Office: 175 Williams Road 518-283-6110 518-283-3938 (Fax) Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 am-3 pm Closed on Fridays Website: www.stmichael-troy.com Staff: Pastor: The Very Rev. Anthony Ligato –ext. 202 [email protected] Parochial Vicar Rev. Zachariah Chichester-ext. 202 Parish Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 9 am-3 pm...we are closed on Fridays, unless there is a funeral. [email protected] Rev. James M. Mackey-ext. 203 LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY MASS SCHEDULE Assisting Priest Weekend Schedule St. Michael the Archangel: Sat 5:15 pm, Sun 7:30 and 10:15 am Theresa Reid-ext. 212 Signed Mass for the Hearing Impaired on the last Saturday of each month. Administrative Assistant to the Sacred Heart: Sat 4 pm, Sun 8:30 and 10:30 am Pastor and Business Administrator St. Jude the Apostle: Sat 4 pm, Sun 9 and 11:30 am [email protected] Weekday Schedule Deacon Bob Sweeney-ext. 203 St. Michael the Archangel: Mon-Thurs at 12:10 pm Director of Pastoral Care Sacred Heart: Mon-Fri: 9:00 am [email protected] St. Jude the Apostle: Mon-Fri: 8 am Deacon Nicholas Ascioti Keep informed about what is happening at St. Michael’s: [email protected] Parish Website: http://www.stmichael-troy.com/ Barbara Berger-ext. 204 Parish Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/StMichaelTroyNY Youth & Faith Formation Download the Parish Phone App on your Smart Phone - iPhone users go to the App Store and android users [email protected] go to Google Play. Search for MY Parish App. Download this App to your phone, & then search for St. Michael the Archangel Troy Barbara McMahon-ext. 201 Parish Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/saint_michaels_troy Parish Secretary Twitter: https://twitter.com/StMichaelsTroy [email protected] SACRAMENTS Joseph Rizzo-ext. 213 • Parish Music Director Baptism - Parents seeking Baptism for their child need to make an appointment with the Parish [email protected] Deacon to begin the preparation process for the sacrament. Reconciliation - This sacrament of healing is available prior to the Vigil Mass and following the Peggy Cross-ext. 205 Vigil Mass or by appointment. Accountant Marriage - The couple should call the Pastor at least eight months in advance [email protected] of the desired marriage date to begin the preparation process for the sacrament. Paul Burns –ext.206 Data Entry Administrator HOSPITAL /HOME VISITS • [email protected] Parish members who are admitted to the hospital are encouraged to designate St. Michael's as their home parish. It is also helpful if a family member contacts the parish office to let us know Br. Ronald Davis, FSD-ext. 207 of a hospitalization. Members of the parish who are homebound or who have been admitted to a Head Sacristan and Cantor Nursing/Rehabilitation facility and want to receive the Eucharist should call the parish office to request a visit and the Eucharist. Trustees: PRAYER CHAIN •Please call the parish office to activate the “Prayer Chain” for your special intentions and Robert Long needs, or to become a member of this important ministry. [email protected] FAITH FORMATION Ann Kowalczyk • [email protected] Our parish is committed to supporting parish members in lifelong Faith Formation through our Faith Formation process called “Whole Parish Catechesis.” We help to form the faith of the children in our parish in partnership with their parents. Persons who desire to become a member Ministry Chairs of the Catholic Faith, should call the parish office and request an appointment with the Pastor to Phyllis Flynn Mescia learn about the RCIA process. Pastoral Council President [email protected] Veronica Ciccarelli Women’s Guild President NEW PARISHIONERS [email protected] We welcome all of our visitors and want you to know that we are blessed to have you here Men’s Club President to worship with us. To become a registered member of St. Michael's parish, please call the Nicholas Casale, III Pastor for an appointment. We will be happy to have you as a member of our parish fami- [email protected] ly. Saint Michael's is a friendly and caring community. Your presence among us would Ginny Amsden RN MS-Parish Nurse be a blessing for us. Welcome! [email protected] St. Michael the Archangel, Troy, New York Third Sunday in Ordinary Time We do not often think of the Apostles as reluctant disciples, but they were, even though we hear how January 23-24, 2021 they immediately respond to the invitation of faith, it would be how they first understood what that divine The Ministry of the Reluctant Christian commission would first bring Jesus to and then what it would bring them to which would reveal their Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, initial reluctance. That reluctance of Discipleship is more