13 December 2025 - homily for Saturday of the 2nd week of Advent - St Lucy - Sirach 48:1-4 and 9-11 - Matthew 17:10-13

Today is the feast day of St Lucy, a great Advent saint. St. Lucy, also known as St Lucia in Italy, was a young martyr in Syracuse on the island of Sicily during the Diocletian persecutions in the year 304 AD. As a young woman, she consecrated her life to God and served the poor. The governor of Syracuse ordered her to burn a sacrifice to the emperor’s image, which would have been a false idol contrary to her Catholic faith. When she refused, she was tortured, blinded and killed. It is said that when her body was being prepared for burial it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored. St. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye-trouble. She is an inspiration to always live unashamed of the gospel and stand strong in our faith no matter how much persecution we face.

Legend has it that St. Lucy delivered wheat and bread to the poor and homebound, often in the darkness of night to avoid detection. She would carry a lamp or wear a crown of candles to light her way. Because of this, the lamp and wreath of candles are symbols of St. Lucy. In Sweden and other countries in Scandinavia, girls dress up as St Lucy on her feast day carrying a lamp or a wreath of candles, bearing special rolls or bread for the family.  Lucy and the other Advent saints give witness to us during our Advent journey. 

We hear Elijah mentioned in the first reading from Sirach and in the Gospel from Matthew. In the Gospel, which takes place right after the transfiguration, in which Elijah appeared on the mountain with Jesus, Elijah’s return signifies preparing the way for the Messiah, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah as well. All of have that task during Advent, of preparing a path for the Lord in our hearts and in our lives during this season of preparation. All of us in our ministry as priests and deacons and deacon candidates have that task as well, as helping to prepare a way for the Lord in the lives of those to whom we minister. May we help prepare for the coming of the Lord. 

25 December 2025 - prayers of the faithful for Christmas Day - prison ministry

Lord Jesus - you were born in the humble stable in Bethlehem.

Christ Jesus - you are a light shining in the world. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us Christmas joy as we celebrate your birth.

Priest: On this joyful day when we celebrate our Savior’s birth, we call to mind our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, confident in God’s generosity:

1. That Jesus may ever be born in the hearts of all Christians, prompting us to recognize him in our neighbor. May we hear God calling us to works of mercy and charity. We pray to the Lord.

2. That the angels’ glad tidings of peace may come to fruition, from the war-torn nations of the world to our communities experiencing crime and violence. We pray for peace and healing here at CMCF.  We pray to the Lord.

3. That those who do not have a home find a place that is warm, safe, and welcoming. We pray for those men transitioning to life in the free world. We pray to the Lord.

4. For that who are grieving the loss of a loved one or a family member. May they may find hope and consolation in God’s loving care. We pray to the Lord.

5. That Catholics everywhere may celebrate the Eucharist with joy and be reminded of God’s magnificent gift of our Savior each time we gather around the table of the Lord for Mass. We pray to the Lord.

6. For all our family members and loved ones during the holiday season. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For all our intentions spoken and unspoken, we pray to the Lord.

Priest: Generous God, we rejoice today in the gift of your only begotten son. As he leads us from darkness to light and from sin to redemption, we ask that you listen to our prayers as we celebrate his birth. He is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN.

12 December 2025 - prayers of the faithful for the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe - prison ministry

Lord Jesus - You were born of the Virgin Mary 

Christ Jesus - You are the Prince of Peace.


Lord Jesus - You are our savior and our redeemer. 

Priest: As we celebrate our Lady of Guadalupe today, we present our prayers to our Heavenly Father through the intercessions of our Mother Mary: 

1. That the Church be sustained by the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary and be open and responsive to God’s will.
 We pray to the Lord. 

2. That aided by the prayers of Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, hatred, violence, and cruelty in the world will come to an end.
 We pray to the Lord. 

3. That Mary, untouched by the stain of sin, may be an example and inspiration for all, that we might aspire for purity in body, mind and heart. We pray to the Lord. 


4. For our brothers and sisters who have consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary, that trusting in Mary’s prayers and example, they will firmly renounce the works of Satan and resolve to follow Jesus more closely. We pray to the Lord. 


