424-3757.

Because of You: Catholic Charities NH: Summer Update… Through your support of Catholic Charities NH you have brought hope, healing and compassion to 68,800 Granite State residents living amid despair and crisis this year. This includes helping 1,080 individuals move from poverty and a lack of basic life needs to stability and self-sufficiency; more than 400 homebound and disabled elderly avoid isolation and maintain their independence; and 242 individuals work to overcome grief, depression and significant mental health challenges. While we’re proud of what we’re able to achieve together, our work is far from done. Thanks to you, we will continue to respond to the needs of the poor and vulnerable, just as Jesus Christ calls us to do. To learn more about the profound impact of your support and generosity, visit www.cc-nh.org/impact.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Bishop Peter A. Libasci invites all couples celebrating an anniversary in 2019 of 5, 25 or 50 years, to attend the Fall Wedding

Anniversary Mass. This celebration will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 2:00 p.m., at St. Joseph Cathedral, Manchester.

To register, please contact the parish office at 424-3757 by September 20, 2019. We will gather and submit all necessary information. Once registra-tion has been completed by the parish office, all regis-trants will receive an invitation to this special celebra-tion. Couples celebrating anniversaries of 10, 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45 or 55+ years will be asked to register later for a spring celebration.

LADIES GUILD MEETING On September 17th the Ladies Guild will begin the day by attending Mass at 8:30 am as a group. Follow-ing Mass, Fr. Paul will install the officers for the up-coming year. A continental breakfast will follow in the church hall. Our meeting will begin at 9:30 am. All ladies of the parish are welcome to join us. If you are new to the parish or just want to learn more about our ministry, please call Pat Miller at 440-3770.

Red Cross Blood Drive September 19, 2019

Our Lady of Mercy will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive here at the par ish on Thursday, Sep-tember 19th from 2:00 to 7:00 pm in the Church Hall. Appointments are encouraged. Please call 1-800-733-2767 to schedule an appointment. Walk in are always welcome.

********** Parish Breakfast

September 15, 2019 A delicious breakfast will be served in the Church Hall after the 8:30 and 10:30 am Masses by the Knights of Columbus. Please come down and join other members of our parish family for a great break-fast and good company.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD BEGINS...September 8th @ 10:30 Mass

We welcome all children who would like to join us to hear a child’s version of the gospel. Our goal is to provide a relatable experience for children to under-stand the Word of God. Children and catechists will be meeting in a separate prayer space. Please invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us. If you are interested in helping out in this ministry, please call Michael Coughlin at the parish office (424-3757).

USED CLOTHING SHED Here at Our Lady of Mercy

Items you may drop off are: used clothing, sneakers, shoes, belts, purses, linens, pillowcas-

es, blankets, curtains and stuffed animals. Thank you!!

SAVE THE DATE September 14/15, after all Masses

This fair is for everyone who is interested in or already involved in a ministry here at our parish.

Our Youth Music Ministry at Our Lady of Mercy is looking for new members!! Teens and young adults, from 7th grade through college are invited to join our contemporary music group. Our first rehearsal is on Monday, September 9th from 6pm to 8 pm in Church. We rehearse every Monday night and typically play at one 10:30 Mass a month. If you’re interested in singing with us, or are an experienced musician, we’d love to have you! If you have any questions, please contact nancy King, our director of Music Ministry at nking@olmnh.org or Holly Cirillo at holly.cirillo@yahoo.com

UNITED WE SLEEP Friday, September 20th

Nashua Community College, Amherst, NH

The goals are to raise awareness and funds to minimize homelessness in Nashua. Did you know that there are 300 children enrolled in the Nashua School System with no fixed know address? The lucky ones are sleeping on family or friends sofas, others in cars or hopping from shelter to shelter with their families. If anyone would like more information or to participate please contact Paula Moran at 882-6053. Participants arrive with a sleeping bag and toothbrush. The purpose is to actually experience homelessness, albeit for just a single night. Participants sleep in cardboard boxes. If you would like to make a donation, you may do so electronically (www.tinyurl.com/uws2019, click on teams, then “Team Nashua Catholic Community). Thank you.

Information Page

Acct #: 694750 Our Lady of Mercy Parish 16 Baboosic Lake Road Merrimack, NH 03054 Contact Person: Kathleen Rush Phone: (603) 424-4477 or (603) 424-3757 Fax: (603) 424-1780 Email Address: kjrush1@olmnh.org

Bulletin for September 8, 2019 Kathy