easily seen in Jesus' passion prediction oF the We need a new ministry category in the church today, the ministry of the reluctant Christian. So often today, scriptures of Holy Week. The scripture passage Christians are hesitant about sharing their faith with others which comes to mind is Peter's denial in the court- in a public setting. Why is that? Well, I believe we have yard outside Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin. been sent many messages from some in the greater culture "While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the that our faith is not welcome, such as not allowing prayer in servant girls noticed Peter warming himself, she public schools, sports events and even at civic events. We looked at him more closely and said, you too were are told to check our faith at the door whenever we are at- with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied it."(Mk. 14:66 tending events such as these. Long ago back in the early -67) This was an opposite response from that initial 1960's when school prayer came under fire, Christians qui- invitation from Jesus, "(Come after me and I will etly accepted prayer being taken out of schools. We accept- make you Fishers of Men.)" (Mk.1:17) For Peter and ed the argument that schools needed to be religion natural, the other Disciples their reluctance did not mean but what happened was religion was eradicated from they were not faithful believers in Jesus Christ, it our schools. Subsequently the morals and values that reli- meant they were fearful and had a lack of confidence gious beliefs espouse were also removed from the curricu- in themselves to be able to do God's Will. We are all lums of public schools across the nation. Leading us to reluctant Disciples to one degree or another because where we are today we know that to become a prophetic voice means to Reluctance on the part of Christians to acknowledge what open ourselves up to ridicule and even persecution. was happening at the time has led us to a place where in cer- We are all excited when we are first invited by the tain quarters there is outright hostility toward Lord and then we find out the divine commission Christianity and toward the Roman Catholic Church be- that God is calling us also. And like that Reluctant cause of our firm stance on Abortion and traditional Apostle Peter we must remit ourselves to that mis- values. This atmosphere of hostility has made us reluctant to sion repeatedly. "Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, add our voices to those who are challenging those who want son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes, to abandon the Judeo-Christian values that have built our Lord, he said you know that I love you, at which Je- great nation. Maybe we can find hope and courage in the sus said, feed my lambs. A second time he put his figures that are represented in this Sunday's scriptures. Af- question, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Yes, ter all, each of them at some point and time were reluctant Lord Peter said, you know that I love you. Jesus people of faith. replied, tend my sheep. A third time Jesus asked him, Simon son of John, do you love me? Simon Jonah was a reluctant Prophet who tried to run away from was hurt because he asked a third time, Lord, you his divine commission to go to the Ninevites and proclaim a know everything. You know well that I love you. message of repentance from God. Jonah tried to hide but the Jesus said to him, feed my sheep." (Jn. 21:15-17) Lord brought him where he needed to be, right in Nineveh. Finally, not being able to avoid any further his mission to a Like Peter, Jesus moves us from reluctance to ac- people he hated, does what God finally ask him to do, he ceptance, an experience of faith that repeats itself proclaims a message of repentance and to his surprise, they throughout our lives. listened to him." Forty days more and Nineveh shall be de- Yours in Christ, stroyed. When the people of Nineveh believed they proclaimed a fast."(Jonah 3:1-5, 10) The Reluctant Prophet Fr. Anthony finally did what God had asked and it was God who was then able to bring about a change. But if he did not finally respond God could not have worked through him. Blessing of Holy Water—Please bring your small bot- tles of water to be blessed by Father at Mass on the following Sundays- February 6-7, 2021- 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time April 3-4, 2021- Easter Sunday Weekly Collection for the week of 1/17/21 Offertory support of our Parish Community - $5,148.69 (Christmas $105.00) January Adoration Schedule (with Confessions) Please pick up your church envelopes! The church envelopes boxes for 2021 are Tuesday, January 26 @ 5:30 pm- available in the hall, for those who St.