5. That all of our loved ones who have died may find their home in heaven with Our Lady and the saints. We pray to the Lord. 


6. That through the prayers of our community of St Michael the Archangel, and those prayers we hold within our hearts, we may be ready to respond to God’s will as Mary did.
 We pray to the Lord. 

7. We pray for our children and family members and loved ones during the Christmas season. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: God of salvation, you reveal your steadfast love in Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Mother of your Son. We ask that you never grow weary of reaching out to us to overcome the ways we stray from your plan for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord forever and ever. Amen. 

25 December 2025 - prayers of the faithful for Christmas Day

Introduction: Merry Christmas everyone! This morning, we celebrate God’s greatest gift in the birth of his son Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come into the world in a spectacular way, but rather in a humble stable in a small town after a long difficult journey. Soon, the skies were filled with angels from heaven to announce the glad tidings to the shepherds in the fields. We are called to come with joy this morning to worship our newborn king.

Lord Jesus - you were born in the humble stable in Bethlehem.

Christ Jesus - you are a light shining in the world. 

Lord Jesus - you bring us Christmas joy as we celebrate your birth.

Priest: On this joyful day when we celebrate our Savior’s birth, we call to mind our needs and the needs of our brothers and sisters, confident in God’s generosity:

1. That Jesus may ever be born in the hearts of all Christians, prompting us to recognize him in our neighbor. May we hear God calling us to works of mercy and generosity. We pray to the Lord.

2. That the angels’ glad tidings of peace may come to fruition, from the war-torn nations of the world to our communities experiencing crime and violence. We pray to the Lord.

3. That those who do not have a home find a place that is warm, safe, and welcoming. We pray to the Lord.

4. For that who are grieving the loss of a loved one or a family member. May they may find hope and consolation in God’s loving care. We pray to the Lord.

5. That Catholics everywhere may celebrate the Eucharist with joy and be reminded of God’s magnificent gift of our Savior each time we gather around the table of the Lord for Mass. We pray to the Lord.

6. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For all our intentions spoken and unspoken, we pray to the Lord.

Priest: Generous God, we rejoice today in the gift of your only begotten son. As he leads us from darkness to light and from sin to redemption, we ask that you listen to our prayers as we celebrate his birth. He is our Lord forever and ever. AMEN. 

Prayers of the faithful for Christmas Eve - 24 December 2025

Introduction: Merry Christmas everyone! This evening, we celebrate God’s, son, his greatest gift to the world. Jesus did not come into the world in a spectacular way, but instead in a humble stable in an insignificant town after a long journey. Soon, the skies were filled with angels from heaven to announce the glad tidings to the shepherds in the fields. We are called to come with joy this evening to worship the newborn king.

Priest: penitential rite: 

Lord Jesus - you are the savior of the world.


Christ Jesus - you are the beloved son of the Father.


Lord Jesus - you were born in the humble manger in Bethlehem.

Priest: This evening, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. As we assured on Christmas Eve of God’s closeness to us, we present our prayers with our needs and the needs of the world:

1. For the Church around the world as it celebrates Christ’s birth. We pray to the Lord. 

2. That the Lord bless all those who are entrusted with Christian ministry in our parish and our Diocese. May God’s Word be proclaimed with truth and courage. We pray to the Lord. 

3. For wisdom for all who govern. That in honoring the earth and its diverse races, cultures, and religions, we may celebrate the light of this holy night. We pray to the Lord. 

4. That reconciliation and healing be granted to those surrounded by conflict, war, and violence, that they may live in the peace of this holy night. We pray to the Lord. 

5. For all who are cold, hungry, or alone this night. May God embrace with his tender care all who wander alone or have no place to lay their head, they may experience the hope of this holy night. We pray to the Lord. 

6. For all who are anxious, depressed, or ill. May God draw near to those who find this season a source of pain or grief, and to all who are suffering or in pain. We pray to the Lord. 

7. For parents, families, and newborn infants. May God strengthen families in the bonds of love and commitment, that they may delight in the joy of this holy night. We pray to the Lord. 

8. For the prayers we hold in the silence of our hearts. For those who have asked us to pray for them. We pray to the Lord. 

Priest: Heavenly Father, It is your will that your son became incarnate on Christmas and changed the world for all time. Help us to incarnate your son in our lives. We make our prayers through your incarnate son, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Diocesan Finance Council Meeting - 10 December 2025

Lord God, we come to you today in the midst of our Advent journey. During Advent, we prepare a way for the Lord as we get ready for the celebration of his birth at Christmas. We give thanks for our Diocesan finance council members, for all their hard work to help guide and advise us in the finances and administration of our Diocese. We give thanks for our auditors. We are thankful for everyone working together to help in our mission here to serve the people of God in the Diocese of Jackson.  As we meet together today, we ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit for wisdom in the decisions we make.  In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  AMEN. 

24 December 2025 - homily for Christmas Eve Mass - Luke 2:1-14 - Isaiah 9:1-6

It is wonderful celebrating Christmas Eve mass with all of you this evening. We welcome everyone to Mass. We are glad to have all of our parishioners here. And we extended a very warm welcome to our visitors and extended family members and friends who are joining us this evening for Mass. Please feel very welcomed here at Holy Savior. 

We have been preparing for four weeks in the season of Advent for this day. We have been actively waiting and preparing a path in our hearts for the coming of the Lord. Today, we celebrate with great joy the birth of our savior. Each year, we tell the story of Christ’s birth, remembering how he came into the world. We tell the story of Mary and Joseph being turned away from the inn, of the angels proclaiming to the world the good news of his birth,  of the shepherds visiting the Christ child the stable. Today, we celebrate the difference Jesus has made not only to the world, but also in our own personal lives.

The birth of our savior is not just an historical event that happened in the past. Christ’s birth is an event that echoes through the centuries right down to us this evening. It is not just a nostalgic event remembered through Christmas cards and manger sconces and beautiful Christmas decorations. Christ’s birth is a present reality that truly makes a difference in our lives. Through Christ’s birth, God is made incarnate and enters into human history in a special way. But, more importantly, he enters our personal lives. In Advent we sang, O come, O come, Emmanuel. Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. He is God with us, acting in our lives in a relationship with us, in a very personal way. 

Pope John Paul II wrote, "The mystery of the birth of Jesus that took place over 2000 years ago must be lived today and every day. The Word that found a dwelling place in and through Mary comes to knock on our hearts this Christmas and every Christmas, today and every day.”

During the Advent season, I think of the ways I saw Jesus present as a light, as God with us, as we prepared for Christmas, in our parish and in our Diocese. In the youth going to the nursing home to sing Christmas carols. In our parish collecting items to help the prison ministry, the Carmelite monastery, and the Arc Angel adults. In our seminarian Will Fogo as he was ordained as a deacon at the cathedral of St Peter. In the ten men that entered the Church through our ministry at the state prison. In the meeting of the deacons and deacon candidates in Winona. In the Christmas breakfast we had with the children and their families. In the children of the first communion class receiving the sacrament of reconciliation for the first time. In Sister Maryann making her permanent vows as a Carmelite nun. In our large OCIA class of candidates and catechumens being presented to our parish. Christ is present with us in many different ways. If is important for us to feel that presence. It is important for us to participate and be a part of that presence. 

I want to specifically specifically speak to the children and youth here with us tonight. Three years ago, we brought this stuffed lamb Uno to our church, and he is present at all our masses. And for you children and youth, I hope that each time you see Uno you recognize how Jesus reaches out to all of us. Each one of us matters. Even that one lost sheep that needs to be brought back to the community. We want our children and youth to realize that they matter. That the Mass always speaks to you. Our parish is here for everyone - our adults, our seniors, our colleges, students, our youth, and our children. Our Mass and our liturgies are to speak to everyone and include everyone. That is an important message for us to hear at Christmas. That Jesus’ was born to save all of us. And he invites all of us to his Church, the body of Christ. 

Tonight, Christ being born in the humble stable in Bethlehem enters our world as a bright shining light. Christ brings his light to us in the reality of our lives, in the midst of the darkness and challenges we have.  May we experience Christ the life our lives. Merry Christmas to all of you.